And Then There Were None

Flash fiction on a dark Halloween night. Written as the candy went away with all of the ghosts and goblins that visited me this evening...

It's often said that little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, but there are those that are born of pure evil. They may have long curls and polite, yet mischievous smiles, but underneath it all, Satan reigns.

Little girls grow up and become women, and there is nothing worse than an evil woman. Especially one of superior intelligence. She lives her life like a virtual game of chess, plotting and planning moves ahead of her prey, ready to seize the moment and watch as mayhem ensues.

I wasn't prepared to deal with Gael. Steve had warned me not to talk to her, but I felt that it was only right to help the lonely woman. She was all alone and needed help. Didn't she? People grow up and change. They realize that they are not children anymore. Adults need not get everything their brains demand.

Steve was right all along. Gael was bad to the bone. Evil from birth, and intent on ruining anyone that she hated. LIttle did I know that I was on her hit list. After all, she had beaten me at all levels when we were young. Well, almost everything. She lost one prize.

Steve.

Yes, I got the boy. Funny, talented Steve. The one with the great smile and beautiful face. He was the pride of our school, destined to be a star. I never even imagined that Gael was in love with him. After all, she was way too smart and not very athletic. Her humor was macabre, his sophomoric. He liked his girlfriends slim and fashionable, not dowdy and reeking of his grandmother's perfume.

Today, they may call it an "old soul," but back then, she was "old maid" material. Don't get me wrong. Gael had her odd boyfriend or two. They seemed to float in and out of her life, and never talked about her behind her back. Lucky girl. Years later, I would discover that threats of lethal harm work wonders with teenaged boys.
Gael was a horror to every male she touched…or refused to touch.

Within six months of contact, Gael ruined my life. I found myself alone and abandoned by everyone I loved. With no job or money, I found myself begging strangers for help. Steve had filed for divorce and taken the kids to live with his parents, having claimed that I had "changed." He knew the truth but was too afraid for his own life and career. The children were an afterthought.

I had a year to plan my revenge, and thought that Halloween night seemed the perfect evening to frighten that bitch once and for all. Give her a taste of her own medicine. Maybe even scare the "Devil" right out of her for good.

It's amazing what one can buy at a costume shop in the year 2013. Some of the masks were so realistic that it was difficult to touch them, let alone place them over one's head.

I chose the werewolf. Always the monster that frightened me the most, I decided that if I couldn't beat the fear, why not join the team and "be a coyote?" The store manager encouraged me to try it on and get in the mood. I reluctantly put the mask over my head, and immediately felt a sense of power that sent a buzz throughout my veins. It was if the mask adhered to my skin. I became a primordial being.

Sensing my struggle, the manager assisted me in removing the mask. I paid the outrageous fee, an easy purchase after landing a posh job with a major television network. It's amazing how life changes so quickly. Still, I had lost my husband and kids. Seems that money really can't buy you love, and in-laws can bribe grandchildren easier than I ever imagined.

Despite the fog, I made it to Gael's remote home. Bile was raging in my belly as I parked my van about a half mile down the road. Physically fit, I would have no trouble running full speed back to shelter once Gael was sufficiently scared.

As soon as I placed the mask on, something changed. Maybe it was the rage I felt, but suddenly, I was immortal. I was going to eat this bitch. Wait… I meant to say, "beat this evil woman at her own game."

There weren't a lot of kids out begging for candy in this area. The houses were too far apart and the roads too dark. Gael probably didn't even have any candy, and I was really craving a Baby Ruth!

The house was dark. No pumpkin, no wreath, but a black cat sitting in an upstairs window. Perfect familiar for an evil witch, but no match for a werewolf.

I crept up to the house. My senses told me that the back door was unlocked. I turned the knob and entered under the stealth of darkness. I could smell her. She was upstairs with the cat, probably reading a book. She was self-absorbed. Nothing new there.

My body quivered with excitement as I entered the room and approached her. I stood at the end of her bed, watching as she shoved popcorn into her mouth and swept through pages on her Kindle. She didn't even notice as I approached and growled at her, ready to rip out her throat.

Blood is warm and tastes rather pleasing when you are cold and hungry. What a nice surprise to learn that revenge is truly sweet.

Happy Halloween.