Trick or Treat

"I can't believe that it's Halloween and I don't even have any plans for tonight", Candace thought, digging into her bun and cheese.

She took up her phone and called her best friend Kevan.

“Hey what are your plans for tonight”

“A happy Halloween to you too”

Candace laughed and prompt him more to give his plans.

Unknown to her, he, on the other hand, was thinking something that would lead to her demise.

“Let's go to the old victorian home just turned into this spanking new hotel. They're inviting all who is interested to spend the night at their available rooms tonight.”

“Sounds great, I hope it will be a real scare”

“What's going to be a real scare?”, Candace’s Father asks as he entered the kitchen.

“I gotta go, see you later”

She hung up the phone then took another bite from the bun and cheese.

I’ll be staying at the awesome hotel tonight dad.

“That's great hon-”

“The one dedicated for Halloween”

“You will not be staying there young lady”

“But-”

“Nothing”, He said in a flat tone, “It was already a creepy old victorian home and now just because it’s a hotel shouldn't let people think it's suddenly safe from strange encounters.”

Candace was not ready to back down and this made her Father ensure that this time he will call in the hound.

“Dad, what’s going on” 

“She wants to stay the night at a haunted hotel”

“Sissy,” He starts off slow, then he crowds her personal space by feeling her forehead and under her arm, after this was done he looked back at his dad, then finally he riled himself up took the food from her hands,took his sister to the position of leaning on their marble tabled kitchen island then he blew up.

“You really want to die, Candace! He shouts, “Are you freaking mad”

“Let me go Shaun”, She starts to laugh, then he eats the rest of her bun and cheese when he does let's go, “ I’ll be fine damn you”

She storms off and slams the front door with a thud.

She goes the next three doors over to her boyfriend’s house unaware that her brother was on the phone with her boyfriend chatting up her plans for tonight.

At Rushaid’s door, she is surprised to see that he was in his black flannel shirt and pink shorts with a wallet in his pocket and time in his hands.

“Let’s go, we are going to eat ice-cream at my favorite place.”

Though a bit surprised, she went along with it, hopped in his car, more excited than ever for tonight’s activities.

_   _ _   _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _

“So, what flavor are you having?”

Rushaid chooses cookie and cream and was waiting impatiently for Candace to choose her flavor.

“I know why you brought me here.”

“Can we start this when you have actually chosen a damn ice-cream flavor”, His voice was patronizingly low when he said these words at her ear.

She was wearing pink shorts and a black marina with a blue jacket over her shoulders. Their position seemed to speak that something romantic was going on but that was far beyond the point.

She became aware of his scent and almost forgot her senses until she had a chocolate flavored ice-cream delivered into her hands.

As they both sat on the barstool at Densely Diners he went straight to the point.

“You know it’s dangerous, we can do other fun things tonight babe.”

Rushaid was anxious and upset but couldn’t help the feeling that got over him when he became aware that her mind was already made up.

“Whatever you were planning to do tonight with me can be done on a later date.”

“I bet you are saying later because you know you want to do it now.”

She knew that he was using her weakness to persuade her from her plans but it wasn’t going to work today.

“Come”, She said standing up, “ we are going to see that hotel that everyone is afraid of.”

Rushaid simply wiped the sweat from his face and tried his best to think positively at this point.

He drove her to the spot and wished for her sake that she would have preferred seeing him naked in bed than being at this creeps hotel.

The place itself would have been better looking if the cream paint wasn’t running down and if the hotel was painted in a color other than dark red.

Inside was dark and gloomy hanging chandeliers that barely gave light.

“The shit”

Candace looked over at Rushaid wondering if he got bit by a bug or what. He saw her looking at him and tried to calm any fears she might have seen on his face

“ It’s just the receptionist inside that gave me the creeps.”

As they started walking over to the car they heard a voice

“Hello”,

“Come in if you will,” IT said

When they looked in the hotel they saw a shadow but they also knew that voice did not come from the hotel but from behind.

When they looked, it was a person who seemed to be a receptionist at the hotel.

Scared shitless, Rushaid grabbed a hold of Candace and dragged her to his car. She could have cried bloody murder all she wanted but it wouldn’t stop him from taking her from this place.

While in the car Candace heard him mutter

“Stay on my ass, you mean to stay out”

She realized he read the sign but didn’t understand the ending until it was her time to face the rainbow.

_  _ _  _ _ _  _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _

He dropped her off at home then as he was driving away he shouted

“Stay home.”

Candace was still feeling a bit out of it because of that shadow and the creepy voice from the hotel. She finally had second thoughts about staying there at the ‘Victorian home’/ ' Stay On' hotel.

At home, She sees her Mom and goes in for a hug as a greeting. 

“Mom I-”

“That’s great news honey!”,She shouts overjoyed, “You finally have plans for Halloween”

Candace now wonders why she wasn’t at home earlier when she had first gotten the news. 

“Here are your things”, she states handing over a packed bag, “ I got everything ready while you were away, make sure that you tell me all that happens tonight ok dear.”

“Mom!”,Candace shouted, “Rushaid saw something that got him scared, I don't think I can go anymore”

She laughed. “Honey, that’s what boys do when they don’t want girls to be independent, now go and have fun at that party they are having tonight.”

She feels that as soon as she arrived home she had to be leaving.

It was 5:30 when her boyfriend dropped her home and now it was 7 pm at night at a spooky hotel.

She recalled the strange happenings at the hotel earlier today

“You are in the wrong line mam, this is not for the spooky rooms. It is over the second receptionist desk to your right.”

“Thank you”, she replied, “Come on Kevan”

She was unaware that he had left.

She saw 9 persons in line and as she came over, everyone was rushed to their separate rooms, including her.

“Why are you sad little girl”, IT asked.

That brought her back to reality.

She looked around and saw nothing. She believed that she was definitely hearing things now. A party was to begin at 10 tonight and it was to end at dawn. She was currently on a king-sized bed and her stuff was on a hand-shaped black chair. She planned to brave out the night and then tell everyone at home that her stay was as normal as every other hotel in Los Angeles.

She went to bed thinking of being in her boyfriend’s arms.

_  _ _  _ _ _  _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _

“Even though you didn’t answer me, I am sure that you can make up for it when I’m done with you tonight”

Candace forgot everything and thought she was home.

“Rushaid shut up!”

IT smiled then imitated his voice.

“Whatever you say babe”, IT went over to her side then dragged the sheet from off her body revealing smooth arms and legs.

She thought her lover was playing until she felt a squeeze on her boob.

“What the -”

A loud scream erupted from her chest. 

The body itself with blond her didn’t scare her but it was the red eyes that alarmed her. 

“Is this how you have fun with him”, IT said in the same position still.

She pushed IT off her and stretched for her bag but when IT began to mumble, the chair grabbed a hold of her hand and she instantly screamed.

Suddenly, she was on the bed with IT over her body.

“We are having fun tonight darling, Remember?”

When IT smiled, she saw sharp teeth in its mouth then screamed bloody murder.

He sank his teeth in her stomach and sucked. It didn’t end there. 

“Please let it be a dream”, She whispered.

IT disappeared. She almost fainted with relieve. She was left only in her bra and underwear.

She lay on the bed crying then as she got up, something clawed the life out of her face and her legs. It was too much to bear so she cried and cried the louder when it continued.

‘Boom’

The door was smashed off its hinges.

The nails disappeared.

She saw her Saviour and was happy for only a moment until she saw the demon.

She thought it was the end.

Rushaid whispered only one word and it caused the demon to disappear.

Candace was relieved.

“Candace”

‘Nothing’

It was a total mess downstairs. The party was stopped because people found nine dead bodies in the midst of the dances and Rukaid was determined that Candace’s own wouldn’t be the tenth.

Before arriving at the hotel, he went back over her house to ensure that she was there but realized the worst so he, in turn, expected the worst.

He came closer to her and saw that she was breathing which was good. She had a claw mark that ran from her cheek to her chin and her belly was full of marks.

He took off his shirt then covered her with it.

He carried her to his car, not caring about the chaos police, people and soldiers brought before him. One thing and one thing only was on his mind and it was to be determined that even if the heavens fall and the fires rage, he was going to get his beloved to safety.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Candace awoke to whitewashed walls and to a sleeping Rushaid, a very bloody Shaun and a very worried Father. She remembers everything from last night and almost screams.

“It’s ok honey”, her Father, Jordan said

When she looked, she swore she saw the same haunting red eyes so she screamed.

Rushaid was there in a flash which caused Jordan to back up in surprise.

“Why is Shaun bloody? Candice asked, “Did he fight the demon?”

“Your friend and Mom were working together”, Shaun spat out, “So you could end up like this”

Candice could hardly believe so she held Rushaid tighter

“Why?”She questioned.

“Kavan was haunted the year before and he told mom to work something out for you to get your chance."

He slammed his fist on the wall

"They got what they wanted"

This explained a lot but what she didn’t understand was why their Mother was involved.

She decided that Rushaid would make her feel better tonight.

She looked and saw loads of bandages on her legs and felt something heavy in her face.

“Rushaid”, she said looking on him, “Remember when I did say later.”

Everyone was surprised when they understood underlining meaning in their heads but went along with it for her sake.

“What did you say that spooked IT away?”

He only smiled and took her home.

He placed her down on his bed and said one thing.

If you allowed me to have my way with you earlier, this would have never happened to you.

“Rush-”

He sealed her lips with a kiss then stopped.

“Jesus”

“Yes babe, that name scared IT away, now please let me have my way with you.”