Chapter 11

The person coming towards Josh was the same stranger he met earlier that day at the cafe.

Josh: It's you!!

The Stranger: Nice costume. You're supposed to be Batman. Is that your way of telling the world how fearless you are!!

Josh: Well I need a costume for Halloween.

The Stranger: It seems that the only ones wearing costumes around here are you and your friends!! Notice that no one else is wearing costumes for Halloween around here!!

Josh: Well Caleb said that this was a gathering of friends and nothing to do with Halloween.

The Stranger: He actually said that?

Josh: Oh, we are being sarcastic now, aren't we!!

Josh wasn't sure what to make of this guy.

The Stranger: You wanted to do something different this Halloween and I gave it to you.

Josh: Hey you probably thought we would be too chicken to show up.

The Stranger: I got this impression that someone as arrogant as yourself, was tired of doing the same old thing and wanted a challenge. But do you know why people dress up in costumes during Halloween?

Josh: You are calling me arrogant?

The Stranger: You are arrogant. Always so bold and so sure of yourself. Criticizing your friends for not living up to your standard. I bet you don't find Halloween scary at all.

Josh: I don't!!

The Stranger: But you do want to be scared! You do want something to give you goose bumps! But please answer my question. Do you know why people wear costumes during Halloween?

Josh didn't understand this man's point but he sure as hell understood what type of a person Josh really was.

Josh: (irritated tone) Well as the tradition goes, people put on their stupid little costumes so that demons and ghosts don't recognise them as normal people but as fellow ghouls. It is said that Halloween is the night when demons and ghosts roam the earth and are given free reign, before they go back to Hell. During that night, they stalk the living. The reason for the fucking costumes. But that would be a stupid tradition. It is an excuse for people to have fun.

The Stranger: So are you wearing costumes to save yourselves from ghosts then!!

Josh: Fuck no. We are doing it for fun.

The Stranger: Let me ask you something then. Why would you call that tradition stupid?

Josh: (annoyed at what he perceived as this man's stupidity) Because ghosts don't exist.

The Stranger: If ghosts roam during Halloween and these kids are out here and not wearing costumes, what would that make them, if say, Halloween was a true fact and not some invented tradition?

Josh laughed.

Josh: What are you saying? That these people are ghosts? Oh right. My friends are safe in their costumes. Hey guess what. Caleb asked me why I was wearing a fucking costume. Jesus Christ gimme a break man. So if a ghost knows I am wearing a costume that I am suppose to be fucking safe. I thought they weren't even supposed to recognise me. but what if you are not dress up as a ghoul and dress up as Cinderella? Does that mean they would be too fucking stupid to see me as a fellow ghoul?

Josh shook his head in a sarcastic way.

Josh: Just a question that I hope you can answer. Are you stalking us? Is that why you were at the cafe?

The Stranger: How can I be stalking you when you invited me to come and join you?

Josh was confused.

Josh: What the fuck are you babbling about? You were eavesdropping on us!!

The Stranger: You did invite me over ... Josh.

At hearing the sound of his own name, Josh's heart was beating. He was shocked.

The Stranger: You called me ... Josh. permit me to introduce myself.

The Stranger removed his shade. To Josh's horror, where his eyes should have been, were completely black.

The Stranger: My name is Gary.

Gary was the name of the spirit they contacted on the Ouija Board. It was not a psychological invention of their collective brains. It was all true. They really did talk to a spirit.

They did talk to a ghost.

Gary gave Josh a wicked smile.

Gary: You wanna know something scary Josh. Ghosts don't wear costumes during Halloween. I bet the thought never occurred to any of your friends.

Josh slowly walked backwards, away from Gary. Not a man. A ghost. A very nasty ghost.

Josh turned around, to face Caleb's lot. All of a sudden, the bonfire was gone,. But he still did see Caleb's lot and his friends. His friends were still dancing. But instead of seeing his friends dancing with friendly looking people, he now saw them for what they really were.

He looked at the other kids. They all looked like corpses, dancing and talking with each other, in slow monotone.

Josh's heart was beating fast and his face sweating like hell, to watch his friends not dancing with normal looking kids, but what were in fact, decaying corpses.

Josh: (frightened in his life for the first time) Shit, gotta warn them!! Gotta warn them!!

Josh ran first towards Reggie. As Reggie kept on dancing with his date, Josh avoided looking at her and instead shrugged at Reggie's right arm.