"Luna!! Hurry it up! candies aren't gonna Trick or treat themselves!" Jesse. Luna's little brother called out to her sister who was in her room.
Their mother had insisted that Luna should take little Jesse for trick and treating.
"I am coming Jeez!!" Luna yelled back as she grabbed her phone from the dresser and ran out of her room.
Jesse was standing in a duck costume and a trick or treat bag.
"Um...what are you wearing?" Jesse asked his sister. Luna was dressed in a pink dress with matching shoes.
"I should be asking you that! What are you supposed to be? A duck?"
"Exactly! People are scared of ducks you know." Jesse replied and luna shook her head in dismay. "What about you?"
"What is wrong with my clothes?!"
"It's Halloween! Not a party!"
"Who said I am going to trick or treat with you?"
"Moooom!! Luna is not taking me for trick or treat!" Jesse yelled to the kitchen and immediately their mother yelled back. "Luna, you have to take your brother or else no phone for a month...no a year!"
"But Mom, I have a party to go to!"
"Family comes first dear. Now off you go!!"
One of them dressed up to trick or treat, they stepped out of the house. The night was cold even for the end of October as if all the heat had been drained away into the earth. Children in costumes ran around between the cold cars.
A cold chill seeped through Luna's bones. Maybe it was because of the fact that she had no sweeter on or the night was just creepy. The skeletons hanging in the trees, the wind whispering through the town, pumpkins burning and grinning with eyes and a mouth made of fire at every door, and kids dressed in creepy costumes.
Luna hated this scene. It reminded her of the fact she never went trick or treating when she was young. It reminded her of her grandmother who happened to die on a Halloween night.
Luna let out a deep sigh. Whether she liked it or not she was going with her brother.
"Hey! Let's go!" Jesse who was now far ahead called out to her and she walked towards him dragging her high heeled legs lazily.
They went to the first door, then the second and third. Luna kept on glancing at her watch. The party was almost starting, maybe she could ditch her brother...No, she shook her head. She was given the responsibility to take care of her brother.
Everything changed when Drake one of the popular kids walked to her.
"Hey, Luna, aren't you going to the party?"
"Uh...yes...actually I can't, I have to take care of my brother."
"Ah, yes, you are a responsible girl. It would have been nice if you could make it." Drake said and flashed a smile that melted Luna's heart. Immediately she felt her mind was being controlled by the handsome boy in front of her.
"Oh, I could make it."
"Then, I'll be seeing you?" Drake asked and she nodded.
Jesse passed Drake as he came from the fourth house.
"Who is that?" He asked.
"No one. We are going to the party!" Luna grabbed his hand.
"No, we are not!" Jesse said as he yanked his hand off hers. "I haven't gotten enough candy, plus parties are boring, you just stand and talk what the fun in that!"
"There is also music! Let's go, please Jesse I can't miss this party..." Luna pleaded. Jesse looked at Luna and with a sigh, he agreed. "But if It is boring for one minute we leave!"
"Yes thank you!" Luna embraced the little boy.
Soon they were at the party. Luna enjoyed chatting with the popular kids while Jesse sat by the food eating, bored to death.
He gave up and approached Luna.
"I'm bored." He said.
"Excuse us for a moment," Luna said to the girl she was speaking too before dragging Jesse away.
"It's only a few minutes..."
"And I am bored. There is nothing fun here to do other than eating! All you are doing is talking to your friends!"
"That's not the only thing! I am also dancing."
"Well, if we don't leave now then I'll leave alone."
"You can't do that!"
"And I am going to the HETHERMORE MANSION," Jesse said.
"You can't be serious," Luna said. "Okay, Let me talk to three more people and we'll leave."
"Stupid!" He yelled as he watched as Luna went on to chat! Like Hell, he'd stay bored in a boring party! He had always wanted to explore the Hethermore mansion said to be filled with ghost, maybe now was his time!
He went out.
It took Luna half an hour to notice her brother was gone!
"He couldn't have gone to the Hethermore mansion would he?" Luna thought as she fidgeted with her fingers nervously.
She immediately rushed out of the house leaving the person she was speaking to talking to himself.
The Hethermore mansion was once owned by a rich family. It was one place Luna never dared to go whether it was Halloween or not. In the same mansion her grandmother died a tragic death as she fell from the roof and surprisingly her body wasn't discovered. How did she get on the roof? Where is the body? Where are the Hethermore family? No one knew the answers to these questions.
Luna was scared at the same time she had no choice but to go up to the mansion. She couldn't risk losing her brother. He was not born when all these happened and so he doesn't know the dangers!
She arrived at the mansion and glance at the door that seemed to be unusually clean. The light was on which scared her. Could Jesse have switched them on?
She hesitated, and then knocked three times. She was about to knock again when the door opened and a young boy, Jesse's age appeared.
"What is it?"
Luna was terrified, why is a boy in the Hethermore mansion? Does he live here? She wanted to scream but then didn't. Maybe he was lost, just like her brother.
"What are you doing here?" She asked out of concern.
"Huh? I should be asking you that! If you have nothing to do here then leave." The boy said before shutting the door at her face.
"What the heck?" Luna muttered before scoffing irritably. "I am trying to help you!" She knocked on the door again and again and again and again but the boy didn't answer.
She decided to resort to her last option the window. She opened the window which she was surprised to find opened and crawled in.
The window led her to a room filled with ornate chairs. For a house that has been abandoned for years, it was clean almost like a miracle.
Laying on the chair was the boy.
"Hey!" She approached him and he opened his eyes.
"Do you people like to sneak into people's houses when they are sleeping?!" The boy sat up."
"People's house? Say's the one that sneaked into a haunted house." Luna said mostly muttering to herself.
"What do you want? To die?"
"Goodness, no!" Luna immediately answered. "Why would you think that?"
"Because anyone who comes here wants to die!"
"Then that means...Jesse came here because he wanted to..." Luna gulped. It was her fault she made her brother want to die.
"Have you seen a boy..." Luna asked hoping he was still alive.
"Which one, there are thousands who come here every day!" The boy answered annoyed as his sleep was disturbed.
Thousands?! Luna's eyes grew wide! Do people from all over the world come here to die? How hasn't she heard of it? It should be in the news.
"Um...A boy your age in a duck costume." Luna explained quickly.
"Duck costume? Nah, haven't seen him, maybe he was one of the people that went to the hole."
"Hole? What hole?"
"The well! Now can you leave me alone!"
"Is...is he...Is Jesse...dead?"
"I don't know who is Jesse but if he went to the well then he is obviously dead, they all are!"
Luna dropped to her knees, tears dripping from her eyes.
"W-why are you crying..." The boy was surprised.
"He is dead all because of me..."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Can you at least help me find the body?"
The boy immediately stumbled backward.
"What body?! He doesn't have one!"
"What! Oh, it fell in the well, Jesse why,.."
"I'm so sorry..." The boy said still confused.
Luna had to go back home she had to tell her parents her family... she stood up tears still falling from her eyes as she remembered the last words Jesse said to him. 'Stupid' although an insult those words seemed to perfectly describe her at the moment.
"Come with me..." She said. She had to at least return this boy home.
"What? Why?!"
"Because It's the right thing to do!" Luna replied.
The boy just wanted to get this weird girl out of his mansion so he could finally sleep!
They silently walked to Luna's doorstep. Noises could be heard in the house.
She ringed the bell and her mother opened. "Luna! Where have you been!"
"Mom, Jesse...is"
"Don't try using Jesse as an excuse!" The mother said. "he told me everything!"
"Mom, Jesse...is ...Wait? he told you everything?!" Luna was surprised. Could his ghost have appeared to her?
"Yes, you helped him collect candy and he said it was the best day of his life!"
"Jesse is alive?!" Luna said as she burst into the house.
"And then Boo! He was scared and he ran--"
"Jesse!!! You were right I was stupid! Don't die please!!" Luna cut off Jesse who seemed to be narrating a story wrapping him in a tight embrace.
"What the heck?!" He pushed her away. "Are you okay?"
"Yes! I am so glad you are alive. Oh, right Mom, dad, this is..." Luna approached the door where the other boy was standing.
"Um, what is your name?"
"Call me Zig." The boy replied.
"This is Zig!" Luna introduced him.
"Luna...I think you should get some rest." Her mother suggested an everyone nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I'll rest after you introduce you to Zig."
"Is Zig, your imaginary boyfriend?" Jesse asked
"No! He is your age!"
"Actually I am older than all of you," Zig said.
"Actually he is older than all of us...What?!" Luna turned to Zig.
"Now, I will finally sleep!" Zig said before floating away waving to Luna
"What the Heck?!!" Luna rubbed her eyes and he was still floating. And she collapsed.
ns 18.68.41.150da2