Following Zack’s map, we found the next house. One not too far off from the last one. I couldn’t help but feel scared. The thought of something not human showing up again, terrified me.

  As we walked up the path toward their deck, everything looked normal.

  Too normal.

  Their lawn was filled with antique decorations, carefully placed to add to the visual. On their deck sat an old rocking chair, the kind that you see old people sit on as they watch the rain in movies.

  Reaching out, I knocked this time. There was no pause, the door opened instantly, as if they were waiting for us.

  “Oh, you sweet things. You both look adorable.” An old lady stood in the door; a bowl of candy held tightly in her arm.

  “Trick-or-Treat!” I said, letting my nerves calm. I had noticed nothing out of the ordinary this time.

  As she reached out to hand us each a piece of candy, I noticed the tips of her fingers.

  Black, almost as if they were decaying. Her nails broken and cracked.

  I shot a glance at Zack.

  Zack?

  He wasn’t next to me.

  “ZACK!” I yelled, feeling my heart race. I quickly scanned around, desperately looking for Zack.

  “Yo” he called out, emerging from the side of the house. “I saw a black cat run back there and wanted to pet it. But it disappeared.”

  I was trying hard to hide the fear in my voice. The thought of my best friend leaving me made me want to cry.

  Quickly looking back at the old woman, her fingers were normal. No decaying, no cracked nails, nothing.

  And just like that, she headed back in. But I seemed to be the only one to notice the patch of hair that fell out from the back of her head as she closed the door tight.

  Rushing forward, Zack said. “Let’s get moving, these houses ain’t gonna come to us.”

  And we headed off.

  Quickly, we walked down the street.

  It was almost completely dark now.

  Except for the chilling glows of the jack-o-lanterns. Zack was ahead of me; it was obvious that he was excited for the next house. But something was off.

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  He was limping ever so slightly.

  “Yo, you good? You’re limping.”

  Shrugging off the question. “Of course I’m good. Why would I be limping?”

  Why would he be limping?

  I tried to ignore the subtle limp in his walk, keeping my eyes forward. From the corner of my eye, I caught the small flicker of movement.

  My eyes followed.

  A child.

  Standing in the street just staring.

  I blinked once and he was closer. I couldn’t understand how he could have moved that fast. From this distance, I could make out his costume from the small flicker of candlelight.

  He looked to be around the age of eight. His costume was a simple brown jumpsuit, and a plastic white mask with a wide red smile on it. But the mask had been broken down the middle, revealing his face.

  Wide eyes with pitch black irises. A wide grin, too wide to be human that never reached his eyes. His small hands held a plastic bucket, cracked and broken.

  Blink.

  Even closer now. I realized why his grin was too wide. His mouth had been cut into a permanent smile. Jagged scars running up his cheeks, forcing him into a constant smile. His eyelids had been stapled open, forcing a wide-eyed stare.

  Blink.

  He was right in front of me.

  “Where are your parents?” I asked, failing to hide the shaking in my voice.

  “Gone”

  “What do you mean gone?

  “That’s not the right question”

  “Right question?”

  “Shouldn’t you be asking where your friend went?” His eyes widened, his smile growing bigger. Unnaturally bigger.

  “Better find him before it’s too late.”

  I looked back; Zack was gone. The little kid’s voice was nothing but a screech in the wind.

  “ZACK! WHERE ARE YOU?” I screamed, running through the streets.

  I was freaking out at this point; everybody was watching me as I ran. Searching for my best friend. I was running out of breath. Right as I was about to give up, I turned the last corner and…

  BAM.

  I ran headfirst into someone.

  Zack.

  But he didn’t say anything, just stood there staring. As if he was staring right through me.

  That wasn’t Zack anymore. I was too late.

  Blink.

  Gone. Zack was gone again, and I was left alone once more. I didn’t know what else to do but run. I ran through the streets, seeing figures watch me as I ran.

  An old lady stretched thin, impossibly tall. Watching me.

  A young man, slowly climbing the side of his wall. Watching me.

  A young child, staring unblinking, eyes glowing in my direction. Watching me.

  I couldn’t breathe, I needed to stop, I had to. And when I did, I was back. Not in the place I was before.

  No.

  I was back at the woods.

  I hadn’t run away; I ran to them.

  And in those woods, I saw someone. Just standing there watching.

  Zack?

  “Zack! Is that you?” I called out, questioning the figure in the woods. Hoping my best friend would answer and not something else.

  Yet no words were said, they just turned around and vanished further into the darkness.

  In their absence, the wind blew.

  Whispers ran through the trees.

  And a single piece of paper followed. Landing at my feet with one word on it.

  JAKE

  My name, written in fresh ink. The side of the paper crumbled a little, as if it had recently been grabbed.

  Only then did I realize what the book meant.

  Those who questioned the truth were taken.

  “I questioned th”

  The wind stopped.

  Then silence.