Window Decoration

Lily walked confidently up the city sidewalk, resume in hand. She knew the CEO of the company, and it was an easy short-term job to work during the fall. Dressing the window with holiday décor to lure shoppers would be fun as an outlet for her creative energy.

She entered the building and introduced herself to the secretary. Lily examined the contents of the room, noticing the photos on the lobby walls. Some were disturbingly lifelike, taken of the award-winning window dressings over the years for Brimworth’s. She could surely come up with something as creative given the right props.

Mr. Withers opened his door, asking Lily to come in and take a seat. She handed him her resume and cover letter and sat down in a leather chair in front of his desk. He examined the resume and said, “I must say, Lily, this is most impressive. You have an excellent background in costuming. Halloween begins the shopping season that leads all the way to Easter.” He looked at her over his glasses and said, “Are you prepared for a job this challenging?”

Lily quickly said, “Yes. I believe this would be a good start to career in fashion design. I enjoy having my work on display.”

Mr. Withers nodded and said, “Yes, this would be an excellent start.” He continued looking at her resume. “I think you will be a good fit with our brand. Can you start tomorrow?”

With a silent “YES!” she stood up, shook his hand, and said, “I will be here first thing tomorrow.” Lily left his office, elated with the new job. “I can’t wait! First here, then perhaps modeling, and who knows where I’ll end up.” She practically skipped all the way home.

She showed up to work the next day, prompt and attentive. Mr. Withers led her the prop room down in the basement. “You can use anything in here to make the window,” as he locked the door behind him.

Alone in the room, she composed herself and dismissed the idea of any deceptive intent. A wide selection of Halloween items lay before her on various tables and in boxes. Some of the items were featured in the photographs in the lobby, she remembered.

What drew her attention next were the famed skeletons on the sofa. She attempted to pick up a skull and realized it was attached to the spine of a heavy skeleton with sinew and tendons. Traces of a face on the skull, scraps of skin hanging from the legs, brown hair cascading down a gray-boned head and neck.

Her eyes widened with terror as she counted at least a dozen skeletons stacked on the sofa and the armchair, each in the same position-sitting upright and facing forward. She dropped to her knees, sobbing on the cold floor, the feeling of suffocation overcoming her. The horror of the truth dawned on her as she realized she’d just become part of next year’s decorations.