Halloween 1978 | Teen Ink

Halloween 1978

January 19, 2022
By AjKruse GOLD, Sussex, Wisconsin
AjKruse GOLD, Sussex, Wisconsin
10 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Screaming children filled the streets: full of joy, passion, and rotten teeth. Halloween was the one day every year parents let their young children loose to take candy from strangers’ doorsteps. Jack forged through the 4,000 calories worth of candy anxiously waiting to get one jumbo-sized Hershey's bar. The candy weighed about 23 Ibs in his green pillowcase with small white stripes that lined on both sides.


 This was Jack’s 15th Halloween, he enjoyed the smell of the air that night when the sky fell dark and the lights reflected off the streets that were lightly drizzled on earlier in the day. He approached a house covered in the tacky cobwebs that could be purchased from the 50 cent store just on the corner next to the deli. “Trick or treat” his face gleamed with joy hoping he would get a big Hershey's bar, but at last it was another nutter butter. He happily accepted the candy and made his way down the stone stairs. 


With his head slightly held down, he felt a presence lurking close behind him, sending shivers down the spine that could be visible if he was slightly hunched over. He turned and for a split second he had seen a tall mysterious man staring back at him; the tall man then departed between two houses. Jack moved on trying not to overthink the mysterious man he had just witnessed.

 As he continues to pace down the street towards home on the crowded streets he hears his name as though it was drifting through the wind “Jackkkkk” he did an abrupt turn in surprise and fell flat scraping the palm of his hands that now burned with red and peeling skin.


 He picked himself up along with the bag of candy that weighed almost as much as him. The man appeared again, aggressively marching in Jack's direction, Tears streamed down Jack's soft cheeks. The tears flooded his delicate eyes making it almost impossible to make out anything two feet ahead of him. As he continued towards his house in utter fear the man drew near him. His long pale fingers gripped Jack’s bare arm giving him a shock of the cold grasp. Jack screams as everyone watches as if they were unable to take a step. The man grips him tighter as Jack struggles to break free of his death-like grip. The man pulls out a serrated kitchen knife from his side and surges it through Jack's side. He suddenly breaks free from the death grip darting home to his mother. His side spilled of the warm red blood that had been taken from him. He turns his cheek but the tears begin to burn his eyes. 


He reaches his lawn only to trip and fall to his knees, glancing up from his blood-covered hands he sees his mother through the freshly washed window screaming in agony and pure fear. But what Jack could not comprehend was if it was for him or the figure that was lurking behind him ready to take one more life that night. He pins Jack to the ground with a firm foot and sinks the knife through him one last time. Jack gasped for one more breath of air but at last, he was gone. The man looked up into the window gleaming at the woman staring back in avoid. He slowly pulls his mask above his head to reveal the traitorous face staring back. His jaw and cheekbones pulled back exposing his rotting teeth that sunk into his bloody gums as he grinned. His eyes felt blank as if there was nothing there as the cold sweat dripped down his pale clammy forehead. He pulled the mask back down ensuring he was unrecognizable to everyone once more as he headed back for the crowded street of children. “1 down” he muttered to himself in an ominous tone. He picked up the substantial bag of candy and swung it over his shoulder as if nothing had happened.



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