Funk-N-Fiction

I absolutely LOVED this inspiration image. And Kevin A Davis has created a perfect way to incorporate this gorgeous creature into his “monster” Halloween story. (And don’t miss your chance to enter to win, after the story!)

MASKS
by Kevin A Davis

I learned that humans hide behind their masks as much as we do. The lesson started on Halloween night in the town of Copperwood in western New York state. I was twelve years old and costumed as Raphael the Ninja Turtle.

I answered the front door to my only friend, Coleen, dressed as Princess Leia in flowing white. “Sorry I’m late, Lucas.” She wore funny bulbs of hair clipped into her own braids.

I shrugged, unseen under the turtle shell. Tilting sideways and forward, I just fit out the front door. “Everything okay?”

“Of course. Robertson Street first, right?” Coleen’s smile was a mask in itself leaving her eyes to tell a different story.

We nearly ran down the street to the corner where the more populated neighborhood waited.

“It’s so late, the little kids are done.” Coleen’s worried tone spoke of empty bowls and turned off porch lights.

I didn’t really care much about the candy. For me, it was experiencing a normal human activity where Coleen accepted me as a friend.

“There,” she said. Her first target was one of the older houses on the corner with a wrap-around porch, a couple of scarecrows sitting on a swing, and a descending line of candlelit pumpkins on three steps.

The woman watched us from the window and stood as we approached. She opened the door, cooing at our costumes.

“Trick or Treat,” we both cried out.

Before I saw the contents of the bowl, I could smell the chocolate, but I had a better sense of smell than humans. The flavor held little appeal for me. Coleen liked chocolate the best.

The white-haired woman carefully selected a small handful and doled out two pieces into our bags instead of allowing us to take too much.

“Thank you, Happy Halloween,” we chorused and whipped about for the sidewalk.

The next four houses we raced to gathering another score of chocolate mixed along with sweet and sour candy. We’d already agreed to trade our bounty at the end of the night and Coleen had eyed the pieces carefully.

There were three empty lots before the next set of bright house lights indicated a promising Halloween harvest. Two groups of costumed revelers were working the sidewalks.

The sidewalk hung in shadow, absent of houses. I could smell and hear the animals that lived in the wooded lots we passed. Humans often saw them as empty and vacant.

“Hurry.” Coleen quickened her pace lest we miss out.

An SUV eased to a rolling stop beside us and the driver’s window slid down exposing a pale woman with bright lipstick. I recognized her and spun my head toward Coleen who had jerked to a stop. The night seemed silent except the gentle thrum of the car’s engine.

Coleen’s mother produced a warm smile and her voice rang of pleasant enjoyment. “Honey, we’re going to have to call it a night.”

My friend sagged silently, lifting a too empty sack of candy with an unwitting reaction. Her lips moved, as if she might argue, then she snorted what sounded like a sob. “I’m sorry, Lucas.”

The exhaust wafted around us, hot and noxious. I spoke quietly. “Do you have to go?

It wasn’t that cold, but Coleen shivered. “I’m sorry.” She slunk off the sidewalk, crossed in front of the SUV, and climbed in the passenger side.

Coleen’s mother flashed me a cheery smile. “Happy Halloween!”

A hollow emptied in my chest. The SUV’s sudden movement stirred fresh air around me, but I remained still watching the red taillights. Why would her mother let her out, just to retrieve her so quickly? I had rarely ever met the woman, but she always wore a smile and greeted me pleasantly. Coleen would dismiss the question if I asked. She always did when it came to her family.

Something was wrong, and I wanted to find out what. The wooded lot to my left continued into the more natural areas which wove in and out of our rural community. I placed Coleen’s house in my mind and traced out a route where I might not be seen.

Determined, I dashed into the brush, tugging at velcro to release my costume. A pair of nearby rabbits sped off deeper into the trees, but I had no interest in them at the moment. Stripping down to my skin, I piled my clothes and costume where they couldn’t be seen and began to transmogrify.

My body numbed as my bones shifted, muscles tugged, and skin stretched while sprouting fur. In my full wolf form, I would appear the size of dog, given my mass.

The world became brighter, scents grew vivid and distinct, and my ears picked up the animals escaping from me.

As I raced for Coleen’s house, the trees flew by. Dogs barked, sensing or smelling me. I rarely transformed in town because of them.

I darted across the one road separating me from the woods behind Coleen’s house and raced to beat her mother’s SUV. The group of teens in my sight never even glanced over at me.

Coleen and her mother were pulling into the driveway when I squeezed between fences in their unlit back yard. A shorter side fence and planted garden offered cover as I slowed and slunk in the shadows.

Her mother’s words were sharp, angry, and indistinct. What had Coleen done? I caught a glimpse of them before they disappeared and then the front door slammed. The lights of the one-story house were already lit, so I loped up to the back listening to find which room they went into.

Coleen sounded near to tears. “You said I could go.”

“And you did.” Her mother’s tone had turned bitter and demeaning. “I thought Gary would be home on time, but he appears to be celebrating with his buddies.”

“I barely got any time . . .”

“Whiny little brat. I let you make the costume and you got to go show it off.”

I stood up, front paws on the edge of the nearest window and peeked inside. Coleen’s mother was yanking out the buns from tight braids. The pained reaction on my friend’s face caused my anger to bubble in my chest. I had to be careful. My wolf rage couldn’t be set free.

Dropping back down so I couldn’t see, I breathed away the flames of the fury.

Coleen broke into sobs. I flinched when I heard what sounded like a smack on human skin. A growl escaped from my lips.

The light in Coleen’s bedroom went on, the door closed, and her sobs muffled as if into a pillow. Blood pounding in my throat, I peered up at the curtains. A maple tree had already lost most of its leaves and barren branches pointed at the window. I had to leave.

I now knew the mask her mother wore and understood Coleen’s secret. The pleasant facade of the mother hid a monster inside; a hateful, mean woman who tried to break Coleen’s spirit.

As I loped back for my clothes and costume, I formed my plan and soon sprinted. I dressed and continued my charade from house to house, greeting those who were still bestowing with my wishes for a happy Halloween. I felt no such joy — only a grim determination. I chose the sturdiest branch outside Coleen’s window to hang my bounty. It sagged under the weight of my chocolate-filled bag and I smiled with some satisfaction. Dressed in my human mask, I tapped upon her window and scampered out of sight.

Kevin is offering three pairs of books!!!

Pair will include:
1- New release: Atlanta’s Guide to Cryptids: Book One of the DRC Files
2- option of either a spooky anthology, Noncorporeal, or horror anthology, Behind The Shadows, from Inkd Pub.

To enter — please fill out this short Google form.

Contest starts today, and goes through midnight on November 1st. Our winners will be chosen from all eligible entries on November 2nd and notified, and then announced in our wrap-up post on November 3rd.

Good luck!!