” Kelby, ” my wife was whispering into the dark next to me, ” Kelby, are you awake?”

It was way past midnight, close to three in the morning. I was hoping if I just laid still and kept breathing slow she’d think I was asleep and I wouldn’t have to go through this with Francie again.

” Kelby.” she touched my shoulder and then took her hand away. ” Kelby can you hear me? I had that dream again and it’s freaking me out.”

Freaking her out? I thought. That’s a laugh. Nothing freaks Francie out. It’s not in her nature to freak out.

She used to asleep at horror movies. She’s always asking me how they end. It’s pretty annoying as you can imagine. She likes to hold the popcorn bucket so when she falls asleep the bucket usually slides off of her knees and if I don’t catch it, no popcorn.

It got to be a waste of money, she never saw the entire film and they don’t give away that popcorn as you know.

Francie powered on like it didn’t matter if I was awake or asleep or even in the room.

” It’s that dream where I think I’m dead and then I think I’m awake and bonus-  I’m alive and someone, sometimes it’s you or Lily from down the street will tell me, ” But Francie, we buried you yesterday. Shouldn’t you be in your coffin?

And then I wake up and it goes around and around. It’s enough to make me crazy. ”

There’s this little catch in Francie’s voice and I feel like an award winning jerk. She’s scared and I’m pretending to sleep.

I turn over and she has her back to me.

” I’m sorry Francie. I’m sorry you’re having that crazy dream. But you’re awake and this is no dream and you’re going to be fine.”

Francie pulls the blanket over her shoulder and she says to me,  ” I’m not dreaming. I know I’m not dreaming. I know I’m awake. And I know this Kelby. You’re not here. We buried you yesterday and you’re in your coffin.”

 

 

 

RDP Thursday: EUPHORIA

My plastic jack-o-lanterns, the ones with the crooked black smiles

are stuffed with chocolates  shaped like bones and eyeballs

and something called gummi worms

which in my opinion

are not as tasty or interesting as the real thing.

 

My costume is set out on my bed upstairs.

It took me all year  to decide on the perfect costume and it came in the mail just

yesterday.

 

I’m going to be Grandma with a blue wig and wire framed glasses  and my cat is going to

be the  Big Bad Wolf and my dog is

going to be Little Red Riding Hood with bouncy blond curls.

 

I do not think that they like their costumes. When I pulled them out of their packages

and held them up they ran under the dining room table and when I walk by they snap

their heads away from me and my dog jingles his collar and my cat spits.

 

” Where is your Spirit boys? It’s Halloween!” I scolded them.

 

From their temporary home under my dining room table

my dog turns his face away and my cat- who never has a problem with voicing his

disapproval or anger with me says, ” Probably being exorcised by a Priest- as you

very well know.”

 

” We will take care of that later, ” I promise. ” But tonight  it is Halloween and we have

other things to do. Like have fun for starters. “

 

I go to the front door, open it just a crack and I make sure no on is outside.

All clear.

I open the door wider and step out onto  the Halloween welcome mat with the  (REALLY?)

smiling witch ( there is no such creature as a smiling witch, trust me  on this one )

and jump up and down on it.

 

I can hear a the gears that work the trapdoor lock into place and hold.

Oh joy. This is really going to work.

 

I go back in and as I shut the door.

A tingle rushes up and down my spine and my mouth

starts to water.

Euphoria

 bliss,

every single star in the Universe is lining up  for me and my friends under the dining

room table

because

 it is

Halloween at last

and we are ready for-

you.