Day #4, Costume Party – by Elizabeth Averay
INVITATION!
You and a friend are invited to the exclusive North Grove Cemetery Halloween Party.
Theme: Supernatural
Must be in costume for admittance.
Yours sincerely,
The North Grove Cemetery Preservation Society
Looking at the invite with amazement, I read it again to be sure.
I’ve heard of these parties since childhood; hardly anyone from North Grove Village gets invited. The last one was fifteen years ago.
Hmmm…. Who to ask, I wonder. My best friend, of course – Tom. He will get a kick out of it, once he realises it’s real. Better wait til he gets home from work.
Costume… What can I throw together that will fit in with the Supernatural theme? Thinking of my clothes and what I have in my craft room, an idea begins to form.
Luminous white body paint I can use on my face, hands, arms, and neck. As well as some white clothing, and I can go as a ghost.
Later, I see Tom arrive home. Before he can even get out of his car I run over with the invite in my hands. ‘Tom, TOM, look at this!’
He takes it and looks, eyes going round. He whistles. ‘Yes! I’ve always wanted to go, now I can. I can’t wait for you to see what I’m going as. But you will have to wait until you pick me up to see.’
A week later it’s time to collect Tom. I walk over in my white floaty clothes and luminous body paint, with the addition of a small amount of black paint creating 2 puncture holes in my neck with runnels of blood sliding down my skin.
I am the ghost of a vampire victim.
Tom is waiting by my car. He is done up like a traditional vampire. Like Dracula.
‘Ah, the ghost of my last meal! Very tasty you were, ’tis a shame I did not have any restraint.’
Laughing at his comment, we get in the car and drive the twenty minutes to North Grove Cemetery.
High brick fencing surrounds the graveyard, the only break in the brickwork is the double gate through which you gain access to the grounds.
The entrance is covered with swathes of black cloth. Showing the invitation at the gate, we walk through several feet of cloth tunnel to emerge in the cemetery proper. Skeletons are propped against gravestones, hang from trees, seem to be clawing from their graves. Twinkle lights dot all over, cauldrons bubble away beside trestles covered with food. Lanterns with red globes show the way to the bathrooms.
Then there are the other guests.
A woman with her hair done so when she moves you could swear she has live snakes for tresses! Not to mention the real python draped across her shoulders. A man – obviously Zeus – drinks by the table, while werewolves, vampires, pixies, zombies, witches, goblins, trolls, gnomes, even ghouls and a single banshee drift around.
There is also a stage with an ‘undead’ band playing music that is both creepy and jaunty.
We’ve just finished a circuit of the decorated cemetery when the band stop playing. Someone dressed as Chewbacca steps up to the microphone. ‘Thank you all for coming tonight! We have a great turn out, you all look great. For those who are here for the first time I will explain the rules. There is only one rule, and that is – you never speak of tonight. Ever. Not even if you are invited to next years’ event. You can NOT speak of this.
‘Now. We have games you can choose to be part of, such as Hangman, Hide and Scream, Pin the Arm on the Skeleton, and Bobbing for Eyes.’
There is laughter, cheering, excited muttering.
‘Now, I will leave you in the presence of the Grim Reaper to explain the only game you all have to be part of. Thank you.’
With that, the Reaper takes over the microphone. ‘This won’t take long. Tonight we play Murder in the Dark. You will see little devils around. When they feel like it they will hand to you a card. You must read what it says and then do exactly what is written on said card. If you do not do it, you must deal with me.’ With that, he leaves the stage and the band start playing again.
Several guests vanish into the dark. A short time later a heart-stopping scream rips through the night. Obviously they’re playing Hide and Scream.
I’m happy dancing. Tom goes off to bob for eyes. I see a lineup for Pine the Arm on the Skeleton.
I think Hangman is the most disturbing, having a life-sized gallows, real noose, and an actual leaver-pulling hangman: and a large chalkboard, and a judge to preside over the ‘case’ and a condemned man to walk up the stairs to the gallows and be hanged.
Shuddering at that particular game I decide to just keep dancing. Guests coming and going from the area around the band to play a game or two keep the faces and costumes interesting.
Tome came and went, too, having a blast bobbing for eyes; apparently they taste delicious. The fifth time he goes to play a little devil comes up and gives me a small slip with ‘take a drink from the third cauldron’ written on it. I dance for a while longer then go in search of a cauldron.
I find one with lemonade bubbling away in it. I help myself to a large goblet and, feeling refreshed, head back to the dancefloor and resume moving to the music. The crowd gradually thins out through the night. An hour before dawn the Grim Reaper appears next to me. ‘You have not drunk from the third cauldron. Come with me.’
Grabbing my arm tightly he drags me away to a dark, unlit section. ‘Now you deal with me.’ He throws back his hood to reveal a truly deathly white face, black pits for eyes, and incredibly long fangs. I’m frozen in fear as the creature glides behind me and whispers, ‘All you had to do was drink from Cauldron Three.’ Icy fingers tilt my head to the right. ‘Now you are not safe from me.’ Lowering its head, a sharp pain pierces my neck followed by sucking, slurping sounds. I feel weak, my legs trembling. The cold from its hands is spreading through me.
Then I’m on the floor, blood rushing from my neck. I use all my strength to crawl back to the stage.
Everyone is gone.
Dawn breaks…the last dawn I ever see.
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