by Ash Krafton
***
The park activities had begun. Orange lights were zigzagged across the gazebo and music was playing. Kids were lined up for the costume judging, squirming and chattering and not listening to the moderator who demanded a straight line.
Princess’s, mermaids, fairies, monsters; all were represented for inspection and prizes.
Steve and Billy joined the end of the line. They stood still and didn’t say a word to each other while two young spacemen in front of them battled it out with light sabers.
“Hey, look, I’m sorry we ended up there. I didn’t mean to; well, maybe I did. It’s just a part of Halloween, Ya know?” Billy confessed.
“Yeah, I know.” Steve replied.
“Hey, really, if my dad knew I was out there fooling around he’d have my hide, no kidding.” Billy laughed nervously.
“Yeah, me too.” Steve said.
The winners were chosen and received a crisp new five dollar bill. The best of all was the most original. Pete Davis won for that. He came as a bed. He held two long sticks and at the end of each stick was a big rubber foot sticking out from a bedcover. He had on a nightcap and a phony nose and was wearing a shirt with two stuffed arms folded across the bed cover. Two fake rubber hands at the end of the shirt sleeves finished the look. The adults loved it and gave him a standing ovation. His mom was nearby and clapped even louder.
“Gee, that was the best costume I’ve ever seen.” Billy praised Pete.
“Thanks, it was my mom’s idea; she helped me put it all together.”
Steve walked over to one of the picnic tables and sat down with a donut. It wasn’t long before a big black Labrador padded up to him to beg for a piece.
“Oh come on Bingo, you’ve had enough tonight and donuts aren’t good for dogs.” Steve reprimanded.
But Bingo wouldn’t take no for an answer and flung a huge paw on his masters lap.
“Okay, one small piece; that’s all you get.”
Steve pinched off a piece of the donut and Bingo patiently waited while his master plopped it into his mouth.
Mr. Arnold the moderator looked over amused.
“Hey Steve, I wouldn’t give him anymore. He’s been around everyone tonight begging. You know sugar’s not good for animals.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s all you get Bingo, you better head home.” Steve pointed towards their house.
Bingo whined and started for home; then he stopped suddenly just outside the park and looked down the street towards the cemetery.
“Bingo! Go home boy.” Steve yelled.
Bingo looked back at Steve then took off after something Steve couldn’t see.
Billy was having a ball running around the park flipping up capes, tearing off masks and generally having a good time.
He started over to the scarecrow contest when he saw Steve starting to walk out of the park.
“Hey Steve, it’s too early to go home, come on, let’s knock the head off the scarecrow, ya get a prize.”
Just as Steve reached the entrance Bingo padded up to him and acted like nothing had happened.
“Okay boy, was it a cat? Now go on home.” Steve pointed towards home again, and then went to join Billy.
They walked over to the contest but the older boys had better pitching arms.
Some parents were starting to show up to collect their little mermaids and star fighters. One sleeping beauty was fast asleep on a picnic bench with her crown half on and half off. Her star wand was lying on the ground and she was sleepily clutching her bag of candy.
Everyone was sorry to see the evening end. The boys started for home when someone yelled that Mr. Simpson was handing out free ice cream cones.
“Let’s go!” Billy shouted.
They ran across front yards, taking short cuts, jumping over hedges, crashing into recently planted mums; then out onto the main street. It was just a short trip to Mr. Simpson’s store, but he’d be closing soon.
Billy and Steve were the last two to get free ice cream cones. Mr. Simpson handed the two cones over to the boys and then locked up his store. There were still some kids hanging around eating their cones. Steve and Billy joined them on the front steps of the store. Two of the senior high boys were there also; they looked at Billy and Steve’s costumes and laughed.
“Well, what do we have here, marvel and dc comics, both represented, couldn’t you guys think of anything more original?”
“No, we’re just in it for the candy.” Billy answered.
“Figures, these idiots are a couple of rejects; let’s go.” The seniors just shook their heads and walked up the street still laughing.
“Oh yeah?” Billy yelled at them.
“Good comeback.” Steve laughed.
The two of them got up and slowly started walking home.
“So, we had fun tonight didn’t we?” Steve remarked.
“Yeah, we had a lot of fun.” Billy slapped Steve on the back. But next year, let’s not both be heroes, okay?”
“You could have asked.” Steve slapped him back.
Walking up the street, they saw something lying by the side of the road.
“Hey, what’s that?” The boys hurried to take a closer look.
When they reached the thing lying on the side of the road they stepped back.
What they saw was the grossest, scariest sight they’d ever seen.
“Oh gees Billy, it’s a hand.” Steve turned white as a sheet.
“No way, it’s got to be fake. Oh I know; it’s one of Pete’s fake hands. He’s probably around here somewhere. Come out Pete, we know you planted this.”
But Pete was nowhere. Again, they heard the growl and the wicked laugh.
“I think it’s real, look at all the blood on it.” Steve said shaking.
“That’s why it’s got to be fake, stupid.” Billy laughed nervously.
“Prove it.” Steve said backing even further away. “Pick it up.”
“Okay, sure; I’ll show you, you big coward.”
Billy walked over and started to pick up the severed hand.
It was ice cold; then, suddenly one of the fingers started to move.
"Argh...” Billy shouted and dropped the hand.
Both boys screamed and ran as fast as their legs could take them.
The hand was up at once, on its fingers, and was following them at great speed.
The boys kept looking behind them, but it was still coming.
Steve’s cheeks were turning red and his eyes were burning. Billy could hardly keep up as they ran to the nearest place they could think of that might still be open. The firehouse always had its big main door rolled up for trick or treaters. The firemen were great at handing out candy to the neighborhood kids.
“Nate! Hey Nate, don’t close the door!” Steve yelled.
Nate Zook was a retired fireman who knew just about everyone in town. He was just getting ready to press the lever that would slowly close the firehouse doors.
Nate turned to see two boys scared out of their wits running for the firehouse.
As soon as the boys were safely inside he pressed the lever and the door slowly came down.
“Faster, faster Nate!” Steve cried.
“Whoa, what’s going on with you two boys?”
“It’s…chasing…us!” Billy managed to gasp out.
“Okay, what’s chasing you?” Nate laughed.
“It’s no joke; it’s a horrible, grisly thing.” Steve cried.
“Okay, once again, what’s chasing you?” Nate asked.
Billy and Steve looked at each other. Who’s going to believe them? Come on, it’s Halloween; no body’s going to believe them.
The boys sat down on the folded chairs and planted their hands on their knees.
“You won’t believe us.” Billy said looking down.
“So,
give me a try.” Nate sat down on one of the metal chairs beside them.
Steve looked around the firehouse.
“Where are the rest of the firemen?” Steve asked.
“They’ve all gone home. And I’d like to be starting off myself, now boys, what’s going on? Should I call your folks?”
“No, we don’t want anything to happen to them too.” Billy whispered.
“All right, we’ll tell you what happened tonight.” Steve said still shaking.
So the boys gave Nate the whole story from the beginning almost to the end of their Halloween adventure that night.
“After we ate the ice cream cones, we started for home, but we saw something lying on the side of the road and went over to check it out.”
“What did you see?” Nate asked.
They were about to tell him, but someone started to knock on the firehouse door.
“Now who’s that at this hour?” Nate got up and started toward the lever.
“Hey, there’s no more candy to hand out, you better get home!” He shouted as he walked to the door.
“No! No! Don’t open it!” Both boys jumped up yelling at Nate.
“Now boys, this is going too far.” Nate hesitated.
He saw the stark fear on both their faces and decided to look out one of the windows to the door first.
“Well, I guess they gave up ‘cause there’s nobody there.” He said coming back to sit down.
But as soon as he sat down, the knocking started again.
“Nate, please, you’ve got to understand. It’s waiting for us. It’s out there waiting for us. What are we going to do?” Steve said, wringing his hands.
“What did you see? And what do you think is waiting for you out there?”
“A severed hand, a bloody severed hand; that can move all by itself.” Billy said.
Nate looked at Billy, then at Steve, and then he went silent.
The knocking continued; three slow knocks, a pause, and then three more.
Nate turned white as a sheet. He was still silent when both boys got up and looked around the firehouse.
“We’ve got to hide; we’ve got to find a place to hide until the sun comes up maybe.” Billy whispered.
“What about our parents? They’ll be out looking for us.” Steve reminded him.
Billy turned to Nate who hadn’t said a word after they mentioned the hand.
“Nate! What’s wrong, don’t you believe us?” Billy asked him.
“I believe you.” Nate answered quietly.
The boys walked over to him and knelt down in front of him.
“Why do you believe us?” Steve asked warily.
Nate looked down at Steve.
“I just do. I don’t want to go into it right now. Has either of you boys been near the cemetery tonight?”
Billy looked at Steve with a guilty expression on his face.
“Yeah, I kind of tricked Steve into going.”
“That’s it, then. It’s awake and it won’t go away until it takes someone with it.”
“Nate, this isn’t a prank, this isn’t a joke.” Billy cried angrily.
“If you’re trying to scare us….” Billy continued.
“I think that thing on the other side of the door is doing a pretty good job of scaring all three of us.” Nate said solemnly.
He slowly got up and walked over to the phone on the wall.
He called his home and when his wife picked up, he told her he would be late, that he and the boys were telling ghost stories and was having a pretty good time of it. He sounded as normal as he could, trying not to alarm her.
“Now, you each need to call your parents and tell them you’re spending the night at the other’s house, if it’s okay with them. I hope it works.” Nate shook his head and walked away from the phone.
Steve went first. He called his house and his mom answered.
“Hi mom, if it’s okay with you I’m spending the night at Billy’s. Yeah, I’ll borrow a pair of his pajamas. I’m fine; we’re having fun. Okay, love you too mom.”
He hung up the phone feeling guilty and desperately wishing he were home right now with his mom and dad.
“Hey, it’s me. Is it okay if I spend the night at Steve’s? Yeah, I’ll be home early tomorrow morning. I’ll be fine dad. Love you too.” Billy hung up feeling just as guilty.
“Now what?” Steve asked.
“Both of you get up inside number 3 engine.”
Both boys scrambled up inside the cab of number 3. They sat in the huge seat feeling very small and scared to death.
Nate put on one of the firemen’s suits and a helmet, took an extra extinguisher off the wall and on second thought picked up a five gallon tub and put both on the engine.
He jumped into the cab of the engine and started it up; then he pressed the lever to the firehouse door.
“Hold on tight, boys.” Nate yelled.
Slowly the door ascended. Nothing was there. But all three knew it was just a matter of time that the grisly hand would appear again and start the chase.
This time when number 3 engine left the firehouse, there were no sirens or blinking, twirling lights.
The red giant with its ladders and hoses slowly moved out of the firehouse and turned onto the street.
“Where are we going?” Billy asked.
“We’re leading it home.” Nate said looking straight ahead.
The cemetery was only about a mile outside of town. It would not take long to reach their destination. Nate just hoped the hand would follow and not plot another way to get to the boys.
“It’s gone.” Billy whispered.
At that second with a horrible thump, the hand hit the window on the boys’ side.
Both boys screamed with terror; then slid across the seat to get as close to Nate as possible.
What they hadn’t seen before was in the palm of the hand was an eye. The color was a watery, slimy green with blood red veins streaking out from it. It was looking at them, watching their every move.
“Don’t look at it! Look at me if you have to, but don’t look at it!” Nate yelled.
Blood started dripping from the eye running down the window of the cab.
“Go away!” Steve screamed.
Billy buried his head against Nate’s shoulder.
The hand started to slowly move downward towards the handle of the engine door.
“Is that door locked?” Nate yelled.
Steve pushed the lock button a second before they all heard the handle clicking up and down.
Nate was getting closer to the outskirts of town and the cemetery would be coming up on the right side of the road soon.
They traveled down the dark road with ancient trees and gnarled branches reaching out for them.
The handle stopped clicking and the hand disappeared.
“Okay boys, we’re almost there. Now, I need you two boys to…” Nate started.
The hand pounced on the windshield of the engine directly in front of Nate. He swerved all over the road but couldn’t see where he was going until he hit the Iron Gate of the entrance to the cemetery. The fire engine continued rolling through the gate and into the tombstones, knocking many of them over, it finally came to rest on a large slab with a huge angel looking down on it.
When the engine finally stopped, Nate hit his head on the side window and was knocked out.
“What? What are we suppose to do Nate?” Billy shook him.
Nate was unresponsive and the hand was pounding on the windshield.
Luckily the windshield was still intact, but if the hand continued, it wouldn’t be long before it would crash through.
“It…it wants us, we’ve got to get out of here and lead it away from Nate. We shouldn’t have gotten him involved.” Billy said.
“Are you crazy? I’m not getting out of this cab, no way!
” Steve cried.
“I’m afraid too; I’ve never been this scared in my life. This is my fault; I brought this on. Oh man, I’m gonna pass out unless we get out of here. I don’t want to look at it anymore. “Billy said nervously.
“Hey, I’m no hero, I say we stay here until someone drives by and sees the engine.” Steve suggested still shaking.
The hand started to slowly inch its way across the windshield and back to the window on the boys’ side; the eye watching them as it traveled.
“I hate this!” Steve screamed.
All of a sudden something reached up and grabbed the hand.
The boys heard growling.
They both looked out the window of the engine and both screamed at the same time.
“Bingo!”
“Get it boy! Kill it Bingo!” The boys cheered him on.
Bingo’s mighty jaws were wrapped around the hand. His fang jabbing the center of the eye, he continued to growl and shake the hideous object.
But the hand was unbelievably strong and was able to break free of Bingo’s jaws. It grabbed the dog around the throat and started to choke him.
“No!” The boys yelled as Bingo started gasping for breath and fell to the ground.
They jumped out of the engine cab and each of them grabbed large sticks and started beating the hand that was strangling the life out of Bingo.
“No, no, stop it!” Steve cried.
When the dog no longer moved the hand turned and started towards the boys.
They were both moving slowly backwards as the hand crept towards them.
Nate came around the corner of the engine and started spraying the hand with the fire extinguisher. The hand quickly started running towards a hollow in one of the old trees surrounding the cemetery.
It was almost frozen as the fingers stiffly climbed the tree to the hole. Just as it made it inside the hole, Nate continued to spray it until there was nothing left in the tank.
“Boys, run and get the large plastic white bucket in the back of the engine.” Nate hollered as he watched the fingers try to move.
The boys grabbed the bucket and hurried back to the tree, as Nate put the tank down and opened the plastic container.
Inside was a putty knife and about five lbs of quick set cement.
Nate shoved the hand further into the hole with the handle of the putty knife and started slapping cement into the hole. When the hole was completely filled he added even more.
While Nate was filling up the hole in the tree, the boys slowly and sorrowfully walked back to Bingo lying on the ground.
He wasn’t moving.
Steve sat down beside Bingo, tears running down his cheeks. He stroked the soft furry body of his best friend and lay down beside him.
“Move aside boys, Steve get up and move out of the way.” Nate demanded.
Nate was holding the first aid kit that was standard with every fire engine; only this one had an oxygen mask in it with a small tank.
He put one hand over the other and pressed on Bingo’s chest. Then he put the mask over Bingo’s nose and turned on the oxygen tank. He continued to press on Bingo’s chest and then listened for any sign of a heartbeat.
Billy put his arm around Steve and said. “He saved our lives.”
Nate once again listened for a heartbeat. But what he heard was a low moan coming from deep inside Bingo. Very slowly he adjusted the oxygen.
Bingo tried to get up, but fell back down.
“Bingo! He’s alive!” Steve leaned down and started to hug him.
“Come on boys, let’s try to get this engine started and get this dog to the vet right away.”
Nate picked up Bingo and carried him to the cab.
“Get in Steve; I’ll put Bingo on your lap.”
Billy got in first and Steve was next. Nate laid the poor dog across both boys’ laps and hurried to the other side of the cab.
He started up the engine and put it in reverse.
At first it sputtered and died.
Once again he started it up, this time it backed up with a vengeance and before they knew it they were rattling down the road back to town.
John Francella was the town vet and according to everyone he was the best vet in the world.
Someone pounding on his door late at night was something he was use to.
Seeing Nate was a bit surprising, but welcome.
“Well, what do we have here Nate?” John asked reaching out to help lift the dog from the boys’ arms.
“Long story John; let’s just get Bingo inside so you can have a look at him.”
“Please Dr. John, please save him!” Steve cried.
“I’ll do all that I can Steve, I’m not promising anything; so what happened to him did he get hit by a car?” John asked.
“Boys, please stay out here in the waiting room, okay? I’ll call you the minute Bingo’s out of danger.” Nate said.
As soon as Bingo was on the examining table John examined his throat.
Bingo’s eyes were open and he was somewhat alert; but he was definitely not himself yet.
“What happened?” John asked listening to Bingo’s heartbeat.
“It’s been forty years John. Forty; but it’s awake again.” Nate said stroking the black silk of the big noble dog.
“No…” John whispered, looking at Nate with fear.
“Yes, I don’t know how or why. I didn’t tell the boys the whole truth about it. I told them a little bit, I can’t tell them the whole story, but John, it chased them and it tried to kill this big guy here.” Nate kept his voice low.
John went to his cabinet and took out a syringe. He took a small vial and pulling the medicine into the syringe he took the scruff of Bingo’s neck and plunged the needle in. He rubbed the dogs’ neck where he gave him the shot and Bingo started to whine.
“Quiet boy.” John said gently rubbing the dogs’ nose.
Nate sat down in the nearest chair and closed his eyes.
“Where is it now?” John asked.
“It went back into the tree, but I got it good with the fire extinguisher and it was pretty frozen when it landed in the hole. Then I filled up the hole with quick drying cement. I hope that holds it for a while.” Nate said.
“Yeah, for a while. That damned old gypsy! She’s dead, long dead; why now after all these years?”
“You know John? It’s not going to get out, I promise you. I smacked so much cement into that hole, it can’t possibly get out.” Nate assured him.
“Yeah, we thought that before.” John said continuing to stroke Bingo.
“Well, our big pal here is a hero; just like the Major was for us. He saved those boys lives and probably mine too. You know, I think that thing thought Steve and Billy was us; that’s not good. We need to keep everyone away from the cemetery next Halloween.” Nate got up and went over to pat the dogs’ head.
"I think it was out and ready, way before those boys woke it up." John said with a grimace.
"You may be right. Lot's of kids out tonight, running and screaming. Yeah, you could be right, it might have been waiting all along." Nate said.
“Uh, sorry, but we can’t wait any more, is he going to be all right?” Steve asked, quietly entering the examining room with Billy close behind.
“Yep, old Bingo here might have a sore throat for a while, but I think he’s gonna be fine. Try to keep him indoors for a couple of days and feed him soft food.” John instructed.
“Did Nate tell you what happened tonight?” Steve asked as he went over to hug Bingo.
“Yeah, he told me.” John replied.
“And you believed him?” Billy asked amazed.
“Boys, there are things in this world that are unexplainable. And what happened to you boys tonight, well, it’s better that you just don’t discuss it with anyone.
“No one!” Nate added.
&n
bsp; “Don’t worry; everyone would just make fun of us anyhow. No one would believe it.” Billy said.
“Yeah, and I don’t think I’m even gonna go trick or treating next year. I know I’m not going near that cemetery or tree ever again.” Steve said laying his head down on Bingo.
“That goes for me too.” Billy agreed.
“Okay boys, why don’t we let Bingo spend the night and I’ll make sure he’s okay before you come and take him home.” John said.
“Yeah, that’s okay; I’m supposed to be spending the night at Billy’s anyhow.”
“Boys, go get into the cab and I’ll be right out.”
“Uh, well; okay but please don’t be long.” Billy pleaded.
“I won’t, I’ll be right there.”
Both boys left reluctantly, looking all around them, while slowly walking out the office door.
Nate heard the sound of the boys climbing into the cab of the engine.
“Hey, should we tell Frank and Slim about this?” John asked.
“No, I think Slim would have a heart attack, if he knew that filthy thing was back. No, we don’t tell anyone.” Nate was adamant.
“Look, it’s over for this year. It was Halloween last time; remember? Well, it’s over now. Everything’s gonna be okay. But, next year, we’ll be ready.” Nate patted John on the back and thanked him for taking care of Bingo.
Nate climbed up into the cab and started up the engine.
It was nearly midnight, and the boys were both eager to get to their own homes and their warm beds.
Nate reminded them of keeping this whole night a secret and they solemnly agreed.
He left them off at their homes and headed back to the station.
Dorothy would not be happy with him and probably wouldn’t believe he spent most of the night at the firehouse. But there was no alternative. This fright night was over and the secret of that thing in the tree was once again safe.
+++
The tree stood massive and strong as it had for over two hundred years. It’s gnarled branches twisting, bending and reaching against the night sky. Casting shadows against an October moon. The knotty hole that held secrets was now patched and filled, but there seemed to be a small hole through the cement where the very tip of a finger could be seen. Was it moving?
