The Dark Side of Forever
© BJ Bourg
"I have to work tonight," Patrolman Richard Hagen said.
"Rats," his girlfriend complained. "You knew I wanted to have a Halloween party."
"Somebody has to watch out for the trick-or-treaters."
"Yeah, their parents!"
"Look, Kelly, I know you're upset--"
"Hell, yeah, I'm upset. You promised!"
"You knew I might have to work."
"You said you'd take off. You said you cared more about me than that lousy job."
"Baby, I need this lousy job."
Richard heard a click and the line went dead. "Hello? Did you hang up on me?"
There was only silence.
***
Between handling too many complaints of speeders, Richard tried Kelly's cell phone several times during the night. She never answered.
At quarter to midnight, the dispatcher radioed. "I received a call from a resident on Adam Street. He saw people go into the woods behind his house. They were wearing robes with hoods."
Richard laughed. "Didn't you tell him it was Halloween?"
"He's a religious type who thinks everyone's evil on Halloween night."
"I'll check it out. My girlfriend lives down that street." This is great, Richard thought. I can milk this call a little, surprise Kelly, make up for having to work… .
Richard was several miles away when the dispatcher called back. "I received a second call from that area. They heard a woman screaming."
"What's the address?"
"326."
Fear snapped like a bear-trap around his heart.
"Is that the complainant's address?"
"No, that's where the scream came from."
Kelly's address! Richard activated his lights and siren and smashed the accelerator. It took less than two minutes for him to arrive. When the headlights splashed against the front of her house, he gasped. The door was open and splintered. The inside was dark.
"Kelly!" Richard jumped from the squad car and bolted through the opening, gun in one hand, flashlight in the other. A quick search of the house revealed she was not inside. The back door dangled by the top hinge. He stepped through to the back yard. His heart pounded. He panted.
"Kelly! Where are—"
"They took her there!" a neighbor shouted. He pointed to a dark hole in the thick trees. It stood like a large mouth, giving entrance to a treacherous throat that led to the belly of evil.
Richard hesitated, glanced from the woods to the neighbor. "Are you sure?"
"Positive." The neighbor's voice was shaking. "A group of people wearing robes dragged her from the house. I was handing out candy when I heard the noise. I…I didn't know what to do. There were so many of them."
A familiar scream echoed from the darkness within the trees. Richard plunged through the opening and raced down the uneven path. As he ran, the screams became louder.
"Kelly! Hang on! I'm on my—"
Suddenly, something smashed into his face. Everything went black…
***
The faint sound of people chanting stirred Richard. He opened his eyes, winced. Pain seared through his brain. He remembered working. There had been some complaints about cars speeding. There had been a call about— Kelly!
Richard forced his eyes open. Everything was a blur. He tried to raise his hand to rub his eyes, but it would only move a few inches. Shimmering light danced through the blur. It grew increasingly clearer. As his vision dialed in, his stomach churned. He lay naked on a rough platform in the midst of a ring of fire. Arms and legs were bound. Dark figures surrounded him.
"Mistress of Earth," chanted a rough voice, "come forward and deliver your sacrifice."
"Yes, Master of Temple."
Richard stared in horror as a large-breasted, hooded woman approached. She held a large golden knife in front of her naked body.
"What…what is this?" he demanded. "I'm a cop, for Christ's sake! You can't do this!"
The woman lifted the blade and chanted. She then looked down into his eyes. "Thanks for coming to my Halloween party, Richard."
Confusion flooded Richard's mind. "Kelly? Is that—"
The woman plunged the knife into Richard's chest.
As he gargled blood, Richard heard Kelly chant, "I offer this human as my eternal gift to the Prince of Darkness."
Blood poured from Richard's mouth. "Why…why Kelly? I…love…loved you."
"And I loved you," Kelly crooned. "I loved you very much. If I didn't, this wouldn't be a true sacrifice."
Richard choked on a stream of blood, coughed violently. The red liquid splattered against Kelly's pale skin. She ran her fingers through the blood and coated her lips in it. She leaned forward and delivered a crimson kiss on his forehead. "We'll meet again on the Dark Side."
***
BJ Bourg lives in Mathews, LA with his beautiful wife and two wonderful children. He has had over a hundred stories published in various online and print magazines, as well as in several anthologies. His website is www.bjbourg.com .