13 Years of Halloween

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Up front payment of $45 for three month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate for three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra, see full turns at MintMobile.com. Hank joined BJ's wholesale club the day he became a father of 30. I coach football. Now, coach Hank saves up to 25% off grocery store prices, 30 pounds of pasta, three cases of protein bars, 75 sports drinks, and that's just pregame. He knows teamwork, and BJ's knows savings. This is your home coach, home of the save. Join for just $20 at BJ's.com/maskete and save 10 cents per gallon for six months. Open soon, limited time offer new members only. BJ's home of the save. Like Mortel, jeopardy. Now streaming. Homey on Disney Plus. In one size, setting the portable gaming device aside, he rolls his eyes and leans his head back on the couch. Outside, he can hear kids chatting and laughing and screaming as they go house to house, begging for candy by using only three easy words. Jason is sick of waiting for his parents to get their crap together, and figure out who was taking him. It's almost been 30 minutes since their bickering began. The absent mindedly scratches at his Jack Sparrow pirate beard. Jason didn't exactly like the last movie that came out two years ago, in 2011, but he has always loved Jack Sparrow. So for three years running, that's what he's been. Being 10 now, the costume is getting a little tight. You'll have to upgrade next year to a larger size, but without things are going between his parents. He could still be sitting on the couch in this costume a year from now, if they don't hurry up and make a decision. "I know you have a brief due Stephen. You have made that very clear." "Tomorrow, I have to do tomorrow, Jamie. Too freakin' tomorrow! If I want to make partner, I have to nail this. I can't go play on the mist and rain just to collect some stupid candy." Jason sighs again and stares up at the ceiling. "Can I have some water?" The small voice comes from the living room entryway. Jason frowns. "I'm thirsty. A mom and dad can't hear me." Jason looks away from the ceiling and at his younger sister, at a line. Addie, for short. Six, small for her age. She holds her favorite stuffed bunny and is dressed in her beauty in the beast pajamas. Her face is flushed and she has beads of sweat on her forehead. Her bright blue eyes are dull and the whites are bloodshot. She sniffles and lets loose with a harsh, larking cough. "You need to be in bed. You're sick. I'm thirsty." Jason sighs yet again, but puts some dramatic exasperation into this one. He shubs up off the couch and walks past Addie, headed to the kitchen. "Well, come on. I'm not carrying it upstairs for you. I don't feel good." "Yeah, no one feels good with the flu." "I want to go trick or treating with you. I'm not going. Why not?" The two kids pause as their parents voices get louder and louder. Addie nods. "Oh, right." Jason leads her into the kitchen and pours a plastic tumbler of water. He's not getting his ass handed to him by his dad for giving her an actual glass. She just dropped it like last time. Addie gulps at the cold water, finishing the tumbler in seconds. Jason raises an eyebrow and can't help but laugh. "Okay, I guess you were thirsty. Fine." Adore slams down the hall. "Jason, Jason. Get your butt out of here. We're going trick or treating. Now." Addie's eyes go wide and her lips start to quiver. Jason pats her on the shoulder and gives her a warm smile. "I'll bring you back lots of almond joys." "Those are my favorite." "I know." "Jason! Coming!" Jason fills a baddie's tumbler for her again, then stomps down the hallway to the front door, where his very perturbed father is standing. "What took you so long? You were supposed to wait on the couch." Jason has all kinds of snarky replies ready, but he swallows them in shrugs. "Addie was thirsty. I guess she was calling for you and mom, but you didn't hear her." Jason focuses on his dad. The man opens his mouth to say something, then closes it and shakes his head. He almost says something again, but opens the front door, and gestures for Jason to hurry out onto the porch instead. Jason does, not hiding his relief and enthusiasm that he finally gets to do some trick or treating. Steven hurries him down the steps and stops him on the sidewalk. "Okay, which way first?" The man frowns at the crush of people out in the street. "We always go left first because it's easier to loop around if Addie gets tired, but Addie isn't here this time, so. " "Man, let's try right. But we can't be out too late, okay? I still have work to do." "I know, I heard." Steven gives Jason a stern look, then relaxes and nods. "Yeah, sorry about that." Jason shrugs. They turn right and head off to the first house, a tall Victorian, like the house they all live in. Half the houses on the street are historic Victorians. With the other half being a mélange of modern and old-school brick ranch houses. "Moms, the doctor." Jason and his dad walk up the cement path to the house's grand front porch. "She should stay home with Addie. She knows what to do." "And I don't? You can't argue away the flu, Dad." Before his dad can respond, Jason rushes off and up the porch steps, scooting around a ghost and a minion. Steven just waits on the walkway, closer to the sidewalk than the porch. He listens to his son shout, "Trick a treat!" And his neighbors smile and laugh and drops him extra candy and Jason's bag, because they already know that Addie is sick. Steven waves and the older couple wave back, as Jason says thank you and bounds down the porch steps. "How is your Adeline still as a fever? Well, she's in good hands. Tell her and Jamie high for us. And we hope Addie gets better soon." "Thanks, Marie. Thanks, Tony. We appreciate it." Jason reaches his dad and smiles at the first lute in his bag. "Have a great night!" The older couple don't respond, since they are quickly dissed upon by a horde of zombies all screaming. "Trick a treat!" Not a single one moans, the ubiquitous phrase. And Jason quickly makes a comment about that, as his dad leads him down the sidewalk to the next house. "They're younger than you, Jason. So I doubt they've even seen a zombie movie." "Everyone knows that zombies moan!" Jason makes his youthful indignation very apparent, then turns to run up the walkway to the next house, without waiting for a response from his dad. Steven grumbles, shoves his hands in his pockets and waits. A light rain starts, but it's more of a heavy mist than any threat of a larger storm. His phone dings. It's not Jamie's assigned tone, so he knows that his wife isn't trying to keep their argument going. Although he sort of wishes that she would, it would open up a chance for him to apologize. Steven takes out his phone, then frowns. It's not Jamie, but it is work, which doesn't help anything. By the time Jason comes running back to the sidewalk, his voice pitch-tie, as he excitedly explains that he got not just one, but two full-sized candy bars. Steven is deep into a text thread with a couple of his associates, and barely even registers Jason's return. Jason notices immediately in sulks, but Steven is oblivious. So Jason just plods on, going to the next house and the next, while Steven follows behind, his face buried in his phone. "Which way?" "Huh?" "Dad, dad. We're at the end of the block. Which way do we go? Left or right?" Steven finally looks up from his phone and blinks, seeming surprised that they have finished visiting all the houses on their street. "Um, who usually has the best candy? Milton drive or Bowman drive? Milton, for sure. Then there's your answer." Jason turns right and quickly hurries to get his treats from the four houses lining this edge of the block before Milton begins. Steven goes back to his texting and only mumbles some occasional encouragement, with an added perfunctory wave when his name is called by one of the neighbors. Just before they turn onto Milton life, lightning flashes, and thunder cracks barely half a second later, making both Jason and Stephen jump. Stephen glances at the sky, frowning at the sudden increase in raindrops. "It wasn't supposed to. Oh, what the hell? Where'd the cell service go?" He smacks his phone a few times. Jason rolls his eyes. "That won't work, Dad. There's nothing that can get loose in a modern cell phone." Stephen raises an eyebrow and smirks at Jason. "A modern cell phone? You watch too many of those YouTube videos." Jason turns on to Milton Drive, then he stops in his tracks. While his dad still smirks, Jason frowns, confused at what he's seeing. "Dad?" Stephen keeps smacking his phone. Then he turns the Wi-Fi off and on, just in case it's stuck, trying to connect to someone's network. Still no service at all. "This is crazy. We have some of the best. Some, Dad? Service him the state. Dad!" Stephen looks up, startled. Another crack of thunder makes him jump once more before he focuses on Jason. "What kiddo?" Then he sees it too. "Wait." He looks behind him at the corner they just took. They are right where they should be, but the block they are turning onto is not. It should also be behind them. "This is our street, right?" When he narrows his eyes, squinting against the rain and the impossibility of what he's seeing. "Um, yeah, but. " He lets the sentence drop as he glances back once more. "Okay. We must have gotten turned around. What the wrong way?" Jason shakes his head. "No. We turned on to Hamlin Avenue to get to Milton Drive. We went the right way, it's just. " Jason points. "It's just that we're back on our street. Not Milton." Jason nods, looking worried. "Maybe we should go back. Nah. You only did half our street, remember? This is the other end. You can trick or treat this part. Then we'll move on to Milton." Cool. Jason does not look like it's cool at all. He looks worried and slightly frightened than Stephen points. "Look, it's Carly and her parents. How about we tag along with them?" Jason looks skeptical, but he starts walking toward the small family just coming down a walkway. The young girl catches sight of Jason and waves enthusiastically. Jason's mood brightens, and he runs up to her while Stephen keeps trying to get his phone to work. "Don't bother. Sell tower must have gotten hit by that lightning." Stephen looks up and blinks, and he smiles. "Hey, Jack. How's it going? Rebecca, nice to see you." Carly's parents, Jack, and Rebecca both shakes Stephen's hand. Then the each hold up their useless phone. "I can't even connect to the word there's Wi-Fi, and I have their password because I watched their pets last March. Maybe they changed it." Rebecca laughs. "They're both in their 80s. If I didn't help them with their tech, they'd be listening to the radio in the dark." "They aren't that bad." "Um, yeah, they are." Stephen watches Jason and Carly talk excitedly to each other, while showing off their candy all so far. "No, Addy. We're Jamie." Stephen shrugs. "Addy is sick with the flu. So, Dr. Mom is on it." "Well, if anything goes wrong, you're the lawyer so you can always sue." Stephen frowns and cocks his head. Jack laughs nervously. "She was making a bad malpractice joke. Oh, right. I get it. Sorry. Just got distracted because I have a brief due on the morning." Rebecca and Jack, not knowingly. Then all three watch the kids run up to one of their neighbors' houses. Lightning and thunder explode all around them. Jack looks up at the sky, then over to his wife. Rebecca nods. "Um, so this may sound weird. Hm? But did you and Jason already walk our street? We started at the other end and thought we were doing a loop, but. " Stephen stops messing with his phone and faces Jack and Rebecca. "You mean you've already taken Carly this way?" Jack and Rebecca look at each other, then back to Stephen, and each nods. "It sounds crazy, I know." Before any of them can continue, shouting up the street grabs their attention. A family that Stephen doesn't recognize is standing on the blanchard's porch, arguing with the confused looking Mrs. Blanchard. It sounds heated and rather hostile. Stephen and Carly's parents hurry that way, so do several other families. "What's going on?" They join a small group who are standing on the sidewalk outside the blanchard's house, a guy holding a toddler shakes his head. "They're asking to use their phone, but when they try to go inside, they can't. They're blaming that poor old lady. This is Blanchard. Oh? You must live around here. We're from the east side, but it's gotten lame, so we thought we'd try a new neighborhood." The shouting increases, and the dad of the family tries to force his way into the blanchard's home. Some folks on the sidewalk shout for him to calm down. Then everyone goes silent, as the man is thrown physically off the blanchard's porch. He's sent flying through the air and collapses against a small cedar tree in the corner of the blanchard's front yard. That it's pure chaos. People are hurrying to check on the guy. Some are running up to Mrs. Blanchard, demanding answers. The thrown man's family runs down off the porch to join him in the grass as he tries to sit up. Stephen looks at Jack and Rebecca. They all share an anxious look. They're not in unison. "Jason, let's go. Carly, come on." The kids are three houses ahead already, just standing on the sidewalk with their jaws hanging open as the chaos continues. Stephen runs up to Jason and bats him on the shoulder. "We should go home. I don't know what's going on, but it'll be best if we let it calm down before we continue." "Ah, Dad, no way. If we go home, then you'll start working and we won't get to go back out. Not true. I promise. I'll send one email then we can check the street. If it looks calm, we'll go left next time and check out Bowman Avenue cool." Jason gives him his "not cool" frown, but shrugs anyway. Then trudges melodramatically toward their house. "Say goodbye to Carly. Bye, Carly. Bye, Jason." Stephen nods to Jack and Rebecca, and they all go their separate ways. "Rine Reynolds here from Mid-Mobile. The message for everyone paying Big Wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything goodness world stop. With Mid, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpay no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at MidMobile.com/switch." Upfront payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required, introrate for three months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra, see full terms at MidMobile.com. "Stop. This is simply safe. Police are on the way." Using smart AI cameras, live US-based agents help deter intruders in under 30 seconds. Don't just record a break in, stop it from ever happening. "30 seconds response time requires monitoring plan with outdoor protection starting at $49.99 a month. Visit simplysafe.com/licenses for alarm license information." Jamie has gotten outy to sleep after reading three stories and singing six songs. The poor girl's face is slick with fever sweat, and Jamie pushes her bangs out of her face, then leans in and kisses her. "That's when the banging on the front door starts." "No, no, no, no." Jamie's face crunches up an anger as she watches at Easter. But luckily, the girl doesn't wake up. Jamie slides off the small bed and tiptoes out of the room. Then she rushes down the stairs and jerks the front door open. She sees her son and husband standing on the porch, both looking slightly disturbed. "What's wrong? Why didn't you come in?" "It was locked." Jamie glances down at the door knob. "Now it wasn't." "See?" Stephen goes to step inside to look, then his flung away. His back collides with the porch railing, and he cries out and slumps to the boards. Before Jamie can run out onto the porch, Addy screams from upstairs. Jamie looks to Jason. "Help your dad! I'll be right back! Mom, wait!" Jamie has already gone and up the stairs. She hurries down the hallway to Addy's room and throws up in the door. Addy is sitting bolt upright in her bed, eyes wide, face white as a sheet. "Where did they go? Where did they go? Where did they go?" Then the small girl collapses back onto her pillows and her eyes roll up into her head. She begins to shake. "No! No! Addy!" Jamie looks over her shoulder and shouts at the top of her lungs. "Stephen! Call 911! Addy is having a seizure!" There's no response, but Jamie barely notices. She wraps her daughter up in her arms and tries to stabilize her as much as she can. The girl flops madly for several minutes, then the seizure begins to calm. After a few minutes, Addy blinks and looks up into her mother's face. "Mom, where's Dad and Jason?" "Downstairs, sweetheart!" Addy shakes her head. "No, they're not!" Jamie frowns, then kisses Addy's forehead. The girl's eyes begin to close, and in seconds, she's out like a light. Her body completely relaxed, breathing even and easy. Jamie wonders what's taking Stephen so long. He had to have heard her shout to call 911. After some serious physical maneuvering, Jamie extracts herself from her daughter's bed and creeps out into the hallway. She hurries to the stairs and heads down, arrives locked under the open front door. When she looks out on the porch, neither Stephen nor Jason is anywhere to be seen. She's about to call for them, then worries that it will wake up Addy again, so she steps out onto the porch, closes the door and looks up and down the street. There is no sign of her son or husband. In fact, as she studies the the street. There is no sign of any trick or treaters or their parents. Other than some cackling decorations set up in some of the yards, the street is completely quiet. "Steven! Jason!" There's no response. She shouts for her husband and son again, but nothing happens. Going back inside, Jamie pulls out her phone and calls Steven. It goes to voicemail three times before she leaves a message. "Hey, um, so where are you guys? I just had a seizure, but she's better now. I need you to come home right away!" She hangs up and heads back to Addie's room. Jason helps his father stand up. Then they both walk toward their open front door. The second they try to go inside, they are flung away from the door. Jason bounces off the railing. Steven misses it completely this time and tumbles down the steps into the yard. Wimpering a little, Jason picks himself up and goes to his dad. "Why that happened? What's going on, dad?" Steven has to rub his face a few times to get his mind back on track. He sits in the damp yard, staring at the open front door. "I, um, I don't know." There's a cry from down the street, and they both whip their heads around to see a man slam back first into the trunk of an old oak. He collapses at the tree's base and doesn't move. A girl and a princess costume stands close to him, crying. The front door of that house opens, and a woman kneels down, holding her arms open. The princess runs to her, but the second she tries to cross the house's threshold, she is tossed out into the street like a back-up trash. Jason cries out. Steven shoves up to his feet and runs toward the girl. When he gets there, he gasps. The poor princess's head is not at a healthy angle, and her wide open eyes are glassy and empty. "Dad?" "Stay back." Jason skids to a stop, already seeing more than he should. More than he'd like to have seen. "Go back home. I'll be there soon. But I can't go home." Steven whirls around, ready to be stern and lay down the law. Jason does not need to get closer to a dead princess. But then he sees Jamie stepping out onto the porch. "There's your mother. Go tell her what happened, and I'll be home soon." Jason wipes his nose, the nods and jogs back home. Jamie is standing on the porch, shouting. "Steven! Jason!" Jason shouts for her, but she acts like she doesn't hear him, or even see him running her way. Before the boy can reach his mother, she turns and walks back inside, closing the door behind her. Jason slams into the door, then begins pounding on it over and over and over. Jamie doesn't come back outside. Jason turns to look at his dad. Steven stares at his son for a moment, then looks up and down the street. Family after family after family wander aimlessly. All looking lost. All looking scared to death. None are able to get back inside their own homes. Or, for those who are visitors, get anyone inside homes to even acknowledge that they exist. Just like Jamie didn't acknowledge Jason. October 31, 2014. Steven studies the faded missing poster on the telephone pole. It has his face and Jason's next to each other. Jamie's cell phone number is below, along with the police task force hotline number. Below and above the flyer are dozens more, each showing a different missing child or adult. Some even show an entire family. I think I have a cavity. Steven laughs. Probably. We've only been eating candy for a year. Why doesn't it run out? Steven shrugs. Just like I said the last million times you asked. Your guess is as good as mine, kiddo. Someone far off is shouting. Steven realizes that they are shouting his name and running up to him. Hey, Steven. There you are. Come quick. Hey, Jack. Jason and I were about to. No, come this way. Now. Jack basically grabs Steven and drags him away from the telephone pole or at the end of their street. Jason, come on. Jason's size and picks it something in his teeth. He winces as his fingernail hits a sensitive spot on a molar. Jack has dragged Steven almost a quarter of a block before Steven pulls up and he angsts his arm out of a jack's grip. Then he stands there in the street, stunned. The street is filled with trick-or-treaters, which isn't anything new. For the past 12 months, that's all Steven or anyone stuck in this nightmare has seen. Trick-or-treaters. There, trick-or-treaters. The same kids and families that could never go home. The same kids and families on the missing posters on the telephone poles. Except what Steven is now seeing are new kids and families. What night is this? Halloween! Jack hoots and runs up to the first family he sees. They shy away from him like he's a mad man. And considering that he hasn't shaved or changed his clothes than a year, they aren't too far off. Steven finds a different family and hurrys over to them. "What year is it? What's the date?" The dad of the family puts himself between Steven and his wife and kids. "Hey, man. We're just trying to have a good time, okay? I don't have any cash on me, so why don't you go to a different neighborhood? I don't want money. I want to know what year it is." Before the man can say anything, Jason goes running by. "Jason, wait!" But Jason doesn't wait. He's running straight for his house and is bounding up the porch before Steven can even get one foot in front of the other. He marvels at how much his son has grown over the year. How fast he's gotten. He knows that all the sugar the kid eats isn't good for him. Isn't good for anyone. But that's all there is to eat. Candy, candy, and more candy. So it's a miracle the boy is healthy enough to run it all. Jack appears and bats Steven on the shoulder. "I'm going to check our house. See if we can get inside. Tell Becca and Carly where I went if you see them, will you?" Jack doesn't wait for an answer. He's gone in a flash. Steven gives the confused and stunned family in front of him in a apologetic smile. Then jogs toward his house. "Hey, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Now, I don't know if you've heard, but Mint's premium wireless is $15 a month. But I'd like to offer one other perk. We have no stores. That means no small talk. Crazy weather we're having. No, it's not. It's just weather. It is an introvert's dream. Give it a try at MintMobile.com/switch. Mike joined BJ's wholesale club the day he became a father of 30. "I coach football." Now, Coach Hanks saves up to 25% off gross restore prices, 30 pounds of pasta, 3 cases of protein bars, 75 sports drinks, and that's just pregame. Join for just $20 at BJ's.com/maskete and save 10 cents per gallon for 6 months. Open soon limited time offer new members only. The wine glass nearly falls from Jamie's sleepy grasp, when the first loud knock echoes through the house. She quickly sets the glass on the coffee table and sits up from the couch, yawning and stretching. She looks over and sees Adi asleep in the recliner, some Halloween movie for kids playing quietly on the TV. The knock comes again, and Jamie stands up, swaying a little for maybe too much wine. "Hold on, I'm coming." The knock gets more urgent, and Jamie frowns when she enters the foyer, looking about for the baseball bat she always keeps at hand ever since. Well, ever since last Halloween, she finds it next to the shoe rack, picks it up, the knees is close to the door. "Who is it? I am not doing interviews, so please contact my lawyer if you want a statement." "Mom?" Jamie tosses the bat aside, unlocks the door and flings it open. Standing there is Jason. He looks like he's grown an inch. The Jack Sparrow cost him his way too tight on him. Just past him, coming up the walkway is Stephen. "Is it? Are you? Mom?" He flings himself at Jamie, then he's flying back. Stephen just barely gets to him in time before he falls down the port steps. Jamie moves like she's going to leave the house, and Stephen holds up a hand as his face goes bright red. "No, stay in there." Jamie freezes. The force of Stephen's voice is like a punch to the stomach. Stephen tries to smile as he strokes Jason's hair and helps him settle on the steps. "We can't risk it happening to you too." Eglance is passed, Jamie, to the rest of the house. "You can't leave Addy alone." Stephen, "What's going on? Where have you been?" He shrugs and makes a wiggling motion with his whole body. Jason, coming out of his shock from being denied entry into his own house again, laughs a bitter, small laugh. "It's Halloween night again, yay." Stephen points a finger at Jamie. "Just stay inside, please." He looks over his shoulder at the new trick-or-treaters walking the street. "It may already be too late for these folks." Jamie glances past him and frowns at the group of trick-or-treaters and their parents. "Bunch of ghouls. They're here because everyone went missing last year and they think the street is haunted." The Jamie looks at Stephen and Jason. Her eyes go wide, and she covers her mouth. "Oh God, are you dead? Are you ghosts?" Someone hears her, and soon a small crowd is walking toward the house, all lies on Stephen and Jason. "Hey, look! Two of them are back!" The crowd hurries faster. Luckily, everyone stays on the sidewalk, but they still end up trapping Stephen and Jason on their own walkway. Questions are shouted out. the two. Someone takes a step forward and throws water on them from a small bottle, while also shouting that the power of Christ shall compel them. Some people laugh, while others just look scared. "How about you all get the hell away from my house?" More questions peppered them. "Come inside. Now, wish we could, mom." A man dressed as a police officer shoves through the crowd, garnering some curses and dirty looks. Then everyone realizes that he's not wearing a costume. He stops a few feet in front of Stephen and Jason. He looks up at the house, nods to Jamie, then looks back at Stephen. "You live here, sir. That's the theory." Jason laughs. The officer gives him a concerned look. "Sir, I'm going to ask you to step away from the child. I want you to stand over there by that tree while I talk to him." "Um, no. I do not consent to that, sir. Do not make this crazy situation worse." Stephen shakes his head and chuckles. "Worse, right?" The police officer moves on Stephen and grabs his bicep. Stephen is up and in the cop's face. Then he shoves the man back into the crowd. People gasp. Many have their phones out now. "That's it, sir. I tried to be nice about this, but you made it." Stephen throws a heavy right hook and clocks the police officer across the jaw. The man waivers then falls to his knees. "Damn, Dad! Nice shot! Stephen! Jason! Get in here now!" Love them, lightning and thunder explode throughout the sky. A clear sky, completely void of clouds or rain or any sign of a storm. Stephen looks up, so does Jason. Then Stephen smiles at Jamie. "I wish we could, babe. I wish we could." The lightning and thunder crash again. Stephen and Jason are gone. So are half the people who had been running up and down the street, all trying to get inside their houses, all trying to contact their loved ones. Jamie, along with the stunned police officer, the folks with their phones out and the random trick-or-treaters all just stand there, their jaws gaping wide. When nothing happens to any of them, they scatter. Each running to where they left their cars, desperate to get away from the cursed street. October 31, 2015. Jason shivers as the way to small shirt rides up on his back in belly, exposing skin to the cold October air. Not that he isn't used to it. It's been October air for two years now. He sits on the curb and picks out a pimple on his chin. He has a lot of pimples on his chin. His dad says it's because he's 12 and has all the hormones. Jason is pretty sure it's because he's lived off a diet of snickers, bars, and skittles for 24 months. There's probably truth to both. Off to the side, by the cedar trees and misses nodding Ham's yard, Stephen stands talking quietly with Jack. A few feet away, Rebecca sits on the lawn, huddled together with Carly in her arms. Rebecca starts coughing. Her face is feverish and sweaty. Carly just stares blankly at the street. "We have to do something. She's not going to make it another year." Stephen pats Jack on the shoulder. "I know. We're all on borrowed time. It's Halloween officially again. Maybe tonight we can get past the doors." The two men look out at the street, and the throngs of trick-or-treaters. Despite a heavy police presence and a failed lawsuit, the city wasn't able to stop visitors from swarming the street. After all the viral videos from last year, interest exploded a million fold. "We have to get past all of them first." Jack steps forward, the officer jabs a finger at him. "Stay back unless you want to be arrested as well." "Yeah, I do. Take me with you." Some people close by, hanging as far away from the street as they can, perk up and walk toward the officer, all asking to be taken in too. The officer, seeing how outnumbered he suddenly is, places a handle in the butt of his sidearm. "I need everyone to stand back now." They don't. They are on the officer in seconds, grabbing at him, clutching at him, pleading and praying for him to help. He somehow manages to get a hand to his radio and shouts into the handset for backup. Then he's taken down to the ground, piled on by the desperate people. Suddenly, a man backs away from the pile and holds something up. He squeezes the trigger, and the gun goes off, making everyone freeze where they are. Then the trick-or-treaters become a panicked mob, all running in several directions at once, until finally, all that's left are those who are trapped and the downed police officer. "There has to be a way out!" He puts the muzzle under his chin and pulls the trigger. October 31st, 2016. The man with half his head blown off just sits in the middle of the street, visiting onlookers keep their distance, but everyone has a phone out and is filming the man. He says nothing, just hangs his chin to his chest, what's left of his chin, and stares with his one eye at the pavement. Someone throws a Kit Kat bar into his bloody lap. Half a block away, Stephen sits on his front porch, smiling at his wife. It was sitting on the floor in the foyer, just inside the house. "Seeing you once a year isn't bad?" Jamie begins to cry. She's held it in for the last 30 minutes, but she can't any longer. "I'm sorry. That was stupid to say. Jamie just keeps crying. Even when Addy, now much taller, walks down the stairs and waves. "Hi, Daddy." "Hey, beautiful. Look how much you have grown." "Where's Jason?" Stephen shrugs. "He's around. I think he's trying to talk a visitor into giving him their pants. His costume doesn't fit at all anymore. And, well, he needs clothes. "I can get him a blanket. Will that help?" Stephen shakes his head. "I wish, beautiful. But nothing from inside lasts out here. I think Tony says he has some coveralls in his tool shed, so we may see if those will work." Jamie stifles her tears and wipes her eyes. "The governor called for a state of emergency after last year." Jamie stares at the crowds filling the street. "A lot of cut that did. After that officer disappeared with you, the police union is not cooperating with the governor, mayor, or anyone, really. They want answers before they lose another one of their own." "To serve and protect, right?" Someone on the street takes several photos of Stephen sitting on his porch. He makes sure to leave at least one middle finger up, lightening and thunder rage overhead. Stephen's eyes. "I better go find Jason." He clears his throat and sniffs loudly. "I love you both." Before Jamie can reply, Stephen disappears. Just winks away. Both Addy and Jamie start sobbing. October 31st, 2017. "Run!" Jason laughs hysterically as he and Carly run naked through the crowd of visitors. Carly is laughing just as hard. Onlookers film it all until Officer Ricky, the unfortunate police officer trapped with the others, walks through the crowd, informing everyone that Jason and Carly are miners. And unless they want to be arrested for child pornography, they'd better delete those videos immediately. Lightening and thunder shake everything as folks start deleting. October 31st, 2018. "I miss my mom. Maybe she'll come back when this is all over." The two teenagers are wearing new clothing cut and sewn together out of car upholstery. The only material that stays with them when they go away. They watch as children, with hands clutched tightly by weary parents. Flow up and down the street, trick or treating as if their lives depend on it. Jason pushes out a loose muller with his tongue in size. "I'm mom won't open the door anymore." Carly takes his hand, and they sit and watch and cry. October 31st, 2019. The man drives his pickup straight through the crowd. People scream and try to get out of the way, but dozens are crushed by the huge vehicle. Then thunder and lightning rip across the sky, and the crowd is gone. Even the bodies that were crushed by the large tires. "Nice try, Mark!" The driver in the truck flips Stephen off. Then he pulls the truck into gear and drives away, parking it back in its spot at the end of the street. Up front payment of $45 per three month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required, in three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra, see full terms at MintMobile.com. Tammy regularly hauled stuff to her kids at college. That's why she shops at BJ's wholesale club, saving up to 25% off grocery store prices. Beef jerky, microwave meals, laundry pods, even they can't screw up. "Have you met my kid?" And with BJ's gas, she gets there for less. "They call me the road warrior." This is your home road warrior, mom? Home of the safe. Join for just $20 at BJ's.com/maskete and save 10 cents per gallon for six months, open soon, limited time offer new members only. BJ's home of the safe. completely empty, not a single trick or treater is out, not a single onlooker, or ghost hunter, or paranormal podcast expert. The only people around are sitting on lawns or leaning against trees or sleeping on porches. Jason is sitting on the porch swaying at his house, Addy is with him, but inside, talking from an open window. "Mom says that we'll be a vaccine soon, that they already have made it, but it's only for the front lines, wherever those are." Jason just nods. Down at the other end of the porch, Steven has his face pressed against the screen of one of the dining room windows. Jason can just make out the shadowed outline of his mom's face on the other side of the screen. "I guess with COVID we're all kind of trapped now." Jason snorts, but doesn't argue with his little sister. He scratches under his leather tunic that he made from the upholstery of a Mercedes-Benz. He'd grown out of the fake, tweed outfit that Carly had made him from that Subaru last year. He's hoping this will be his last outfit until, just until, is all he can think. Out in the street, Officer Ricky walks up and down, up and down, always the cop, ready to tell folks to stay inside that quarantine and curfew are no joke. But there's no one around who cares what Officer Ricky says. Over 31st, 2021, masked up, the crowd moves and small pods of six or eight kids walk up to porches, where there are bowls of candy set out in notes, saying to share with others. Jason and Carly throw small rocks at the pods, making some kids cry, until Steven barks for them to stop. Thunder and lightning rumble overhead. This year there's normal rain to go with the noise, so some of the pods don't pay attention despite all the warnings, until half the people around the street suddenly disappear. Most of the pods call it a night, and leave quickly. October 31st, 2022. Spitting out two molars into his palm, Jason stares at the rotten teeth, almost glad they are finally out of his jaw. The pain had been keeping him awake at night. Carly had also been complaining about his breath, not that hers is any better. Steven walks up and throws an arm around the young man who was now as tall as he is, nodding at the teeth. "I lost one yesterday." He scratches at the mottled and sickly skin on his cheek, digging past the long, scruffy beard. He smiles at Jason, seeing that the kid's beard is starting to come into. "We going to see mom and daddy this year? I'm 21 now. Maybe mom will give me a beer." Steven swallows hard, then shakes his head. "Why not?" "I'm left a note in the door. She took daddy to Graham and Graham's house this year." Jason nods. The two men stand there in the street for a few minutes. Then they hurry to the side as Mark rage drives his pickup to the crowd yet again, which still does absolutely nothing as far as anyone can tell. "He's going to do that every year, isn't he?" Steven nods as thunder and lightning split the sky. October 31st, 2023. When he finds her, he doesn't know how long she's been dead. Maybe a couple of days, maybe a week. Jason isn't sure. Time is a loose concept. "Carly?" The young woman's eyes are wide open and empty. Jason kneels and checks her pulse. She's definitely dead. And not by her own hand, or she'd be able to speak like all the others who thought they could find an easy way out. "Dead, dead." He turns away from the holly bush and walks out from around the blanchards' house to find his dad. Someone will have to tell Jack, and Jason does not want to be that someone. October 31st, 2024. Steven is laughing and clapping as Addy throws popcorn kernels into Jason's mouth. Addy is at the dining room window, and Jason is sitting on the porch. His hands behind his back as part of the game's rules. "Six in a row, going for lucky number seven." "I'd rather it was beer since I can drink now, and you guys bailed last year." "You want me to throw a beer can at your head? I can do that." "Yeah, I bet you little punk." "Not so little anymore, jerk boy." It all looks like so much fun. His kids bantering and laughing. So Steven keeps up the appearance. Even though he knows that while Jason may taste the popcorn now, it won't be in his belly later. It'll go away when they go away, when the thunder and lightning return, which happens only a few minutes later. Steven stops laughing and focuses on Addy, whose face has fallen and is about to start crying. "I love you baby girl. Tell your mother that I love." The porch is empty. Addy lets the tears flow as she closes the dining room window. October 31st, 2025. The barricades line each end of the street. Steven glares at the lines of National Guard troops, keeping folks from walking the street. "I finally found Jack." And Officer Ricky just shakes his head. "You don't want to know." Steven scoffs. "You're probably right." He nods at the barricades. "All this because a couple of rich college kids went missing on Halloween last year, and they think it has something to do with us?" The scientists don't know what's going on. So they're throwing guns at the problem now. Officer Ricky shrugs, and one of those kids was a senator's son. So you know how he goes. Steven nods. Jason wanders up to them, he urps, and both Steven and Officer Ricky wave hands in front of their noses. "Where'd you get the booze?" "Why aren't you sharing?" Jason's ways. "Mr. Blanchard gave me a bottle of something. I think I dropped it." There is shouting at the barricades. Officer Ricky groans. "I'll go see what's happening." "Thanks. Oh. And Ricky?" Officer Ricky pauses before walking away. "I'm sorry you got stuck with us, but I'm glad you're here." Took you long enough to say that. Steven shrugs. "After police." The two men laugh, and Officer Ricky walks toward the barricades. Gunfire erupts. Someone screams. Steven tackles Jason to the ground, covering him with his body. On the straight, lying on the pavement, is Officer Ricky, is not moving. "God damn it. Bad? I think I'm going to be sick. Me too, son." October 31st, 2026. Steven pounds on the door until Jamie yanks it open. "Steven? What are you doing?" Steven waves a hand about, which is almost too much for him to handle, sending him off balance. Jamie sighs. "How drunk are you?" "Is Jason drunk, too?" "I remember last year." Steven gives a thumbs up, then a peace sign, then two thumbs up, and almost falls on his ass. But he reaches out instinctively and grabs Jamie's shoulders, pulling their bodies together, inside the house. Jamie almost shoves him away, then looks around. She looks down and sees Steven's feet on her side of the threshold. "Steven?" "Steven! Addy!" "What? Give me a loan. I already told you I can't do it this year." "Your dad is inside the house!" Footsteps he rupt from the second floor, and the young woman is bounding down the stairs. She doesn't even slow down, just collides with her mother and father, wrapping her arms around them both. Outside, Jason stumbles up the porch steps. "Hey, something weird is happening out here." Benny sees the family hug, and blinks several times before he runs inside and grabs everyone. Everyone is laughing and crying as they fall to their knees in a jumble of love and fear and surprise. Then a crash of thunder above stops the happiness dead in its tracks. Fear quickly replaces the brief joy they all felt. Jamie strokes Steven's face, then reaches for her son. Outside, people are shouting and laughing and crying. Thunder rumbles again. "Maybe it'll be better next year. Maybe the storm won't come back." Lightning flashes and everyone winces, but no one disappears. More thunder and lightning, but still Jason and Steven remain. Steven slowly pushes away, not sober, but definitely a lot more alert. "Is it over? How are we all still together? I don't know, but I'm calling my parents. We need to call everyone. This is a miracle!" Then the shouting outside starts up again. Steven looks over his shoulder to see folks running down the street. Folks he's been trapped with for years, and folks he's only seen once a year. Everyone inside and outside is running. "Come on! We should see what it is!" "No way! I am not leaving this house ever again!" Jamie hugs him tightly. After a moment, someone walks by. Jason waves an arm and extracts himself from the ongoing hug. He lurches out onto the porch and leans against a post. "Hey! What happened? What's down there?" The guy stops. Then slowly looks at Jason. "Nothing. What do you mean nothing? We can go inside the house now, right? That's not nothing, dude!" The guy points behind him. "Yeah, but that is." Then he keeps on walking, head hanging low. Jason staggers down the steps. He is soon joined by the rest of his family, and as they stand out in the street with the rest of the neighbors, insiders and outsiders, they all see what the guy meant, there is nothing. Not down the street that way, not down the street the other way. Nothing. Only blackness, a great empty void. "Oh! Okay!" At least we are together. Jamie nods and buries her face in the crook of his neck as she sobs. Addy takes Jason's hand and holds on for dear life. They stand and stare at the void until the street empties, everyone having gone inside. Stephen turns them all and walks his family back to the house, where they climb up the steps and go inside, locking the door behind them. Then the porch light goes out. Thunder rumbles from the sky above. Want more? Subscribe and turn on all notifications, so you never miss any of our weekly uploads. Traditional home security only alerts you after a break in, and that's too late. Simply safe is changing that. Stop. This is Simply Safe. We don't just alert. We help stop crime before it starts. Right now, get 70% off your new system with professional monitoring, add SimplySafe.com/spotify. Simply safe, ahead of crime in real time. Outdoor to turns plans, start at $49.99 a month, visit SimplySafe.com/licenses for our alarm license information.