Please don’t! No matter if you have been doing it for years without any issues, please stop before it’s too late. I know that you have invested time, energy and money for that. I know that everything is ready, from the decorations to your costume. However, all that will no longer mean anything if one of them marks you. Please, do not celebrate Halloween!
My name is Derek. I am grateful to be 14 years old at the time I post this story, because I could have died the year before. Like many of you, I used to celebrate Halloween with family and friends, until I learned that one could be marked with fates worse than death.
Saturday, October 30th 2021
Clarissa, one of my classmates, pestered her parents all through the year so that they organize a two-day Halloween party at their house, from the 30th to the 31st. My friends Cole, Brad, Sylvia and myself could not miss that for any reason.
Everyone came with light costumes, preferring to wait for the following day to wear those they may have spent months preparing. That time, we decided to take pictures at exactly midnight to add some spook and superstition to the feast; the first picture of a very long series of course.
Brad volunteered to take the pictures, because he had one of those super expensive smartphones and especially because all those ‘spooky feast stuff’ as he calls it never interested him. When midnight rang, we took the pictures while everybody shouted in joy all around us, then we celebrated till our respective parents came to fetch us.
Sunday, 31st October 2021
I woke up that morning, eager to prepare my zombie costume for the main party. My eyes glistening with joy, I ran to the bathroom to get rid of the toilet routine in no time. Toothbrush and toothpaste in hand, my excitement vanished as soon as I looked at the mirror.
“What the hell is that?” I whispered.
There was no time to waste thinking about some stain on my face. I grabbed some soap and applied it on my left cheek and rinsed almost immediately, making sure to rub hard enough to remove the stain. I looked at the mirror once again, it was still there. I tried again and again, harder and harder to no avail. It was not a stain, it was a mark, resembling a staff with the sign < as its tip.
Even that mark, wherever it came from, did not have the power to stain my excitement. I needed something to add the final touch to my costume, so I went to the nearest convenience store to get it. However, as I was returning from the store, a vision of horror, powerful enough to darken the brightness of that day, appeared before my eyes.
One of our neighbor, the creepiest neighbor in the world, made his way towards the store. Mr Fritz, or Mr Freak like everyone prefers referring to him, was a man who always had a Halloween costume on. Yes, that man changed Halloween costumes every single day. His house was decorated for Halloween all through the year, only changing decorations every October, 30th.
“Morning Mr Fritz! Happy Halloween!” I greeted and wished, trying to sound genuine and nice.
It all fell on deaf ears as he just stopped walking and stared at me, his blue eyes somehow enhanced by his hockey mask. I decided not to insist and kept walking, taking glances behind me from time to time. He was still there, just staring at me walking away and at some point, he started following me.
Fear brought haste to my legs as I increased my pace to put maximum distance between him and myself. He also accelerated, and was even jogging at some point to catch up with me. I took off running and he did too, but I fortunately arrived first at my home, stormed inside and slammed the door before locking it.
My heart pounding and my eyes widened, I felt fear paralyze my body as I listened closely to what would be Mr Freak’s next move, but I could only hear my heavy breathing. For once in my life, I was unhappy about being home alone. I looked around trying to see what I could use to defend myself, and took a glimpse of outside through the window near the door; I saw him walking away as if nothing happened, taking my panic with him.
Later in the evening, I met Cole at the party who opted for a mime artist costume. We waited for Brad and Sylvia who did not show up. Nothing surprising from Brad, he told us that he had to accompany his younger siblings for trick or treating when we called him; for Sylvia however, her absence brought a disturbing strangeness increased by her silence when we tried to reach her on the phone.
Not really the turn of events we expected but Brad and I succeeded in having fun. My dad went to fetch me at 10 pm because he was strict about education and there was school the next day. On the way home, I looked at Mr Freak’s house and spotted him, in a scarecrow costume, staring at the car.
Monday, November 01st 2021
My parents finally noticed the mark on my face and scolded me for playing with permanent markers, something I know I did not do. My mother promised to try an efficient method as soon as I am back from school to erase something that I was starting to find cool, since it made me look like some anime badass character.
A mix of disappointment, joy and curiosity invaded me when I arrived at school and noticed that Cole had the exact same mark on his face. We could not see it yesterday because of our painted faces, and both of us had no explanation for that. Brad did not believe that the mark just showed up on our faces and convinced himself that Cole and I planned it. We laughed about it all till classes started.
Sylvia’s desk was empty. She was super late and she still had not responded to our messages and calls. At around 10 am, the school Principal, Mr Calloway came to the classroom to make an announcement:
“Good morning class!” He greeted.
“Good morning Mr Calloway!” We responded, and watched him as he paused before he continued.
“Today you may have noticed that your classmate, Miss Sylvia Kaerashevha is not among us.” He said, prompting most of us to look at Sylvia’s desk to confirm, while some of us started to fear the worst. “There’s bad news. We’ve been informed by her parents that she has been hospitalized, but fortunately, her state is stable for now. Further details will be communicated to you later today, and when it’s done, we count on you to bring the support she and her family need, as per the tradition of our institution. Thank you.” He added.
Brad, Cole and I looked at each other when Mr Calloway left, while Clarissa and other classmates looked at us because they knew about our friendship. So, this is why she could not respond to us after all.
After the classes, the three of us, accompanied by four other classmates went to the medical institution where Sylvia was hospitalized after informing our school and respective parents. We waited for almost one hour before we could finally see her. Anxiety rose among us as we approached the door of her room, unaware of the extent of her bad condition.
“Good morning, Mrs Kaerashevha.” Some of us greeted as soon as we saw and recognized Sylvia’s mother, sitting next to her daughter’s bed, with watery eyes.
“Good mo—” She almost replied, interrupting herself when she saw Cole and I.
With the left side of her face buried in her pillow, Sylvia was unconscious, strapped on the bed as if she was subject to violent reactions to whatever brought her there in the first place.
“How is she?” Brad timidly asked Mrs Kaerashevha, who focused her look on my face.
“What’s this on your face?” She questioned.
“Oh, this— this is— I don’t really know, I just—” I tried answering.
“We just kind of— woke up with it on our faces.” Cole helped, weirded out by the fact that she seemed more interested to know about the mark.
“What have you children done before yesterday?” She asked, carefully turning Sylvia’s face towards us and revealing the same mark on her left cheek. “She told me that she woke up with it, and— during the night, she started screaming. Something really scared her— and she was calling for me.” Mrs Kaerashevha continued almost in tears. “When I arrived in her room, she was—”
“FEAR HIDES ITS FACE INSIDE! FEAR HIDES ITS FACE INSIDE!…” Sylvia shouted while struggling violently to free herself. She repeated the same thing again and again, in tears, in joy, in terror, in anger, switching between different kinds of emotions. Powerless, her mother knelt, her hands over her mouth as she could not retain her tears any longer, while one of us went out to call the nurses. We decided to leave after that incident.
During the night, I could not stop thinking about Sylvia’s madness episode and especially her words: fear hides its face inside. What could be the meaning of such words? I struggled to find sleep, keeping my eyes closed until I heard discreet knocks on my window. I turned towards it, and curious about who could that be, I opened the curtains and unveiled a nightmare.
A man stood in front of the window, wearing a bizarre mask with different faces on it, themselves representing different emotions. Once again, my eyes widened, my heart raced and his next move brought the icing on the cake as he gestured me to open the window. I responded with screams then ran away.
My father ran towards my room while I ran towards his and we met in the corridor. I told him that there was someone at my window but when he went to check, the man was gone. After we discussed about what happened minutes later, we all agreed that it could be Mr Freak.
Tuesday, November 02nd 2021
I arrived a little bit late at school following that agitated night. Cole was late as well, so I discussed about what was happening on my side with Brad until classes started. I texted Cole at around 8:55 am with no response from him, when just like yesterday, Mr Calloway came in the classroom.
“Good morning class!” He greeted.
“Good morning Mr Calloway!” We responded.
“There’s bad and very sad news today. Our precious student, your classmate, Mr Cole Wilnorp, met a tragic end yesterday’s night.” Mr Calloway announced, prompting gasps and whispers throughout the classroom. “His parents just informed us at the moment, and you know about the traditions of our institution, especially in such difficult situations. We are family.” He added, then left.
My eyes remained down. I stayed like that until the first break. At 9:45 am, I just decided to leave, and Brad followed me. We walked in the school’s corridor attracting some bad attention as everyone addressed us bizarre looks. Some people even avoided us. Could we blame them? A group of friends gets marked with a weird symbol overnight and then, one becomes crazy, the other dies. What was the fate reserved to me, the last of the marked ones?
We went to the Wilnorp house and met the devastated parents. One of his cousins had the strength to explain to us what had happened, but after he noticed the mark on my face and asked what he meant. He soon realized that just like him, and everyone else, I was on a quest for answers.
“They told me Cole was running away from someone. That bastard chased Cole through the stairs until they reached the sixth and last floor. The bastard cornered him and Cole thought that the only way was to jump out of the corridor window.”
“Shit!” The word escaped from my mouth.
“What about the cameras?” Brad asked.
“Those things are for show. They all dead.” He revealed. “You know, he didn’t run to the house just because he didn’t want to put us in danger. Yeah. That was Cole for you.” He added before leaving us.
“You alright?” Brad asked, knowing what exactly what could be going through my mind except for Sylvia’s madness and Cole’s death.
“I’m cool, I’m cool.” I said, still wondering what will be my fate, and what was that person who terrorized my friends.
At around 6pm, I was on my way to home. That time, I did not care about checking on Mr Freak’s whereabouts. I just walked, my head full and so heavy that it remained down, so lost in my thoughts that I could not notice the person standing in front of me as I advanced.
“You know, I didn’t want to do that.” A soft voice spoke.
“Huh?” I responded, looking in front of me to see a man, dressed in a hooded black cloak that covered his hands, feet and face so that only his very pale chin was visible.
“I didn’t push him through the window. It was just the fear.” The man said, with his soft and almost fearful voice. However, his mouth remained closed when he spoke.
“What are you—” I tried to reply. How could he speak without his lips moving? Was that a mask? Oh no, Mr Freak, he got me, I thought. “Listen Mr Fritz, I know it’s you, I don’t want to—” I stopped as horror unfolded before my eyes.
Spider legs emerged from underneath his cloak and he stood on them, towering over me while emitting horrible hissing sounds. I turned and ran for my life, screaming for help. I met a passerby who kept on asking me what I was running from, and I understood that only I could see the monster chasing me. It pursued me until I reached the busy road, and just like Cole, instead of ending up at the mercy of this thing, I opted for the dangerous escape.
I ran in front of a truck but tripped and fell, watching its wheels get closer and ready to crush my skull when I felt a strong hand pulling me away to safety. It was a masked man that I believed to be the real and human Mr Freak. The monster was getting closer while Mr Freak checked his surroundings to see if the coast was clear, then, before that nightmare could reach me, Mr Freak punched and knocked me out.
Wednesday, November 03rd 2021
With a strong headache, I woke up in my room with a compress next to my head, at the sound of my phone vibrating. I checked my phone and saw over 23 text messages from Brad. For him to send so many messages at 7 am, it had to be urgent. I opened the app and saw the pictures Brad took of us during the Mischief Night on Saturday, October 30th 2021. Perhaps he also missed our friends so much that he was just looking at those pictures, and he wanted me to do the same.
“How you doing bro?” I replied.
“Good, you?” He texted back.
“Had a crazy night. Recovering.” I replied before getting back to the pictures. However, as soon as I saw the last picture sent, I let out a brief scream and dropped my phone.
My mother, who took a day off just to watch after me came running in my room and found me afraid, looking at my phone on the floor.
“Derek? Derek what’s wrong?” She asked, walking to the phone and picking it up.
“Don’t you see him?” I asked.
“See who? That’s just you, Sylvia and Cole.” She asked, viewing the picture again before sighing. “It’s about Cole, right?”
“Cole?” I approached and viewed the picture again. I realized that my mom could not see him, but he was there; the man with the black hooded cloak was on the picture Brad took of us at midnight precise.
I just decided to let it slide, and listened to another consolation speech from my mother. I guess only the marked ones could see him. What happened became clear: Brad took a picture of us, and only us got marked. Brad was not on the picture so he is safe from the danger, and he cannot see him as well. I opened the window and saw a little paper fall off. I picked it up and read its content from an anonymous source:
‘Sorry for the knockout, but it’s a way to escape them. If you want a slim chance to stay alive, come to my house today’
There was no doubt about the identity of the author. I decided to keep Brad out of this and out of any potential danger; he was not marked but, we never know. After the toilet routine and against my mother’s wish to stay at home and rest, I gathered all the courage I could find and went straight to Mr Freak’s house.
“Come in!” I heard him say before I even knocked, and I entered a surreal world.
Costumes, masks, gadgets and many other Halloween themed objects covered almost everything in the house, from the floor to the furniture. There was so many that he could open a big shop with all that stock.
“I have a shop, and employees. If that’s what you wondering. How do you think I eat?” He said as if he just read my mind.
He was in a corner of the living room, sitting in front of a small table on which he placed two journal notebooks. He gestured me to sit on another chair facing the table.
“Good morning Mr Fritz.” I greeted.
“There are five of them.” He replied, opening one of the journals and placing it in front of me.
“Five of them?” I asked.
“They’re wrongly referred to as spirits of Halloween sometimes, but they in fact something else, much worse.” Mr Fritz said.
“What’s this?” I asked, looking at the drawing of a very thin child, dressed with a T-shirt too large for him and a short. He was smiling, his mouth full of sweets and next to him was an upside-down V or simply the symbol \^.
“You’re looking at the spirit number 1, the Sweet Tooth. The upside-down V you see is the old way of writing a 1. He forces his victims to feed him and also themselves with unrealistic amounts of sweets. He forces his victims to eat nothing else but sweets until they die of health complications. “He spoke.
I turned the page and the horror stepped up a notch. “And him?” I asked, seeing a bald man, barefoot, dressed with suspenders, a torn long sleeve T-shirt and torn black trousers. His lips and parts of cheeks were ripped off, forming a permanent smile and exposing his teeth. The symbol next to him resembled the sign ≥.
“Spirit number 2, the Trickster. He spends his time setting up deadly pranks to his victims until they get too paranoid to even open a door or wear a shoe. Most of them just commit suicide.” Mr Fritz answered.
Next page sent chills down my spine, but explained a lot of things. “Her?” I asked, seeing a beautiful woman dressed in a Halloween black robe. Parts of the costume were sewn on her skin. The symbol next to her were two signs > with one of top of the other, forming a 3.
“Spirit number 3, the Costumier. She forces her victims to decorate their houses on Mischief Night and leave it like that all through the year. Also, they’re forced to change Halloween costumes every single day. Some have to be sewn on the skin just like her dress.” He said, as he removed his mask, revealing the scarred face of a man older than my dad, with her symbol on his left cheek.
The following page, almost made me jump as I recognized the man in the black hooded cloak and the symbol next to him was the one on my face.
“Looks familiar right? Yes, that’s a 4 on your face. Spirit number 4, the Fear. He terrorizes his victims till they end up killing themselves willingly or accidentally. It is said that what you see is just a shell. The real one is hidden under the cloak. It is also said that he’s so terrifying that he’s afraid of himself. Seeing his face, or being haunted by him for too long, leads to madness.” Mr Fritz said.
I turned the page and saw nothing other than the symbol on my face but upside-down.
“Spirit number 5. The Nameless. No information about that one, except that it kills its victims the same day they’re marked.”
“Where do they come from?” I questioned.
“There are many ways they are summoned, willingly or unwillingly on Halloween, or any other day when the barriers of the spirit world are thin. On those other days, they manifest in different manners, and are called by different nicknames. I can’t tell you their real names you know, such knowledge ain’t for kids.” He replied.
“What’s the way to end this?” I asked.
“Do you think I would be in this condition if I knew?” He asked me back. “I want you to take all those notes, and figure it out yourself. Now go.” He spoke.
“But you said—”
“She will soon be back. She better not find you here.” Mr Fritz said. “GO!” He shouted, prompting me to take the two journals, and storm out of the house to run for my life.
The rest of the day was spent on thinking and elaborating plans to escape from the grip of that spirit number 4. I searched my brain to the point of headache till inspiration sparked. Fear hides its face inside. He is afraid of himself. Seeing his face means madness. A possible solution was right there under my nose. I hoped for it to work permanently as I could not spend my life knocking myself out just to escape this being.
Sitting in a corner of my room in the evening and in the dark, I waited for the spirit to manifest. I just hoped it did not somehow see and spoiled the marvelous surprise I prepared for him. I had it hidden under my buttoned jacket and my mouth was sealed with adhesive tape. I waited for long, playing on my phone, and even started to slumber at some point, when I noticed something in the middle of the room at 10:26 pm.
A black stain appeared and grew at each second, releasing a foul odor I did not plan for, so strong that I really wished I had anticipated that. From the stain emerged the Fear, who just stood there, his head down without doing or saying anything. At this point, frightened to the core, I was already breathing heavily. He then made multiple tentacles emerge from the sleeves of his cloak while making awful roaring noises.
My heavy breathing turned to nervous growls as I urinated on myself, but I kept the plan in motion and remained at my position, waiting for that real freak to show his face. Tears rolled down my cheeks as he started to approach slowly until something under his cloak started moving. I clenched my fists and waited for the moment. Thin pale arms emerged from the cloak, at the torso area, followed by a black-haired head.
Before I could see his face, I closed my eyes and opened my jacket, revealing the mirror I had hidden underneath, big enough for Fear to admire its face and get a taste of his own medicine. I heard him roar in pain, in panic or whatever that was, but I knew that caused serious damage. It lasted at least a minute until everything suddenly stopped. I kept my eyes closed and remained still until I slept there in the corner of my room.
Thursday, November 04th 2021
I jumped the following morning like a sentinel caught sleeping, opened my eyes, quickly looked around and closed it back for safety. I then slowly opened my eyes and confirmed that the coast was clear. I went to the bathroom to clean up myself before cleaning up my room and something struck me when I looked at the mirror: joy. The mark, it was gone.
This is something Mr Fritz and Brad had to see, it really worked. After doing what I had to do, I ran to Mr Fritz’ house and was welcomed by several neighbors, police cars and officers who asked me to stay away because an incident had happened. Minutes later, a covered body was transported from the house to an ambulance confirming that the worst had happened to Mr Fritz.
***
Later during the week, it was official that Mr Fritz shot himself dead, surely exhausted after over a decade of consistent haunting from spirit number 3. That was too much death around me according to my parents who decided that we move to another town. I still go back there to visit Sylvia at the asylum and also Brad, without forgetting our friend Cole. Just in case, I kept the journals and the research of Mr Fritz.
In May 2022, after a long day at school, and an equally long trip back home on the metro, I leisurely carried myself out of the train when it reached my stop and the doors opened. I saw a girl running, probably from the controllers because she had no ticket. She pushed people around, including myself to get on the train. However, when I saw her face, I understood what she was truly running away from.
The doors closed and she had her hands pressed against the glass, I imitated her and she noticed me. The train gained momentum and speed as I could see less clearly the symbol on her face resembling the sign ≥. I stood there, watching the train go and the words escaped from my mouth: “Spirit number 2, the Trickster.