Episode 2: Trick or treat

After Mandisa drove off and Kacey shuffled towards her front door, but paused midway. She dragged in a deep breath and let out a wolf-like howl. It's something she did as a child, unaware of what prompted her to do so, but was a great way to relieve stress. She giggled at herself though, sure that no one would have bothered her about, not any more. As her mother would always complain about Kacey grunting and howling around their home. 

"At least do it in your room!" Natalie would have yelled at Kacey from her safe haven, the kitchen and a place where mother and daughter bonded over recipes and various baking techniques. 

Her neighborhood was a quiet area, most families were never home and very few opted for pets or guard dogs. Just in case, Kacey searched around herself for any person that may be outside. She never felt alone, a fear of despair crept in, and in almost an attempt to escape the feeling she rushed inside.

Kacey made a beeline for the fridge and chugged down orange juice, she was always lazy of the process of getting out a glass and drank straight from the glass jug, the cold liquid refreshing as it went down. She settles the jug on the counter and reaches for her phone in her back pocket. In much need of a conversation, she called Alison on her phone.

"Hey, Ali, you there," she questioned, but only met with a shaky breath, breathing heavily in and out.

Kacey walked over to her room leaving the glass jug behind and a slanted cross was planted on it. She lay on her bed with her phone in regular position against her ear. The sound hadn't been alarming for her, if anything she seemed to oddly recognize it.

"Ali, I hope you're not doing anything while on the phone with me again," she said, peeved.

"Kacey," a whisper of a voice, laced in a sympathetic tone, called for her.

Hearing her name, sent cold shivers throughout her body and propped her like a lifeless puppet positioned straight up by string.

She stayed seated in on her bed, heart racing and adrenaline rush made her wide-eyed. In a short breath, she managed to say,

"Hello?"

"Yeah, so like, Uncle Mac says everything is set to go. It seems all that should be done is sign paperwork, which I'll send through email, and after you can move any time. I was thinking that maybe I'll check it out with you, but at the same time, my assignments are piling up wayyy bad and..." Alison chirped in conversation, but later trailed off after no response.

"Helloooo!" winced Alison through the phone and pulled from her thoughts.

"Okay, so just send the papers over and I'll sign them," Kacey replied and surprisingly managed to stay calm.

"Yeah, also when are you going to move to New England, I mean with your study's luckily you're almost finished, right?" she questioned though received a quizzical screech from Kacey.

"Wha- what do you mean by move to New England?" she asked in an almost devastated tone.

Alison explained that, the mansion she had inherited was located inland, New England. Kacey began to giggle in an almost trance like state. She flopped back to lie in bed, and told Alison she'll call back later.

After she hung up, her laughter subsided and eyelids grew heavy.

She hazily drifted into a deep sleep, the previous memory she recalled in her car crept in silently like a broken record replayed, and in a more vivid light.

Kacey noticed a familiar presence lurking behind her mother's shadow as she chased after her. A sort of mirage that mirrored her mother's movements and seemed to float about as the spectra that swayed back and forth.

Kacey awoke from her nap in darkness that left her head throbbing. The sun had gone down, and the evening ambience set in. She felt a swirl of emotions, from anxious to fearful, and all for something that seemed to have slipped her mind. She got out of bed, proceeded to turn on the lights in each room, and settled on the living room couch.

Her hands ruffled through her hair, brought down to her face, slapping her cheeks hard.

"What is going on?!" Kacey exclaimed aloud.

A beeping sound went off in one of the rooms, recognizing that it's her phone, she rushed to her bedroom. An email notification from Alison Jones, read across her screen.

Kacey's face lit up as she regained haphazard memories and pondered on them.

The first was an email regarding papers for the mansion, she left her bedroom and into the living room once more. Second was a car accident, "Gotta make a call for it tomorrow morning," she said out loud to herself.

While pacing back and forth in circles on the rug, adding thirdly, "dream memory before the accident turned creepy a few hours ago before the nap," spoken with an irked shiver.

"Fourth, something to do with my phone?" she asked quizzically and with a loud groan she said, "New England!"

She plopped against the couch and grabbed a beige pillow to hold on to for comfort.

'Ding Dong'

The front door's bell went off and followed by muffled patting knocks. Kacey got up the couch, choosing to take her 'comfort' pillow with her to the kitchen. The two boys outside wondered if anyone was home, and the one who preferred knocking on the door with his palm rather than fist yelled, though cut off when the door swung open.

"TRIC-!" he began to say, though his voice broke in falsetto after seeing Kacey. The boy beside him broke out in laughter and finished his jingle in the same enthusiasm, "TRICK OR TREAT!," holding out an orange jack-o-lantern plastic bucket.

The boy next to him's voice followed along after and Kacey queried, "What exactly are you supposed to be?," to 'squeaky' boy.

He replied confidently, "A scarecrow," the boy wore stripped checkered jumpsuit- style overalls, yellow straw stuffed inside the pants, white dress shirt, and a large straw hat on his head. Kacey looked down and noted him barefoot, and before she asked, he answered with a grin, "Oh, scarecrows don't have feet."

Despite, herself, she let out a giggle and nodded her head in agreement.

"Vampire," the other added while holding his red and black cape out.

"Of course," she smiled.

After she generously poured their chocolate and candy, the two mentioned that they were in their freshman year and were off to attend the party afterward their rounds. Kacey explained that she had a lot going on and bluntly stated she was far too old. The vampire boy hadn't believed her, as her short height of one forty-nine centimeters, made her seem short of a year or two older than them.

"Yeah, there was something in water before you guys were born. I'm sure of it," said Kacey awkwardly to the two fourteen-year-old boys who towered over her.

After leaving, Kacey noticed straw falling from the boy's pants and was certain he knew of it, though hadn't minded it. She closed her door, ate her meal that she made of a veggie salad and T- bone steak, had a bath and sent off the signed paperwork to Alison. The weekend had just rolled in, and a much-needed attention to her assignments would keep her busy.

While turning off all the lights in her home, with a towel in hand, used to scrunch and dry off her hair. The last light she headed to turn off was in the living room, Kacey flicked the switch down and as it faded an eerie atmosphere that shrouded her life became something to be concerned for.

The next two days for Kacey was spent snacking on takeout pizza and desserts, her surroundings a clutter of books and pages, and the occasional getting up to hand out Halloween candy. Her workstation had been in the living room and sleep-sector the couch.

The weekend had come to a close, she got a call from the mechanics (one she forgot to call), her car had no damage, and they would drop it off at her home. 'One less thing on her hands', she thought.

Kacey managed to complete all pending assignments, after tidying up the mess of her living room she decided to end her day eating a tub of infamous Mr. Qpids chocolate fudge ice- cream. Her tub in hand, she kicks open the door to her room and a room she forgot to clean up.

"Still looks like crap, Aunt El!" she yells while settling in the middle of her bed with thick blankets wrapped around her.