by Greg Dunn

Created on: October 10, 2010   Last Updated: May 02, 2012

As the man rounded the corner, a shiver went down his spine.  It had been 25 years since he had been back.  With the screech of the wrought iron gate, he knew he was getting closer to where he lost his friend.

 He abruptly stopped when he saw the house, Gothic, dark and ominous.  Nothing had changed.  It looked eerie back then to a ten year old child; it still looked eerie now to the grown man.  He moved slowly, mesmerized by the forbidding structure.

He focused on that spot of  lawn where Jackson was grabbed that Halloween night.  Vividly, the man recalled the red beady eyes of the hunched back demon dragging his friend into the house, Jackson screaming for help.  But, more than anything, it was the demon's high-pitched laugh that had haunted him over the years.  Upon reaching home, the police were called and the boy told them everything.  When they investigated, all they found was a torn trick or treat bag with candy strewn all over.  Jackson was never seen again.  

Over time, the police concluded that a costumed weirdo had grabbed Jackson.  The boy knew what he saw and heard that night.  It was evil and needed to be confronted.  He devoted his life to developing the skills to fight it. Now he was ready to do battle.

The man grasped his bible and pulled out a cross.  He let the long overcoat drop from his shoulders.  The Roman collar around his neck shined in the dark.  Seeing Jackson's outline in the  upper window of the house, the priest  brought the crucifix to his lips.

He looked again at the window where Jackson once stood;  there being the familiar demon's eyes staring back.  The man crossed the street and stopped at the hanging gate, looking up at the window again.  Nothing was there.  Pushing the gate open, he briskly walked up onto the porch.

Approaching the door, he said, "Jackson, I have come back for you, my friend."

The man halted as the front door opened on its own and the nightmarish shrieking laughter could be heard.  He took  a deep breath and stepped inside.  The door slammed shut.   The battle was on.  

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