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The pattering sounds of rain cease. I glance up, peering out the window. Rain continues falling, but so slowly it seems stuck in motion. The time is… wait.
My watch says it is 25:00. That’s…strange.
Both curious and apprehensive, I get out of bed.
“Dad!”
I spot him in his recliner staring blankly at the dark TV screen.
The pendulum on the grandfather clock is frozen halfway up a swing. Abruptly, the old clock dongs, and I count exactly thirteen chimes! Then, an eerie low invisible voice speaks.
“The Peoples’ Time has come to quite a crawl,
But you, Lilly, this curse dares not to befall
For each October My hungry ghosts must be fed,
You must meet their needs before going to bed
Give them sweets and they’ll be no danger
My directions cannot be any plainer
Their appetites arise this month at peculiar times,
hurry now, they hate to eat their meals after more than thirteen chimes
Dare to dawdle, and things won’t go well,
The world’s time may not continue to run so swell”
“Feed ghosts! What do you mean, things won’t go well?”
Silence. I shake, suddenly overcome with chills. Why am I not frozen in time like everything else? Why me?
The doorbell rings with hideous volume. Scurrying over, I peer through the peephole, trembling. Outside lies an open black metal box. A note sprawled with blood red ink reads,
We want sugar.
Fearfully, I rush back to the kitchen, snatching the last two Oreos from the jar. I nearly drop them as I reach the front door, dreading the thought of opening it. The rain continues to drip down like falling slugs. Before any evil ghosts attack, I rip open the door, toss the cookies into the open box and retreat back inside. I wipe my brow, relieved.
Within moments, I hear scuffling and whishing sounds. Somehow, I know it is the ghosts devouring the cookies. With a weary sigh, I slump to the ground, resting my head against the door.
Thank goodness I’ve survived the first night of October. But how will I ever do thirty more?
The clock starts ticking again.
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