This isn’t the first time this story has been told, and it won’t be the last either. There is no stopping it. She can’t be stopped, and she’s coming for me, she’s coming for all of us.
It was October 31, 2004, at 3 AM. Jasper and Kierra, two young teenagers, were driving while dense fog hung over the streets of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The tension was building and the air felt heavy. The night was clearly over. When Kierra looked down after Jasper gently brushed his hand across her thigh, a shadowy figure stood just inches away from the car. Kierra swerved the car, causing it to go off the road. She attempted to maintain control, but ultimately crashed into a nearby tree. Jasper was fortunate enough to open his eyes following the accident, but Kierra wasn’t as lucky.
On Mischief Night, the night before Halloween, my boyfriend Jasper and I are preparing to indulge in mischievous activities, like staying out late to destroy properties and ding dong ditch. We head outside as night falls to start the fun. Our hours of mischief disappear in the blink of an eye, and we suddenly find ourselves lost on a road. It’s 2:59 in the morning, and the tension rises as the air gets colder and thicker. I take Jasper’s hand with a bit more force than usual. I am aware of how tough it is to be on this road for him, as well as the horrible memories he has. A heavy breeze blows towards us, and whispers on the wind flood my mind. I can feel her. I feel her presence. My mind begins to wonder if the stories about her were true. I’ve always been curious, though I could never ask Jasper about them. Does she truly return every Halloween to look for her former love?
When Jasper suddenly stops, I look at him and notice that he appears in a trance. As I turn to face him, I catch a glimpse of a woman’s shape approaching from the shadows. I am startled and grab onto Jasper, who is standing there unfazed. Is that really her? My heart races and thoughts are dragged through my mind. I grab Jasper as I run in the opposite direction. He finally snaps back to reality as we run. It seems like the road has been stretched out for miles. It is never ending.
I pause, and turn around slowly to see the woman standing there. We are back to the start, like we never left. I realize we are in a continuous loop. We are trapped, trapped with her. She is staring intensely into my eyes, and I can feel the life being sucked out of me. There is nothing I can do except lose every feeling I have ever known.
This story never ends well, because it never can end. Now I am just like her, a lost soul forever wandering this road on Halloween, looking for my next victim. I’m just another ghost of his past.
Jealousy was the thing that consumed Kierra, and she could never let go of what once was hers. So instead of allowing Jasper and Helena to live happily, she took it from them for her benefit. Helena’s soul would eternally yearn for a way out, and Kierra would serve as a constant reminder that love and jealousy can never coexist.