Halloween

1960

Marie let out a sigh of relief as the banging on the door had stopped. She leaned against it, hoping it would stop them from trying to get it.

Bang!

Marie flinched.
“It seems you’re in a bit of a predicament.”
“Edward,” she said with a smile on her face. “It’s you.”
“I believe so,” he said as there was another bang on the door. “How did this happen?”
“I was performing, on the street corner,” she said as she started to explain.

Marie spotted a drunk man across the street. He had an equally drunk friend staggering behind him and they were having a slurred conversation that no one else could understand. She watched and hoped they wouldn’t notice her.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

“Hey, pretty,” one of them said in a disgusting attempt to be seductive. The other one had a predatory grin that made her shiver. Marie knew she had to leave and leave quickly. She gathered her things and headed down the road, walking as quickly as she could without running.

“They followed me and chased me,” she said. She looked down at the floor, away from the ghost in front of her. “And what they were shouting got more… obscene.”

“Oi slut! Do ya do it for less cause ya freakish?” he shouted, his words blurred together as he staggered after the woman.
“Bet she's free,” the other called out. “‘Specially ‘cause she’s a freak!” That one staggered and threw up in the gutter. Marie glanced back and quickened her pace. Her nose scrunched up thinking about them following her. She grabbed her key and fumbled to unlock her door. Slamming it shut, she locked it and pressed her back against it.

“I can’t take this any more,” she said, shaking her head. “When will it end?”
“Soon, my dear,” he said. “It isn’t long now.”
“Good,” she said. She let out a shaky breath. “Did you ever find a way for me to stay with you?”
“Yes, though I cannot say how,” he said with a smile. Marie smiled back.

They were interrupted by another loud bang outside.
“They’re still there,” she said.
“They won’t be for much longer,” he said cryptically. Marie furrowed her brow. “Goodnight, Marie. I have things to attend to.”
“Goodnight, Edward.”

He disappeared into the darkness of the kitchen at the end of the hallway but the green mist didn’t fade. There was a scream outside and then the mist faded. Marie waited but after ten minutes, there didn’t seem to be anyone trying to get in. Cautiously, she opened the door. There was no one there.