Today is Halloween.
Living in a country that doesn’t properly celebrate it I never thought much of it. Just another “American” holiday.
Growing up we didn’t dress up and go trick or treating.
What my country does celebrate is day of the dead. Supposedly on the first of November the veil thins and the dead walk among us. Didn’t think much of that growing up either.
On that day we give out blessed food to the less fortunate in remembrance of our dear departed. We go to the church where the priests mention by name our dead. But that’s about it. No fancy costumes or carved pumpkins. No candy corn or spooky ornaments to cover our houses. We do light candles in the cemeteries though. I like to think it’s for the dead to find their way back.
On the Halloween night if you go in a cemetery almost every grave will have a small light next to it making it a pretty nice view.
Although in the last years even in my country people started dressing up and going to costume parties on the Hallow’s eve. But less of them remember to go light a candle to honor their dead.
The ones that do go are probably elderly who still remember and care about their traditions. Still a nice glowing view above the cemetery with many many small lights that shine in the night like fireflies.
I can see them from here.
Now before I deepen into this story I must say I work the graveyard shift at a small town gas station. Graveyard shift- funny name isn’t it? Especially since the cemetery is less than a mile away. That should scare me shouldn’t it? Well it doesn’t. Or at least it didn’t before. Not until tonight. Not until I saw a full moon on a night that many consider it to be the most sinister night of the year.
But I shouldn’t let that affect me in any way. The moon is big and beautiful… the sky is clear… and there is nothing and no one in sight. Pretty peaceful night for a Saturday if you ask me. The silence is deafening.
I go about my day- well my night- pretty much as usual. Had in mind to keep reading my book tonight if I have no customers but something makes me wanna stay outside.
It’s cold and I am shivering but somehow I feel like that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I must watch the cemetery fireflies. They are hypnotising.
I’m watching them as if I am waiting for something to happen. As if I expect them to go out all at once and with them to come… STOP. I will not think like that. I can’t! I can’t afford to let dark thoughts cloud my mind. I cannot let these thoughts come out and have any control over me. I refuse to.
With strength that I did not know I had I came inside. Nice and cozy.
If it wasn’t for this stupid covid I would have had a colleague. Someone who I can chat with and wait for the night to pass. But I am all alone now… all… alone…
A new thought now crossed my mind. What if I am not in fact alone? What if… No! No No No.
The moon is so big and bright and… what am I doing outside again? How did I… how did I get out? And when? I am shivering, why couldn’t I at least make a hot drink before coming outside again? There are like 5 degrees outside and this cold breeze ain’t helping. That’s it. I am going, and this time hopefully remaining inside.
Maybe the loneliness makes me lose my mind… or maybe it’s this night, but I am certain I heard noises coming from… inside the roof?! Now, we never had rats or other pests in there and the crawl space is too small for a human but I am positive I hear something resembling footsteps followed by a wooshhhh.
What…? This is creeping me out! What if… whatever drawn me outside wanted to keep me away from whatever is happening in the roof?
No… silly ideas. I am sure it’s just… just what? What can it be? There are no pipes. The roof is sealed nicely so the wind can’t really get in there. No pests. So what can it be… At this time I have no right answer for that nor do I have a theory or any idea of what is happening inside the roof.
Well what if it’s something ON the roof? I should go outside and check!
Wait a second… wasn’t my whole plan to stay strong and NOT go outside?
Ok now I am seriously freaking out! Power got cut for just one second and I think the generator kicked in after. I think my heart skipped a beat there.
I must remain calm if I wanna get through the night and at least remain partially sane.
Well ok… thankfully our generator’s power is still on and… I think the roof sound stopped?
I guess there is no point for me to succumb and go out.
And wait, was that a scratching noise?!? From the roof? I am pretty sure it came from inside the roof and not from above it but nevertheless what is going on?? I am starting to believe that all of this is in my mind. What if I search on the internet if someone can hallucinate on a full moon on Halloween?
Let’s see…
Great… internet is down. Of course… on top of everything why wouldn’t the internet- my hope for some answer- be down.
Another woosh sound. I think whatever it is… it wants me to go out. But I refuse to! Whatever is messing with my head shall not win.
I tried to find things to do so I take my mind off whatever is happening. The noises stopped and now the dead silence is back. I can hear even my heart beat.
I find it weird how I didn’t have any clients in the last few hours… it’s like time is standing still. But it doesn’t! It’s almost 3 o’clock and… isn’t 3 o’clock the so called hour of the devil? As if this couldn’t be getting weirder in my head.
Oh what’s that? Just scratches again… never mind… I shall go out and see what it is. I cannot let fear keep me a prisoner nor can I let whatever wants me out dictate my actions. I shall go out because I choose to… and I shall take the trash out too.
Ok maybe this wasn’t my finest moment since the trash bins are somewhere in the back… hidden from any light. And let me tell you that you don’t know what fear is until you hear 3 wooshes few feet away from you just to be followed by a rooster’s call. If only that rooster could have been on the roof… but it couldn’t have since the fence is very tall in the neighbour’s yard.
Also I can’t see anything on the roof.
Night is quiet. Candles are still burning pretty and the moon is glowing. Perfect night if it wasn’t Hollow’s eve.
I could even sit a bit outside and enjoy the view. All I fought against tonight… this urge of staying outside maybe I should embrace it… Maybe I should just sit down and stare at the candles in the distance. A very relaxing view… it’s like something is calling me… like… I should go there… like… a way back home.