Toi accepted the challenge
The first paragraph of the story:
John enjoyed the quiet evening with Mandy, his wife, and with his loyal dog, Honeydew, after the Trick or Treater children stopped knocking on the door demanding candy. Mandy fell asleep on the sofa and the golden retriever was dreaming on her pillow close to the crackling fire about something that made her kick and grunt in her sleep. John put another log in the fireplace and sat back on his rocking chair thinking about Hallows' Eve when the barrier between our world and the world of ghosts and spirits is thin. Anything could happen tonight, he thought closing his eyes. Suddenly, he heard Honeydew's soft growl. John looked at his dog and a chill shot through him. The dog stared at the dark corner with fright in her brown eyes, whimpered and moved closer to John’s chair putting her large head on his master’s lap.
Toi continued the story:
John tried to play it cool, struggling to even the tone of his voice. “What’s the matter, Honeydew? A big tough dog like you scared of the dark?”
Honeydew began scratching at John’s leg, begging to be picked up and protected as the shadow from the corner began to protrude into the space between the darkness and the fireplace. John scooped up the oversized lapdog and yelped.
Mandy was on her feet in seconds. “Good heavens, John. What’s going on?”
“Baby, step this way, quickly. Now, get behind me.”
Mandy looked over her shoulder and watched breathlessly as the shadow began to form a dark figure next to the couch. She then quickly darted behind John, holding two pillows in her hands like nunchucks. John assessed the situation with dim hope for a positive outcome. “Our golden guard dog is stupefied, my arms are too full to manage a weapon, and my wife is taking on a poltergeist with pillows.”
Mandy shrieked, “You really think it’s a poltergeist?”
“Babe, how should I know? I mean, I always thought ghosts were real, but I never expected to meet one.”
Just then, Honeydew began to howl and kick, scratching at John’s flesh. The dark form was clear now. It was a one-eyed, hunchback, giant with its arms outstretched. “Doggy. Want doggy.”
Mandy whaled and tossed her pillows at the figure. “You can’t eat my dog!”
John gritted his teeth, “Now that your hands are free, Mandy, you take the dog and I’ll fight off this beast.”
“I don’t want to eat the doggy.”
“Why do you get to fight the beast? I’m perfectly capable of fighting this beast myself.”
“I’m not a beast.”
“Mandy, babe, is this really the time to be arguing gender roles? I don’t care who fights the beast.”
Mandy stomped her foot and put her hands on her hips. “Really, John. ‘Cause it seems like you think you can do a better job than me.”
“I’ve been waiting for ages for a family with a doggy to move in.”
“With all due respect, Mandy; your weapons of choice were pillows and you’ve tossed those already. I think I deserve a chance to try to protect my family, especially since our dog, who turned out not to be so great as a jogging partner or guard dog, is currently attacking me though I’m not the beast…”
A loud thud drew the arguing couple and frantic dog back to the dark figure now scowling with its hands waving in the air. “That’s it. I tried to be nice, but since you won’t let me pet the doggy and insist on calling me a beast, I’m going to haunt you people right on outta here.”
Spooky enough? Read Sandra's and Alan's stories Saturday the 20th
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TOI THOMAS
Manager
Of Our Author Gang
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