“Help! Help! Stat to OR 13. Please, anybody, stat to OR 13, STAT!” Sensing an inanimate touch on her shoulder, Sara bolted around.
She cried out as the gnarled fingers dug into her flesh. Sinking to her wobbling knees, she began to sob uncontrollably.
As the grotesquely silent forms pulled her toward the operating table, her resistance drained. She caught glimpses of the deformed pumpkin, its toothless grin, and then the flames. The foul smell of singed hair intensified her panic. She screamed repeatedly while her flailing body was forcefully restrained under the steamy OR lights. The smell of burning human flesh climaxed rapidly into excruciating pain. She had time for one last bloodcurdling scream of undefined terror before the acute onslaught of convulsive agony blasted Sara McCaffe into abysmal darkness.
* * *
“Okay, that’s the last treatment. Quick, get me a tongue blade. She’s having a seizure.”
“Yes ma’am, Dr. Charmaine.” The thin nurse rushed to the crash cart.
“Oh, and Bess,” the concerned doctor added. “Tell them I’ll be down to the clinic in a minute. We’re almost through here.”
The experienced psychiatrist displayed confidence in supporting the woman’s airway. Her familiarity with post-electroshock seizures told her she’d be out of it in thirty seconds.
“Sara. Sara.” Dr. Charmaine spoke calmly into the patient’s face as she peeled away the electrodes from her temples. The woman gagged once and then coughed several times before resuming her regular breathing pattern.
“Dr. Charmaine?” Bess asked, returning to the table.
“Yes, nurse?”
“What was all that gibberish she was muttering between treatments? Something about Halloween.”
The psychiatrist shrugged. “At times, Sara locks herself in her own world where no one else is allowed to enter. I really can’t explain—except that when she’s trapped in this private place she goes, it must be incredibly painful for her.” Then turning, she adjusted Sara’s head position. “Sara, look at me. Open your eyes.”
“Dr. Charmaine. Dr. Charmaine. Is that you?” the woman moaned.
“Yes, Sara. I’m here.”
“Dr. Charmaine…Is it over?”
“Is what over?”
“Halloween?”
“Today is not Halloween, Sara. Now relax and take some deep breaths.” She watched closely as her patient drew in several good breaths. “There you go. Excellent.”
“Dr. Charmaine?” Her voice sounded strained.
“I’m listening, Sara.”
She paused, taking in one more breath. “I had the most horrible dream. There was a fire. But…I can’t remember any more of it. Just that it was on Halloween.”
“Events like Halloween can trigger bad dreams, Sara.” After checking her pulse, Dr. Charmaine pulled the green sheets back over her. “Warm enough?”
“I’m fine.” Sara closed her eyes. “You know what, though, Dr. Charmaine?”
“No, what?”
“I decided on what I want to be when I get better.”
“And what’s that?”
“A surgeon, a real-life surgeon.”
Dr. Charmaine looked on, shaking her head sadly. Her patient always said the same thing—every year for the last ten years. And what had she said in the past about the dream—she couldn’t recall. But she never failed to bring up Halloween.
“That’s nice, Sara,” she finally answered. “Very ambitious of you.” Then turning to Bess, “You can untie her hands now.”
Waiting for Bess to get started, Dr. Charmaine again focused her attention on the disordered mind before her. “Sara,” she spoke calmly. “We’re going to loosen your restraints. You can go to sleep and we’ll be up to check on you later. Understand?”
“Okay, Doctor,” she replied, seemingly oblivious to the tremor over her right temple.
“Dr. Charmaine,” Bess said. “Come over here, please. Look at this.”
The concern in the nurse’s voice brought the psychiatrist over. After examining the woman’s hands, she looked up, a puzzled expression forming on her face.
“That’s strange. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Dr. Charmaine gently touched the palms of her patient’s hands. “Look at these blisters, Bess. It appears as if she’s been…burned.”
“How’d she ever do that, Doctor?”
“I have no idea. We’ll have to get those cleaned up and dressed.” Then studying the blistered palms once more, she muttered, “Strange, really strange. Oh, Bess?”
“Yes, Doctor?”
“Please tell the cleaning staff they can come in and prepare the room for the next case.”
“Sure, Dr. Charmaine.” Bess turned to leave but stopped briefly, glancing once more at the girl. “You know, it’s such a shame.”
Agreeing tacitly, the psychiatrist wheeled the stretcher-bound patient toward the double exit doors. On cue, they swung open. Pausing for a moment, she looked into the pained expression of Sara McCaffe. Dr. Julie Charmaine frowned. As if it was only yesterday, she could still vividly recall the disturbed looks on the security guards’ faces as they carried her former classmate, screaming, kicking, and gouging, from that empty operating room. What was it that made Sara’s mind snap so completely ten years ago? Not so dissimilar to all the others—seemed every medical school class since she’d graduated had lost a student to lunacy. Scary weird, and on Halloween, too.
And poor Sara. She still desired to be a surgeon. Dr. Charmaine gently moved a strand of hair off her patient’s forehead. The closest she’ll ever get to a scalpel is a plastic butter knife.
Pushing the stretcher through the doors, Dr. Charmaine headed for the elevators, passing right through the tall masked orderly waiting outside.
Behind her, the orderly watched doctor and patient only briefly, before turning away and entering the room. With scarred twisted hands, he collected the spent electrodes. Leering, he tossed them inside the melted pumpkin. Then hobbling out the exit, he purposely made his way to the last operating room, down past the surgical supply area. Methodically, he stared through unblinking eyes at every aspect of the vacant room—the surgery table, the anesthesia cart, the oxygen tank. A disfigured sneer formed behind the faded surgical mask.
OR 13 was ready for its next case.
Tomorrow was Halloween!
* * *
You can read more about Dr. Julie Charmaine and her strange dream cases in the twisted horror thriller The Unnatural.
Alan Nayes was born in Texas, writes in California, and will probably die...someplace else.
https://www.anayes.com
Haunted House
Julia Crane
“Finally, we can show our true forms.” Keegan giggled and shook her hips to make the bells jingle.
Keegan, Anna and Lauren had decided to humor themselves and dress as their true forms for Halloween. Keegan attached exaggerated elf ears, a short green dress and boots along with the elf hat. She could pass for one of Santa’s helpers at the mall. Anna rocked an awesome witch outfit—it was all black but ripped-up, and, of course, she had a broom. Lauren wore a flowing purple fairy dress, wings and a magical wand.
“This is hilarious.” Anna laughed. “We spend our whole lives hiding who we are from humans, and one day a year we can be ourselves.”
Lauren lived downtown, so they decided to walk. They wanted to see all the kids trick or treating.
“We probably should have worn jackets.” Lauren wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her arms.
“Yeah, but then no one could see our cute outfits.” Keegan twirled around and laughed.
Anna looked up at the crescent moon in the dark sky and sighed. “I love this time of year. Halloween is the best day ever.”
“You know they say this house really is haunted. I wonder if it will be scary.” Lauren turned to face the girls as she walked backwards.
“Turn around before you hit Harry Potter.” Keegan laughed.
; Lauren turned to see the group of children dressed in various customs. The cutest was a tiny girl about two waddling in a big pumpkin outfit. Her little arms were sticking out on the sides. The costume was much too big, which only made her cuter.
“I wish we could get some of their candy.” Keegan eyed the pumpkins as they walked by.
“Keegan, you are always thinking about food. Don’t even think of taking candy from a kid.” Lauren shook her head. “Anyway, back to the haunted house. Aren’t you guys a little scared?” Lauren bit her lip, her eyes wide.
“It probably is haunted.” Anna shrugged. “We all know spirits are real. I heard a woman was murdered by her husband and her ghost still lives in the house.”
“How did he kill her?” Keegan looked at Anna curiously.
“Well, there are several stories, but the most common one she was found hanging at a height that meant there was no way she could have done it herself. It was over fifty years ago. I doubt it’s a true story.”
“That’s creepy. I think I’d be worried if her husband’s ghost was haunting the house.”
When they reached the house, the line was around the corner. A loud scream startled the girls, causing them all to laugh. Of course there was screaming, it was a haunted house after all.
“The house does look kinda scary,” Lauren whispered. She swallowed hard and wondered to herself if this really was a good idea.
Keegan looked up at the big grey house, shivering.
The paint was chipping off of the weathered walls. On the porch, an old rusty swing moved gently as if someone was in it. Some of the windows were cracked and a couple of shutters were barely holding on. Leaves floated all over the place despite the fact the breeze wasn’t very strong.
Suddenly, the screen door opened and slammed loudly, causing everyone waiting in line to jump.
Someone laughed. “Those are some good special effects.”
People relaxed and laughed.
An hour later, it was finally their turn to enter the house. Keegan grabbed a hold of her friends’ arms after they entered through the main door. Haunting music was blaring and cobwebs were all over the place. Once they turned the corner a screeching dude in a zombie mask jumped out at them.
“Wow, that was really pathetic.” Keegan rolled her eyes and they pushed by the zombie.
Cliché haunted house decorations were everywhere. Giant cotton spider-webs graced the doorways, while skeletons that rattled and moaned hung from the rafters. In one room, a strobe light flickered on walls splattered with red, and in another, a man dressed as a vampire threw open the lid to his coffin, startling them. Keegan had to grin at it all.
They came to another room with a long table. The ghoul behind it motioned for Keegan to come closer.
“Go ahead. Stick your hand in this bowl.”
The opening of the bowl was just big enough for a hand. Narrowing her eyes at the girl, Keegan did as she was told and squealed, jerking her hand out and wiping it on her legs.
“Eyeballs!” the ghoul cackled gleefully.
“It’s peeled grapes.” Anna sighed, bored, as she rummaged around inside the bowl.
The girls shared a laugh, relaxing as they tried the other bowls before moving forward in the haunted house.
“Ok, guys this is lame.” Anna put her hand on her hip and stared at them.
“We could make it more interesting.” Lauren leaned in as if she had a secret to tell.
“What do you have in mind now, Lauren?” Keegan raised an eyebrow.
“Well, they have the upstairs closed off, but I bet we could get up there unnoticed. It’s dark in here and everyone is occupied.”
“I like how you think.” Anna smirked.
No one was paying attention to them so they casually walked towards the stairs and quietly made their way up. The stair beneath Keegan’s boot made a loud creaking sound halfway to the top. It caused them all to giggle nervously.
Once they made it to the second floor, Keegan laced her arms through her friends’ and they shuffled down the long hallway, huddled close together. It was dark, but, thankfully, the glow from streetlights streamed through the windows giving a little illumination. The frightening music drifting up from the floor below gave Keegan the creeps.
“Maybe this wasn’t the best idea.” Lauren gripped their arms tighter.
“Shhh, be quiet.” Anna elbowed her.
A closed door waited for them at the end of the hallway.
“Should we open it?” Anna asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe we should just go back downstairs.” Lauren’s voice wavered.
“Let’s just peek in. We can’t sneak upstairs at a haunted house and just run back downstairs.” Keegan grasped the handle and pushed the door open.
It was a large, empty area with high ceilings and a beautiful crystal chandelier that swayed gently above the center of the room. The walls were wood-paneled, dark and dingy with several empty, built-in bookshelves.
Anna pushed Keegan through the door and followed behind her with Lauren hanging on to the back of her dress. They had only taken a few steps on the scarred, hardwood floor when the heavy door slammed shut behind them. Jumping, they exchanged wide eyed looks.
Lauren ran over and tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Planting one foot firmly against the wood, she grasped the antique door handle and tugged with all her might.
“You’re going to hurt yourself. Let me try.” Anna pushed Lauren to the side. Wrapping both hands around the doorknob, she jerked and twisted her body, groaning with the effort.
“If you guys can’t do it, I’m not going to bother,” Keegan joked when Anna finally pulled away.
“Guys, we’re locked in a haunted house. No one would even hear us if we tried to scream over the noise below.” Keegan wrapped her arms around herself and stared up at the chandelier.
“Do you think that is where the woman was hung?”
“Shut up, Anna! You’re freaking me out!” Lauren inched closer to Keegan.
“I wish we could see better. Try the light.” Anna reached over and flipped the switch, but nothing happened.
Anna laughed, closed her eyes, and willed the flames to rise from her palms. “We almost forgot I’m a witch. Ready made flashlights.” At least there was something she could do. Anna had just recently gained a mentor to teach her about her powers. It was a slow process and she had a long way to go.
“Well, use your witchy ways to get us the hell out of here,” Lauren’s voice cracked as she spoke.
“Wasn’t this your bright idea, Lauren?” Keegan glared at her and tried the door herself, but it still wouldn’t budge. She banged on the door and screamed. “Help us!” But no one came to their rescue.
“At least we can see better thanks to Anna.” Lauren sounded relieved.
Suddenly, the chandelier started swinging more forcefully. They watched it with their backs pressed against the wall. Keegan squeezed tight to Lauren whose entire body trembled. Anna’s hands were shaking, causing the flames to waiver.
“If there is a spirit in here, we are not scared of you,” Keegan loudly proclaimed. She hoped she sounded braver than she felt.
The door they had just come through open and shut quickly. Anna let out a scream, her flames disappearing from the loss of concentration, and Lauren grabbed Keegan’s arm with a death grip.
Keegan jumped then said quietly, “Ok, maybe we are a little scared.”
“Please, let us go. We were just having fun. We didn’t mean to disturb you.” Anna sunk down on the ground and circled her arms around her knees. “We’re sorry your husband killed you. My mother is a spirit walker. I’m sorry you have not been able to move to the other side.”
A beautiful woman materialized in front of the window. Her long black hair and wan skin shone in the pale light of the moon shining through the window.
As she floated slowly towards the girls, they involuntarily moved backwards. “What do you know about me?” Her voi
ce sounded musical to Keegan’s ears. How could something so scary be so beautiful?
“We have heard rumors that a woman was killed by her husband in this house and her ghost still haunts here.” Anna said meekly.
“That is all?” She sighed and looked up at the chandelier.
“Although, no one really believes the story. They think it was made up.” Anna’s voice sounded a little more sure this time.
“Your mother is a spirit walker?” The spirit asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
“Yes. She helps spirits crossover after death.” Anna smiled slightly, thinking of her mother.
“Do you think she could help me?” The spirit floated closer to the girls.
“How could she help you?” Anna scratched her head and stared at the spirit.
“She could take me through to the other side. I have been stuck in this house for over fifty years. The new owners are boring. It’s not even fun to scare them anymore. I swear if I have to spend one more day around those bratty kids…”
“Why didn’t you go after you died? What made you want to stay in this world?” Lauren wondered aloud.
Her jaw hardened and her fists clenched tightly at her sides. “I wanted to see if my husband paid for what he did to me.”
“Did he?” Keegan asked curiously.
“No, the bastard got off scot-free. They wrote my death off as a suicide. I haunted him until he eventually died of old age. After that, I could no longer cross over. I think I might have missed my chance. It makes me so angry to think he was able to cross over and I am stuck here.”
Lauren looked up. “You can’t leave this house?”
“No, I died here and this is where I have to stay, since I refused to go when my spirit walker came for me at my death. I have regretted it for years.”
“I’m going to call my mom, if that’s ok?” Anna opened her phone and stared at the woman.
The woman nodded her head and Anna called her mother and explained the situation. Anna closed her phone and said, “She is on her way over.”
“Why didn’t we use our cell phones to begin with?” Lauren groaned.
“Because we were too scared to think straight.” Keegan laughed.
“This is so cool.” Lauren clasped her hands together and grinned.