It was the year 1859, in a small town in Texas. It was October 31, Halloween. The towns biggest bullies, Jack Westmore and Lionel Bradley, set out to see who they could beat up that day. That is what they did best and to be only 12, they frightened even adults. They saw a boy about their age walking down the lane and decided he would be their target. Jack snuck up behind him and Lionel approached him from the back. “Where are you going, little girl?” said Lionel. “I am going to Franklins for my mom” the boy replied, his voice quivering. “Well ,gimme your money and you won’t have to go so far” growled Lionel. The boy turned to run, only to be hit in the face by the fist of Jack. He fell to the ground and both boys jumped on top of him, hitting and hitting. When they finally stood up and looked down at the young man, they both laughed. He was crying and digging in his pocket for the money the two boys wanted. Lionel and Jack continued to laugh as they walked away from him.
As night fell, the two decided to visit the Haunted House that the town had every Halloween. Beside, they might be able to find someone else to take money from. They both wore horrible masks, which were frightening for anyone to see. They were laughing and punching each other as they approached the haunted house. “Hey, Jack lets make this a night no one will ever forget”. Jack asked,” How are we gonna do that?” “Let go into the haunted house and really scare the people”, Lionel replied and laughed at the thought of messing up Halloween for the kids in town. “Yeah, that’s a good idea, but how are we gonna do it?” asked Jack. “Well, why don’t we get behind the curtains and when we jump out, it will scare even the ones who work there!” “Yeah, oh yeah, and they will never forget us” said Jack holding his sides, laughing. The boys saw the line, waiting to get into the Haunted House, and as usual and with help from their masks, bullied their way to the front. As they entered the house, they saw some curtains that would work perfectly for their plan.
Looking to make sure no one saw them, they ducked behind the curtain. They could not believe their eyes, the boy they had beat up that afternoon, was standing in front of them. “What are you doing here, punk?” Jack said as he sneered at him. The boy said nothing but motioned to another set of curtains behind him. “What’s back there, your momma? Is she gonna protect you?” Again the boy said nothing but turned to
walk to the curtains, and disappeared behind them. Jack and Lionel looked at each other and laughed. They were not afraid of adults, they scared all of em in town. Jack pushed the curtains aside, and stepped in, Lionel right behind him. They could not believe what they saw. It was the same boy they followed behind the curtains, but he looked different. His eyes were red, and his skin looked pale and his teeth looked like fangs. They knew this was not a costume and turned to run. Turning around they saw a group of kids that looked just like the boy. Pale, their eyes blazing red and their mouths full of fangs.
For once, it was Jack and Lionel who were screaming. Their screams blended in with those of the people visiting the Haunted House, so no one heard them. The kids moved towards the two, not so tough now, bullies. Jack and Lionel screamed and screamed to no avail. Whatever happened next, no one knows, but there were no more bullies in the town after that Halloween night.
Today it is just a story you hear every Halloween, in that small town in Texas. Some say you can still hear Lionel and Jack screaming every Halloween at the Haunted House. Some have even seen the boy they had beaten up that day. He walks the lane, even when it’s not Halloween, on his way to Franklins for his mom. Sometimes he has the other kids, from that room in the Haunted House with him. The scary thing is, no one in Franklins has ever seen him, nor his friends in the store.
So if you are a bully, you might think twice about beating up anybody. You can never tell, the next one you chose to bully, could be the boy in the lane. It could even be one of the kids behind the curtains, at the Haunted House. Of course, one thing will be for certain if you do.
Just like Jack and Lionel wanted for themselves, you will never be forgotten!