Sleepless Nights Short Stories

Happy Halloween

I was frantically scanning my cluttered school locker for my science textbook when I felt a slight tap on the back of my shoulder. I quickly whirled around, startled, only to find it was Belle.

"Hey, I'm having a Halloween party tonight at my place. You should come by." Her voice flowed from her cherry red coated lips through the air in angelic waves.

Belle was one of the most popular girls in Westbury high. She has long glossy dirty blonde hair with flecks of gold that went down to her waist. Today though, it was pulled back into a high ponytail that sat on the top of her head. Her eyes are these twinkling silver-blue beauties that always seemed to hold a tinge of mystery.

"You want me to come to your party?" The bitter words slipped out of my lips before I could even think about what I was saying.

"Of course." She roughly furrows her perfectly shaped brows as if she was offended. The sparkle in her eyes fades with her steady gaze.

"I'm sorry I can't; I have work tonight." I lightly muttered the words so she wouldn't catch onto me stumbling over my, on the spot, lie. I evade her eyes, not wanting to look at her. I just wanted this conversation to end already.

"Shelley come on, take a break for the night. It's your senior year." She pouts her lower lip, almost like a child who was begging their mom for candy.

"I can't. I could get fired." I look down at my Adidas shoes nervously, studying the fresh dirt marks on my new shoes. Why can't this bitch just take no as an answer and leave me alone!

Belle grabs my hand forcefully with her petite little fingers, shoving an envelope into my palm. "Think about it Shell." Her red painted nails shimmer in the bright white light as she pulls her hand from mine. The girl looks up at me sheepishly, her confidence wavering a bit. "I know we haven't talked since the summer, but just think about it. Okay?" Her tone shifts to a sorrowful manner as her fortitude flickers away.

***

I stumble inside my grand wooden front door, running to escape the icy cold tendrils of the brutal wind outside. The tip of my nose tingling slightly with the whip and slap of the frisky wind. My numb hands are shoved so far into my fleece pockets that if I fell over, I'm a goner.

When I feel the warm heat from the vent above tickle my frozen body, I almost melt into a puddle on the floor. Walking home in the winter is unnecessarily awful.

"Mom!! I'm home!!" My loud words bounce off the blue painted walls next to me, ringing in my ears. I wait under the sensational heat for my mom's sweet voice to trickle down the hall, but in return, I heard only the low rumbling of the water heater in my basement. I scream again, louder this time. She must be in the bathroom or something.

"Mom? Are you home?" Again the silence hangs heavy in the air while I waited for a much longed-for reply.

Rolling my eyes unamused with her absence, I walk towards the stairs that lead to the second floor of our old quaint wooden house. The floorboards scream under the light pressure of my feet as I ascend the stairs.

Our upstairs landing lay dark, waiting for me to cut through it with light. Instead, I stagger to my bedroom, pushing my way through the thick darkness. I'm not scared of the things lingering hungrily in the dark, waiting to pray on the pungent stench of fear.

My room lay a mess from this morning when I couldn't figure out what to wear to school. Shirts, skirts, and pants lay sprawled all over my otherwise clean room. It's tragic sometimes being a girl. Guys can pick out a pair of shorts that make them visible from mars there so neon and a dark red shirt and not care. While us girls, we have to make sure our outfits match. Today I had on a black crop top that hugged my breasts nicely, showing off every inch of my curves, with a light washed denim skirt and black thigh high ruffle socks.