Chapter 1

Toby Tippins wasn’t interested in the ninjas, princesses, goblins, or occasional baby sharks that passed by. His stepsister, Solja, promised she would need ten minutes at the most. Nearly an hour had passed. It was dark already. And now Toby was late for his Halloween party.

He got out of his car and walked to the front gate again. He glanced at the bay window. But the flickering orange reflection from the fake pumpkin was the only thing visible.

He stood there for a full minute before he gathered the courage to move closer to the window. It didn’t help. Even with his face pressed into the window, he couldn’t see anything. Toby jumped when he heard the gate squeak.

“Pervert! What do you think you’re doing? I should call the police.”

A witch, at least in costume, screeched at him and scared the two small goblins crowding her side. Toby backed up against the wall, not sure what to do.

“Well?”

Toby bolted and ran back to his car. After a few harried breaths, he locked the doors.

Solja was still inside.

He beat the steering wheel with both hands. And accidentally honked the horn.

Toby closed his eyes, slumped down, and tried to control his breathing. Why did life have to be so hard?

Earlier that week, Toby was eating lunch with two cross-country teammates.

“You coming to the team’s Halloween party Thursday night?” Josh asked.

“Yeah, I actually convinced my dad to say OK,” replied Toby.

Brad smiled. “Cool. Smart of you to ask your dad and not your mother.”

Toby frowned. “Stepmother-from-hell.”

“Sorry, yeah, your stepmother.”

Josh added, “This is great. Everybody will be there. Except for Zach. He’s going to a party with the basketball team.”

Brad laughed. “Come on Josh. We all know why Zach picked their party. Do you think any of the cheerleaders are going to be at our party?”

All three loudly answered that question. “No!”

The friends gossiped about this and that as they finished lunch, then headed to their afternoon classes.

The next day after school, the three friends met up with Marco.

He said a neighbor was willing to make Halloween costumes for them. “So, this neighbor of ours, he used to create costumes for the studios. He says it he can make us into great zombies. He’ll get us some old cutup jeans and T-shirts with fake blood and gore stains, some makeup to give our face and hands a death gray coloring, and some gore and fake cuts we can glue on our face and neck with spirit gum. And it will only cost about fifty bucks for the four of us. So we each need to kick in fifteen bucks.”

Josh and Brad quickly agreed, Toby was slower to answer.

Brad gave him a friendly slap on the back of his head. “Come on, man, this will be fun. And you’ve had that job with Mr. Clarke for forever. You’re the one that can afford this.”

Toby sighed. “Yeah, but I need that money.”

Brad nodded his head slightly. “I know that. But you also need to have some fun. Fifteen dollars will not make you go broke. It won’t keep you from what you’re trying to do.”

He thought about it for a few seconds. “OK. Let’s do it. It does sound fun. But speaking of work, I need to be at the hardware store soon. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. And Marco, tell your dad thanks for us.”

The other three boys all slapped Josh on the back, then Toby headed off to work.

The coach let the guys skip sixth period PE. Cross country season was over, and track wouldn’t start for another three months. He knew everyone wanted a head start getting ready for the Halloween parties. He had a party to attend as well.

Josh was happy to work an extra hour at the hardware store. Early afternoons were slow, and Mr. Clarke let Josh work on homework as long as he was prompt to help or ring up customers. Unless he had a report to type up, he usually finished his homework at school and work. The downside is he spent the evenings in his room working on made-up homework he didn’t have.

When he arrived at the hardware store, Josh asked Mr. Clarke for a moment. “Sir, I need fifteen dollars from my balance. I’m going to a party tonight and I owe a friend for my costume.”

Mr. Clarke went over to a cash register and took out the bills. “Is that the zombie costume you’ve been talking about? That’s pretty cheap, given how nice it sounds. Take a picture for me.”

“Sure thing Mr. Clarke.”

Mr. Clarke put his hand on his shoulder. “You know, your father will get angry if he finds out that your earnings aren’t in a savings account.”

“Yeah. But I don’t want him or my stepmother having any access to my money. I plan to be out of their house in less than a year.”

“That doesn’t sound like your father.”

“It sounds like my stepmother. And my dad wouldn’t stop her. Look sir, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you always trying to give me good advice. Thank you. But I have to do things this way.”

“Alright son. I don’t know if I should be helping this way, but I want you to know I’m doing it because I care about you.”

Toby hurried back to the stockroom before a tear could escape.

Solja insisted Toby drive her to school on Thursday. Her license was still suspended from her DUI last year; none of her friends could pick her up. Toby hadn’t planned on driving. It was only a half mile, and he enjoyed walking. But it was easier to do what she wanted than it was to argue.

Of course, Solja was late. Again. She insisted he carry her backpack to her classroom. She didn’t want it to mess up her costume. Toby didn’t dare question out loud why she dressed up as an angel. Solja as an angel was bizarre.

Her class was on the other side of the school from Freshman English. So, Toby had to run to make it to his class on time. He turned right at the main corridor just as Jennifer, one of Solja’s best friends, turned down the hallway. He grabbed her to avoid knocking her over.

Seriously? Another damn angel?

He picked her books up and handed them to her. She held out an angel wing and started ranting. “You jerk. Look what you did.”

Toby looked at her costume. It looked just fine to him. Except, like Solja, she dressed as an angel for Halloween.

I suppose on Halloween you’re expected to dress up as something you aren’t.

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

Toby decided that her costume was fine. She was looking for another opportunity to browbeat her friend’s stepbrother. He kept his mouth shut and forced down his anger.

He turned to head for class, but Brent Collins, Jenifer’s boyfriend, put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t be so pathetic, man, grow a backbone. She knows it was an accident. Her and your sister enjoy drubbing you. Just apologize for the accident and move on. Simple.”

Right. Like Jenifer is going to accept that.

Toby looked at Jennifer. She glared at him. So, he turned and escaped, running off to class.

“Toby. Hurry up. Do the dishes. You have twenty minutes before you need to drive your sister to her friend’s house.”

“What? Mother, I can’t. I have a Halloween party. Dad said...”

“Your sister can’t walk to Darren’s house in the dark. Drive to your party after your sister’s done.”

“Mother, she’s eighteen, she...”

“Don’t give me any backtalk; I’ve already discussed this with your father.”

Toby bit his lip, forcing himself to stay silent. He drew a bit of blood. Ten months and he’d be eighteen. His birthday present to himself would be a new place to live. Mr. Clarke would help with that. A storage area at the hardware store was an employee shower years ago. If Toby cleared out all the junk in the room, there was just enough space for a small bed and desk. The store had an employee bathroom and a break room with a toaster oven, microwave, and refrigerator. It would work. Two hundred dollars a month and he would again have a small, but peaceful place to live.

If his stepsister moved out when she graduated, perhaps things would be more pleasant at home until he could escape. That wasn’t likely to happen, though. Solja had it too easy living here.

Toby was slouching in the car, trying to be invisible. He either needed to go drag Solja out of Darren’s house or go home. He wasn’t going to face his stepmother without her precious daughter, so he really only had one choice.

After the goblins and their witch mother headed up the street to collect candy from other houses, he counted to one hundred and got out of the car.

He knocked on the door. Twice. No one answered. He wasn’t going home alone, and he knew Solja was the house. Gawd, he hated it when everything went wrong and there were no good choices.

Before he lost his courage, or maybe it was desperation, he opened the front door. He took a breath to call out and ask if anyone was home. Then he noticed light coming from down the hallway. He walked a few feet into the living room trying to listen.

A man stood in the bedroom doorway. Naked. With his cell phone out. Taking a photo. Or was it a video?

Toby could hear parts of a conversation.

“Damn, baby. You feel so good. How did you last so long, bro. I’m ready to cum already. Gawd, she’s so sexy.” There was more grunting. “Here I cum lover. Get ready.”

Toby clenched his fists. What the hell? She was only supposed to be here for ten minutes. How many friends was she planning on fucking in that time?