Derrick peered out the classroom window. Sunshine struggled to shine through the thick fog that seemed to go for miles. It’s Monday again, today was special, however, because it’s Halloween. Halloween is the eve of All Saints day but Derrick always preferred sinners. A born prankster, Derrick revealed in mischief. Halloween was the one time the town came alive to him, people of all ages, skin color, sexuality, and even religion participated. The great equalizer to him was Halloween. The fog continued to roll closer to the school, Derrick mentally reviewed his plan for the day when suddenly his mind went blank.
In the distance, Derrick saw himself, not his current self but a paragon of himself. His heart was racing as his brain struggled to comprehend what he saw, the figure slowly emerged from the fog then burst into a sprint. As it ran straight toward the window Derrick began to cold sweat unsure of what to do or think, it was getting closer and closer when suddenly the school bell rang out. “Argghhhh!” Derrick screamed, wide-eyed and fell out of his seat. Shaking he pointed to the window, all he saw was his classmates wide-eyed staring at him. The room erupted in laughter as everyone cheered him, his teacher commented that signaled the start of Halloween festivities for the students. Derrick arose to his feet and began playing along, knowing a prank made more sense than reality.
Slamming his bedroom door Derrick tried to shake the image from
his mind but the unsettling sight stuck.
“Something on your mind friend?” an unfamiliar voice asked. Turning
around Derrick came face to face with himself. A scream began to rise up from
his throat but never made it out. “Let’s
not cause a scene, shall we?” the doppelgänger said. Derrick nodded
his head “Who are you?”
“Call me Lou ” he replied, “let’s say I’m the old Saint Nick of
Halloween, but I’m no saint”
“Why do you look like that?” Derrick said. “Just a taste my
friend,” Lou said smiling ” Of what I can do, what wonders I can
conjure, today all this power is at your command, my child”. “Why me?” Derrick asked.
“I keep my own list Derrick, of peculiar boys and girls with a penchant
for playfulness,” Lou said, “Every Halloween I choose one lucky soul to
bestow my powers until midnight.”
Derick’s mind could barely contain his thoughts. One thing was certain to him however, he did not trust Lou.
“Your heart’s desire shall be granted,” said Lou “Whatever you truly focus on a desire will materialize from this moment” A smile crept across his face.
“Thanks,” said Derrick. “I probably won’t need it but yea alright”
Derrick thought to himself this could be a blessing, and make this his greatest Halloween yet, he forgot however, there are no blessings on curses on Halloween night.
“Welcome to a night to remember,” said Lou as he vanished.
Derrick arrived at the local cinema, for the fright fest which he didn’t miss.
Each screen showed a different classic horror movie, a perfect treat. Still
shaken by the whole experience and wondering if he was insane he saw his
friends Ethan and Cole stood.
“Took you long enough, the movie already started come on,” said Cole.
“Sorry, something came up,” said Derrick.
“I got the firecracker,” said Ethan “Were going to get them so good this year.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” said Derrick, Firecrackers are child’s play compared to what I have planned, he thought.
As they entered the dark theater a classic werewolf movie was
playing, just the kind of slasher Derrick was hoping for. “I say twenty
mins then we blow this joint, literally,” said Ethan, handing out
firecrackers.
“Hold up, I got something,” Derrick said. Ethan and Cole
looked at their friend with scrunched eyebrows.
“You’ll see, be right back,” said Derrick. It’s not that he didn’t trust his friends, like any good magician a prankster never revealed his secrets. Finally, alone in a bathroom stall, he thought to himself, my first great prank turning into a real werewolf and scaring the life out of the theater. He visualized what he wished to achieve, fur black and thick covering him. His arms and legs stretching taking a brawny form with jagged claws. A wolf’s head replacing his own complete with razor-edged teeth. Derrick saw the transformation in his mind over and over. One too many minutes passed.
“I must be insane,” Derrick said out loud.
He exited the stall and stared in the mirror. Splashing cold water across his face he wondered if it was all a hallucination. Lou, the conversation everything. He did what he was told and nothing. The bathroom door opened, a guy walked in. Derrick noticed him out the corner of his eye. Chuck the local bully, more like a teen alcoholic with daddy issues as Derrick liked to think.
Turning to head out, Chuck bumped into him, heading toward the urinal.
“No manners turd, say sorry,” Chuck demanded.
“Sorry,” said Derrick through his teeth.
As Derrick was drying his face, Chuck turned to leave. On his way out, he shoved David against the wall knocking the breath out of him.
“Loser,” said, Chuck, as he left.
Derrick sank to his knees coughing. “He didn’t even wash his hands,” Derrick said to himself. He couldn’t stop thinking about how much he hated Chuck, he kept replaying it over and over in his head, wishing he had punched him back, anything to teach him a lesson. All of a sudden, a heat flowing through him, his skin felt like it was being seared. Running to the sink, he threw his shirt off and began throwing water on himself. Looking into the mirror he realized the world was losing color. His eyes burned. Muscles spasming. Then darkness.
As his vision cleared Derrick was laying on his bed.
Derrick jumped up, “What the hell happened back there!”
He was naked, that was even odder, his head felt like someone took a jackhammer to it. His memory was totally blank.
“Hey, Lou! You there?” silence followed as Derrick looked around “My mind is totally gone”. The last thing he remembers was trying to access his new powers. “So much for that.”
Dazed Derrick checks his phone. Two hours had passed since he left for the cinema, and apparently, five missed calls from his friends.
“That’s so weird, I don’t even remember going back to me them, I better call” as he dialed the number, flashes of red kept appearing in his mind.
“DERRICK WHERE ARE YOU” screamed Ethan on the phone.
“I’m home what’s wrong?” Derrick said
“You didn’t come back to the movie and we were worried, Cole left to look for you and when he came back….<STATIC>”
“Ethan I can’t hear you..”
“<STATIC> so get down to the lake ASAP,” said Ethan as the call went dead.
“The lake now is not the time, I didn’t even get to pull off a decent prank yet.” Said Derrick. Begrudgingly he left his house lake bound. About a block away from his house Derrick swore he heard sirens in the distance but thought nothing of it.
As Derrick arrived at the lake the place was a ghost town, only his friends stood by the water’s edge.
“Yooo,” Derrick called out as he approached them.
Cole and Ethan turned toward him, a look of dread on their faces.
“Why did you do it, Derrick?” Cole said sobbing.
“Do what…skip the movie” Derrick said, “No need to cry man, I don’t even remember why I didn’t come back”.
Ethan consoled Cole, “Derrick swears to me, you’re not lying right now”.
“What the hell is going on!” Derrick was upset he needed answers, first, he blacked out and now his friends were acting weird “Did you guys drug me or something! That’s it right this is all a prank”.
Derrick burst out laughing “That’s a little far even for you guys, must have been you then Ethan who slipped something into my drink, so I was hallucinating since morning.”
His laughter filled the empty lake, as his friends watched on fearful.
Ethan extended a phone to Derrick
“Cole recorded this when he went looking for you”
Derrick peered at the phone screen. His heart leaped into his throat. Sinking to his knees he began to weep.
“It can’t be, what is this” Derrick said, he began to puke, he could not handle what he was seeing.
On the screen, there was Derrick on all fours like a dog attacking Chuck in the cinema hallway. Blood was everywhere.
“I swear it wasn’t my fault, this guy Lou he promised me some power, he must have possessed me….” Derrick managed to say between sobs “Is Chuck…”
“He’s critical, doctors aren’t sure if he’ll make it,” said Ethan “We had to see you ask you why in person, I just wish you would have admitted it, Derrick”
Derrick looked up at his friends, as the sound of sirens drew nearer. He stayed down, defeated. This day was beyond comprehension. The cops came and cuffed him, as the put him into the car he began to cry, unsure of how things ever got this far.
“Rough Day champ,” said Lou suddenly beside him.
Derrick immediately lunged at him attempting to headbutt him. He began thrashing about in the car, the cops subdued him.
“What are you doing kid, only making this worse for yourself.” A cop said.
Derrick looked around and Lou was nowhere to be found. Derrick finally understood what they meant by better the devil you know.
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