Greendale

Lights Out

"So do you not like the polyester tops or just the ones that Anne's boutique sells" Sabrina questioned.
"Look at it 'brina, it's hideous" I turn away from the glittery store mirror to face her.
"School starts tomorrow so you're running out of options on cute clothes" she sighs.
"I agree with Sabrina sweetie, the polyester is in" my mom nodded her head as she flipped through the latest designer magazine.

School shopping with my mom and what felt like mom junior, was a nightmare. It was always two against one.

As we walked the shops, Sabrina and My mother chatted about dirndl dresses and makeup.

"Sabrina!" Someone called down the street.
"Harvey! Hey!" Sabrina called back.

The lanky boy walked up to us with a big grin on his face. He was wearing a faded jean jacket and a dark blue flannel underneath.

"Oh, hi...Lydia right?" He looked down at me as he towered over my height.
"Uh yeah, hi Harvey." I gave an awkward smile.
"You school shopping too, Harv?" Sabrina had a perkiness to her as she spoke to the boy.
"No, I'm already done. I was picking up a new battery pack for the generator in the left mines" he lifted up a gigantic bag.
"Harvey Kinkle? Well we better get going girls" my mom shot me a nervous glance.

I realized very quickly that my mom was obeying my fathers orders. Harvey noticed this quick notion and his body language shifted.

"Oh...well see ya guys then"
"See ya" Sabrina nodded.
"Bye" I pushed on.

As we walked towards the Beauty Mart Sabrina stopped in her tracks.

"I think I'm done for the day. I'm getting tired." She shrugged.
"Alright sweetie, I'm getting a little tired myself" my mom huffed.

That felt absolutely terrible. Sabrina wanted to leave out of sheer annoyance. She was catching on to my dodging of her loved ones.

As we pulled up to the Spellman house, we realized the house had come overran with vehicles on the driveway.

"Are you guys having a party" my mom questioned.
"No...their hosting a funeral for the Frantals"
"Oh....why?"

Sabrina looked at me, angry that i had not shared the family profession with my mom.

"Their funeral planners"
"Oh" the car went silent.

"Well, tell your aunties I said hello" she waved Sabrina.
"Goodbye 'brina"

"Bye" she never looked back.

We proceeded towards the house.

"Did you know they were funeral planners, Lydia?"
"Yes"
"Why would you not tell us" she shook her head in disbelief.

I stayed silent. So did my mom.

Dinner was silent. We ate beef stroganoff while listening to the radio announce the nightly news. My father looked like a gaping whole, he was a fragment of the man he used to be.

"The Greendale mines have been causing serious outages in the west side area of town, taking out nearly 12 electrical boxes of residential homes"

"Shut that shit off" my father never swore.

My mother quickly got up and switched off the radio. Just as she was about to sit down to continue picking at her stroganoff a evil shriek came from outside.

"What the hell" we all stood up in unison.
"It sounded like Sabrina" I quickly bolted to the door.
"Sweetie no!" My parents chased me to the door.

As I ran out the door the shrieks got louder. It was dark everywhere, it was 7pm, deep darkness filled the skies.

"What the hell is going on" my father followed next to me, his pick axe at his side.

My mother stayed at the door, enlaced in fear.

There were lights coming from the woods on the other side of the Spellman household but it was hard to make out what it was coming from.

"NEVER" Sabrina yelled from yards away.

"What is going on?!" My father started to run to the road, following to the Spellman household. I followed him.

"BRINA" I yelled out to her.
"BRINA ARE YOU OKAY?!" I screamed louder this time.

As we ran, the lights traveled closer to the dark front porch of the Spellman manor.

"DONT TOUCH ME. I WILL NEVER DO IT" Sabrina shrieked aggressively.

As we reached the front gates to the house, they tightly shut and locked. My father started trying to climb the iron rotted fence but slipped at each inch.

"WHAT THE HELL" my father let out angrily.

"I SAID NO!" Sabrina was now sobbing.

As my father boosted himself on top of the fence, a bright light flashed in front of our eyes, blinding us entirely. The light was so powerful that it sent my father backwards onto the ground.

"Who are you" a figure appeared in front of the light.
"Guests" the man scoffed.

Just as I felt a pat on the back, the lights went out, completely. Everywhere.