IN THE DARK

I been sitting here since six.

Lights out, curtains drawn, I been playing 'dead' in the gloom. I like it, I'd even go so far as to say I'm finding it kind of relaxing in an eerie sort of way, like I'm no longer feeling the burden of living so much.

Got a nice flask bottle of Grey Goose to warm my insides as I'm not eating so well of late and a flashlight just in case I need to go fetch something from the kitchen later.

It really does gives me a type of thrill to sit here, knowing them banshees will be stalking the property soon enough. I been hearing them for years running amok in the neighbourhood and not just this time of festivity. They terrorise the neighbourhood all year round. Only difference between those times and now is I kept the lights on and though I never answered the door they must have believed I was inside, afraid to answer their hollering and shouting. Now they're soon be coming round banging and screeching, determined to have me answer so they can give me their Halloween ultimatum.

Trick or treat?

We'll just see about that.

Lost my granddaughter last year. Hit and run. Don't see much family anymore since the tragedy so finding I'm increasingly having to keep my own company. Not much choice since the wife gone too. Cancer. Yeah it's dark in more ways than one getting old. I try not to let it get me down but then I hear them kids without a care in the world and just can't help thinking I want them to feel some part of my pain.

You might even call it an urge to share.

They really don't have no idea what the value of a life is. You think you can just mess around with not a care in the world and then BAM!

Gracie died instantly. I was there when it happened. She let go of my hand to chase after her cap which had blown off when that car mowed her down. I got blamed for it of course. The negligent old man. Senile, some said. They never found who did it. Nothing on camera. So it's just my account of events and a couple of distant bystanders.

Yeah, it hollowed me out, just like a pumpkin. I'm more dead than alive these days. Not much to hold onto.

Except to share the pain.

Wait! What's that? I think I can hear them kids approaching the house. Yeah, I can see their silhouettes strobing the wall outside my window.

They really want to mess with a ghost?

Trick or treat?

I'm not playing no more.

They'll soon learn about pain.

Real pain.