The Field

Chapter 1

Tonight was Halloween. Only the greatest time of the year besides Christmas. I mean, who can pass up getting to be the the one thing you've always wanted to be? My family was doing a trunk at our church for Trunk-or-Treat. We had to do it inside this year because there was a rain storm coming in. When we got there, the bucket that we were using for candy was full of Tootsie Rolls. I did not like Tootsie Rolls. I thought they were nasty right along with lollipops. Everyone else got kitkats and almond joys and snickers and Reese's. Why did we get stuck with Tootsie Rolls? After that we handed out candy for three hours to eager children and ushering parents. It made me feel really good to see the smile on the kids faces when we said they looked like a princess or commented on their costume personally. It made the parents happy to see their children happy. I probably wouldn't have had the energy if they hadn't have been so excited. Afterwards we were drained and I was ready to sleep.

We rolled into the garage with a soft squeak of the tires. I clutched my stuff and climbed out of the car before opening the door to the house. After plopping my stuff down in the cubby my parents had put for each of us in the laundry room, I crept out the door and practically leapt towards the field behind my house. It was a Halloween tradition of mine going on six years. I crawled through the rough wood fence to reach my destination. The grass swayed gently against my legs and felt almost cool to the touch. I walked out a ways to where my friends and I had sat during my Halloween party and closed my eyes. The nothingness was entrancing and I breathed in the silent, quaking darkness. A voice a couple of feet away from me caused me to jump backwards and snap my eyes open, "Hello Blondie".

A small scream of terror escaped my lips. There was only one person who called me that and I had never actually met him, not physically anyways. I knew my face was suddenly void of all color as i tried to regain my bearings. I started running as fast as I could towards my house, but he appeared in front of me. I tried to go around him but he did it again. On the third try i froze the second i stepped by him. My feet were rooten to the spot and i couldbt move a muscle. He stepped in front of me and started tsking. I glared at him and he lifted his pointer finger to my face. My eyes followed his movements as his finger zipped to his left and I flew backwards. I hit my head against the ground but not hard enough for me not to stand up. As I tried to make a great getaway again, my feet became stuck to the ground again. I went to scream, but before i could his fingers were closing around my throat. I struggled under his grasp to no avail. I couldn't breathe or speak to beg him to stop. I felt him bend down down to my ear as he began to whisper in a creepily calm voice, "We're going to play a game. Its called 'you listen or you die'. Do you understand the rules?"

I nodded my head vigilantly and he released my neck. I fell to the ground gasping and knew I would have bruises the next day. I would have fallen on my knees but that would have broken my ankles. Therefore, I fell on my bottom instead.

With the strongest voice I could muster I asked, "What are you doing here?".

A small smile spilled its way onto his lips, "I'm so glad you asked, but you're going to have to wait for that answer. You see I was very disappointed you tried to run. You of all people: the one who's always begging for me to come and talk just to give you some answers. Yet, now that you have the chance you were going to throw it out the window!"

I replied back with a shake of my head, "You don't get it do you? You've never been real to me. You've just been a figment of my friend's imagination that I played along with. And yes I believe in magic but who would want to believe there really was a demon inside of their friend? How do I even know you're real now? How do I know you're not just a hallucination or a person sent to play a prank on me?".

He crouched down to my level and looked me straight in the eye, "You'll see soon. Very soon. I have to get back to work tomorrow so I can only be here a minute longer. Any questions?"

I responded without hesitation, "Is this how you really look? Because you're exactly how I imagined."

He nodded, "Very close to this yes, but everyone sees me as what they imagine me as. How did you put it? I believe you said you thought of me as a tall, thin, stuck up guy with a British accent. Am I correct?"

My mouth was gaping at this point, "How did you know that?".

"I can see and hear what your friend does remember? You do know what my name is correct?"

"Yes" I replied.

"Tell me."

"You should know your own name" I smarted back.

"I want you to say it or I won't leave. Work can wait."

"How could I forget you Godfree?"

And then he was gone, just like that. My feet were freed and after a moment of silent shock I rushed back to the house. Sleep consumed me, after a shower and a hug to my parents and sister, and washed the night away...

"Goodnight Blondie"