A Halloween Night to Remember

On a chilly Halloween night, Lucas was regretting his choice of costume. The mummy outfit he wore felt cold and uncomfortable, especially compared to his twin sister Sarah, who wore a warm coat over her witch costume. Lucas couldn’t help but laugh a little; Sarah was definitely more of a "good witch" than anything else.

As they walked, Ethan, a kid they barely knew, complained about the candy they were collecting. "You have better candy than I got," he whined, eyeing the Viking chocolate bar in Sarah’s bag.

"That Viking bar is mine," Sarah said, her tone firm.

Ethan, not one to back down easily, tossed a caramel bar at Sarah and snatched the Viking bar from her hand. "There, we’re even!" he shouted, chewing away happily.

Lucas frowned. "Hey, give that back to her!"

Ethan simply stared at Lucas, chocolate smearing his teeth. He shrugged and tossed a few candies towards Sarah before walking ahead. "Let’s go home," Sarah suggested.

"Why? There’s tons more candy out there!" Ethan protested.

"It’s cold and dark," Sarah replied.

Ethan taunted her. "Ooh, it’s dark! Are you afraid of the dark?"

"Shut up, Ethan," Lucas said firmly. "Come on, Sarah, let’s go."

But just then, a soft voice whispered from the shadows, “Do you want to play?”

Ethan quickly grabbed Sarah and pushed her in front of him, startled. She shone her flashlight in the direction of the voice, revealing a little boy with curly hair and a warm smile. He looked no older than seven.

"What?" Lucas asked, confused.

“Do you want to play?” the boy asked again.

Ethan shot back, “No, we don’t want to play with you! Go away!”

But Lucas, trying to be kind, said, “Uh, no thanks. It’s too late to play.”

The little boy seemed unfazed. “Oh, okay. Would you like to see a dead body?”

Ethan’s eyes widened. "There’s no dead body," he stammered, glancing around nervously.

Sarah knelt down to talk to the boy. “What’s your name?” she asked. “You’re not from here, are you?”

“I’m Alex. I’ve been here two days,” he replied softly.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” Sarah said, realizing that Alex had come from Edison, a town recently evacuated due to a mine explosion. Their own town had taken in families from Edison, and they had heard that a family would be staying with them soon.

“What about the dead body? Where is this body supposed to be?” Ethan asked.

Alex pointed behind him, toward the funeral home. “Inside that building.”

Lucas’s heart raced. They were standing behind the town’s funeral home, a large old building surrounded by tall trees. It was said to be one of the first buildings in the area, and it held many stories.

“I can let you in, and you can see it,” Alex offered.

Ethan shifted uncomfortably. “How do you know there’s a body in there?”

“Because we’re staying with the Andersons,” Alex said.

Lucas realized, “They own the funeral home.”

“They’re really nice,” Alex insisted. “Mr. Anderson talks to me all the time. He’s kind.”

But Ethan rolled his eyes. “They sound creepy and weird.”

Just then, a light rain began to fall. “I don’t think so, but thanks for asking,” Sarah said.

“Go home then!” Ethan yelled. “I’ll go!”

Lucas and Sarah started to walk home, but Ethan called after them, “Fine! If you’re scared, I’ll walk with you, chickens!”

Alex challenged Ethan, “I thought you wanted to see a dead body. Do you need Lucas and Sarah to be there with you?”

“Let’s just go,” Lucas said, trying to steer them away.

Ethan felt pressured and finally said, “Okay, I’ll go in. Come on, little man.” The two of them disappeared around the back of the building.

“Come on, Sarah,” Lucas urged.

But Sarah, concerned for Alex, followed them. “We can’t leave him with Ethan. Who knows what he’ll do?”

As they reached the door, Ethan stood there. “I don’t know where Alex went.”

“Alex?” Lucas called out.

The door creaked open, and they entered a dark, cold room filled with strange smells that made them uneasy.

“Alex, are you here?” Sarah asked softly.

In the shadows, they heard Alex’s voice. “I’m here, up front by the coffin.”

The three kids cautiously moved toward a small chapel with benches and a pulpit. Alex stood by a closed coffin, waving at them.

Ethan dared Lucas, “I dare you to touch the body!”

“Shut up,” Lucas replied.

Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out, leaving them in total darkness.

“What happened?” Ethan panicked.

“Don’t move! Sarah, turn your flashlight back on!” Lucas called out.

As Sarah searched for her flashlight, Alex whispered, “There are candles we can light.”

“Candles?” questioned Ethan nervously.

“Prayer candles,” Sarah explained. “People light them for someone they love.”

They found a box of matches, and Lucas lit a few candles just as Sarah’s flashlight finally went out.

“Batteries must be dead,” she said, trying to stay calm.

With candles in hand, they moved closer to the pulpit. Alex urged Ethan, “Please open it.”

Ethan hesitated but eventually placed his hands on the coffin lid and began to lift it.

“What’s inside?” Lucas asked nervously.

As they peered inside, they were shocked to see a small body, a child’s body, with familiar curly hair and a peaceful expression.

Lucas’s heart sank as he realized who it was. “This looks like…”

“Like me,” Alex said quietly, tears in his eyes. “Mr. Anderson took away most of the burns.”

Sarah felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at Alex, understanding that he had lost someone dear.

“Why?” she finally managed to ask.

Before Alex could answer, a cold wind swept through the room, extinguishing the candles. In the dark, they heard whispers around them.

“Do you want to play?” the voices echoed softly.

It was a Halloween night they would never forget, filled with unexpected friendships and haunting revelations.