10 pm

10:00, the unofficial end. After hours of walking and knocking, after losing the fairy wand that she clutched so preciously just that morning, Molly’s candy march came to an end. After hours of carrying a bag that became perpetually heavy with chocolate, gummies, and the occasional box of raisins, Molly followed her father and brother back to her home to figure the ratio of plain chocolate to that with almonds and to divide what to devour now and what to save to be consumed after she awoke tomorrow from her sugar coma. As her father opened the door, her brother rushed past, discarding his ironic pumpkin outfit, making a trail to his bedroom on the second floor. Calling out from upstairs, her brother Josh asked,
“Mom, can I go to Trevor’s house?”
“I don’t know honey, it’s pretty late,” said Mrs. Higgins in the disapproving tone she had coined.
“Come on mom, it’s not that late, and Trevor’s house is right down the block. You made me go with the brat instead of getting to hang out with my friends. The least you can do is give me a little time,” retorted Josh.
“Don’t say that about your sister! She is the only sister you have in this world and you need to treat her nicer!” she replied.
“Alright, alright, I’ll do that, but come on Mom! Please?” begged Josh in the nicest voice he could muster.
“Fine, but you better be back by 11,” said Mrs. Higgins as Josh raced past his father and sister. From the book bag on his back, Molly saw a silver point jetting out of the main compartment.
“Alright Molly, time to come inside. You go up to your room with your candy. Mommy and I are going to watch a movie,” said Mr. Higgins leaning down towards his daughter.
“Can I watch the movie too?” Molly asked.
“You’re a little to young. It’s pretty scary,” said her father.
“I’m not afraid,” said Molly as she jutted out her chest. “I’m already 10. I’m not a baby anymore.”
“You’re not a baby, but your still not quite old enough, alright? Go count your candy,” Mr. Higgins said as the garage door opened. As he turned to go back to the living room, Molly opened the front door to see Josh take out his bike out of the garage. Molly knew something was up. Trevor lived a block over, nothing to get the bike out for. She knew that Josh was going somewhere else, and decided to follow. She was old enough; she was already in double-digit birthdays! She was going to show her parents that she was brave, so as Josh flipped his hood up on his head, Molly dropped her bag of candy and rushed towards the garage to mount her pink bike. She managed to get it free from the tangle of jump ropes and Christmas decorations just as Josh rounded the corner. For five minutes, she followed her brother, through the various shortcuts and backyards, straining her eyes to pierce the black October night. She even managed to follow the trail as it led into the woods behind the neighborhood. Finally, after ducking under branches, she saw a light. Molly got off her bike and walked up to the gathering at the old abandoned hut in the woods were all the teenagers hung out. As Josh got off his bike, the normal group of Trevor, Sean, and Rob greeted him. As Molly found a bush that could hide her and allow her to see, Josh emptied his book bag onto the ground next to Sean’s glowing jack-o-lantern. Out came a collection of various items that Molly remembered seeing in his room, a steel jar, a silver knife, some purple chalk, and the old leather book that was supporting the end table next to his bed. Molly watched, shivering in the cool wind, as the boys set up their project on a piece of wood from the hut. Josh opened the book, transcribing a weird circle from within, trying to get the contents right. Sean and Rob cleared the area around the slab of wood, setting up four separate beach towels alone the sides of the square while Trevor opened the jar and moved the knife and pumpkin into the center of Josh’s drawing. Finally, after the last figure was drawn and the chalk thrown with the book bags, the boys took their respective places on the towels. Molly watched as Josh opened the book to the correct page, whispering to his friends the instructions. Molly’s eyes started to sink when her brother’s voice called out,
“Oh, Yegmi, lord of the Night, king of the damned, hear our cry! We, your humble servants plead with you to appear and bless us with your unholy might!” In the crevices of her mind, Molly recalled her brother mentioning something about this yeggi or whoever with his friends for quite a while. Molly always sunk down into the basement when his brother had a sleepover, and the name always made it’s way into their conversations. While trying to remember what her brother had said about this Yemmi character, her thought train was derailed when the group chanted, “Oh Yegmi, the god of all that is unholy, grace us with your presence. Accept our unworthy gift.” Molly watched, holding back a yelp as her brother grasped the knife and sliced his fingers, directing the pouring blood into the open steel container. Molly held her breath as all the boys in the circle repeated the action. After Trevor pour his blood into the mixture, Josh took both the jar and the jack-o-lantern in his lap, saying “Yegmi, Nightmare to the holy, accept this drink of our souls and answer our call, Nema.”
“Nema,” repeated the three others as the blood was poured into the jack-o-lantern. For a second or two, Molly pondered how to tell her mom about this; then, the green glow from inside the pumpkin went out as the darkness around them sank into the orange flesh. Josh shrank back, dropping the head as it formed limps of pure darkness, the kind of darkness that makes you want to clamp your eyes shut for light. The boys started towards their bikes as Molly sprang up from her hiding spot, slowing walking away from the horror before her. The jack-o-lantern grew tall, taller than anyone she had ever seen, even her uncle who could slam-dunk. The area around grew pitch black, making the night before seem like a pale grey. The only light came from the jagged eyes and mouth of the creature, a red the matched the blood Molly had seen seeping from her brother’s veins. After seconds, before the boys stood a monster facing them, illuminating their faces with a red glow. No one could move, even Molly couldn’t scream. After a minute of dead silence, Josh’s voice awoke, saying,
“Oh lord Yegmi, hear our call. With our offering, we ask of you a favor. Please take care of all who treat us badly in school. All of the seniors who call us dorks and all of the girls, who turned us down, make them pay. This is our favor, Nema,” he said as he reached out his hand. In a millisecond, Josh’s arm was gone, like when Josh messed with Molly’s dolls. The voices of the boys finally came back as the screamed, racing towards their bikes. The shadow was too fast as it ripped off their legs. Molly could see through the tears that the wounds had no blood, like the human bodies at her doctor’s office. In moments, before the being were three limbless bodies. The boys screamed and screamed, begging for their lives.
“Silence,” came a voice. It was so inhuman that it sounded like the wind. In a second, their heads were removed and disappeared into the abyss that constituted his body. The pumpkin then turned, facing Molly. As tears streamed down her face, the pumpkin floated closer, leaving a path of darkness in his wake. When he was close, the jack-o-lantern leaned down. Molly tired to run, tired to speak, but her inertia was too great.
“Happy Halloween, my dear fairy,” whispered the voice. Then, the shadow was upon her.