Well, my pets, today is All Hallows Eve.  Tonight, little witches, goblins, ghosts, faeries, and other costumed children will be out in force, making their way from house to house in search of sweets.  But beware, my pretties...  Beware the

Intruder!

The house was dark except for the diffused light coming through one of the bedroom windows and spilling out into the hallway.  Roger was quietly snoring, and both the cats were curled up around our feet, sleeping soundly.  The quiet ticking of the clock in my office counted off the seconds of the endless night, offsetting the alternate humming and silence from the refrigerator.

Laying on my side in bed, staring at the glowing red numbers of the digital clock on my bedside dresser, I listened to the familiar, comforting sounds of the house, hoping they would soothe me to sleep.  Then, just as I felt myself slide into slumber, a sudden, unfamiliar sound brought me wide awake, with my heart hammering painfully in my chest.

Trying not to breathe too loudly, I waited for the sound to repeat itself.  I wasn't disappointed.

A loud clanking, as if something had been dropped on the kitchen floor, nearly sent me through the roof.  I looked at Roger to see if he'd been awakened by the sound, but he was fast asleep, still snoring.  Looking closer, I saw that he had his earplugs in, and I knew the only way he would wake up was if I shook him awake.  I didn't wake him.  Instead, I tried to get a bead on what the noise was.  When the bang came again, I knew it wasn't the pipes or the furnace clanking;  someone was in our house!

Carefully and quietly, I got out of bed and put on my robe and slippers.  As I tiptoed around the foot of the bed, I glanced at the cats, surprised that they were still sleeping like there was nothing wrong.

I reached the doorway of the bedroom, and another loud bang came, making me jump out of my skin and nearly yelp with fright.  But something didn't seem quite right about the situation; I didn't know what, exactly, wasn't right, but I knew I had to remain silent.

Slowly, cautiously, quietly, I worked my way down the hallway towards the kitchen.  I could hear the intruder moving things as if searching my cupboards and drawers, and I hoped that whoever it was wasn't looking for a knife.  I heard the refrigerator door open and close; then, I heard the jingling of Roger's keys, which I knew were on the dining room table.  By this time, the blood was roaring so loudly in my ears that I feared it would alert the intruder to my presence.  But, I pushed on, as determined as I was terrified to catch whoever was invading our home.

When I finally managed to reach the kitchen, I nearly fainted in shock.  Before me stood a tall, pale, almost translucent man in 18th-century clothing. And he was rummaging through my kitchen cupboards!

I opened my mouth to yell, but nothing came out.  I tried to make my feet move towards him, but they'd suddenly grown roots and I was frozen to the spot. I'd felt the drop in air temperature just before I'd reached the kitchen, but my fright was so overwhelming that I couldn't even shiver.  And every hair on my body was standing on end...

As if hearing the thoughts racing through my head, the man suddenly stopped what he was doing, and then slowly turned around to face me.  When I saw the look in his eyes, I felt my heart stutter, and the thought that people really can be literally scared to death crossed my mind at almost the same time as the thought that I was about to die.

Unable to move or call for help, I watched, terrified, as the man approached me, his anger very clearly written on his face.

"HOLLY!" he shouted, his voice loud in my head.  "HOLLY!"

Suddenly, I felt my body being shaken - not hard, but hard enough to get my attention - and my name being called with each shake.

And then.....

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I opened my eyes, and saw Roger sitting beside me, shaking me gently, calling my name, telling me it was time to wake up!


I hope you've enjoyed this year's Fright Month.  Sharing the stories of S.E. Schlosser, as well as a couple of my own personal experiences, has been a real joy and privilege for me,  and I hope to do this again next year.  Have a fun, safe, and very happy Halloween, everyone, and PLEASE DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!