Entry # B15

Beware of the Halloween Spirit

By

Pamela Griffiths

The daylight was beginning to fade, Elaine turned on the light and carried on with her writing. A large ornamental fireplace gave off a warm amber glow as the night descended on a grey shadowy Halloween evening. Inside the little house, the sitting room was cosy and warm, Elaine had her laptop on a cushion tray resting on her knee. The cat was sitting in front of the fire in his usual place, stretching out and rolling over to soak up the heat from the fire.

Elaine was busy writing a short story about an old woman who was being haunted by an evil spirit.

She read through her story, editing as she went along. In her story the old woman had bought a house after her husband died, a smaller place to spend the rest of her years. The house was perfect, it was warm and cosy, although she was missing her husband terribly, this house was making her life much easier.

There was a lovely little garden to the rear where she spent the spring and summer months planting and tending to the many colourful blooms. In the winter she would stock up with food and spend most of her time inside the little house in front of a warm cosy fire.

On the first Halloween after Iris had moved into the house, strange things began to happen. Iris Waltham, was sitting in front of the fire reading a book when the lights dimmed, flickered then went out. After a few moments the lights came back on again. Iris heard an eerie moaning sound coming from the kitchen, she went to investigate. On entering the kitchen, to her horror and surprise, all the chairs were stacked up at weird angles on top of the little table. Iris struggled to get the chairs back down, then she returned to where her ginger cat Thomas was lying on the rug in front of the fire.

'Oh my, I don't know what's happening in this house tonight Thomas, but it's very disturbing'.

The cat stretched out in front of the fire.

'I really ought to tell someone about this, but there's no one to tell, only you Thomas'.

Everything returned to normal, nothing unusual happened until the following Halloween. Each year in the evening of Halloween, disturbing things happened, which progressively worsened with each year that passed.

The rest of the year was so peaceful, the house returned to it's cosy calm, Iris put the trouble out of her mind. It was forgotten until the next year on the 31st October when the terror would inevitably return.

On one Halloween, the gas hob had turned itself on and the automatic ignition clicked in and lit the flame. Another year Iris witnessed not only the activity, but she saw an apparition walking through the kitchen and straight through the wall into the pantry. The apparition looked menacing as it invaded Iris's kitchen. The temperature had dropped so much that her breath came out as a vapour, she shivered as the evil was almost palpable.

On another occasion, a set of knives rose from the rack on the worktop, they flew across the kitchen towards Iris, she had to duck quickly to avoid being hit by them. Cupboard doors flew open, spilling out contents, the paranormal activity was active in her kitchen, she hadn't had it anywhere else in the house, it only happened on one night in the year, Halloween.

Every Halloween the activity grew more menacing and more intense, the evil power was increasing with each passing year. Iris knew something evil was happening, she knew that what ever it was would go away once Old Hallows Eve had passed.

***

Iris was sitting in her favourite chair stroking Thomas who was sitting on her knee, the cat purred as his cheeks were being tickled.

'I don't think I should go into the kitchen this year, I'll try to get through this evening without venturing in there' Iris told Thomas who kept purring as she stoked him.

The cat suddenly sat upright on Iris's knee, his ears bent back and his fur bushed up, his size had increased with the thickness of his brushed up fur.

'Beware of the Halloween spirit' The cat spoke, in a feline raspy voice.

Iris jumped in surprise as the cat spoke, Thomas sprang off her knee.

'Beware of the Halloween spirit' The cat repeated.

'What on earth is happening, that can't be you speaking Thomas, what's going on here?'.

Iris was now doubting her sanity, was she going slowly mad living here on her own? She missed her husband so much and she only had Thomas for company.

Unbeknown to Iris, her late husband's spirit had entered Thomas and tried to warn her, but his warning had not had the desired effect. Iris Waltham was still in shock from hearing Thomas speak, she backed away from the ginger cat and into the kitchen, that turned out to be a bad move.

The evil spirit terrorised Iris, it conjured up images that her mind couldn't comprehend, Iris was terrified and couldn't do anything to save herself.

***

The evil spirit loved Halloween, this was the only time he was released from his living hell. He was earthbound and doomed to stay here in the grounds where he had once murdered a family. He had murdered his brother, his brother's wife and their two children. He had been jealous of his brother who had everything, the evil spirit had nothing. It was right here on this spot in a house many years ago, where he had murdered his brother's family before this little house had been built, where this kitchen now stood.

His supernatural power had built up over the years gaining in strength as the years went on. He was more powerful and more evil than he had even been while he had been alive. When he was alive he was Alfred Cox, a murderer who had been executed for his evil crimes, now he was an entity to be reckoned with, no one could stop his increasing powers, no one knew he existed.

He would finish this old woman off tonight, this was the grand finale. He rattled drawers, opened and closed cupboards, windows flew open and shut. The kitchen became a hive of supernatural activity. Alfred Cox was evil and very angry, he hadn't deserved to be condemned forever to an eternity of hatred, to an infinity of being undead. He was kept in a limbo state until Halloween when he was allowed one night to inflict whatever he wanted on who ever he pleased. This was pure evil, overshadowed by the devil himself.

'Old woman you are going to die tonight'.

'Go away, leave me alone, you can't be real, leave me alone'.

'Old woman I have you now, you will die tonight'

'Leave me alone, go away, go away....'

Iris Waltham's body was discovered a few days later when the postman alerted the police.

Thomas the ginger cat was lying beside Iris, on the kitchen floor. Iris had died of a heart attack but she had a terrified expression imprinted onto her face.

Iris had left a will, the little house to her niece, Iris's niece loved the place and had adopted Thomas the ginger cat. Thomas was happy, he still had his place in front of the warm cozy fire. This little house was just what Iris's niece had been looking for after splitting up with her husband, she even had a cat for company.

***

Looking at the clock Elaine stretched and yawned, time always passed quickly when she was writing. She was so lucky to be here, this little house was her salvation at a time in her life when she needed a little luck. The cat was lovely, her loyal friend, cats don't argue they don't talk back. Elaine gave a sigh, looking back on her life it hadn't been ideal, but now things were beginning to look up for her.

The last book she had written had been published and she had sold many copies, it was a great start to her writing career. Elaine felt truly blessed.

'It's Halloween and we haven't had anyone come trick or treating tonight have we Thomas, it must be raining outside that would put the children off. I'll just finish this chapter and then we can watch a bit of TV. How does that sound Thomas'?

Thomas stretched out on the rug in front of the fire. The light suddenly flickered on and off, on and off, on and off. Thomas stirred, Elaine was startled.

Elaine Waltham stopped writing, she was certain she had heard something in the kitchen. Thomas had heard it too, his ears went back and his fur stood on end.

'Beware of the Halloween spirit' Thomas warned.