THE FESTIVAL OF SAMHAIN
CHAPTER 24- MOTIONLESS IN BLACK


For one eternal moment, time stood still as Dayna Jordan lay next to Connor Lowe, both naked on the cold autumn ground of Billow's Woods.

Having completed their deed, Connor had his arm wrapped around her and they both lay there sweating, breathing heavily and staring skyward into the dark night abyss of the heavens.

"You got a cigarette?" Connor jokingly asked.

Dayna didn't immediately reply. She just nodded negatively, still trying to catch her breath.

"You ever wonder how many are up there?" Dayna asked, turning her attention back to the emerging stars.

"Not really," Connor responded. "I'm sure they're all there for a reason, but it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"I guess not," Dayna answered. "But think about it. How often are we truly gonna have a moment like this? My dad used to call it 'motionless in black' or something. A truly classic moment you wish you could freeze in time forever, but you know you can't. Something so engrained in your mind you never forget it."

"Damn," Connor smirked. "I was that good?"

"Shut up!" she fired back, punching him in the chest. "I was being serious."

"I know. Sorry."

"You gotta admit, I bet you never thought THIS would happen tonight," Dayna commented.

"Actually, I just wanted to get drunk with Logan and make fun of everyone else who drank the punch."

"You wanted to spend Halloween getting drunk with a dude, and I'M the gay one?"

"Good point," Connor relented, clearly defeated.

"Hey, look," Dayna said, nodding her head off into the distance. "I think someone was watching us."

"Really?" Connor piped back, glancing off in the same direction. "I hope he liked what he saw."

There, about twenty-five yards away, was a large scarecrow, hung on a large crucifix-like post in the middle of the corn field. Dimly lit by the moonlight, he was positioned with his arms stretched out to the left and the right atop the lumber. His head, topped with a floppy brown hat, appeared to be positioned up-- like he was looking right in their direction.

"That's just creepy," Dayna said, feeling the dark, empty eyes of the straw-man boring a hole right through her. "Come on, let's get out of here. I want to find the Baker place and warm up."

"Alright, but I gotta piss first," Connor informed her as he got to his feet and started getting dressed. "Damn beer went right through me."

"Well make it quick, it's freezing out here!" Dayna ordered, but Connor was already gone.

While she waited, Dayna scrambled around to locate the remnants of her costume. Pulling up her skirt, she noticed a slight motion out of the corner of her eye.

Did that scarecrow just move?

Nah, couldn't be.

Almost immediately, an ice cold chill raced down her spine as she pulled on her bluish-gray shirt, covering her hard, pink nipples.

"Connor, hurry up!" She called out, to total silence.

"Connor! I'm serious."

Nothing.

"Connor?"

Puzzled, Dayna put on her faded hooded sweatshirt and ventured off in the direction the Big Bad Wolf went only moments earlier.

Which also meant she was heading right toward the scarecrow.

In the distance, she saw that the straw man was joined by a few friends-- a couple of crows-- who cawed loudly and landed on his arms, one on the left and one on the right.

Attempting to gain her bearings, Dayna used the fake man as a marker so she wouldn't get herself lost. Slowly approaching him, she couldn't help but think the man looked like a cheap rip-off of the famed character from the Wizard Of Oz. In the same instant, the song 'If I Only Had A Brain' popped in her head, causing her to chuckle as she reached the base of the post, which stood nearly ten feet off of the ground.

After staring at the straw man for a few moments, Dayna was distracted by a ruffling noise off to her right.

Clearly losing her patience, she spun around and called out: "Come on, man, tie it in a knot. Let's go!"

Almost predictably, there was no response.

Suddenly, she felt like the butt of a joke, and knowing Connor, he was probably off behind a tree somewhere covering his mouth to hold back his laughter.

"Alright, whatever, man, I'm out of here!"

Then, just as she turned back around, she tripped and fell flat on her face onto the cold, muddy ground.

"What the fuck?" she called out, wiping some mud from her face as she turned back around to see what brought her down.

To her horror, lying there in the dirt was Connor Lowe with a large knife sticking out of his head.

Screaming a loud, guttural howl, Dayna stumbled to her feet and backed right into the scarecrow, who was now staring directly DOWN at her.

All at once, the straw-man came to life and jumped down from his post, knocking Dayna back to the ground with amazing force.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" she cried, her voice echoing into the night.

Struggling to regain her balance, Dayna stumbled around on the ground as the scarecrow gained his footing and removed his mask. To her surprise, another mask was hidden beneath it, this one a pale white visage that stood out in the otherwise pitch black forest. She could think of only one man (was he a man?) that was known for that particular mask.

"NOOOOO!" she shouted, as reality set in as to just who it was that was standing before her.

The merciless Shape bent down and picked something up, then slowly stalked toward his prey. It wasn't until he got a few feet away that Dayna noticed it was a rusted old sickle.

Striding toward her almost casually, The Shape stepped forward, left, right, left, right, while Dayna scrambled with everything she had to get back to her feet and get out of there.

She succeeded, but it was too late.

Because just as she turned to face her attacker, Michael Myers sliced the entire front of her face off with one mighty swipe.

A moment later, he swung again. This time, the sickle came up under her chin, making a sickening popping sound as it penetrated her neck and mouth area and emerged out of the top of her head.


***


Back at the rave, the party continued, with Boris Pickett's Halloween classic 'Monster Mash' blaring into the night.

The makeshift dance floor, which was now soggy and stamped down from the rain and heavy foot traffic, remained relatively crowded as the teens continued to enjoy themselves. The line of cars on the dirt road leading into the scene had slowed down a bit, but was still somewhat steady as more of Haddonfield's youth checked in just to see what the buzz was all about.

With the bright white spotlights illuminating the entire area, chaperone Diane Moulson stood to the side of the dance floor, just below a large stack of hay bales. Closely monitoring the scene, she adjusted the crown on top of her head as Wade Robertson, her partner, stumbled over to join her.

"Darling," Wade slurred, clearly drunk. "You'll never believe what happened to me..."

"I know what happened to you," Diane fired back, cutting him off before he could finish another quote from The Joker. "I guess Connor Lowe and Logan Dean succeeded."

"Tell me something, my friend," Wade, undeterred, continued. "You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?"

"I don't think you'll be dancing with anyone, anytime soon," Diane informed him. "I warned you they were going to try something like this, but you didn't listen to me."

"I'm of a mind to make some mookie, heh heh heh," Wade quipped, trying to kiss his colleague as he fell onto her shoulder for support.

"And just think, you were worried about ME passing out," Diane stated matter-of-factly, finally cracking a smile and laughing. "Let's get you away from here before any of the students see you."

Taking his arm around the back of her neck, Diane Moulson led Wade Robertson around the back of the hay bales and sat him down on the ground. It wasn't long after that that she heard him puking his guts out as she returned to the dance area.

Shaking her head, she turned her attention to the entrance, where she saw a police cruiser approaching.

"Evening, m'am," Deputy Sheldon Forster stated, joining her by the haystacks.

"Hi, Deputy," Diane greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for Sherry Robinson," the deputy stated, cutting right to the chase. "Have you seen her?"

"Why, is she in some kind of trouble?" Miss Moulson asked.

"Her father needs to see her. There's been an issue in town, and I've been instructed to take her home."

"What kind of issue?"

Forster sighed. "It's best you shut this rave down immediately."

"I'm not doing anything until you tell me why."

"Trust me, m'am, you don't want to know."

"Yes I do, now tell me..."

At that moment, she felt some rain dripping down above her, and looked up to the sky. As she did, she wiped her hand across her forehead, smearing the liquid across her brow. When she pulled it back, she noticed it was stained red.

Blood red.

"What the hell?!" she panted, glancing up at the three masks hanging above them.

Just as she did, one detached and fell toward her. Instinctively, she caught it with her hands. It was then she realized it wasn't just a mask, but a head was contained within it as well.

And then all hell broke loose.


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