“Seriously Cassie, we’re eighteen years old. Do you expect me to believe that I’m cursed?” I stared at my friend with disbelief for a solid ten seconds and took a sip of my hot chocolate.
“Yes. I can’t believe that my own best friend doesn’t know the Halloween curse. Any person who didn’t wear a Halloween costume yesterday is cursed for the entire day,” Cassie told me.
“Well sorry, for not wanting to put on a silly little costume and go around asking for candy. Besides, the day is almost over anyway.”
I roll my eyes at the thought. I haven’t worn a costume in years and nothing has happened so far. However, Cassie has different views. She believes in anything and everything, meanwhile, I don’t even believe the sell-by date on milk. This was my first Halloween with Cassie, and let’s just say she was in shock when I came to her house yesterday night in a t-shirt and jeans, but honestly, I was shocked when we walked around the neighborhood and everyone had worn a costume. I just assumed that some towns had more traditions than others, and this one is really into Halloween.
“Don’t say that it will only make the curse stronger, Harper,” she warns me.
“I’ll let you know if anything happens.” I get up to leave when the worker at the counter turns up the TV.
“Mysterious deaths have been occurring around town. Everyone refrain from leaving your houses and stay alert,” the newscaster reported.
I saw Cassie’s eyebrows rise and she gave me an I told you so look. I give her a doubtful look in return and place my cup in the kitchen sink. I walk back to the couch we were sitting on and grab my things.
“Where are you going? You can’t leave! I’m pretty sure the woman on the TV verified that you’re cursed.” She looked at me worriedly.
“I have to get home, I told my mom I’d be home by nine.”
I leave Cassie’s house. Her eyes peek through the blinds as I enter my car. I pull out of her driveway and start heading home; it’s not far, just a twenty-minute drive. I wasn’t worried about any curse or anything like that, but something just felt off. It’s pitch black outside and no houses are lit up despite it being eight thirty at night. The roads are empty except for myself and the street lamps keep flickering.
I look straight ahead and I see two small red lights far away. I rub my eyes and look again; the lights are gone. I feel a shiver run down my spine and I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding. I pull over on the side of the road and look at my phone, and it’s dead but that makes no sense because I only used my phone once the entire day. I start driving again, and for the next ten minutes, everything is fine until I look at my rearview mirror. The red lights again. I stop instantly and get a better look through the mirror, the lights are gone again. I look over my shoulder. Nothing.
I continue my drive home this time going faster, much faster. I feel my heart beating faster as I constantly look over my shoulder every few seconds. I make my last right turn to get onto my street when at the other end of it, I see those red lights. I am scared. Terrified even. I couldn’t get myself to move as the red lights kept coming closer, and closer and I saw what they actually were. An awful shriek was the last thing I heard befor-
