(Only Inspired by the prompt)

It was a crisp Autumn afternoon in late October. Orange leaves covered the ground like fresh snow, and each breeze scattered them over concrete and asphalt. Most trees had only a few leaves left, which clung onto their respective branches for dear life. Every gust threatened to rip them off right by the stem.

By then the local elementary school had just let out. Children chattered like a bustling colony of mice as they poured out of the building and scurried to their buses, bikes, and parent’s cars.

The air was chilly, but warm with a shared excitement. It was Halloween night. On a Friday of all days, the most perfect day for Halloween to be on.

Two 6th graders in particular were even more excited than others. They had big plans to dominate the night, and Halloween falling on a Friday made it all the better.

“Is your costume ready??” Gracie asked her friend Hannah. Gracie had strawberry blonde hair and freckles.

“Of course!” Hannah nodded. She had bouncy, brown curls that bobbed against her round cheeks. “My mom helped me make it!” She grinned then winced, folding forward.

“Are you okay?” Gracie asked. Her brows contorted as she placed a gentle, chubby hand on her friend’s shoulder.

Hannah groaned, “Yeeaa.. I’m okay..” She rubbed her back a little and slowly corrected her stance, “My back has been hurting ever since Ethan hit me with that dodgeball in gym.” She frowned.

“Ethan is the worst!” Gracie said, with an affirmative nod.

“Yea. He stinks!” Hannah said, and they both giggled.

“Hey girls!” Their attention shot towards a white Jeep that pulled up alongside them. It was shiny and clean, a well taken care of family vehicle. Hannah’s mom hung out of the window, blonde hair and plastic cheekbones shining in the afternoon sun. “You two ready to go?”

“Yeah!” They said in unison as they clambered into the rear seat of the vehicle together.

The ride home was used to plot. With their bags sat in the middle, the two girls yapped over them, discussing which streets to avoid and which ones to visit first. While the two girls conferred in the back, Hannah’s mom sang loudly to hit pop songs from 20 years prior that neither of the girls knew.

Hannah’s back continued to ache, and she continued to ignore it.

It was only a dodgeball. She told herself, Im sure I won’t even feel it anymore in the morning.

“…?” Gracie asked, and Hannah looked at her confused.

“Huh?”

“Pay attention!” Gracie playfully stuck her tongue out, she asked the question again, and they continued their discussion.

Hannah’s back flared and she clenched her teeth. She picked her nails and tried to ignore it.

Did stupid Ethan break my spine? She thought as she frowned.

Shops and businesses slowly became scattered trees and houses as their Jeep progressed into the suburbs.

They pulled into her neighborhood then shortly into her driveway. Hannah’s family wasn’t very wealthy, but lived in a nice house in a nice neighborhood.

The girls grabbed their bags as Hannah’s mom carefully inched into the garage. With the Jeep in park and the keys out of the ignition, the girls leapt out and raced inside to Hannah’s room to change.

Hannah’s mom smiled to herself as she reminisced. Pillowcases full of candy, stomach aches, all fond memories of a beloved childhood holiday.

She nestled into her corner of the couch with a fluffy blanket and clicked on the TV.

“…CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!” A commercial cried as ice cream cones danced across the screen with brightly colored letters, “Frozen Choco-“

She changed the channel quickly, cutting off the announcer before they could continue. She clicked through channels, taking brief glances at each as she passed.

On channel 3 was the news, another child missing in two weeks. Too sad. She skipped it.

Channel by channel, she finally settled on 13. It was showing a Halloween special of Charlie Brown, and Hannah’s mom smiled fondly as her eyes rested on the familiar artstyle.

“Mom look!” Hannah cried in excitement as the she ran out of the hallway.

“You look adorable!” Her mom cooed.

Hannah was dressed as a vampire. She had on a black and red dress with a big black cloak. It surrounded her little body like a void. Long striped socks reached up to her knees and met the lacy trim of the dress. She had big, black boots on, laced up to her mid-calf.

She curled her fingers into claws, and hissed!Sharp, plastic fangs peeked from under her curled lip. Black face paint turned her eyes into deep caverns, and fake blood dripped down her chin.

“Aw my little blood sucker.” She said as Hannah grinned and spun around for her.

“Me next!” Gracie called with excitement as she barreled into the living room.

She twirled on the tip of her toes as she stopped, curtsying with the skirt of her dress pinched between her fingers. She was dressed as an angel.

Her dress was white, and stopped around her calves. It had a feathery trim along the bottom. Bell sleeves puffed around her slim shoulders, and the collar of the dress had a little bow. Another, bigger ribbon was tied around her waist. She was wearing a golden headband with a little halo. It wobbled above her head, glittering in the glow of the ceiling light.

“Oh! You forgot your wings!” Hannah said, and jumped up from the couch to retrieve them.

In her room she found them on her bed, but crippling pain wrought her to the floor before she could grab them.

She groaned and grit her teeth, her toes curled as the pain flared and radiated down her limbs. Her fingers wormed their way into the fibers of her furry, pink rug.

Her gums began to ache next, so she loosened her clenched jaw, but the pain didn’t subside. It grew like flashes of lightning through her jaw and cheekbones.

There was a metallic taste in her mouth as she gently pressed her tongue against her teeth. They felt loose.

What’s wrong with me? She thought she sat there curled in a ball.

“Hannah?” Gracie called from the living room.

Hannah winced and groaned as she found her voice, “I found them!” She forced herself to her feet, clutching her arms tightly to her sides. She strained to massage her back and the sides of her ribs as she shouted back, “I’m coming!”

She did her best to push the dreadful feeling away, snatched up Gracie’s wings, and gingerly made her way back to the family room.

She was slightly hunched as she walked in, which her mom noticed immediately, “Sweetie that little walk you’re doing is so cute, you look like a real vampire.” She almost too widely as she cooed.

Hannah smiled tightly and replied, “Thanks, Mom.”

“If you two are ready to go, I left your bags on the counter,” her mom said.

Gracie nodded enthusiastically and hurried towards the kitchen. Hannah followed slowly.

Gracie almost shoved the bag into Hannah’s hands as she gave it to her. She resisted the urge to squeal with excitement and said as calmly as she could, “Let’s go!”

She darted out of the door with Hannah just behind her. The girls clambered down the porch steps, and Hannah’s mom flicked on the porch light. She placed a basket loaded with candy on a little glass table next to the door.

“Be home before 9:30!” She called behind the girls as they began steadily along the sidewalk.

“We will!” They called back in unison.

Gracie’s arms swang gleefully as she bounced along. Her face glowed as she skipped, like the heavenly sheen of a true angel.

Hannah trailed behind Gracie, barely matching her pace. She held her arms stiffly at her sides, bag clenched tightly in her fist, one of the corners dragged the ground as they walked, and that little bit of white fabric turned grey with filth. Her demeanor was similarly akin to her costume.

Her little body continued to ache as they walked, and they didn’t even make it past the neighbor’s house when she collapsed.

Gracie whipped around, alarmed by the sound of her fall, “Hannah??” Her voice was sharp and hurried, “What happened, are you okay?”

She rushed to kneel by her friend’s side as Hannah cried, groaned, and writhed. Tears streaked her pink face and her knees and elbows were scraped and smeared with bright red blood. A droplet made its way down the side of her knee to the sidewalk, and Gracie watched with a chill down her spine.

Every instinct in her tiny body told her to run. To get help.

But she stayed, loyal, jiggling Hannah’s shoulders gently, trying desperately to get her to speak.

A few more trick or treaters passed by on the other side of the road. They stole curious glances and gossiped behind cupped hands, but didn’t stop to help. Scoring a loaded bag od candy was much more important, so they all just kept walking.

“Hannah?” Gracie whispered, “I’m going to go get your mom.”

She turned to go back down the street when Hannah’s body suddenly seized and she flopped onto her back, her abdomen curved toward the sky. Gracie watched in terror as her jaw gaped and her pupils rolled back, showing only the bloodshot whites of her eyes. Her arm shot out toward Gracie, fingers latching tightly around her skinny wrist. Gracie tried to yank herself away, and long, sharp claws erupted from Hannah’s nail beds.

Gracie shrieked as Hannah’s nails dug into her wrist, “HELP!” she yanked her arm to no avail. The gashes only grew deeper, as they tore down her arm and pouring blood to the sidewalk.

With a lucky jerk, she freed herself from Hannah’s claws, and ran like her life depended on it. She made a quick dash for the neighbors property, aiming for the backyard gate, but only made it a few feet onto the lawn before she was tackled. Her mouth was filled with grass and dirt as a strong hand forced her face into the ground.

Gracie kicked her legs and swung her arms wildly, kicking at Hannah’s calves and clawing desperately at whatever she could get ahold of. She managed turn her neck and peer out of the corner of her eye.

Hannah was gone. Something else had replaced her. It’s eyes were deep and black, blood trickled down her cheek. It’s nose was snarled, teeth bard, revealing sharp fangs like a sharks mouth in place of Hannah’s pearly whites. Long ropes of drool hung from her jaw, jiggling and dripping with each jolt.

Massive wings erupted from her back, spraying blood as her bones and ligaments snapped, then reformed. Her body broke in several places, lengthening her limbs. Gracie sobbed as she listenined to the sickening cracks, hot breath caressed her cheek and she squeezed her eyes shut.

Sirens wailed in the distance, way too distant. Her heart pounded ferociously through the entirety of her little body.

Then it stopped, but not instantly, as Hannah’s jaws snapped around Gracie’s little neck. Her teeth sank in with ease and she shrieked kicking and wiggling weakly. Blood poured into Hannah’s mouth and into the grass, and she gulped it up greedily.

The end 🐈‍⬛