HOME | DD

Description
Another Fright
Kevin couldn’t believe it when Karl told him he didn’t know much about modern-day Hallowe’en. He knew the stories, of course – that it was a celebration in the ‘Old Calendar’ when people would commemorate the passing of loved ones, and that it was a time when the veil between this world and the next was at its thinnest – but other than that, he couldn’t understand why people ‘celebrated’ such a sombre time of the year. Kevin had to explain that, thanks to commercialisation, it was a time when people dressed up in scary costumes and generally used the date as an excuse to have a good time. Sure, it was mainly for kids to dress up, wander around their neighbourhoods, knocking on the doors of neighbours, shouting “trick or treat” and being rewarded for their costume efforts with candy, but adults liked to enjoy it too.

Karl’s expression was still one of bemusement, but he was happy to agree to meet Kevin in town for a night of fun.

It was close to eight in the evening when Kevin found himself standing outside a row of stores a block away from Rainbow Town, Gallant City’s gay district, where all the best Halloween parties were held every year. That was something else Karl didn’t quite understand – a city having a ‘gay district’, thinking it was insane that a person could only be gay in that place. It was something else that Kevin had to explain, and made him wonder what Karl’s home city or country was like, since he was so tight-lipped about his personal life.

‘I still think he’s hiding too much,’ Instinct mused, although all cautious thoughts about Karl had faded after their night at the hotel, along with several other nights that had followed. After all, a man who, in one night, puts terror into the heart of the guy who has bullied you for years can’t be all bad.

‘We should give him time,’ Reason argued. ‘After all, he’s lived a secretive life for so long, it’s bound to be difficult to open up straight away.’

‘I don’t think it matters what his background is,’ sighed Heart. ‘He’s treated us with nothing but respect and affection. That counts for a lot in my book.’

‘Of course it does,’ Instinct noted, but without the usual sarcasm.

Kevin checked his watch. 7:59pm. He looked around for any trace of Karl, wondering if he had been waylaid, or if he would even recognise him if he turned up in a costume.

Would he turn up in a costume?

He didn’t ‘get’ Halloween, so probably not.

And then he felt the warmth of breath on the back of his neck. Kevin turned, then staggered backwards at the sight of the man who loomed above him. Dressed in a shiny black hoodie with white stripes on the arms, the man wore a balaclava over his face. His eyes were narrow and his leather gloved hands held a baseball bat.

‘OHSHITOHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT!’ rambled Instinct and tried to gain control of Kevin’s legs.

‘Move! Run! Call for help!’ yelled Reason.

The man’s free hand had already reached out and grabbed a hold of Kevin’s wrist, preventing his escape.

“Oh god, please no!” Kevin wailed. “Please! Don’t!”

‘IDIOT!’ yelled Impulse.

‘At least we got the costume right,’ said Logic

‘Stop it! You’re scaring him! Again!’ shouted Emotion.

“Kevin! It’s me!” Karl said, dropping the baseball bat and quickly pulling back his hood and wrenching off the balaclava. “I’m sorry! You said to wear something frightening!”

‘Frightening as in ‘Boo,’ not ‘I need a change of underwear now’ you ass!’ hissed Instinct.

“Oh, thank God!” Kevin breathed, laying one hand over his heart as it pounded hard inside his chest. “Damn! You scared the shit out of me!”

“So, I captured the Halloween spirit?” Karl asked.

“NO!” Kevin raised his voice, then paused. “Yes,” he amended, “but it’s supposed to be a fun kind of scared, not the heart-attack inducing kind!”

“I can change, if this is not good,” Karl suggested.

“No, it’s fine,” Kevin tried to reassure Karl, whose expression had slipped into one of regret. “But maybe the ski mask is a bit too much?”

Karl processed this, then reached into a pocket and pulled out a large black bandana which he tied over the lower half of his face. It caught the light and a glowing set of sharp teeth could be seen on the surface.

“Still scary,” Kevin noted, “but I’d definitely go with that.”

Karl took a step backwards and looked Kevin over from head to toe. The young man wore a black vest, leather pants and a familiar harness around his waist and thighs.

“You look like me,” he noted, his lips curling into a smile of approval.

“I wanted to come as something scary,” Kevin replied. “And the scariest thing I could think of was you… the first time I saw you… so I figured I’d try to copy that look.”

“You did well,” Karl nodded, and stepped closer. His gloved hand slipped into Kevin’s and he pulled the young man close. “I don’t still scare you, do I?” he asked.

“No,” Kevin reassured him. “You don’t scare me now.”

“So how do I make you feel?” Karl asked.

‘Relieved,’ mumbled Instinct.

‘Confused,’ added Reason.

‘Oh, my!’ sighed Heart.

“Good,” Kevin replied. “You make me feel real good!”

Description
Another Fright
Kevin couldn’t believe it when Karl told him he didn’t know much about modern-day Hallowe’en. He knew the stories, of course – that it was a celebration in the ‘Old Calendar’ when people would commemorate the passing of loved ones, and that it was a time when the veil between this world and the next was at its thinnest – but other than that, he couldn’t understand why people ‘celebrated’ such a sombre time of the year. Kevin had to explain that, thanks to commercialisation, it was a time when people dressed up in scary costumes and generally used the date as an excuse to have a good time. Sure, it was mainly for kids to dress up, wander around their neighbourhoods, knocking on the doors of neighbours, shouting “trick or treat” and being rewarded for their costume efforts with candy, but adults liked to enjoy it too.

Karl’s expression was still one of bemusement, but he was happy to agree to meet Kevin in town for a night of fun.

It was close to eight in the evening when Kevin found himself standing outside a row of stores a block away from Rainbow Town, Gallant City’s gay district, where all the best Halloween parties were held every year. That was something else Karl didn’t quite understand – a city having a ‘gay district’, thinking it was insane that a person could only be gay in that place. It was something else that Kevin had to explain, and made him wonder what Karl’s home city or country was like, since he was so tight-lipped about his personal life.

‘I still think he’s hiding too much,’ Instinct mused, although all cautious thoughts about Karl had faded after their night at the hotel, along with several other nights that had followed. After all, a man who, in one night, puts terror into the heart of the guy who has bullied you for years can’t be all bad.

‘We should give him time,’ Reason argued. ‘After all, he’s lived a secretive life for so long, it’s bound to be difficult to open up straight away.’

‘I don’t think it matters what his background is,’ sighed Heart. ‘He’s treated us with nothing but respect and affection. That counts for a lot in my book.’

‘Of course it does,’ Instinct noted, but without the usual sarcasm.

Kevin checked his watch. 7:59pm. He looked around for any trace of Karl, wondering if he had been waylaid, or if he would even recognise him if he turned up in a costume.

Would he turn up in a costume?

He didn’t ‘get’ Halloween, so probably not.

And then he felt the warmth of breath on the back of his neck. Kevin turned, then staggered backwards at the sight of the man who loomed above him. Dressed in a shiny black hoodie with white stripes on the arms, the man wore a balaclava over his face. His eyes were narrow and his leather gloved hands held a baseball bat.

‘OHSHITOHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT!’ rambled Instinct and tried to gain control of Kevin’s legs.

‘Move! Run! Call for help!’ yelled Reason.

The man’s free hand had already reached out and grabbed a hold of Kevin’s wrist, preventing his escape.

“Oh god, please no!” Kevin wailed. “Please! Don’t!”

‘IDIOT!’ yelled Impulse.

‘At least we got the costume right,’ said Logic

‘Stop it! You’re scaring him! Again!’ shouted Emotion.

“Kevin! It’s me!” Karl said, dropping the baseball bat and quickly pulling back his hood and wrenching off the balaclava. “I’m sorry! You said to wear something frightening!”

‘Frightening as in ‘Boo,’ not ‘I need a change of underwear now’ you ass!’ hissed Instinct.

“Oh, thank God!” Kevin breathed, laying one hand over his heart as it pounded hard inside his chest. “Damn! You scared the shit out of me!”

“So, I captured the Halloween spirit?” Karl asked.

“NO!” Kevin raised his voice, then paused. “Yes,” he amended, “but it’s supposed to be a fun kind of scared, not the heart-attack inducing kind!”

“I can change, if this is not good,” Karl suggested.

“No, it’s fine,” Kevin tried to reassure Karl, whose expression had slipped into one of regret. “But maybe the ski mask is a bit too much?”

Karl processed this, then reached into a pocket and pulled out a large black bandana which he tied over the lower half of his face. It caught the light and a glowing set of sharp teeth could be seen on the surface.

“Still scary,” Kevin noted, “but I’d definitely go with that.”

Karl took a step backwards and looked Kevin over from head to toe. The young man wore a black vest, leather pants and a familiar harness around his waist and thighs.

“You look like me,” he noted, his lips curling into a smile of approval.

“I wanted to come as something scary,” Kevin replied. “And the scariest thing I could think of was you… the first time I saw you… so I figured I’d try to copy that look.”

“You did well,” Karl nodded, and stepped closer. His gloved hand slipped into Kevin’s and he pulled the young man close. “I don’t still scare you, do I?” he asked.

“No,” Kevin reassured him. “You don’t scare me now.”

“So how do I make you feel?” Karl asked.

‘Relieved,’ mumbled Instinct.

‘Confused,’ added Reason.

‘Oh, my!’ sighed Heart.

“Good,” Kevin replied. “You make me feel real good!”