She lay on her stomach, behind the bushes, trying to avoid the thorns. The Knock Out roses were in their final bloom of the season, and were a lovely burst of bright red color during this drab time of year. Most of the trees in their neighborhood were naked, or nearly so, showing off their rough brown trunks and stretching skeletal limbs into the cold, clear sky. A few crunchy leaves stubbornly held on here and there, waiting for their opportune time to quietly fall, having missed the cascade of their brethren.

The bushes made a good barricade to hide herself from her younger brother. He was such a nuisance, almost a decade her junior, and eager to make the most of Halloween. Helena didn’t want to have to shepherd him and his cavalcade of costumed friends. If she stayed quiet and out of sight long enough, surely he and their parents would give up on making her take him out around their neighborhood and the next one over. Helena just wanted to watch movies with her friends—they were too old to Trick or Treat, and honestly preferred to just chill in front of a larger-than-life screen and scare themselves silly with horror flicks.

Helena sighed and glanced at her phone. It was full dark now, and it wouldn’t be much longer before her dad would deign to take Devon and his buddies out for the night.

Her phone buzzed—a text from Jeannie.
where are you??
Be there in 5. Bro not gone yet.
K.( Read more... )