It was a Dark and Stormy Night--Halloween Serial Chapter Seven by Danica Favorite

It was a Dark and Stormy Night--Halloween Serial Chapter Seven by Danica Favorite

As they rounded the corner, an old hag, complete with gray, stringy hair and a bulbous nose with too many warts to be real, stepped in front of them.

"It's about time you showed up." Her harsh raspy voice was definitely real, as was the angry flash of eyes. "Do you have any idea how bad this looks to our guests?"

Our guests? Just a moment ago, JT had been saying that to Ellie. And now this woman, this hag, was saying it to JT. Okay, Ellie would admit that the woman was probably not really a hag, but boy did she look creepy. As the woman held up a candle, the shadows created even more distortions that gave the hag's face an even more reptilian look.

“Who’s she?”

JT put his arm around Ellie. Almost like he wanted to protect her. A shiver ran down Ellie’s spine. So far everything that had frightened her had seemed to have a perfectly reasonable explanation. But there was no explaining the way his touch made her quiver. Or the way the hag’s narrowed glance made her stomach feel like she’d just taken a sip out of a nasty, dirty cauldron. 

“This is Ellie,” JT said, pulling her closer to him. “She had a little car trouble on the way up.”  He gestured toward her bare feet. “She also had a mishap with those overpriced torture devices you women call shoes. Can you see if there’s anything in Mandy’s closet that will work for her?”

The hag gasped. “You can’t be serious. Mandy’s shoes are-“

“It’s not like she’s going to use them. I’m sure there are at least a hundred pair that have never been worn.”

A hundred pairs of shoes that had never been worn? That sounded about like any woman’s dream. If this whole thing didn’t feel like a nightmare, Ellie might have been excited at the prospect. And if the hag wasn’t looking at her like she was going to make off with the crown jewels. Of course, if they were nice shoes, like Ellie’s Louboutins, she could understand the woman’s trepidation. Not that anyone would have so many expensive shoes just sitting around. Still, she didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with this already angry woman.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Ellie said smoothly, trying to give the woman a reassuring look.

JT pushed Ellie toward the hag. “None of that. Your shoes are ruined, and you need something to wear. We’ve got plenty, and a single pair won’t be missed.”

He glanced at the shoe sticking out of her bag. “And judging by the size of your shoe, it looks to be the same as the ones I’ve had chucked at me a million times over the years.”

A shoe-throwing woman? And JT wanted Ellie to borrow a pair of her shoes? Clearly JT knew nothing about women at all. When he’d first pulled up to rescue her, she’d thought him to be the scariest thing she’d encounter all night. But as the fearful events kept piling up, Ellie couldn’t help but think that this shoe thing might be the most terrifying of all…