Hallie

The whole point of this week's contest's prompts was to "give each other some goosebumps." But as I wrote this story, I just wasn't feeling a scary vibe, so here's a Hallow's Eve romance...

A furry presence startled me as it slithered through my legs. It was a dinky cat, black as the night around us. If I had stood there, staring into that cat's eyes any longer than I had, I might've caught a glimpse of lush valleys in its verdant eyes, glowing up at me. Now, riddle me this, how mournful is it that I- a grown man -was spending this Halloween trick-or-treating by myself, and on top of that I was graced with the "bad luck" company of a black cat.

"Excuse me, but I've already had enough of a hapless day." I said respectfully to the omen rubbing its side against my ankles. It flopped over and exposed its belly.

I sighed and reached down to stroke her. I noticed a collar, just as dark as the cat's coat, and on it, a name embroidered in the vinyl fabric. Hallie. "Ah, Hallie, Hallie--" I was then interrupted by a shriek; not necessarily surprising on Hallow's Eve, but unsettling all the same. The shriek sounded like somebody was saying, aah eeh! And as the caller got closer, the repeating shrieks made it apparent that little Hallie had an owner who was calling for her. "Ha-lllllieeeeee!"

A woman rounded the corner of the block, and gasped with relief when her eyes fell upon me and her cat. Luckily, I wasn't dressed up to go trick-or-treating, otherwise the sight of a ghost too tall to be a child might've frightened this woman greatly.

Here's the deal: I'm single, my friends went out of town for a party, and my parents are dead- no siblings, either. So, I don't feel like wasting away with my creepy roommate watching The Late Night Show when I could be taking a stroll, enjoying the night air, and occasionally wandering to houses with flamboyant Halloween decorations and saying, "trick-or-treat," in the same humdrum voice. Some people are concerned, others understand... either way, they have to give me a piece of candy.

Hallie the cat jumped up and hopped towards the woman. The first thing I noticed about this woman was that she was wearing normal clothes, except for a flimsy witch's hat tucked under her arm. She picked up the cat and buried her face in its fur.

"Thank you so, so, so, so much, I've been looking for her for two hours!"

-The whole point of this week's contest's prompts was to "give each other some goosebumps." But as I wrote this story, I just wasn't feeling a scary vibe, so here's a Hallow's Eve romance...

A furry presence startled me as it slithered through my legs. It was a dinky cat, black as the night around us. If I had stood there, staring into that cat's eyes any longer than I had, I might've caught a glimpse of lush valleys in its verdant eyes, glowing up at me. Now, riddle me this, how mournful is it that I- a grown man -was spending this Halloween trick-or-treating by myself, and on top of that I was graced with the "bad luck" company of a black cat.

"Excuse me, but I've already had enough of a hapless day." I said respectfully to the omen rubbing its side against my ankles. It flopped over and exposed its belly.

I sighed and reached down to stroke her. I noticed a collar, just as dark as the cat's coat, and on it, a name embroidered in the vinyl fabric. Hallie. "Ah, Hallie, Hallie--" I was then interrupted by a shriek; not necessarily surprising on Hallow's Eve, but unsettling all the same. The shriek sounded like somebody was saying, aah eeh! And as the caller got closer, the repeating shrieks made it apparent that little Hallie had an owner who was calling for her. "Ha-lllllieeeeee!"

A woman rounded the corner of the block, and gasped with relief when her eyes fell upon me and her cat. Luckily, I wasn't dressed up to go trick-or-treating, otherwise the sight of a ghost too tall to be a child might've frightened this woman greatly.

Here's the deal: I'm single, my friends went out of town for a party, and my parents are dead- no siblings, either. So, I don't feel like wasting away with my creepy roommate watching The Late Night Show when I could be taking a stroll, enjoying the night air, and occasionally wandering to houses with flamboyant Halloween decorations and saying, "trick-or-treat," in the same humdrum voice. Some people are concerned, others understand... either way, they have to give me a piece of candy.

Hallie the cat jumped up and hopped towards the woman. The first thing I noticed about this woman was that she was wearing normal clothes, except for a flimsy witch's hat tucked under her arm. She picked up the cat and buried her face in its fur.

"Thank you so, so, so, so much, I've been looking for her for two hours!"The whole point of this week's contest's prompts was to "give each other some goosebumps." But as I wrote this story, I just wasn't feeling a scary vibe, so here's a Hallow's Eve romance...

A furry presence startled me as it slithered through my legs. It was a dinky cat, black as the night around us. If I had stood there, staring into that cat's eyes any longer than I had, I might've caught a glimpse of lush valleys in its verdant eyes, glowing up at me. Now, riddle me this, how mournful is it that I- a grown man -was spending this Halloween trick-or-treating by myself, and on top of that I was graced with the "bad luck" company of a black cat.

"Excuse me, but I've already had enough of a hapless day." I said respectfully to the omen rubbing its side against my ankles. It flopped over and exposed its belly.

I sighed and reached down to stroke her. I noticed a collar, just as dark as the cat's coat, and on it, a name embroidered in the vinyl fabric. Hallie. "Ah, Hallie, Hallie--" I was then interrupted by a shriek; not necessarily surprising on Hallow's Eve, but unsettling all the same. The shriek sounded like somebody was saying, aah eeh! And as the caller got closer, the repeating shrieks made it apparent that little Hallie had an owner who was calling for her. "Ha-lllllieeeeee!"

A woman rounded the corner of the block, and gasped with relief when her eyes fell upon me and her cat. Luckily, I wasn't dressed up to go trick-or-treating, otherwise the sight of a ghost too tall to be a child might've frightened this woman greatly.

Here's the deal: I'm single, my friends went out of town for a party, and my parents are dead- no siblings, either. So, I don't feel like wasting away with my creepy roommate watching The Late Night Show when I could be taking a stroll, enjoying the night air, and occasionally wandering to houses with flamboyant Halloween decorations and saying, "trick-or-treat," in the same humdrum voice. Some people are concerned, others understand... either way, they have to give me a piece of candy.

Hallie the cat jumped up and hopped towards the woman. The first thing I noticed about this woman was that she was wearing normal clothes, except for a flimsy witch's hat tucked under her arm. She picked up the cat and buried her face in its fur.

"Thank you so, so, so, so much, I've been looking for her for two hours!"