I
Ethan took a deep breath and walked past the cemetery. He wasn’t a fan of it and it all started when had been 16, it was a piece of the past that he wanted to forget but since it was the five year anniversary he just couldn’t get it out of his head. He remembered it like it happened yesterday when he was in the crypt and what happened. The scar was still a memento of his incident.
“Hey Ethan.” Marion Webster was on her red bike.
“Hi Marion.” He stopped on the dirt road.
“Nice day so I decided to take a bike ride. What are you up to doing any writing?”
“No just needed to clear my head.”
She smiled, “Having a Halloween party tonight you want to come over? It’s just going to be my brother Greg, his wife, her sister and Cameron.”
“Uh maybe.”
Marion stared at the cemetery, “I forgot.”
“About?”
“Never mind, she became embarrassed, I’ll see you later maybe.” Marion rode her bike away.
He knew what she was going to say and he was glad she didn’t. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go to the party he liked Marion a lot just he wondered if everyone would act like that. Ethan had moved away to live with his aunt after his mother’s death for some reason the house was in his name but he had to wait to get it when he was twenty-one. So he moved back to *Bridge-Smith which was 80 miles from Salem, Massachusetts where he had moved too to live with his Aunt Beth, now he was home. The town hadn’t changed much not even the cemetery.
Two early teens walked near him and talked about Urban Legends, Ethan over heard the kid with the black hair say, “I heard that John Bolan still roams the cemetery at night where he murdered his victims in the morgue. It’s haunted you know.”
The blond chubbier kid laughed, “Really? I heard that his wife haunts the old Bolan house.”
Ethan knew exactly what they spoke about John Bolan was his stepfather and that was his mother whom they said that haunted the house that now he moved in.
“Who was Bolan,” A girl had caught up with them from afar and asked the question.
“You don’t know Fran? He was like the only serial killer around here. He worked at the morgue and would kill people there. Nobody caught him until he tried to well I don’t remember the whole thing. All I know he shot himself before the police could throw him in prison.”
Ethan remembered it they caught him because of Ethan, John had tried to kill him and almost succeed.
“Well let’s camp out there,” Fran suggested.
“No way,” both boys had said in unison.
They had caught up to where Ethan was lucky to have his new home across from the cemetery. His aunt was right he should have never moved back.
“Hey mister you’re living in a haunted house.” Fran said.
“I grew up here there are no ghosts,” with that he shut the door behind him.
Ethan took off his jacket and brushed through his blond hair. It occurred to him that he wasn’t strong enough to have come back but something told him to do it. He decided that ghosts and ghouls were just child’s play and that he was safe. It was just a place that he grew up at.
He sat on the couch and the cool fall air came through the old creaky house so he wrapped up on a blanket and threw in a Fellini film no horror movies tonight not even for Halloween.
After he got comfortable the doorbell hang he took the blanket off his slender frame and got up.
“Hey I didn’t know you were back until Marion told me, how’s it going bro?” It was Cameron his good friend though still talked even though he moved but he was right Ethan didn’t tell him because Ethan wasn’t sure if he was going to leave or not. Cameron was two years old than him.
“Yeah to tell you the truth I wasn’t sure if I wanted to move yet.”
“Yeah, hey happy belated birthday.” He gave him a package.
Yesterday had been his birthday he was now twenty-one.
Ethan opened up the package it was a sweatshirt.
“Thanks I need this I haven’t got the heat on in the house yet. Come in want some coffee?”
“Sure thanks.” Cameron followed him in the kitchen and took a bar stool.
“I’m glad you came over I was thinking about going to the Halloween party but then again I need to get some stuff done around here.”
“Do you need help moving? We could have a moving party?”
“Oh no not really I just have tons of books to put away and stuff.”
Cameron looked at Ethan’s distraught face, “You don’t look well, and Ethan are you okay?”
“No not really it’s my own fault. I was standing around the cemetery then these kids were talking about,” he stopped.
“Talking about what?”
“John and my mother.”
“Oh Ethan I’m sorry.”
“Anyway he smiled; I heard that you and Lilia had a baby daughter well you told me in the letter. How old is she now?”
“6 months, right now she is visiting her grandmother for the first time I couldn’t make it because of work I can’t turn the restaurant off and Lilia wouldn’t have been able to go if I went either. Its fun though being a chef you know. She owns it I cook I hate the business part.”
“So you’re a bachelor for a while,” he joked.
“Yes yes I am though I do miss them a lot. You know that baby has really made life amazing.”
“I don’t doubt it. Hey why don’t we have a party here? We haven’t hung out in years.”
“Sure why not I don’t open the place at 10:00 anyway on Sundays.”
“Cool then I’ll have to eat lunch there tomorrow.” Ethan felt good he missed his friends and now he could relive the times when life was good and nothing had happened.
“I also came here to tell you Marian canceled the party.”
“Really she just asked me too.”
“I don’t know she changes her mind a lot you know her.”
He knew why she canceled the felt guilty and he wished she hadn’t. She hurt the worse they had dated and after what happened to him she dumped him even though she loved him. It was because he changed. Ethan still loved her too even after those many years ago.
“You still love her don’t you?”
“No that was years ago.”
The coffee was done.
Ethan poured a cup for himself and Cameron. He poured coffee creamer in it and took a gulp, his mouth was dry. He wasn’t feeling the best now oh wow the past haunts you he thought.
“So I read your book it was good.”
“Thanks,” His hand got shaky and he dropped the cup. It shattered. He saw something looking at him in the mirror it was John’s face.
“Ethan?”
“Oops my hand got burned,” he lied.
Cameron helped him pick up the pieces. Ethan grabbed a towel and wiped up the spillage. He didn’t want Cameron to think that he was nuts. Maybe his eyes played tricks on him and he didn’t think about it again.
“Dumb me,” he laughed it off.
“You scared me there for a moment.”
“Sorry I must have misjudged my pouring.”
“Let’s go in the living room I noticed you were watching 8 ½ love that movie.”
Ethan followed Cameron and they both plunked on the couch in relaxation mode. He was going to have a goodnight if it killed him.
II
It was seven at night; Cameron had made a buffalo chicken pizza and talked Ethan into watching Halloween films since it was that time of the year. They were the classics, the old standbys. So far the day and evening was going good. It felt like old times when they had their movie nights and wouldn’t go to be around 4 in the morning. That was before.
“So what you want to watch next Halloween or Val Lewton’s Cat People?” Cameron asked.
“You can pick.”
“Halloween it is if you don’t mind?”
“No I don’t care.”
Cameron put the film in, “I think we might need popcorn.”
“You should open up your own theater.”
The phone rang.
Cameron was already up so he answered, “Hello, he waited, Hello, and he waited one more time, Hello?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing just wrong number.”
Ethan didn’t believe him but then decided that it was just kids. Cameron was in the kitchen getting popcorn. Ethan looked up at the upstairs he hadn’t gone up there yet. He turned his head to the front door and heard a noise like a knock. He got up and attended to the matter.
“Hello?” He saw nobody just leaves that blew past. The other houses were dark and there were no kids trick or treating. Normally the little ones were gone already and he kept his light off. He felt like a miser but this year he didn’t buy any candy.
Ethan stood outside and analyzed it and decided that it was the wind. He was paranoid and felt ashamed for it. So he decided to go back inside until his eyes were sent upon the cemetery. He saw a man from afar and went back in.
“You see something out there?” Cameron asked.
“I won’t lie I keep seeing and hearing strange things.”
“I believe you on the phone I could hear heavy breathing. It’s just kids though don’t worry.”
“I know guess its Halloween strange things happen.” He laughed it off.
“Exactly, now come you’re going to miss Michael Myers.”
He followed him back to the couch and they both snacked on popcorn and watched the film. Ethan barely paid attention to it and kept his mind focused on the cemetery. He wondered who that man was that he saw and wondered if it was the gravedigger or something. He overreacted but what it looked like the man had motion him to come. You’re just being stressed out from the new house, moving and thinking about Marion you are fine he told himself.
Cameron dozed off on him he noticed and could hear him snore. His eyes also got heavy guess it was the older you get the more tired. He closed them for a moment and then opened them suddenly, the phone ranged again.
He answered it, “Hello.”
“Hello Ethan how are you doing?” A male’s voice asked.
“Who is this?” He demanded.
“You know.”
“Please.” He whined.
“I thought you would miss me Ethan.”
“Leave me alone please I didn’t kill you, you killed yourself.”
“You were supposed to be my lucky number 7 victim but I took too long I let power get in our way didn’t I Ethan? You remember when I forced you….”
“Shut up! He screamed on the top of his lungs.
Cameron jumped up from his cat nap, “Ethan are you okay?”
Ethan wasn’t he was in hysterics, “John is on the phone.”
“What?” Cameron took it and he heard the operator talking, “You must dial a 1 or 0.”
“I feel sick,” He vomited on the floor.
Cameron came to his aid, “It was just the operator it’s not John or anyone.”
“It was,” he said while he wiped his chin.
“Come on let me get you some coffee.”
“Cameron please leave you’re not safe here.” He pleaded.
“I’m safe and you’re safe. Now come let’s watch something else I see you like French Wave films I’ll put one in.” He took out the Halloween VHS and put in a random movie.
Ethan wiped his face and sat back down. His body was shaky and Cameron put the coffee on the table.
“Relax John is dead right?”
“Yeah.”
“If he was alive we would know about it right?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay so tell me was that John on the phone?”
“No.” He told him what he wanted to hear. John had friends he knew that and those friends messed around with some creepy things. Maybe one brought him back?
“There now watch some TV and breathe.”
Ethan took a deep breath and rested his body. It had to be just a prank some stupid kid knowing what happened to him. People were sick that’s all and he had Cameron who was like a big brother to him could and would protect him.
“How are you?”
He grinned, “Great I thought it over just a prank.”
“Just don’t answer the phone people are stupid.”
“Mhmm.”
Cameron dozed off again he had heavy eyes before. Ethan kept his eyes on the TV and let his mind just fade. He was half asleep again and felt calm. His eyes would close and open.
“Wake up sleepy head.”
He grabbed his shoe and threw it at the TV, “No more. I’m not going to stand for it.”
He left the house while Cameron slept.
III
Ethan walked to the cemetery and had a sledgehammer with him that he stole from the neighbor. He wasn’t going to the victim anymore. He searched the plots and found John’s tombstone. He whacked it repeatedly and cried in frustration.
“Come John come and get me. I’m here now like you wanted.”
He went to the same morgue where the incident happened and sat there with the hammer in his hands. He was in killer mode something came over him and if this was a prank he would kill the people who did it. This wasn’t funny anymore.
The morgue door opened, “Is someone in here?”
It was the caretaker.
“Ethan Massey is that you?”
“Hi Mr. Gray I need a big favor can you open the casket of John Bolan. I have feeling he isn’t dead.”
“Oh boy Ethan you shouldn’t have come here. I see that you’re not over what happened. Why don’t I take you back to the place my wife is making a good meal.”
“Please Mr. Gray I have to know.”
“I’ll tell you he’s dead I saw him the night he killed himself. He was dead even the coroner said that.”
“Then why did he call me and he was on my TV?”
“Hmm maybe you thought you saw him.”
“No I heard his voice and saw him I know I did.”
Mr. Gray shook his head, “Let’s get you home.”
“Oh my god what if he killed Cameron?”
“Now listen here he’s dead and come out of there it’s disrespectful to the dead.” What Mr. Gray really thought was why the hell he wanted to see where he was almost killed and what else John did to him. Mr. Gray heard that some of John’s victims supposedly were not just stabbed by him that far worse things happened he wondered if that happened to Ethan. He figured it but it wasn’t something he was going to pry in it made him uneasy.
“I can’t leave I know he’ll come here.”
“Come on Ethan I’ll get you some supper. It’s raining and you’re going to catch a cold.”
“Maybe your right. I guess I’m not well I shouldn’t have come back.”
“Now I think you’re just fine it’s just stressful. Come on you’re still young enough to enjoy some cocoa.”
“Mr. Gray thanks you very much. I forgot how much you and your wife were so nice.” He got up and took Mr. Gray’s hand just then he heard something and looked up Mr. Gray was dead.
“Damn you!” He shouted.
John came out from the shadows he wasn’t dead but didn’t look human either. His face was a gray color and his eyes were a darker brown than usual that meant that he was obviously soulless. He had a knife in his hand and a smile to match it.
“You came back that’s good,” John said sinisterly.
“Why did you come back?”
“You should ask how I came back. A good friend of mine knows Voodoo you remember Ric. I came to him a dream and asked him to avenge me. He never did believe that I was a murderer isn’t funny that I can still manipulate people.”
“Oh my god, you’re sick. You are a creep a real creep.”
“History repeats itself.” John came closer to him and tried to grab his arm and laughed mockingly. He took the knife and hit him in the shoulder.
But Ethan was smart he grabbed the sledgehammer and hit him across the face. He kept at him hitting and missing. John tried to dodge but Ethan kept swinging like a madman.
“Ethan stop this, I won’t hurt you. I see that you still have that scar.”
“Shut up.” He smacked his head right off. He didn’t think that he had the strength but he did. He prayed to God that it would end and that he would be safe. It happened once and it would happen again.
“I didn’t think a whore like you had it in you.” The talking head said.
“I told you, you shouldn’t have hurt me that night. I said I would get my own personal revenge. You want yours but evil never wins.” Jack threw the head and held his arm in pain. It was finally over………..