Creatures of Halloween

Creatures of Halloween

By Faith Escoe

I lie still in a ball like shape, I can't move but I'm awake. I lie deep in the woods of Burroughfields, or the" Woods of Halloween", as the teenagers and children of Burroughfield call it. It gained that name for one reason, the woods are creepy and scary during all the seasons, spring, winter and summer but it is the worst at all-hallows eve or Halloween. How I got here is a mystery, my memory is a blur, but I know one thing, something pulled me into these woods. I hear footsteps crunch the leaves, they are running, where to I'll never know, but once they saw me they stopped. It was silent for a moment then someone spoke, "You smelled her, didn't you?" then a thud sounded near my back. Fear spreads through me, what is happening I ask myself, my body refuses to listen to my plea to get up and run out of the woods. No one should live here, let alone visit, everyone fears the Woods of Halloween, so what is happening? Another voice replies, "Of course, but I thought she'd leave, humans fear this place." He sounded smug but confused when the other growled and went to lift me off the ground, "Well this one isn't." Once I was in his arms, I feel the thick fur on his arms and chest and his hand has jagged claws for finger nails. We are off running deeper into the woods, wind whips around my face, stealing my breath from, a wave of dizziness falls over me and I must pass out because I don't remember the rest of the night.

I come to and my body still refuses to answer me, but it is different from before, it is like my body is on fire, burning deep in my core and leaking to the surface of my skin, I am lying in a bed, probably looking peaceful. I hear a thought in my head, 'Listen to their hearts,' it whispers, 'Read their minds and feelings,' it seems to grow louder but I am able to hear one thing before it grows to loud. "Why do you think she was out there? She has a fever," that told me he is feeling my forehead but I feel nothing aside from the fire from deep inside me. The voice finally grows too loud to hear anything but it says, "Listen! Hear and know their deepest desire." The heartbeat of fear was one sound and the other sounded full of rage, both feared their leader would find out they took in a human. Committing the worst crime a monster could, they helped a human. A thought comes, 'Silly them. I am not a human I'm a monster like them.' The pain fills me all of the sudden, my ears start to grow and become pointed, my nails seem to turn into sharp claws, and fangs grow from my canine teeth. Finally my body, working again, lets out a shriek of pain, showing my fangs for the two kidnappers to see and my hands grip the side of the bed breaking it. My eyes fly open displaying purple cat eyes I can see nothing but a blur of colors because my eyes sting with pain from the change. I can feel their emotions of shock, after a moment my vision clears and I can see. I am shocked by what I see, a shaggy werewolf in ripped pants and zero shirt and a vampire wearing an average teenage wardrobe. They are talking to each other but I hear none of it, as I get up I see a mirror of what I look like, scared by what I see I throw open the door and run as fast as possible through the woods to get home.

No one I pass on the run home says a thing, seeing as it is Halloween. I run faster than humanly possible, when I see my house I make a b-line for the door. I fly through the door with tears running down my face, my mom turns around confused and startled. I run and wrap her in an embrace, sobbing.

"Nora, your hair?" she questioned. I glance down my hair has grown longer from the change. "What's wrong?"

"Promise me you'll always love me," I beg.

"Of course, baby what's wrong?"

We sit on the couch, I tell her everything that has happened, and I mean EVERYTHING! She sits there, in disbelief, "Nora, I think you hit your head."

"No, I didn't!" I beg.

The back door flies open with a strong gust of wind, an inhuman gust, it whips around the room giving it a cold eerie feel. A black silhouette stands at the door.