Allhallow's Eve: (Richard Laymon Horror Classic) by Richard Laymon Page A

running around town! Yick!’
    ‘Well, they’ll probably catch him.’
    ‘I hope so ! It’s disturbing to have a thing like that, especially the day before Halloween.’
    ‘Well …’
    ‘Anyhow, that’s not what I called about. I came into a very rude surprise, when I got home from practice.’
    ‘Oh?’
    ‘An invitation came for me in the mails.’
    ‘For that Spook-House Halloween Party?’
    ‘You got one, too?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘Well, do you realize what night that party’s scheduled for?’
    ‘Tomorrow night.’
    ‘Precisely.’
    ‘And what else is that night?’
    ‘Your party, of course.’
    ‘Precisely.’
    ‘Well, I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m still planning on yours.’
    ‘I should certainly hope so. But what about everyone else?’
    ‘I don’t know.’
    ‘I invited a dozen friends to my party. Now supposehalf of them decide they would rather go over to the creepy old Sherwood place? What kind of party’ll we have, then?’
    ‘A small one.’
    ‘You may be amused, Edward Ryker, but I most certainly am not.’
    ‘I just don’t think it’ll happen. Some of the kids you asked might’ve gotten invitations to the other party, but I’ll bet every one of them will decide on yours.’
    ‘Do you think so?’ she asked, sounding relieved.
    ‘I’m positive.’
    There were a few moments of silence, rare during conversations with Aleshia. ‘You don’t suppose,’ she finally said, ‘that somebody concocted this other party just to spite me, do you?’
    Eddie laughed. ‘Who’d do that?’
    ‘Just about anyone I didn’t invite to my party, of course.’
    ‘Well, maybe, but I doubt it. I think it’s just a coincidence.’
    ‘Maybe yes and maybe no. Anyhow, I have a jillion calls to make. I’ll give you a buzz later.’
    ‘Okay.’
    ‘Around ten.’
    ‘Fine.’
    ‘From my bed.’
    He grinned. ‘Okay, great. Talk to you then.’
    ‘Bye-bye.’ She hung up.
    ‘Beth, telephone. It’s Aleshia.’
    ‘Right there,’ she called to her father. She flippedthrough the pages of her physiology book, counting. Six to go in the chapter, but two were mostly diagrams. Not so bad. She could handle that.
    She dropped a pencil into the crack of the open book, and got up from her desk. As she stood, she watched herself in the window reflection. The image on the dark glass, transparent as a ghost, hinted of beauty and mystery. It looked good to Beth.
    In the reflection, her freckles and braces didn’t show.
    With a shrug, she turned away. Her eyes avoided the full-length mirror on the closet door: it would show details she didn’t want to see.
    She hurried down the upstairs hallway, entered her parents’ room, and picked up the telephone extension.
    ‘… absolutely marvelous pyramid, and then we all collapse into a pile …’
    ‘I’ve got it,’ Beth said.
    ‘Okie-doke,’ said her father. ‘Bye now, Aleshia.’
    ‘Bye-bye, Mr Green.’
    Beth heard the phone go down. ‘Hi-ho,’ she said.
    ‘I just adore your father.’
    ‘He’s not bad,’ Beth said, smiling.
    ‘I only wish my father was as cute and charming.’
    Beth shrugged. She had never seen Aleshia’s father. He seemed to be out of town constantly.
    ‘Anyhow, I just gave you a buzz to find out if you’re coming to my Halloween party.’
    ‘Yeah,’ she said, confused. She’d already told Aleshia she would be there. ‘Is something the matter?’
    ‘It appears that some one has decided to go into competition.’
    ‘Oh, you mean the other Halloween party?’
    ‘Precisely.’
    ‘You think it’s for real?’ Beth asked.
    ‘Why wouldn’t it be?’
    ‘It looks awfully queer.’
    ‘Queer?’
    ‘First off, my invitation wasn’t signed. It doesn’t give the first hint about who’s throwing the party, or even ask for an RSVP.’ She sat on the edge of the bed, and lay back. ‘Second, it’s supposed to be at the old Sherwood house. That place has been boarded up for as long as I can remember. How’d they even get