Death at Dark

Another week of “spooky”  costumes and getting sick on candy. It would be my first year doing it all by myself, my parents were out of town on a business trip and there were no relatives or baby sitters.  

I had just turned 16, which is probably why my parents were letting me stay home. I had just finished decorating the house and had made a plan to meet up with my two best buddies to spend the night watching horror movies all night. They would be arriving at 6 for a pizza dinner, so I had a few hours to kill. Time to make a costume. What should I do? Spiderman? Ghost? Slenderman? I know! Harry Potter! It was perfect, fitting theme, and a good laugh for my friends. 

A few years ago I had fallen off a bridge during winter and broken through the ice, I ended up being fine. But after one of my friends said I looked like a drunken otter everyone at school started calling me Otter. So tonight I was dressing up as Harry Otter. 

Funny enough, I even looked a bit like teen Daniel Radcliff. Dark hair ether spilling into my face or sticking up at odd angles, emerald green eyes, and the full moon glasses that made me feel Asian. 

I ran to the kitchen drawer and pulled out a chopstick, then ran back to my room, feet thumping up the old wooden stairs. I pulled the hot-glue-gun from its place in a box under my bed. Plugging it in I quickly made a professional-looking wand. After painting and drying, I took the wand and went down to the couch. A lazy costume I know but why put more effort than necessary. 

5:32, time to call the pizza place. Thankfully both the pizza and my two friends came at the same time. We carryed the pizza in and after the customary hugs and pats on the back we ate. 

The pizza was delicious, we finished the pizza in record time. After that, we just sat around and talked. It was nice, we were close enough that there was nothing we couldn’t discuss, like girls we wished would notice us, but never do. At least they did, I had a girlfriend. 

“Oh, by the way, we invited Brook to join us while we give out candy if you don’t mind,” said Mark

I choked on my dink sputtering, “you what?!” 

“Yea, your girlfriend said she would come over around nine-ish,” said Caleb grinning. 

“You’re kidding right?” I asked worriedly. 

“Nope, better start cleaning up the house,” teased Mark.

I checked the clock, 8:49. Getting up I ran to the bathroom calling over my shoulder, “clean up, NOW!” Ignoring the laughs and jibes coming from the living room I ran my hands through my hair trying unsuccessfully to make it lay down in submission. 

Grabbing the toothbrush and toothpaste I gave myself a once over. At least now I’m presentable and thank god the acne was under control. 

I came back out, and looking around the house was actually quite clean. Mark and Caleb were sitting on the couch with the TV turned on to the movie channel. It looked really funny, Mark in his tooth fairy costume and Caleb in his dinosaur. I gave a little chuckle. The bell rang. 

“Can you get that Otter?” said Mark grinning over his shoulder. 

“I’m gonna get back at you guys for this one day,” I said throwing an empty threat. 

I opened the door, and there before me stood Brooklyn, or brook as we called her. Boy was I lucky, she was beautiful, red hair, blue eyes, freckled button nose, and a very nicely curved body highlighted by the form-fitting clothes she wore. 

“Hi,” she said smiling sweetly at me. 

“H-hi,” was all I could say as she walked past me. 

“Hey red,” said Caleb teasing her.

“Hey, dumb-dumb,” she replied smacking him over the head. 

“Nice costume!” Mark exclaimed, “who are you supposed to be?” 

“Thanks, and it’s supposed to be Ginny Weasley,” she said turning to give him his smack over the head. 

Turning to me she smiled as I bent down to receive my smack. 

“I’m not going to smack you, you have not done anything,” she said laughing. 

After struggling to get everyone on the couch and having a long conversation on what new memes were going around and what the new fads where we decided to start Monty Python: quest for the holy grail, to pas the time. 

Nice o’clock came around and nothing happened, usually, people would have come by now, the youngest kids getting the first turn. Another hour of waiting and playing Uno and still nothing. Finally ten-thirty and we decided to check to see if anyone was even out of the street. Looking out we came on a terrifying thing. No one was there the lights in the other houses were out and not even a car could be seen on the road. 

After about another minute and half of waiting for something to happen and we decided to head back in and start a game of monopoly. Eleven o’clock came and went, then eleven-thirty.

We were just about to call it a night when the bell rang. We all jumped at the sudden sound. Looking at each other we all thought the same thing, race you to the door! There was a scramble and there we were standing at the door with a bowl of candy in our hands. 

I opened the door, there was no one there. There was not even anyone on the street. Just a simple box wrapped in paper lay there, picking it up we opened it. 

“You will all die,” signed Deadshot

“Lol good prank,” said Mark, “what am I going to die if I walk onto the yard?” he jumped out on to the lawn, “look! I’m out and I’m still al-” 

There was a bang, a splatter of red, and Mark dropped to the grass, a pool of blood quickly spreading over his dress and onto the lawn soaking the dirt. 

“Mark!” yelled Caleb pushing passed me and running to his fallen friend. Another bang and Celeb fell clutching his blood socked chest. 

“Get inside, NOW!” rasped Caleb as another bang caused more blood to pour from his chest. Then he was still. 

I reacted then, grabbing Brook I pulled her into the house slamming the door shut behind us. 

We landed on the floor with a thump. Getting up quickly I ran to the phone.

“Call 911,” said Brook. 

“Hello? Police, yes someone is camping at our house and shooting at us, w already lost two, please hurry,” I gave them all of the info they needed and they promised to be there as soon as possible telling us to stay calm and away from windows.

“What did they say?” asked Brook.

“They’ll be here soon, just stay calm and we’ll be fine.” 

“Otter, I’m scared,” said Brook, I looked closer, her hands were shaking. 

“Hey, we are gonna be okay, I promise,” I said trying to reassure her. 

“But Mark and Caleb!” she said looking at me, 

“Hey, I know, it’s gonna be okay,” I held out my arms offering a hug, honestly I didn’t know who would get the most resurgence from it, I mean, I was scared too. 

She looked at me, and then came to me. Another bang. She fell to the floor, blood quickly pooling on the ground. 

“NO!” I yelled, running to her side. Looking around I noticed an open window directly beside where she had been standing, moving her away I held her in my arms.

“No no no, not you too!” I said tearing up.

No response, she was still and unmoving, the metallic smell of blood destroying any hope I had. 

The sound of police sirens filled the air, stopping right in front of the house. Then three bangs, and then nothing. Why would anyone do this? What kind of monster?

I looked out the peephole in the door, three policemen lay on the pavement their blood staining the ground. 

Screw it, if this is how it is gonna end then I’m gonna make it count. Grabbing the broadsword that my father owned from the mantel I opened the door running out yelling profanities that should never be uttered. 

I stood in the middle of the yard, “WHERE ARE YOU, YOU SON OF A-” 

No reply, I looked around, any second now and a bullet was going to rip through my body killing me. 

Then I heard it, a chuckle. Turning towards the sound I saw nothing. On the ground, before me, I saw Caleb’s and Mark’s dead corpses laying there. The grass, red with their blood. Another chuckle this time from what sounded like Mark. I walked over to him. He looked up at me and grinned. 

“GOTEM!!!” he yelled, 

Instantly Caleb and the three policemen stood up all of them grinning at me like little boys who just won the biggest piece of candy they ever saw. 

“Wait??? Wha-” I was stunned.

“OMG BEST PRANK EVER!!!” said Celeb, “Thanks fellas,”

“No problem kid, have a nice night!” said one of the three policemen as they hopped into their car. 

A prank? That must mean- I heard the door slam behind me and footsteps coming towards me.

I turned only to fall under the weight of a giant hug. 

“Did you like it?” asked Brook, smiling at me her eyes gleaming. 

“I-I-” honestly I not only nearly craped myself as well as going through grief and trauma. But seeing her smiling face all I could say was, “y-yea,” whoever thought of this was going to get punched in the face. 

“Haha I’m glad, I was not going to do it but when I asked Caleb and Mark they said that you would love it so I planned it out,” she gave me another hug, her wet shirt dampening mine. 

Crap! She plan this? Well, I’ll still get Caleb and Mark for this. 

“How did...everything?” I asked holding her tightly in my arms.

“Well I’ll let Mark explain it, he does it better,” said Brook grinning at me. 

“So basically, we talked to the police about it asking if it was okay, and then they said yes and even offered their help, and then we got a bunch of fireworks and bought a couple of bags of blood from the blood bank, and then we waited till the right moment.” said mark grinning.

“So the gunshots?”

“Fireworks,” said Caleb, “we got one of the officers to time it to our deaths,” 

I was stunned, it was funny, but it was also terrifying, which was probably why it was funny. 

“Camon, let’s go and clean up, there is a pool of blood on the floor and an unfinished game of monopoly, and then we should still have a few hours to do more pranks,”  said Brook getting up.

I got up and followed them inside. Yes, it was a good prank, but one of these days, I’m gonna get all of them back, even if it causes my death, I grinned.