THE DRESS.

It all started out as a normal Friday morning in the town of Boswell. Halloween was in two days so everyone was talking about what they were going to be dressed up as. Shrieks and peals of laughter would be heard in every corner as people scrolled through their phones to find the best piece for the day. Halloween decorations were littered everywhere especially on people’s houses. I for one was not such a fan of Halloween and dreaded it every year-round. As for my best friends Destiny and Alicia, they were as excited as a landlord on the day he was to receive rent.

“Oh, come on Sera, this is the only time of the year we pretend to be someone else, its going to be fun!” Destiny and Alicia begged as they pulled me into a Halloween themed shop.

“I’ve told you like I don’t know how many times that Halloween is not my thing!! I’d rather stay inside, curled up with a nice horror novel or movie than play dress up and go trick or treating and besides AREN’T WE TOO OLD TO GO TRICK OR TREATING!!,’’ I said flailing my arms and trying to escape their tight grip on me.

‘’Aren’t you too young to be acting like a grandma?’’ Alicia said as she eyed me through her thick frames.

‘’I’d rather act like one than be seen out trick or treating!” I whined.

‘’Oh, put a sock in it Sera, everyone we know still goes trick or treating and besides who wants to grow up that fast?’’ Destiny says finally letting go for her tight grip on my arm and I feel the blood rushing through it.

“ME!!,’’ I said screaming again. “Honestly, what do you want from me?’’ “We just want you to go trick or treating with us, just this one time, pleasseeeeee. I’ll literally go down on my knees if I have to,’’ Alicia says, clasping her hands infront of my face and pushing out her bottom lip as she begs me. Destiny follows suit.

Stupid puppy dog eyes!

I sigh deeply knowing that they have won this round, “okay, finnee, I’ll go trick or treating with you guys.” ” But on one condition!’’ I stopped them midway as they reached out to hug me while squealing like imbeciles at the same time.

“What!!,’’ ‘’I get to pick out whatever costume I want,’’ ‘’Sure, why not,’’ Alicia said pulling me into the shop and the search for a costume began.

Finding a costume wasn’t that easy for me because well it was like my first time doing this. Alicia and Destiny had already picked out their costumes and there I was, still rummaging through the racks like a maniac. Until I saw it, was perfect. A ghost costume. I picked it up and walked over to the mirror and held it up against myself. I will say this again, it was prefect. Or so I thought.

It was kind of like a gown for balls in the 80s or so. It was a dirty white with a thin gold strap around its waist and lace shoulder straps. It was torn around the hem but oh well that’s how ghost costumes are. I thought as I put it off and walked out of the dressing room to my friends. And may I say this again, it was perfect.

“Have you got what you were looking for? You took a while in there, “Destiny says, eyeing the costume.

“Yep! Let’s go ring them up,’’ The cashier rang up Destiny and Alicia’s costumes and placed them in separate bags but when she reached over to ring mine, she gave me a look that made my bones chill.

“Where did you get this?’’ she asked, her eyes narrowing over her reading glasses.

“Among on the racks, why?’’ I asked feeling uneasy under her stern glare.

“Be careful,’’ she whispered to me under her breath as she rang up my costume and placed it into a bag.

A slight shiver passed through me and something told me this might not be the last time I’m seeing her.

But at that point, I didn’t even give it a second thought. All I cared about was that I found a great costume and Halloween would be a nice day.

A day to Halloween though, something really weird happened. As I tried on the dress again, I heard whispers. “Hello?’’ I said turning around swiftly to scan my room. “Hell! there’s nothing in here, “I said out loud.

“just my over active imagination doing the most,” I said as I went back to adjusting the straps on my shoulder. And that’s when the window burst open and strong gush of wind suddenly rushed in, blowing papers everywhere around my room and creating a mess. I ran quickly to close the window and that’s when I saw it.

It was standing in the shadow of the streetlight looking up at my window. Dust billowed around its dress and that’s when I realized it was a woman, in the same exact dress I was currently wearing!

“Be careful, “the cashier’s words sounded in my mind and my heart started pounding. Her was hair musty and limp around her shoulders. Her finger nails, hell! she had none and her feet were smeared black with something I couldn’t quite make out. At that moment, she looked up and my breath hitched.

Her eyes were as dark as the night and they bore directly into my soul, ripping apart all my walls and making me want to crawl up into a corner and shrivel into nothingness.

“You shouldn’t have worn that dress,” I hear a husky voice in my room and I whimper. “and now its your turn to die!” with that I heard a loud screech making me cover my ears, bringing me to my knees.

“Mom, Dad!” I screamed as I got up and ran to their room but as soon as I opened their room, I realized they weren’t there. I then remembered they were out of town for the week and I was all alone. That’s when I started panicking and ran straight for the door and out into the billowing wind.

I couldn’t see much due to the wind and the rising dust and the high-pitched screech came again. I fell to my knees as she appeared out of the nearby darkness and that’s when I peed myself. I am not very proud of that part but i was hella scared so who cares!

“Please, please don’t hurt me. I didn’t know. I’m soo-sorrry,” I sobbed and begged like as if a ghost has a damn conscious.

“YOUR SOUL IS MINE LITTLE GIRL,” it said and with that she yelled out peals of laughter. 

“Please, “I continued sobbing. “Please, I know I haven’t been the most friendly or outgoing or spontaneous but this is my first Halloween. (okay what the hell I’m I doing!)” “Don’t hurt me, please,” “If this is punishment for me not going for all those Halloweens, I promise to change, to be different, just please don’t take my soul,” I cried, hiccupping. 

It got closer, dirty arms outstretched, lips curling in a menacing smile and I knew it was the end. And when it touched me, I screamed wrenching and trying to escape its hard grip. 

And that’s when I heard it, laughter and not just any laughter. Alicia’s laughter. “Gotcha girl!” and more laughter echoed away in the shadows and I mentally and literally slapped myself. My friends had just played an evil trick on me. 

“What the hell! Really!” I shouted as I pushed Alicia, the wig on her head falling to the ground. “Why would you? Oh my God, I jus peed my pants!” I shouted, blood rushing into my cheeks. 

“We just felt like we needed to teach you a lesson for ditching us all those Halloweens. So, we decided to give you a good scare. Fun right,” Destiny said as she walked up to me literally crying from laughter. 

“I seriously, can’t believe you guys! How did you even play this out?”

“Oh, it was easy. We installed tiny speakers in your room under your bed and those voices you heard and the loud screeching were Destiny and I. For the wind and dust, giant fan from a yard sale and an old smoke machine I found statched away in the attic. And for the dress, the store had tonnes of these, you just didn’t notice” Alicia said as she sat up trying to wipe tears and makeup from her eye. 

“I still can’t believe you guys,” I said. “but the sales woman,..”

“we told her to say those words, just to set you off,” Destiny said picking me up from he ground. 

“Eww, you have pee in your hands,” she said letting go of my hand and wiping it furiously on her faded jeans. 

“well that’s what you get for scaring me to death, “I said laughing.

“but guys I really do mean what I said, from now on, Halloween is for the three of us and I really mean it,”

“We love you Sera and that means the world to us,” Alicia said faking tears. 

I went in to hug them and they all jumped because I had pee all over my dress “Nah, uh, not before you wash up missy,” Destiny said at arm’s length. 

And with that we went inside to clean up and prepare for Halloween the next day which I will say, was pretty awesome. Thanks to my amazing friends. And as promised, it was always the three of us every Halloween after that. 

 THE END.