The Bad Old Winn

Bad Old Winn

It's Halloween. The Wind has the musky scent of pumpkin pies and candies are scattered across the floor. You are walking home from trick-or-treating with a satisfied grin on your face as a box full of candies dangles from your hand. Then you see a shadow three times as big as yours on the road in front of you, and the candy box falls to the ground with a thud.

You keep paralyzed for a long time, just staring at that enormous shadows walks into your direction, so calm, like he knows you can't move.

As he gets closer, you smell something different: he seems to be smelling like a dirty bird cage, a smell well-known because of the crow your grandma have at home.

There he is, only 4 feet away. He stopped, just staring. From that close, you notice he wears a long plague doctor's mask.

A long silence endures on the air, until you hear a small laugh, followed by a loud one. The tension slowly starts to leave your body, giving space to a doubt.

— Man, you should see your face right now!

You know that voice.

— Alex? What the fuck!

Your old friend can't stop laughing at you, and at some point you begin laughing too.

— How the hell are you so tall? — you ask.

— Oh, this? Just some stilts. You like it?

— Yeah, this is so cool! I got really scared, i'll give you that.

Your friend look at your candy box on the ground, where almost everything is on the dirty sand.

— Ok, I think we gotta fill that box of yours again. What do you say? — he says, looking cheerful.

— I guess so. But I have been on almost every house of my neighbourhood. I don't think they'll want to give me anything else.

— No worries, let's just go to the other side of town.

— I don't know, my mom never allows me to go there.

— C'mon, it'll be quick. Besides, you know she trust me, I would never get you into trouble.

— Okay, but... Can you walk that much on those things?

— For sure! Come on, before it gets too late.

You and Alex head straight to the other side. While passing through the other people of your side of town, they seem really scared with your costumes, especially Alex's. Even the old Beau seem surprised, which is something really rare, since he's the grumpiest man in town and likes nothing but his old car.

Finally, the other side of town is on sight. The lights there seem much brighter, with tons of colors, from the red to the blue. Lots of parties seem to be happening here and there. Your eyes glow with that view, the heart almost popping out of your chest.

The both of you continue walking. On the town, lots of people, wearing costumes so real that you even get scared at some. A man dressed like a zombie, with torn clothes, and blood spilling from fake wounds; women dressed like ghosts, with capes flying on the cold wind of the night. Even their skin seem pale, like they really are dead. You've never seen anything like that.

— Ok, let's begin!

First you go to a house on the right; a man dressed as a vampire opens up. His teeth are covered in fake blood, and he is pale as and dead. Behind him, on a couch, there's a woman, probably his wife, and two children, their bodies looking so dry. There was wounds around their necks, so well-made that made you feel nauseous for a moment.