Halloween was a living hell, and I was its sole resident. I used to love the holiday, trick or treating with friends. Dressing as a zombie as we jammed out to punk rock on a friend’s porch late into the night. Sneaking cigarettes and nips of bourbon from our fathers. 

But now I mopped the floors of Sutton’s Grocery. The wet tile reflected my five-o'clock shadow and the melancholy that lived within it. 

No more trick or treating. Just two dead mice and a spilled cup of pumpkin spice. 

Adulting was so much fun…

This gap year in between high school and college wasn’t really working out. I regretted the decision in the very depths of my soul.

At least I had Jemma. I’d be back to the trailer soon. The thought of her baking brownies in nothing but an apron did put a little pep in my step. 

“You done yet Kyle?!” Old man Kirby bellowed from the front entrance as he twirled his key ring. 

“Yeah, yes sir. Just finishing up with the floors and I’m outta here!” I hollered.

“Alright I’m leavin’ boy. I’ll lock up, just slide out the back when you’re done.” 

“Sure thing!”

“Oh, and Kyle?”

“Yes, Mr. Kirby?”

“Take out the bathroom trash before you go. Smells like crap in there.” He grunted and sauntered off into the parking lot like a warthog. 

I gave him the middle finger as he sped off in his Land Rover. 

The hate I had for this job was unmeasurable.

I quickly finished the mopping and made my way back to the restroom. I opened the door and was smacked in the face with the smell of something vile. 

I plugged my nose and gathered the bags from the bins, holding them at arm’s length as I ran out the back door and into the alley way. I tossed them over the dumpster wall and danced up and down, shaking out my arms, willing the putrid stench off me. 

It smelled so bad that the bricks would cry out from the horror if they could.

People are disgusting… I thought as I headed back inside. 

At least the night was over. Time to go home to my girl. I daydreamed about the little tattoo that led down the small of her back as I shrugged off my apron at the coat rack. 

I was just about to flip the lights off when they began to flicker overhead. 

The LED panels pulsed and strobed in a way I’d never seen before. It was almost eerie. 

But just as soon as they had started, they suddenly stopped.

“Weird…” I whispered.

I reached out for the light switch again when I heard a tapping on the window.

I turned to my left and nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the face of a devil pressed against the storefront glass.

“Can you help me?” A voice pleaded from under the red rubber.

“Jesus, you nearly scared me to death… the store is closed.” I replied, holding my chest in an attempt to steady my heart. 

“Please, I’m lost.” 

Must be some kid who got separated from his parents. 

“How can you be lost? This is like the smallest town in the Midwest?” I chuckled.

“Please, can I come inside? I’m scared…”

“Yeah, sure kid, hold on.”

I walked to the sliding door and twisted the lock and gave it a shove to open it manually. 

“Thank you.” The kid sniffled from under the mask as he stepped inside.

“No problemo, little dude. You want to call your parents or?” I shifted on my heels, not really sure what to do in the situation. 

“Yes please.” 

“Alright head right up those stairs and you’ll see a phone on the desk. Pick it up and dial your parents, but make it quick will ya? It’s getting late.” I winked reassuringly at the boy in the devil costume.

“Okay!” He giggled as he ran up the steps into Mr. Kirby’s office. 

Man, what a night. I sighed, running my hand through my hair as I leaned against the entrance glass. The cool touch felt good on the nape of my neck. 

“I just want to go home…” I groaned under my breath. 

I could see shadows twist and lurch up in the office. Hopefully his parents picked up

and drove like mad to get here and collect their kid. I had better things to do than sit all night at the hillbilly grocery store in this God forsaken town. 

“Hey kid! Any luck?” I shouted. 

No response.

“Kid?” I called.

Nothing. 

A loud smack hit the glass behind my head causing me to fall forward onto the floor. I caught myself at the last second and crawled behind the service counter, nearly pissing my pants.

I took a deep breath and slowly raised my head to peer over the register.

“Jemma?!” I cried. She was doubled over in laughter on the curb outside pointing at me through the window.

I cursed her up and down before sliding the door open once more. 

“What are you doing here?!” I demanded, scowling.

“What, you're not happy to see me?” She grinned, reaching for my hand. 

“Well yeah, of course but you scared the hell out of me!” I scolded.

“Ah come on, just a bit of Halloween fun.” She pulled me into a kiss. 

Her lips were soft, they melted away my anger in an instant.

“I came because you were so late! Come on, let's go home, dinners ready.” 

“I can’t, there’s a kid here.”

“Why? What kid?” She furrowed her brow. 

“He’s in the office calling his parents. Said he got lost, I guess while trick or treating.” 

“Oh no, poor thing.” 

“Yeah, he’s using the phone in the office. Let me go see if he got a hold of his parents.” 

I took a few steps when the lights suddenly went out, causing Jemma to leap towards me and squeeze my arm. Thankfully, the emergency panels stayed lit, giving off just enough light to see. 

“It’s fine, the lights have been acting weird for some reason. Wait here and I’ll go get the kid.”

I squeezed Jemma’s hand reassuringly and then trotted up the steps into the office. The desk lamp was turned on its side, and the phone was hanging off the hook. The dial tone beeped from the earpiece. I picked it up and placed it back on the receiver. 

“Hey kid, you in here?” I asked. 

But he was nowhere to be seen. I looked under the desk, nothing. 

What the hell…

Suddenly, a scream pierced through the silence from inside the store. 

Jemma!

I scrambled down the steps and sprinted back to where I’d left her. I was rounding the corner of the service counter when I slipped in something wet, causing me to go spiraling into a shelf of candy bars. 

Kit-Kats and Snickers flooded the aisle as I tumbled over the shelf, hitting my head against the floor. 

My vision swam, I struggled to gather myself to stand. 

Why was it so wet?

I raised my hand to my face, my fingers were dripping with crimson. The blood was warm and sticky as I rolled my thumb across my palm. 

Why is there blood?

It took a moment for it to register, but it had to be hers. 

My heart thundered in my chest. 

“JEMMA?! JEMMA WHERE ARE YOU?!” I called. 

There was no answer. I started running down the aisles in a panic, searching for her. 

Aisle after aisle, but nothing. Flour, sugar, chips, bread. But no Jemma. 

I spilled out into the meat section next to the deli counter and skidded to a dead stop. 

The boy in the devil costume stood under a flickering emergency light. The front of his red suit dripped with blood. 

“What did you do?” I croaked. 

“I’m going to offer you a chance to choose, Kyle.” His voice was deeper now, no longer childish. 

“Wha-what?” I stuttered. 

“Blood for blood. You can offer yourself to me, a sacrifice, saving her. Or I can take Jemma and leave. Your life, or her life.”

“Who are you? What do you mean? Where is she?” My brain was numb, I could only utter question after question, I couldn’t make sense of what was happening. 

“You know who I am. Choose.”

I stared at him, dumbstruck. What was once a child was now a monster. He was still small like a boy, but now his presence felt enormous, like a dark shadow that filled the entire store. His energy pressed against the walls threatening to shatter them, a pressure I felt in my bones. 

“Choose now, Kyle.” 

“I…I… her. Take… her.” I fell to my knees sobbing. I was a coward. The fear overcame me, and I chose to save myself. 

Suddenly Jemma floated into view from behind the meat counter.

“Oh my God…” I cried.

Her eyes were wide and shook with fear as she hovered a few feet from the ground. She tried to scream but only blood streamed out from her mouth. She gargled on it, choked on it, desperate to beg for help.

She never took her eyes off of me as she was lowered into his arms.

“I’m so sorry… I’m so fucking sorry…” I wept.

“Done.” He growled.

The lights went out completely, total darkness but only for a moment, and when they came back on, they were gone. 

I pulled my knees to my chest and wept for hours until I finally succumbed to sleep. 

Mr. Kirby found me balled up by the deli counter the next morning. After he prodded me awake, I frantically babbled on about Jemma and the devil, which prompted him to call the police. 

The Sheriff's department arrived soon after and took my statement but showed me there was no blood anywhere to be found. The cameras hadn’t caught a thing all night and there was no sign of a struggle anywhere.

After they calmed me down enough, I sat on the bench at the entrance with a blanket over my shoulders, the shock and disbelief buried me in an avalanche. I was numb.

But I could hear them talk about me from the office. The deputy suggested that I’d been on drugs. Mr. Kirby agreed with them and threw in the fact that he’d never liked me for good measure. 

Blood for blood. Choose. His voice echoed in my mind.

I’m so sorry Jemma…