Halloween Night

By: Raevyn Maxwell

"Mom, can we go camping tonight?" Yep, that's how it started, a brilliant idea from my hard-to-scare twin sister. I mean, it's Halloween for goodness sake! My mom then said the one sentence I hoped she wouldn't, "Sure, but Alexis has to go with you, okay Lisa? I know you girls have searched that forest up and down, but it's a new moon and really dark." From there we got our costumes on, I was a vampire and Lisa was a devil (again), and we did about 2 hours of non-stop Trick-or-Treating, we went home and grabbed our camping stuff. With our tents, flashlights, sleeping bags, stuff to make s'mores, and our now full candy bags, we trudged up the forest-covered mountain behind our house and picked our campsite. It was the same place we always go to. It was a little clearing surrounded by large trees that few plants grew in, and let the soft green grass grow through, so this was the perfect place. I must admit, until we had a big, safe, fire going, I was scared, I'm really not to partial to the dark, especially on Halloween night. My sister, on the other hand, loved it. Her nickname at home is Owl because we think she can see in the dark.

"Hey sis," I heard a Lisa's voice call, "it's really warm tonight, so do you want to sleep under the stars?" who am I to disagree?

"Sure Owl," even in the dim light of the fire, I could her see her beam at me using her nickname without sarcasm for once, "but you have to set up the tarp to put our sleeping bags on."

"Alright." She said and got right to work. Is it just me, or does she seem to get a real kick out of Halloween at night? Suddenly remembering the date, the woods around our little clearing with a star-studded ceiling, seemed to tighten around us, as though trying to extend its branches to us. At the same time, I started putting lots of firewood on the fire; it needed to be big to fend off the trees. Lisa saw my sudden movement and laughed, "Alexis, you're so silly, you're going to use up all our firewood." Coming out of my daze, I laughed.

"Ha ha, you're right. Sorry 'bout that." Lisa smiled and unrolled our sleeping bags onto the tarp, the tents lay closed and forgotten holding the tarp down. "Now, let's get some sleep." Warm and safe in our sleeping bags, we settled down, and watched the bright stars rotate in the moonless sky.

We had dozed to sleep and the fire burned in the coals. I woke with that really annoying feeling that you need to pee, badly! I sat up and smacked the sleeping bag next to me to wake up Lisa. As soon as I did, I swore. It was empty, and my hand ended up smacking the ground. She was impossible, if she was going to take a leak, why didn't she wake up and tell me? I fumbled around in my knapsack at the end of my sleeping bag, and tried to find my flashlight, bingo! There it is. I grabbed it and turned it on. Suddenly the woods where I pointed it lit up. I searched around from my sitting position, way to sleepy to get up and walk around.

"Lisa! Where the heck are you?" I yelled, yawning at the same time. No reply. I swore again, now I would have to get up and look for her. I illuminated my wristwatch and swore again at the time, 2 am! I wiped the sleep from my eyes and got up, stepping all over my rustled sleeping bag. Now I would have to look for her. Suddenly, a scream ripped through the cold, silent, night air like a hot knife through butter, and once again, the woods seemed to grow more evil and dark around me,

"AAALLLEEEEXXXX!!!!" I knew that voice, and I was going to find her

"LISA!!!" I followed where I heard her scream last and followed it, no longer feeling sleepy or groggy at all. I headed up higher into the mountains using my flashlight to scan all around in front of me, searching for anything that would indicate that my sister had come this way, all I needed was a scrap of clothing or. something! Anything to indicate she had come this way. The circle of light that came from my flashlight fell upon something red on the ground; I looked harder and saw her devil horns. I picked them up and continued to walk even faster, "Lisa!!! Keep calling!!! I'm coming!!!" Once again, her scream lit up the night,

"AAAALLLLEEEXXX HELLLLPPP." her call ended as abruptly as it started,

"LLLIIISSSAAA!!!" I ran faster and faster, and then I realized that I was on a cobblestone path! That's why I wasn't tripping over anything. I followed the path; this was the only way she could have taken. What I saw next stupefied me more than any thing that, in front of me was an old mansion! As my mother had said, Lisa and I have been over these mountains tenfold, and not once did we come across a building like this! Old abandoned shacks and houses were common, but a building of this enormity, you could see it from in an airplane probably. It must have had over 50 rooms, and more than half of the dust covered, dark windows were boarded up. The front door was ajar, and once again, the presence of my sister was confirmed, fresh handprints my size showed in the disturbed dust on the opened door. I stepped inside, "Lisa?" I asked, no longer yelling. There is something about old houses that say that the previous owners are still there, even though all decorations had decades of dust upon them, and the couches were covered in sheets. To my right was apparently the living room, and the steps where dust had been disturbed went in that direction. I followed, using all the caution I could muster through the horrible anxiety. I continued to follow the steps to behind one of the chairs in the middle of the room. There, lying on the ground, I saw myself, pale in the light of my flashlight, and still as death. All emotion overcame me as I fell to my twin, hot tears pouring down my cold sweaty face, "Lisa," I picked up her motionless form and held, it, as though she were feeling it, and knew that I loved her still. I moved my ear to her mouth and nose, and then chest. No heartbeat, no breath, no life whatsoever.

I sat there, embracing her form, my form, and rocking back and forth, letting the tears flow freely, my flashlight forgotten and off on the ground. All I know about what happened next is that I felt one hand grip my shoulder, and the other push my head to one side, and without the energy or will to fight back, I felt two pricks on my neck, and felt my life being sucked through them; I lost all control over my body. Through my grief and lack of attention to my surroundings, I would become what I was in costume, not 6 hours ago.