The Halloween Bash      

It was a cold and windy night on All Hollow’s Eve in 1995 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A ten-year boy named Oscar Manon was walking home from a long night of trick or treating. He was dressed in a teddy bear costume. The mask looked like a teddy bear with one black eye dangling from its face. His outfit was made of brown synthetic fur. Oscar’s parents were wealthy lawyers who owned a mansion just outside of the city. Oscar was home schooled for most of his childhood. So, he didn’t really have any friends. Oscar’s parents never seem to have any interest in spending time with him. They always seemed to enjoy going out or busy with work. Hanna Oscar’s Au pair was the only person to care for him in every way.  She was more like a mother to him, than his real mother was. With that, they had a special bond.

Hanna was a 20-year-old immigrant who came from Romania. She was introduced to the family by an agency that Mr. and Mrs. Manon hired when Oscar was just born. She immediately connected with Oscar as if he were her own child. Hanna tended to Oscar day and night. From his first word to his first steps. Hanna was there celebrating every milestone that Oscar had made throughout his young life. As Oscar grew so did his mother’s jealousy towards Hanna.  Because she was beautiful and smart. She always knew how to calm Oscar whenever he was hurt or sad.

Every year on Halloween night, his parents would throw an amazing Halloween party at their family Mansion. Their parties were the talk of the town for the elite families and wealthy newcomers. And every year Hanna and Oscar would stay out all night trick or treating while his parents would get drunk and partied all night all with their friends. Hanna loved Halloween and would always come up with the best costume ideas. Oscar loved spending Halloween with Hanna. They would always have the best time, and she would even help him play tricks on other children. But this year was different. 

A couple days earlier Oscar had gotten sad news. His mother fired Hanna believing she was having a secret affair with his father. Hanna denied the claims and eventually was dragged out of the house kicking and screaming. He wanted to say goodbye, but his mother held him back. As the door slammed in front of him. His heart shattered into a million pieces. He begged his mother to bring her back. But with a cold heart she refused to do so.  Then Oscar begged the question, “who will take care of me now?” He asked his mother. “You’re old enough now, you can take care of yourself.” She says to him in a sarcastic manner.

But the following night Oscar woke up from a deep sleep. He heard a loud sound coming from the room above him. It was coming from Hanna’s old bedroom. Then a loud thud was heard outside of his bedroom window. Oscar saw a large dark shadow dangling outside of his window. At first, he thought maybe someone must have been playing a Halloween Prank. Trying to scare him and his parents. As he hopped out of bed and crept toward his window. He was expecting to see a fake skeleton, or a large sack of potatoes tied to his roof. Oscar slid back his white curtains and opened his window shutters.  Then what he saw next ruined his innocence for the rest of his years to come. He screamed at the top of his lungs. Loud enough that his parents awoke in a panic. Both his parents stormed into his room at the same time. “Oscar, what’s going on?”, shouted his mother. His father repeated his name, “Oscar, answer your mother, what’s going on?” Oscar was frozen in place. He just stood staring out his window. “Oscar for goodness sakes,” his mother shouted as she approached him with anger.

 Then she looked over towards the window. Her eyes lit up and her mouth dropped to the floor. Her face turned pale, and her body trembled like unstable newborn calf. Then she let out a horrifying scream. Oscar’s father rushes over and sees Hanna their old Au pair dangling outside of the window. She had hung herself with a rope that she tied from her bedroom window. Her eyes were wide open with a look on her face that would haunt the family.

Hours later it was Halloween morning. Oscar parents had called the police and gave their statements. As they rolled Hanna’s body away in the coroner’s black van. Oscar still had not spoken a word since the incident.   One of the officers overhears the conversation. Her name was Officer Amber Rouco. She was new on the force which she was considered a rookie cop. Officer Rouco had a heart of gold and was a very compassionate person. She was one that found Hanna’s “Goodbye” letter.  It read the following:

To whom it may concern:

Please forgive my English writing, for it is not so good. I am writing this letter to tell you, my truth. I did not have an affair nor ever with my employer Mr. Manon. I was let go by the cruelty of Mrs. Manon who saw me as a threat. I had been abused by the family for so many years. But I stay for only one reason. Oscar, he is the best little friend I could ever ask for. Please tell him how much I love him and maybe one day we will see each other in another life. I know Halloween is arriving which was our favorite holiday. Tell him I’m sorry for everything that has happened.

        -love Hanna Albescu

                                                       P.S. HAPPY HOLLOWS EVE

 After reading her letter. Tears almost ran down her face. It was like she felt the pain of Hanna and wished she would have met her in person. Officer Rouco approached Oscar’s parents to let them know about the letter. Careless and upset Mrs. Manon denied the allegations, “Ugh, that girl was a liar and crazy, that was half of the reason why I let her go.” Mrs. Manon said. Then she excused herself to get ready and prepare for the day ahead. Believing that there was some truth to Hanna letter. She looked over to Oscar who was still sitting on his bed wearing his favorite teddy bear pajamas.

Officer Rouco approached Oscar to see if he was okay. The shocked little boy seemed quiet and detached from the world. She kneeled and spoke with him. “Hey there, you must be Oscar, right?” she said in a kind voice. The officer explained to him that if he needed anything to give her a call and she would come right over. She handed him her calling card. Afterwards, she gave him a hug and said she was sorry about his friend. At that moment Oscar felt love from another person other than Hanna.

Later that day his parents disgustingly decided to move forward with their yearly Halloween party. Oscar, who was still sitting in his room. Was being scolded by his mother for not getting ready to go trick or treating. His mother was dressed as an evil witch outfit. She painted her skin with dark purple makeup and a nasty large nose glued to her face. Fitting for her, which Oscar thought to himself. Because it highlighted her personality in many ways. She raided his closet and found an old costume for him to wear. It was one of the many costumes that he and Hanna would wear on their night out. “Here!” his mother tossed the outfit toward him. It was a teddy bear costume with a ripped eye dangling on its face. “Now hurry up and put it on, because our guests will be arriving soon,” she said with cruelty in her voice. Oscar followed his mother’s instructions and put on his costume for the night.

One by one Oscar’s parents’ guests were arriving. Oscar’s father was dressed as a dead opera singer who had died from drinking poison. His mouth was covered in fake blood which trailed down his suit. Many of their friends wore creepy outfits themselves. Like goblins, vampires, witches, and ghouls. Oscar was dressed and ready to head out.  His mother put on a fake show in front of her guests acting like a loving and caring mother. “Here you go my precious boy,” as she handed him a sack. “Have Fun!” as she shoved him out the door.

Oscar walked alone down the street into a cold windy night. As Oscar walked though his neighborhood. He saw all the kids running around having fun going from door to door receiving candy from kindly neighbors. All the kids were dressed in cool costumes, they were laughing and screaming, just having the best time. Some were with their friends’ others with their parents. Oscar envies them with passion. The neighborhood was full of beautiful Halloween decorations. There were jack o lanterns, skulls, creepy lights, and sounds. The air was clouded with jazz music and Halloween sounds. Many of the neighbors where playing he walked from door to door knocking and repeating the famous phase “trick or treat!” And each time the adults would question him about his parents. But Oscar would ignore them and run to the next house, filling his sack with more and more candy.

As Oscar was finishing up his last few houses. He heard something in the wind. “OOOOSCARRRR.”, it sounded like someone was saying his name in a very faint voice. So, he stopped and lifted his mask to listen. “OOOOSCARRRR,” again the voice called out his name. Oscar looking around to see if anyone was trying to play a trick on him. Then he heard the voice once more, “OOOOSCARRR, COME WITH ME,” As he turned his head, he saw someone standing in the mist in someone’s front yard. He rubbed his eyes and blinked multiple times to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing. As he focused on the figure, he realized it wasn’t just some random person it was Hanna’s ghost.  She was dressed in her usual uniform and seemed to be waving at him. 

Oscar was scared at first, but seeing her kind face reminded him how she was like a second mother to him. Then Hanna’s ghost encouraged him to follow her. As she walked behind a large tree that was in the yard. Oscar attempted to follower, but he was interrupted by a couple of kids knocking him down while they were playing. “Hey, watch it kid!” shouted a large and heavy-set boy. “Alen, leave him alone,” shouted the boy’s little sister who came to Oscar’s defenses. “Shut up Sarah, the only reason why you’re here is because mom made me,” said Boy. Alen Dempsey and his friends Bobby, Ty and his little sister Sarah were out trick or treating. They also were just fooling around in the neighborhood. Alen was a school bully; he and his friends would go around picking on and stealing candy from other kids.

“So, what are you dressed as anyway, a sewer rat?”, Alen and his friends laughed. Oscar was still lying on the ground with his candy spilled out on the sidewalk. Nervous and embarrassed Oscar started to cry. Alen noticed and began to make fun of him and continued to taunt him. “Alen you’re an asshole!” shouted his sister Sarah as tried to help Oscar up from the ground. Alen continued his taunting and then he started to demand Oscar to give him his candy. Oscar refused as he was picking up every piece. “I said give me you’re candy!” Alen tried to snatch Oscar’s candy sack out of his hand. Oscar snatches it back and the two wrestled with the sack. Sarah continued to shout at her brother to stop. While his friends were rooting him on. 

Then Oscar hears Hanna’s eerie voice whisper in his ear. As if she were standing right behind him. “Use the rock,” Oscar looks down on the ground where his feet were. And notice a thick gray rock there lying by his feet. Oscar decided to let go of the sack, making Alen believe he had won the fight. As the group walked away, Sarah was shaming her brother for stealing his candy. And threatened to tell their parents when that got home. Oscar slowly picked up the rock and then started walking towards Alen. Oscar taps Alen on his shoulder, as he turns around to see what Oscar wanted. A large thick rock smashes him right in the face. All the other kids couldn’t help but watch in horror as Oscar repeatedly smashed Alen’s face with the rock. Sarah runs away to find help and the other two boys followed. Oscar finally realized what he had done and dropped the rock on the ground. He could hear Alen moaning from the pain as he gargled out his own blood. Oscar quickly grabbed his candy sack and ran off into the darkness.  

Tired and covered in blood Oscar started making his way back to his house. He could hear from a distance police sirens and people running over to the scene of the crimes. At the same time officer Rouco had just ended her shift for the night when she saw a small figure headed the opposite way. As she drove closer, she could see a young boy wearing a teddy bear outfit covered in blood. She decided to stop and asked if he needed help. “Hello, do you need some assistance little one?” she kindly said. Then he stopped and turned to look at her. She immediately recognized him, “Hey aren’t you, Oscar Manon?” She asked him.

“Oh God, your parents just sent out here alone?” Oscar stood there quiet as a mouse. Officer Rouco decided to give him a ride back to his mansion. She opened the door for him and told him to hop in. Oscar got into the back seat along with his sack of candy. As they drove back down the road, officer Rouco was telling him he was lucky she saw him. Because a little kid was just attacked, and he could have been next. Once they took off Oscar saw Hanna’s ghost once more and she was standing outside holding her finger up to her lips. Gesturing to him to keep quiet.  Oscar stayed silent the entire ride. On the approach to Oscar’s mansion Officer Rouco noticed Oscar’s parents had thrown a big party and there were decorations and lights all dedicated to the holiday. Tons of people were seen dancing around drunk, and trash was thrown about the yard. Officer Rouco was tempted to investigate the party and question Oscar’s parents for being so negligent. But before she could get out of the police cruiser Oscar quickly grabbed her arm and looked at her with intensity. As if he were saying the word “don’t.”  Officer Rouco immediately understood his demeanor and decided not to go in. “Okay, well I’ll be back later to check on things, Okay?” She unlocked his door and Oscar got out and headed inside. Officer Rouco waited until Oscar entered his house. Then she decided to call it a night and headed back to the station to check out.

Meanwhile Oscar it made inside where tons of people were drinking, smoking and the music was insanely loud. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Oscar stopped by a drunk couple, the man was dressed as a twisted doctor and the woman was dressed as a sexy bunny. “Oh, how cute, let me be guess a murderous puppet.” The drunk woman says then turned her attention to her date. Then Oscar’s mother approached him. “Oscar baby, what happened to you?” she said in her fake cheery voice. “Here give me this and got wash up for bed,” as she took Oscar’s candy sack from.

He did what his mother told him and headed upstairs to his bedroom. As Oscar was on his bed, he decided to look out his window. Then Hanna’s ghost started to speak to him once more. “OOOOOSCARRRR,” her voice eerily sang. “OOOOSCARRRR ITSSS TIMMEE,” Oscar looked down from his window and noticed his parent’s tool shed slowly creaking open. He continued to look, and a sledgehammer fell out of it and landed on the grass. Oscar stood up from his bed and again hears his Au pair whispering voice “ITSSS TIMMMEE,”

At the party Oscar’s mother was having a cigarette and drinking her favorite cocktail. She was laughing with two of her friends when another of her guests asked for some ice to put in his drink. Oscar’s mother tried to flag down her bartender, but he seemed busy. So, Oscar’s mother decided to grab it for herself from the kitchen. She walks in and turns on the lights. Oscar’s mother opened her cabinet to get a small glass cup. Then she opens her freezer to grab a few cubes of ice.

Suddenly, she heard a noise coming from her pantry. “Hello?” she shouted. No one responded, “Is someone there?” she asked again. There was still no answer. Oscar’s mother heard another sound, but this time something fell onto the floor. Believing it was the family cat Mr. Ripples hiding in the pantry she quickly walked over and opened the pantry door.  She flicks on the light switch, but nothing was there. “Mr. Ripples, come on baby,” she called out to the cat. But there was no cat and there was nothing there. Confused and annoyed she quickly turned off the light and headed back to the party. Just as she started to turn around, she was startled by Oscar who was just standing with his mask motionless. And it seemed like he was hiding something behind his back. “Oh, for heaven’s sake Oscar,” said his mother in relief. “I thought I told you to take off that costume and go to bed, now move it!”, she shouted with anger.

But Oscar had other plans, so he moved his arm from behind his back and raised up in the air a large kitchen knife. Oscar’s mother noticed the shiny object which blinded her for a moment. “Oscar what are doing,” then within a slit second, he plunged it into her stomach. His mother’s eyes opened wide and pure shock set in. She looked down at her stomach and noticed almost the entire knife was buried inside of her. She fell to the ground and blood started to leak from her stomach. Oscar quickly removed the knife. Causing the blood to spatter across the room. His mother was so in shock she attempted to drag her bloody body across the kitchen floor. Leaving a trail of fresh blood behind her. Oscar once again put the knife into her, this time in the midback. Causing more pain and more blood to spatter out of her. “Oscar please! I’m your mother!” Oscar’s mother pleaded for mercy. But all he could feel was the years of tournament and neglect which fueled his anger. Now his mother was lying in a pool of blood unable to move from that blow. She continued to beg for life. Oscar pauses for a moment and as he looks up from his dying mother’s body. There was Hanna’s ghost with a sadistic smile on her face. “Do it Oscar, remember what she did to me. Remember how she never loved you, not how I loved you,” Hanna’s voice started to become more demonic.

“Oscar please, I love you,” Those words struck Oscar in the heart. He had never heard his mother say she loved him before. The tone in her voice caused him to hesitate for a moment. “Please!” she said, but Oscar snapped out it and hammered the large knife into her skull. Killing his mother instantly. The final blow tipped Oscar from innocent child to a violent killer. Then he hears Hanna’s ghost laughing with insanity and encouraging him to continue killing. Then one of Oscar’s mother’s friends entered the kitchen drunk and unaware of what had just happened and noticed that the kitchen was covered in blood and as she turns to Oscar, she saw his mother lifeless body lying on the floor with a large knife stick out from her head.

The woman screams out of terror and runs out of the kitchen. Oscar grabbed the sledgehammer and followed. She screams and runs into the large living room in a panic. All his parents’ friends were confused and weren’t sure if she was being over dramatic. A group of men noticed her from a distance and laughed believing it was a joke. But suddenly one of the men dropped his drink on to the floor, shattering his glass. He looked like he was stunned by something. He falls to the floor and the other group of men saw that Oscar had bludgeoned the back of poor man head. Blood squirted out of his head and other people shuddered out of fear.  Then the whole crowd noticed the dead man as well. Causing chaos throughout the mansion. As another guest was running Oscar swung his sledgehammer right into his face killing him instantly. Oscar tripped a woman with end of sledgehammer handle which cause her to break her ankle in a violent manner. Oscar walked up behind her and smashed her brains in.

Meanwhile... Oscar’s father was in closed off room where he was making out with a young blonde woman wearing a nurse’s uniform. He stopped what he was doing and listened as people were leaving the party screaming, running for their lives. “What the hell is going?” He pushed the woman off him and opened his door. Oscar’s father walked out into the hallway, and he noticed a woman’s body bleeding out at the end of the stairs. Oscar’s father turned to the woman and told her to call the police. But before she could do so the room door slammed shut. The woman saw Oscar behind the door holding his sledgehammer. “Hey there sweetheart, what your name?” she said in a nervous voice.

“I know what you’re thinking, me and your daddy were just playing a game. Huh that’s all,” The woman was slowly backing up. Oscar’s father was busy trying to open the locked door in the background. Suddenly, a gust of wind forced the window shutters open as if someone purposely opened the window for him. Oscar slowly approached the woman as she was edging closer to an open window. “Please hon, don’t kill me.” But, before Oscar could use his sledgehammer. One of her high heels snapped off which caused her to tumble out of the open window. She fell to her death, breaking her neck on impact.

Meanwhile back at the police station. Officer Rouco was getting ready to head home when she overheard on the radio a mass murderer was killing people over at the Manon Masion. All the other Officer’s raced to get to the scene, including officer Rouco who had just dropped off Oscar earlier. She ran to her car and followed the other police officers. Officer Rouco was praying that Oscar wasn’t hurt and hoping she could make it to him on time.

Back at the Masion Oscar’s father managed to open the door by using his keys. As he entered the room, he noticed the window shutters were open and a strong wind was blowing through the room. Oscar’s father walked over to the window and saw the blonde nurse dead on the ground. Oscar’s father was shocked by the scene and started to turn around to head back down the stairs. At this time almost everyone has left the party and Oscar father was looking for his wife. Who he soon discovers in the kitchen near the door to the backyard.

Oscar’s father burst into tears after seeing the brutal crime. But just before Oscar’s father could make it outside. Oscar was waiting for him by the door. “Oh my God Oscar, what did you do?” His father cried in anguish. Oscar said nothing as he dragged his bloody sledgehammer closer to his father. Hanna’s ghost reappeared and spoke to him. “He is the problem, where was he when your mother accused me of having an affair. Where was he when she had the police drag me out of the home.” Hanna’s devilish voice continued.

Oscar knew she was right, and he felt he was the last obstacle standing in his way of satisfying Hanna’s spirit. Oscar tightened his grip on the handle of the sledgehammer. But suddenly his father began to say something that Oscar never heard his father say in his life. “I’m sorry, son,” Oscar paused for a moment. “I know I haven’t been the best father and I know I helped get rid of Hanna. I know you didn’t deserve that, but please don’t make it worse than what it already is,” said his father. Oscar thought for a moment and soke in what his father was telling him.

Oscar dropped his sledgehammer on to the ground. As his father calmly continued to talk to him. But Oscar was unaware that he had secretly grabbed a kitchen knife and was getting ready to use it on him. Hanna’s ghost tried to warn Oscar, but he was too sad to hear anything around him. Oscar’s father started to get closer and closer clutching the small knife. “That’s it my baby boy, I’m here now,” Hanna’s ghost was screaming at the top of her lungs so loud; it sounded like a high pitch squeal.

Oscar’s father reaches out to touch Oscar’s shoulder. Then he raises his other hand with the knife in it which he was going to stab Oscar with. As he slowly lifted his arm and tightly squeezed the knife and was ready to do it. Suddenly a gunshot rings out. Oscar lifts his head and saw his father frozen in place with the knife still in his hand and looked as if he were going to kill him. Oscar looked behind him and Officer Rouco was holding her gun and the smoke was clearing after she fired a shot. Oscar father was shot in the heart, and he slowly fell to his knees. His intense face looked straight at Oscar as the blood from wound started to spill out of his body. He dropped the knife and then he fell lifeless to the floor next to his dead wife.

“Hey kid, are you okay?”, Officer Rouco asked. Oscar removed his mask and looked at her in shock. She rushed over to him and gave him a big hug. Then she whispers into his ear and told him not to say anything. “Officer Rouco!” Another officer called out to her. “In here,” she responded. A couple of police officers rushed in and saw a bloody mess. Officer Rouco explained that she had shot the father as she witnessed him attempting to murder his son. Officer Rouco placed the blame on Oscar’s father for killing all those people. She made up a story which made it seem like Oscar was never involved. As other officers arrived at the scene Oscar spoke to no one about what had happened.

Later that evening Officer Rouco volunteered to take Oscar back home with her. As the two got into Officer Rouco’s car. She tilted her rearview mirror and looked at Oscar who was covered in blood and looked exhausted from a long night. “You Know, I know what really happened,” Oscar suddenly looked back at her. “But don’t worry it will be our little secret,” she said. Then she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a piece of candy. Then she turns around and hands it to him. “Happy Hollows Eve,” as she laughed that exact eerie laughed that Hanna made that night.

   

                                                                           THE END