Holiday Preparations

On Halloween, the veil that hides this world and the next from each other, thins. Through this opening, spirits and creatures of all sorts can slip through to our world for some . . . fun. Some just want to be surrounded by the warmth and vitality of humans again. Others . . . want to consume it. Whatever the reason or cause, on Halloween you can always expect something interesting to happen.

These things aren't spontaneous, however. Much like how you prepare for Halloween- setting up decorations, purchasing candy, costumes, planning events- these spirits and creatures must do so as well. A lot of thought is put into their methods of celebration, their traditions. Let's see an example . . .

In the Veiled Zone, the bridge between this world and the next, the monsters and spirits that usually fill Halloween with delights or frights, live here. And in this zone, there is one place that is seeing heavy crowds . . .

A cheerful woman dressed in all black welcomes in a customer, alerted by the piercing scream the bell at the top of the door emitted. "Welcome to Belladonna, how can I- oh! Yes, yes, welcome back!" She grins at the looming, lightly butchered masked figure who merely inclined its head. "You ordered the Boleyn axe with ash wood handle- a handsome looking piece too. Here," she hefted a thin box up and handed it to the killer, watching as he slowly curled his fingers around the black box. "As per store policy, we absolutely encourage you to try out your purchase to ensure satisfaction out back at our practice field, and if you are unsatisfied we can exchange it for something inside the store."

The killer attempted a thoughtful hum, but his mangled throat roughened the sound. "Yeah, Lee, what have you got for targets?"

"You're in luck, we just got some 'missing hikers' that Eddie picked up last week. They're weak and terrified so it won't be anything strenuous, perfect to try out the new axe." Lee gestured to the door along the back wall to the left of her counter. "Enjoy that!"

The killer waved as he left to review his purchase, and almost immediately after the back door closed, the front door opened again. A fast stream of dialogue overtook the scream of the bell. "Lee, what a sight for sore eyes- all fifteen of them- listen is Blake here?" A nightmarish creature with spindly black limbs, a torso about a yard long, and three eyes atop its head with six apiece on his arms, had walked in.

"Yeah, they're upstairs in the usual room. What'd you order?" Lee asked the nightmare.

"Blake said they had a spell that could help me appear in the day time now! So I won't just be regulated to stalking dreams, and I can start killing up to a week before Halloween!"

"Ooh fun!"

"I know!" The nightmare squealed. "Alright, thanks, see you later!" Every eye on his right arm winked as he skittered away.

Lee hummed in amusement, taking a blood soaked rag and wiping over the counter to give it a fresh new coat. She truly did like her job here, at this store. The closer it got to Halloween, the more energetic and productive her days became. She glanced up at the myriad of creatures, killers, and one ancient demi-god that were milling around the store. Just at the corner where the polishes and paints for cursed dolls were stocked, her favorite pair of undead twins giggled at the new line of glitter paints she and Blake had ordered. Their filthy, tattered muslin dresses fluttered around their calves. To the left of the front door, the newly arrived vengeful spirit of a clown pondered over their selection of daggers. It was 2022, and yet he was wearing a suit more reminiscent of Pierrot- only instead of black trim, it was red, and his teeth were savage onyx shards meant to cause the most amount of pain.

The clown suddenly turned to her, his voice surprisingly soft. "Which would you recommend for good carving?"

Lee hummed. "Oh, the Robitaille with the red honeycomb pattern is lovely, but if you're looking for something with a little more razzle dazzle- further down this way towards the end of the section we've got some new Sawyer Deluxe knives- the handle is superbly supple skin, and the metal is recycled from some of their most well known chainsaws!"

The clown's face lit up, and with a happy grin he honked his red nose twice, and shuffled down to where Lee indicated. It always felt nice to help a nice customer . . .

"Lee!" Blake's husky voice beckoned Lee to look up to the second floor banister. Her co-worker waved at Lee, sparkling bangles chiming gently with the motion. "When you head to lunch, would you mind telling the Blackstone Sisters that their spell book has been rebound and is eager to get back home with them? And try something new from their menu . . . I think you'll be quite pleased with what a small difference does for you today."

Lee grinned and nodded. Blake was always so sweet, offering her small protective charms and doing little readings to help keep her safe. She couldn't ask for a better friend and co-owner! "Thanks Blake, I will! And I'll get you some honey cakes."

"Oh, thanks doll! I'm gonna need it too, Benny the Butcher is coming around for a long ritual today . . . he's the worst at picking new body parts that can last him." Blake laughed gently before stepping away, and with a blown kiss to Lee, they walked back to their office.

As Lee returned to her work and helped a customer choose the right bear trap to place around a summer camp, Lee thought to herself that this was going to be a really great Halloween.

I hope you enjoyed this story! If so, perhaps you'd like its predecessor Birthday From Hell. Please like and share this story, and have a good one!