Timmy Baker was twelve years old and was obsessed with Halloween. Every book he read? Horror. Every movie he went to see? Horror. He had horror figurines and dolls. His dad, Brian, took him to the new Halloween store in town; it’s called “Halloween and Junk.” Dad chuckled at the name. The place was filled with plenty of masks, fake weapons, scary props, and shrieking animatronics. Brian found a bleeding candle he liked, and they each found a goblet with their names on it. The goblets were even Brian and Timmy’s favorite color. Brian’s was blue, and Timmy’s was red. There were different flavored elixirs: cherry, grape, orange, and lemon lime. They chose the grape. At this point, it is worth mentioning that this stuff was able to allow the drinker to see the true magic behind Halloween. They paid for their stuff,f and Brian dropped his son off at Midnight Middle School and drove back home.
At lunch, ch Timmy met up with his friend Joel.
“I don’t think I can wait any longer for Halloween; I think I’ll burst,” Timmy said.
“Hang in there, dude,” Joel said. Halloween is in five days.” Timmy nodded.
“I know; I’m just excited,” Timmy said.
Joel smirked as he stabbed at his macaroni with his fork and took a bite.
“What are you going trick-or-treating as?” Joel asked.
“A vampire,” Timmy boasted. “You?”
“A wizard,” Joel said. Timmy nodded. “Glad you approve,” Joel said.
Halloween arrived, and it was about an hour before trick or treat. Brian and Timmy finished their ice-cold elixirs and waited. An hour later, the boys went out trick-or-treating. A sliver of a white moon hung overhead. Jimmy and Joel went head-to-head. Laughter filled the air. Houses were all bunched together, which was great for trick or treating because you could hit a lot of houses without having to walk as far. Timmy’s black cape swished in the wind. A fog rolled in and engulfed everyone, leaving Timmy alone. The lights were off in all the houses. The houses looked just like the ones in his neighborhood, yet they all seemed to be different in some way. Houses that were supposed to be blue were red, and brick houses were made of lumber.
They all seemed to be deserted except for one house. That house had its light on. Timmy flocked to that house like a moth to a flame. He banged loudly on the front door. A woman answered the door. She had black hair and fair skin. Her green eyes were like moist emerald jewels in the ocean. She smiled.
“Come in, Timmy,” she said. “I’ve been expecting you.” Timmy stepped inside and saw bookshelves lined with various books. He saw a grandfather clock in the corner. She motioned for him to have a seat. He sat in a nearby chair. The woman sat in a chair as well.
“You want to know the secret to the magic of Halloween?” she asked.
“Sure,” Timmy answered. But first, what’s your name?”
“My name is Lenore, and I am the seer,” she said.
“I am the one who sold those elixirs to those Halloween stores.”
“My dad and I figured they were just gag drinks,” Timmy admitted. She shook her head.
“They’re the real deal.” Lenore insisted.
“You chose grape, therefore you’ll find out about the veil.”
“What veil?” Timmy asked.
“Halloween is where the veil is thinnest between the living and the dead. We dress up in costumes to frighten the spirits and send them back to the spirit world?” Lenore said.
Timmy’s mouth drops open.
“No way,” Timmy exclaimed. She smiled and nodded.
“I’m afraid so. Just like don’t let a Bogey grab you.”
“What’s a Bogey?” Timmy asked.
“You have heard of the Bogeyman, right?” Lenore asked.
“The bogey is a spirit that hung out near fences and grabbed kids,” Lenore said.
“I’ll stay away from fences,” he said.
“Very wise,” Lenore replied. “You must be warned that you will not be
going home before midnight,” Lenore warned the boy.
“Why not?” Timmy asked.
“You drank the elixir on Halloween, so you are stuck here until Halloween is over,” Lenore said.
“Where are we exactly?” he asked.
“We are an invisible dimension next to you, Lenore said. “It’s called Mirror World because it is like yours, but not really.” His eyebrows raised.
The doorbell rang. Lenore stood up and answered the door. Her heart sank as she came face-to-face with someone who looked like Brian.
She shut the door in his face and locked it.
“Why did you lock my dad out?” Timmy asked. Shkneltl, gently gripping his shoulders.
That was not your father,” Lenore whispered.
“Then who was it?” Timmy asked.
“It was a mimic,” she answered. “It took the appearance of your father to trick you,” she said.
“Why did he want to trick me?” Timmy asked.
“So, he could snatch you and take you with him,” Lenore said. That made Timmy shudder.
“What am I going to do until midnight?” Timmy asked.
“It’s only four hours away,” Lenore replied. We’ll play games and stuff; it will be fun,” she added. He gave in, and after a couple of hours of board game,s a skeleton walked down the stairs. He wore a purple robe and very calmly stood in the center of the room. He stood there for a moment or two. He laughed like a lunatic before snatching the kid and running into the night.
The skeleton took him to a cave and imbued Timmy with the ability to transform into a skeleton. Timmy felt his own face.
“Why did you do this to me?” Timmy asked.
“I felt like it,” the skeleton said.
Timmy woke up in his own bed.
“It was all just a dream; well, maybe a nightmare!” he thought. Tim got dressed for school, and when he met his father in the car, his father passed out from fright. When Timmy looked into the rearview mirror, he was terrified to discover his true form. He was a skeleton!

Elixir

Elixir

Passages

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