Mike was walking home from a Halloween party. The party was awesome: music, booze, the whole package. Mike decided to take the shortcut home, a side road that many said was cursed. Rumors of this side road spread because every night on Halloween a monster appears. No one knows exactly what it is because those who have seen it have never been seen again. Some said it was the devil himself. Others said it was a humanoid mutant that escaped some lab.

Mike never believed in the paranormal or supernatural. He believed that anything could be proven by science, so he had nothing to fear or worry about. Mike shivered. It sure is cold tonight, I should’ve brought a jacket! Mike continued to walk, freezing his ass off in the cold October weather, then he heard a snap. What was that?! he thought, but for only a moment. It’s probably just some animal, he brushed it off.

Sure, Mike didn’t believe in the paranormal, but that doesn’t mean wild animals or serial killers didn’t exist, especially on Halloween. That’s when crime rates skyrocket. He continued to walk, then he spotted something standing in the trail. No, not something, someone!

Ok, Mike calm down, not every person on Halloween is a serial killer, it’s fine just relax. Just rush past him without making eye contact. Mike picked up the speed, as he walked past the man, but his eyes couldn’t help but look at the man. Mike’s heart stopped and he ran. That thing wasn’t human. That’s when the thing laughed, but this wasn’t any ordinary laugh. No, it sounded inhuman. The creature began chasing him, spewing nonsense towards him.

“It’s all your fault! You left me! Why didn’t you do anything!?”

Mike tried to ignore the creature. He kept covering his ears, as he continued to run. Then he tripped on a tree root and fell. The creature was standing above him, looking down.

“How could you?! I trusted you!”

Mike didn’t dare to look up at the creature. He knew it wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.

“Look at me! Look at what you did to me!”

No, No, No! That thing isn’t real! That’s not Caleb! He’s dead! He thought through tears. Mike finally looked up to see his once-best friend, staring down at him, bleeding from where his eyes would be, with bruising around the neck and that damn cult symbol on his forehead. Mike looked away.

“What’s the matter? You’d think you’d be happy at seeing your best friend again”

“You. Are. Not. Caleb!”

“Oh? But I am!”

“You’re not!” The creature placed its foot on Mike, propping itself up. “Why Mike?”

Mike looked up both confused and horrified.

“I was happy, so why?!”

“Shut up and get out of my head!”

“You did this!” the creature said gesturing to itself.

Mike began to shake his head. “No, I- I didn’t, I didn’t mean to, I just–”

“You did this! You betrayed me!”

“I’m sorry!”

“I-I didn’t want to! I- I had to! They were going to–” Mike pleaded.

“But you did have a choice!”

He’s right, I did.

“Exactly, you did!”

Mike’s face paled. How did he know what I was thinking?

“Now pay the price for your sins!”

Mike never returned home that night. Some say the creature took him, others say he left town. Evidence was later discovered that Mike had murdered Caleb. The symbol on Caleb’s body signified occult activity, and it also explained Caleb’s missing eyes. Police stated it was one of the worst murders they’d seen in a while. There was a warrant for Mike’s arrest released later that week, but Mike was never found and was never to be seen again.

Welcome to Reflection Road.