Part One

The moon was shining bright, the night quiet except for a gentle breeze that rustled the trees along the streets. Turning in from the main road, the Mcgintys' van pulled up slowly on side of the bar. Gary turned off the engine and with a tired sigh, got out of the van and walked around to open the door for Marissa.

Both of them were exhausted from making their rounds delivering Halloween gift baskets to the kids at the homeless shelter. It was an annual project Marissa had taken on over the past couple of years. Gary was happy to donate to the cause and had even gone so far as to volunteer to chauffeur her whenever the paper would allow him.

The night air was cool, ruffling his hair as Gary waited, holding the door for Marissa while she gathered her things. It was late, with only few cars still parked
along the street. Gary could see Emmett's car parked a few spaces over and assumed he had probably arrived early and was waiting inside to take Marissa home. Most of the businesses around the bar had already closed for the night.

It was faint, but Gary could hear the sound of car tires crunching on gravel, approaching slowly from the street behind them. Curious, he turned around, and was a little unsettled to see a black car moving ever so slowly in their direction. It was nearly on top of them before he realized what it was:  a hearse.

He froze, his heart pummeling in his chest as the hearse moved slowly past them, coming to an unexpected stop just a little ways in front of the van. This
wasn't the first night Gary had seen the strange-looking car cruising past the bar, but this was the first time he had come face-to-face with the menacing looking thing. There was something about the car's unearthly dull black finish that made his skin crawl. The windows were tinted dark, so it was impossible to see inside of the car. Gary stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the foreboding thing, anticipating its next move. But it remained motionless, the engine humming softly; smoke billowing out from the exhaust pipes into the chill night air.

Suddenly, the door on the passenger side swung open. Gary started, a shiver racing up his spine as he waited for whomever or whatever inside to step out.

No one emerged.

He scanned the deserted streets again and then turned back to the car.  Like a maw, the door still hung open, as if waiting for something to come in, rather than get out. Suddenly, without warning, the door slammed shut and the car pulled away slowly, disappearing quietly into the night.

A gust of wind swept through suddenly, rustling a pile of leaves on the sidewalk, sending them twirling around in golden clusters before they blew across the street.  At that moment, Gary felt a chill run up his spine.

"Gary?" Marissa's voice broke into his thoughts. "What is it?"

His thoughts broken, Gary let out a nervous breath before glancing down at Marissa.  Apparently, he had been blocking her exit. Sliding a hand through his hair he shook his head. "Oh...it's ah, nothing, "he murmured softly, "nothing." Reaching down he gently took her cane while she got out of the van.

"Wasn't a car there a minute ago?" Marissa asked, adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder before turning back to began removing some of the undelivered packages from the seat. "Someone you knew?"

"No.No, I-I didn't know them," Gary answered softly, his heart pumping wildly against his chest. Still baffled by the mysterious car, he turned absentmindedly to scan the streets again, only to be ruefully brought back to reality by a bag slapped gently against his midsection. He turned quickly back around as Marissa handed back another package to him. Adjusting the packages in his arms, Gary pushed the door closed and touched her gently on the arm. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go inside. It's getting cold out here."  He didn't bother to hand Marissa her cane, instead, took her gently by the elbow and escorted her hurriedly inside.

A few uneasy nights later............

"So, how are you and Renee doing?" Marissa smiled, taking a sip from her cup of hot apple cider. Seated at a table near the bar, she and Gary were going over the paper and saves he had already made earlier that day. On the table in front of them was a platter of pumpkin bread muffins Marissa had baked that evening that were still warm from the oven.

Gary glanced up from the paper to reach for a muffin. "Fine," he answered.

Marissa smiled. "You two have been going out for...what, a couple of weeks now? And is that all you have to say? Fine?"

Gary shrugged as he devoured the muffin. "Yeah, well, I don't want to jinx things. She got away from me the first time. I just want to be careful, that's all. She got called down to LA for a special assignment this week. Something to do with helping out a team of professors at the university there. They were having a problem doing some research on something or other. I don't know...." he trailed off, finishing his statement with an absent little gesture.

Marissa nodded taking a sip from her cup. "Well, I hope things are okay between you two."

Silence.

"So," Marissa changed the subject, "are Chuck and Jade still coming down this weekend?"

"Yeah, at least Chuck says they are." Gary murmured, not bothering to look up from the paper.

"Anything interesting in the paper for this evening?"

Irritated by her questioning, this time Gary frowned and glanced up from the paper to look at her.  "Nope. Nothing that needs my attention, anyway." Snatching another muffin off the plate he hastily peeled the paper off and bit into it, savoring the warm pumpkin sweetness before consuming the rest of it in a single bite.

"Gary," Marissa sighed, lowering her cup.

"Well, there isn't," he mumbled with his mouth full. He swallowed and then shook out the paper to focus on one of the articles. "Listen to this: Congressman caught living it up at Halloween party."

Marissa smiled. "Ohm. Sounds like fun."

"Yeah, well I don't think his supporters will be very amused," he scoffed.  "The man was caught in the buff and his picture is front page news!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Marissa shrieked with laughter.

Gary shook his head disgustedly and folded the paper. "That's what I say about these dumb office parties. A guy could get into a lot of trouble at those things." He raised his cup of hot cider and took a sip just as the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Gary said, placing his cup on the table. He quickly brushed the crumbs from his hands and reached over to the bar and picked up the receiver. "Mcginty's"

No answer.

"Mcgin...." he began, then paused abruptly when an unearthly silence engulfed the phone. As he listened he swore he could hear the raspy sound of someone breathing on the other end of the line. Unnerved for a moment, Gary shook it off, thinking it was probably just some kids goofing around on the phone. He quickly replaced the receiver and glanced back over at Marissa, who sat with a puzzled look on her face. He had wanted to spare her the news of what was going on, but he could tell now that she was on to him and very much aware of his uneasiness. His silence was now was making her uneasy too.

"What is it, Gary?" she frowned.

"Ah, it's... nothing," he shrugged, waving away her concern. "Wrong number o-or something." It was after all, the time of the year, when everyone was either intensely paranoid or intensely set on playing pranks on the paranoid, and with all the talk of scary movies and ghost stories being told around the bar lately, Gary was definitely playing for the paranoid team. He was also beginning to feel rather foolish about it, too.

But then again, he could not deny the mysterious black hearse he had seen cruising by the bar the other night, and a few nights before that!  And then when it
stopped outside of Mcgintys' the night they returned from delivering the packages, well, it was pretty unnerving to say the least.

"Gary," Marissa sighed, rolling her eyes. " Do you think I'm stupid?"

Gary scowled, and glanced over at her. "What?"

"Because I can't *see* your face, " Marissa paused, "do you think that I'm not aware of things?" She let out a frustrated breath.  " How long have you known me?" She asked.

Gary shot her an irritated look before rising from his chair to attend to a couple who had stepped up to the bar to pay their tab.

"Going on six years," he answered, "And...What's with all these questions?"  He scowled. "Thanks," he murmured softly to the gentleman who handed him a 50-dollar bill. Tendering the amount, the cash drawer popped open and Gary quickly made change. "Have a nice evening," he said to the departing couple.

Marissa waited until she was sure the couple was out hearing range before she continued. "Well, lately you have been acting rather strange," she accused softly.  "You're not focused. It's like...you're here...but your mind is somewhere else. Take the other night for instance, after we returned from delivering those packages to the shelter. And a couple of days before that...and now. What's the matter?  Got the Halloween heebie-jeebies?" she grinned.

"Ah, ha, ha," Gary gave a mock laugh, "The Halloween heebie-jeebies. Don't be silly!"  He scoffed.

"Well, you know," Marissa shrugged, "I admit that I sometimes feel a bit uneasy during this time of the year. There's definitely something in the air. Call it...call it karma, aura, whatever you want. But I can sometimes feel something."

Gary stepped aside for the bartender returning with a tray loaded down with empty glasses and stood there, staring across the counter at Marissa. He thought about what she had just revealed and had to admit, she seemed pretty much in tune with her surroundings and usually seemed to know... things. Instead of voicing these complimentary thoughts, Gary chose to take an entirely different route. Ruffling the back of his hair, he muttered, "You're nuts!" Before making his way back to his seat.

Marissa smiled and took a sip of the warm sweet cider. "You believe in ghosts." she lowered her cup.

Gary paused and glanced back over at her. It unnerved him how her voice sometimes took on that mysterious funny tone whenever she was thinking deeply about something. Right now he really didn't even want to go there.

"Are you asking me or telling me?" he asked, noting what she was wearing for the first time that evening. The black spider earrings dangling from her ears were certainly a distraction to him now. The black and orange fingernail polish she had on was definitely in tune with the season, not to mention the black lipstick that glazed her lips. He frowned, turning to survey the bar. Fake cobwebs strung from the low part of the ceiling to the decorated popcorn and pretzel bowls on the bar. Red, orange and brown fall leaves made of crepe paper decorated the beams and bar counter. Tiny pumpkin candle centerpieces decorated every table. " The Monster Mash" was the music selection for the moment.

Perplexed, he scratched the back of his neck and turned back to face Marissa. "When did we decorate? I-I mean, I thought we agreed: no Halloween party this year."

"Ah...this isn't a party Gary, and don't change the subject."

After a moment of pondering her question, he quickly answered, "No!"  Before glancing off across the bar again.  Marissa could be eerie at times with that "sixth sense" of hers, but he was curious to know what she thought about the ghost issue. He sheepishly glanced back over at her before inquiring hesitantly, "You?"

Marissa smiled and settled back in her chair. "I believe there's another world out there. One around us, one we can't see. My grandmother used to see things all the time. She use to tell me the story about the woman at the well."

Shifting in his chair, Gary could feel a story coming on and blew out a tired sigh.

Marissa ignored his "silent" protest and continued. "My grandmother used to tell me that when she was a little girl, she and her brothers would sometimes see this mysterious old woman dressed in a long black dress--one of those old fashioned dresses, the kind that women used to wear with the petticoats underneath? Anyway, they used to live in a house right below this place called Hollow Hills. It was a huge place with lots of land, and there wasn't a house or neighbor for miles around. But on certain nights, when the moon was full, they would see this old woman making her way over that hill to the well."

Unimpressed with her little story, Gary frowned, his voice laced with skepticism,"W-Well, maybe someone brought her...in a buggy or something. Did you ever think of that?"

Marissa shrugged. "Sure. They all did, and believe me they looked. But there was never anyone with her. No buggy, no other person.  No one. Another strange thing was, they never saw the woman's face or what she looked like because of the bonnet that she always wore. Yet on those nights when they least expected, they would see her making her way steadily across the hill to that old well. Sometimes they would call out to her, but she would never respond. Then, when she was through and her pail was full, she would head back down the hill lugging her pail.  No one ever saw where the old woman came from or where she went. But, what's even more strange is the fact that..." Marissa paused briefly. She could feel bumps tingling her arms and she leaned forward, rubbing her arms to quiet them. "That old well," she continued, "had been *DRY*...for YEARS."

Gary was speechless and sat staring blankly across at her, the hairs on the back of his neck bristling. He too felt a chill and ran a hand down the back of his neck.

"Well, " Marissa continued, "one night--."

"Wait! Wait a minute!" Gary scowled,  "What is this? Story hour or something?"

Leaning back in her seat, Marissa grinned mischievously and took a sip of her cider. "What's the matter? Scared?"

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"Well, then...."

The phone rang suddenly, interrupting their little bantering. Gary however was slightly relieved. Between that stupid story, the phone call, and the mysterious car, he had to admit he was beginning to feel a little spooked.

"Marissa? It's for you," one of the workers called to her.

Reaching for her cane, Marissa rose from her chair. "I'll take it in the office," she said softly. "Be right back."

Gary let out a tired breath as he watched her go. Alone with his thoughts, he glanced at his watch: seven o'clock.  It was still early. Relieved that the paper was done with him for the day, he entertained the idea of turning in early.  Downing the rest of his cider, Gary reached for the paper when the phone rang again. This time the bartender leaned over the counter.

"Mr. Hobson? It's for you."

Gary glanced up, hesitant to answer. "W-Who is it?" he gulped.

"A Mr.... Fishman?"

Relieved, Gary got up and reached for the phone. "Thanks. Hey, Chuck."

"Hey Gary How ya doin, buddy?"

"Fine. Hey, I thought you and Jade were coming down."

"We'll be there for the weekend. Just wrapping up a few things here, then we'll be down to spend some time with you and Marissa.  Tomorrow's Halloween you know?"

"I'd like to forget," Gary grumbled, "A-And I don't celebrate Halloween, Chuck!"

"Don't be such a prude, Gary Have fun and get away for a while! Party, party, party, baby!"

Gary lifted the paper. "No, thank you," he said disgustedly. "Unfortunately, this is the time of the year when all the nuts come out. I may be needed."

"Well, lets see... I think I might have a little red cape in my box of goodies somewhere," Chuck said. Over the phone line, Gary could hear the sound of Chuck rummaging around in a box.

"Don't start with me--" Gary started, his voice trailing off abruptly when he noticed a strangely dressed woman in black moving carefully through the crowd back by the game room. Dressed in a long old fashioned black dress she was moving ever-so-slowly towards the door, the hem of her dress sliding across the floor. On her head she wore a black bonnet that hid her face

Swallowing hard, Gary struggled to collect himself. It wasn't so unusual to see someone all dressed up in a Halloween costume this close to Halloween. But very few--if any--customers in the bar were dressed up tonight, so the woman stuck out like a sore thumb.

He turned quickly towards the office door, looking for Marissa.  She's got to see this! Marissa's got to see this! He thought frantically to himself.  "Hold on, Chuck!"  Lowering the receiver he called back to the office. "Marissa! Marissa!" He placed the phone back to his ear.  "Chuck! I-I got to go!"

"What's the matter, buddy?" Chuck asked, concerned. "You sound like you've just seen a ghost."

"You have no idea,"  Gary whispered, sliding a hand through his hair.  "I-I'll call you back later." Fumbling to hang up the receiver, he scanned the bar again for the woman, and caught sight of her as she made her way slowly out the door.

She was getting away! Franticly, Gary glanced towards the closed office door again, hoping to see Marissa and then back towards the door leading out of the bar. The woman was gone. He sprang from his seat and grabbed his coat, then stopped a passing busboy.

"Do me a favor, Jim. Find Marissa and tell her to step outside, would you please?"  Slipping into his coat he hurried out of the bar.

Outside, Gary stopped to scan the streets and the sidewalk, buttoning his coat against the night wind. There! He could see her, down the street, standing amidst a few cars parked along the curb, her face unnaturally hidden by the bonnet she wore. Her long black dress flowing softly around her, making her form both soft and surreal. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but his voice caught in his throat when the mysterious black hearse he had been seeing pulled up suddenly front of her. The door on the passenger side swung open and the faceless woman gathered her dress and climbed in.

Gary could not believe what he had seen. He blinked, and then turned to see if there were any other witnesses. A couple passed him by, engrossed in conversation, and it was obvious that they knew no other world but themselves. He kept his eyes on the car, expecting it drive off as before. The car never budged. At that moment, Gary got the sickly feeling that maybe it was waiting for someone else.

He glanced around. 'Oh no', he murmured under his breath. 'I'm not getting in there." Running a hand nervously across his mouth he glanced back towards the bar for Marissa. Where the hell was she?  He turned back, bending a little at the waist, hoping to gain a view of the car's interior.  But he was too far away and could see nothing. Hesitantly he walked, moving even closer to the car. It wasn't long before Gary realized that he was right on the curb and close enough to touch it.

I'm an idiot! He muttered to himself. Swallowing hard, he leaned forward to peer directly inside. "Hello?" he called.

Suddenly, he was grabbed by his coat lapels, and pulled roughly inside of the car. The door closed behind him and the car pulled off quickly, disappearing
into the night.

Part Two

~`~`~`~`~`~`~

Autumn winds blew through the city, rustling through the trees on Illinois and Franklin Street. Dry leaves in an assortment of color fluttered through the air and against the buildings. It was Halloween morning.            

Gary stirred, and opened his eyes. Cupcake papers from Marissa's pumpkin muffins cluttered his coffee table, and half-empty cartons of Chinese take-out sat forgotten, the remnants of last night's meal.  Two empty glasses of wine faced off across the table, and in the mist of it all sat a laptop computer. Books and papers with mathematical equations scribbled on them lay on the table.

Gary reached over, lifting one of the papers. He couldn't understand a lick of it, but at the very bottom of the paper, written in bright pink letters were the words: Problem Solved.

He slid a hand through his hair and rose up from the sofa to peer over at the woman fast asleep in his bed.  A mass of blond hair peeked out from beneath a jumble of covers. She had obviously been up most of the night working on the equations she had brought back from the university and he had fallen asleep long before she had finished. On the bed was the bright red dress she had worn at the party last night, as well as the petticoat, black wig and nylons. On the floor were a pair of old fashioned women's buttons up boots.

He reached over to the coffee table and picked up the snapshot they had taken last night. Slipping an arm behind his head, he lay back studying the picture with amusement.  There were Chuck and Jade, smiling happily; Chuck in his Groucho Marks costume, Jade dressed as the Cat Woman. Marissa cuddled next to Emmett who was dressed like Count Dracula and Marissa, in that long black dress. On her lap was the infamous bonnet. Gary shook his head and chuckled. He had to admit that story she had told about the faceless woman in the bonnet and the well had really spooked him. Sliding a hand through his hair, his eyes moved slowly across the photo to the pretty blond in the black wig sitting next to him. He smiled then grimaced almost immediately upon seeing himself dressed in that silly mustache and top hat he had been talked into wearing. Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'Hara. He turned to get another glimpse of his overnight guest sleeping soundly. He was pleasantly surprised to find her at the Halloween party last night and ended up having a good time.

The phone rang suddenly and he quickly reached over to answer it.

"Hello," he whispered.

"Morning, Mr. Butler," Chuck drawled, using his best southern accent.

"Chuck," Gary whispered into the receiver.

"Have a good time last night?"

Gary smiled, "Yeah, well, actually, I did," he admitted with a lopsided grin. "Except for the slight hangover, I would say that... yes, I had a very nice time."

"And you're not mad at us, are you, Gare?"

"Naw," Gary shook his head, thinking that he still had a score to settle with Marissa, although he didn't know how she was able to pull it off.  He thought about the car. "I have a question for you, though," he said.

"What's that, buddy?"

"Was that you... a-all along, driving that old hearse by the bar?"

"Yep. Borrowed it from my uncle Shlomo."

"And the phone call...with the raspy breathing and all. T-That was you, too?"

"Pretty convincing, huh?" Chuck snorted, then began breathing into the receiver using that same raspy sound Gary had heard last night.

Still puzzled, Gary ignored Chuck's silly theatrics. "Well, how did you call me?" he asked.

"Cell phone, Gare. Modern Technology?" Chuck answered. "Oh, and ah, Jade wants me to tell you that.... your gluts look great in that top hat and fake mustache--whatever the *hell* that's supposed to mean! I still gotta ask her about that!"

"Yeah...well, good luck," Gary mumbled.

"And Renee, hoo-hoo!" Chuck whistled, and then whispered into the phone, "Wow. She still looks great, doesn't she? Bet you were surprised to find her at the party, huh buddy? And guess what?"

Afraid to ask, Gary ventured anyway. "What?" he droned.

"You two have been invited to Jade's and my Halloween party tonight!" Chuck declared happily.

"We can't make--."

"Nine o'clock sharp," Chuck interrupted," and don't be late."

"Chuck..."

"Ssooo, I guess I'll leave you two love bugs alone huh? Ah, she *is* still there isn't she?"

"That's none of your business. A-And about that party---"

"Check with you later, buddyyyy." Chuck sang.

"Chuck!"

Click!

Holding the receiver out to look at it, Gary let out a frustrated breath and reached over but gently to hang it up.

Careful not to disturb his guest, Gary raised up to peer over the back of the sofa at her again. The Paper and cat, however, were not so hospitable and like every morning, they were right on time.

"Meow!"

Thump!

Gary rose quickly, tugging on his jeans and zipping them up as he made his way to the door. He opened the door and glanced down to find Cat--atop of the paper, a flurry of dry leaves scattered about the floor around him. Cat's golden fur, wind blown as he sat licking furiously at his paws. With a start, Gary stuck his head out of the door to scan the hallway. Seeing nothing and no one he frowned then glanced back down to eye the cat suspiciously. He remembered a few Halloweens ago when Cat had shown up on his doorstop; his golden fur turned a sleek shiny black.

Ears twitching, Cat rose from the paper shaking the leaves from his fur. After a long stretch he slinked into the apartment pausing briefly to brush against Gary's pant leg as he entered. Gary turned slowly checking him carefully. No trace of black, thank goodness.  Relieved, Gary shook his head and turned to focus his attention back on the paper. Hoping to spend the day with Renee, he prayed silently that the paper would give him a break. She was only in town for a few more days before she was to fly out to New York to teach a special Math seminar. With both their busy schedules, they had entertained the idea of a long distant relationship. Only time would tell.

Gary crouched down to pick up the paper. Brushing the leaves off he immediately froze. Staring up at him was a headline that sent a chill down his spine.  Oh boy. Clutching the paper tight, he rose slowly reading in the process:

Woman's Body Pulled From Well

Hollow Hills: Authorities are investigating the drowning death of a woman whose body was pulled from a well this morning. Police received a call from friends of the young woman who reported her missing sometime yesterday afternoon. The young woman had attended a Halloween party held on the grounds of the estate the night before. The body pulled from the well was dressed in eighteenth century period clothing consisting of a long black dress and bonnet. A tentative identification has been made based on her attire but have police and authorities baffled. Sources close to the case have revealed that the body pulled from the well was that of a woman believed to be in her mid to late nineties.  Forensic analysis has yet to produce any evidence that might lead to an arrest.

The phone rang suddenly. Startled, Gary spun around towards the sound. Closing the door, he rushed for the phone before it could ring again and picked up the receiver.

"Morning, Gary!" Marissa's voice sang cheerfully. "Have a good time at the party last night? You and Renee captured everyone's heart as Rhett and Scarlet---"

"Marissa!" he whispered hoarsely interrupting her. His eyes fixed on the article.  "You-you're okay."

Bewildered, Marissa answered. "Yeah...I'm fine. What's the matter?"

"Oh...you're not going to believe this." Gary whispered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Believe what, Gary?"

"This headline! I mean the woman! T-The well.... I-I'll tell you about it when I get back," he whispered.

Before Marissa could ask any more questions, he quickly hung up the phone. Then, grabbing a pen and piece of paper, he scribbled out a note.

Renee,

Had to run errand. Please stay put. See you when I get back. 

Gary  P.S.  Please

He finished dressing, quickly slipping into a shirt and buttoning it up as he stepped over to the bed to check on Renee. Even asleep, she was so incredibly beautiful. He studied her quietly for a moment before leaning over to kiss her gently on the cheek. She stirred, then moaned softly before drifting back to sleep. It was moments like this that made Gary dread ever getting the paper.

Meow!  Cat purred with an urgency that made Gary turn around. At the foot of the bed Cat lay, his green eyes blinking knowingly up at Gary
as if to gently remind him of his morning task.

Oh yeah, Gary murmured, under his breath. A quick glance at his watch, he grabbed his coat and the paper and headed out the door.

Outside, the air was brisk, fragrant with the smell of burning firewood.  Gary pulled on his gloves and drew in a deep breath, trying to be ready for what he was about to do. He thought about the drowning death of the young woman and had no explanation for the body of the old woman pulled from the well. It sent a shiver up his spine. Inwardly he cursed himself, making a silent vow that after today, he was giving up the damned paper for good! Hailing a cab, he quickly climbed in.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked.

Gary pulled the paper from his back pocket to take another look, hoping in vain the headline had changed.

It hadn't.

He glanced up at the cab driver.  "H-Hollow Hills."

Rubbing his palms anxiously on the thighs of his jeans, he blew out a nervous breath, and then turned to gaze out the window. He didn't know what to expect when he got there, but had a feeling this was probably going to be a Halloween he would never forget.

The End

Thanks for reading!! :-)

Email the author: Candi30938@aol.com
 

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