The Day after Halloween

The Halloween party had reached its peak when Matt looked up and saw his girlfriend, Heather, looking at him with an impish smile from across the room. Dressed in a ladybug costume which consisted of a ballooning red top with black dots, black tights, red sandals, delicate wings, and cute little antennae, she looked as sexy as a young woman could while showing almost no skin. He knew her look meant she had something on her mind, so he smiled back and was about to go to her when a friend pulled on his shoulder, demanding his attention.

"Let's go," she whispered into his ear a few minutes later.

Her voice startled him, as his focus on the football discussion had kept him from realizing she was near. However, her husky, urgent tone delivered a clear message and with a quick nod to his buddies, he took her hand and headed towards the door.

"Am I going to get lucky?" he asked, with a laugh.

"You're always lucky," she replied and then grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

When they broke, she practically skipped to the passenger door of the car, looking both sexy and a little silly in her outfit.

Matt was a first-year grad student in mechanical engineering, while Heather was a senior marketing major. They had met fourteen months earlier and had been living together for the last eight, with plans to marry in the spring. The young coed was a slender 5'7" 124 pounds blond with green eyes, C-cup breasts, and long shapely legs. She wore her hair shoulder-length, which helped highlight her delicate neck, and she had plump, juicy lips made for kissing. Matt was thrilled to land such a beauty, and his devotion was evident, which often drew chuckles from his friends who declared him "whipped." They were an active couple, which kept their bodies in great shape, and they shared the same outlook on life.

Matt started the vehicle and pulled onto the street, but not understanding her intent, he looked over and asked, "Where are we going?"

"Cemetery," she answered, and he could tell she was trying hard not to laugh.

"Uhhh... okay. Why?" he responded, knowing it was probably going to be something strange.

"I've always wanted to do it in a cemetery. Plus, it's Halloween," she answered.

"Oh, Dear Lord. Let's just go to the apartment. It's cold out," he countered.

Heather could get a little wild at times and more than once he had been a participant in one of her games. Fortunately, while sometimes risky, they had always ended well for him, so he didn't push back too hard.

"C'mon... live a little," she replied in a sultry voice and leaned over and ran her tongue over his ear.

"Which one," he asked, feeling his body shudder.

"Let's go to the one at the end of Sycamore street," she said.

He vaguely recalled the place, remembering it as a rectangular property that ran for several blocks between parallel streets, with parts densely wooded which made it seem dark even in the daytime. It took them ten minutes to arrive at the corner, and along the way, Heather's wandering hands and light kisses kept him entertained. Her excitement transferred to him and as they slowly drove along the long wall looking for an entrance, he became eager, too.

"There," she called out, and they could see a small pedestrian gate fifty yards ahead.

"Park here I guess," he said and pulled over in front of the entrance.

"Is it open?" she asked.

"Wait here and I'll check," he replied and quickly left the car.

The gate had a rusty latch, but it operated, and with a loud squeak he pushed it open as his girlfriend jumped from the vehicle. Within five steps, most of the ambient light from the street faded and they had to strain to make out objects. It appeared they had stepped right into the central part of the cemetery and in every direction, there were plots, some bordered by paving stones, with a variety of headstones, varying from simple to opulent.

"Let's explore," Heather said and pulled on his hand.

"What are you looking for?" Matt laughed, as he thought they would just do it in the grass.

"I don't know," she giggled.

As they scooted through the tombstones, the young grad student wondered what reaction they would get if they ran into someone. With Heather in her ladybug costume and him in a homemade pirate outfit, he thought they might appear as some otherworldly forms. Further ahead, they could see the knee-high monuments transition to larger structures, and after crossing an access road, they entered a section that had several mausoleums. They walked through the edifices and soon spotted an interesting one made of dark granite. Heather pulled on his hand and after a few steps, he realized her intent.

"We can't go in there... it... it wouldn't be right," he said when she arrived at the gated entrance.

"See if you can open it," she said, ignoring his comment.

"You want to do it inside? In there?" he asked.

"Yeah..." she answered lustily.

Part of the reason Matt loved Heather was because of her spirit, but this time he thought she might be going too far. Still, he stepped up to the metal bars and saw that the gate was already open an inch.

"It's open..." he informed her, and then asked, "Are you sure?"

Heather stepped next to him and with a sigh, he gave the gate a push. It swung open easily and with just a few steps, they were inside. It was very dark, but they could just make out that there were two crypts on one side, stacked one over the other, and against the opposite wall was some kind of waist-high stone table. In his mind, it would have been appropriate to learn something about the people whose space they were violating; at least a name and how long they lived. However, Heather had other ideas and with no preliminaries, she started pulling down her tights quickly revealing her near-perfect ass. When they were at her knees, she leaned over the table and pushed her bottom out. He could see her tight little pussy, smooth and shiny between her toned legs, and it made his balls tighten.

"C'mon, hurry... before we get caught," she giggled.

Despite his misgivings, the offer was too good to pass up, so Matt worked his jeans free, released his aching shaft and moved into position.

"Shit..." he groaned when he felt her hot and very wet opening.

"Ummm... yeah, baby... take me..." she groaned.

Her words, let him know she was ready to play submissive, which in this setting set him off. Within seconds, he was pounding against her ass, reveling in the squeals of pleasure spewing from her mouth.

"Damn, Heather," he groaned.

"Fuck me... fuck me good," she demanded.

"You're on fire," he grunted.

"Yeah... C'mon... faster... do it faster," she demanded.

Matt knew he wouldn't last long and hoped his pretty girlfriend would achieve an orgasm before he let go. Grunting openly in time to the rapid rhythm of his thrusts, he took her, wishing that she didn't have the costume on so he could maul her wonderful breasts. Soon, small whimpers started coming from her that rapidly grew in intensity. Her excitement drove his higher, and he had to use all his willpower to hold back, but it was short-lived, and with his balls boiling and ready, he let loose.

"Uhhhh... shit, Heather... I'm coming... uhhhh... uhhhh..." he let out as he expelled his semen.

Suddenly, a strange feeling seemed to permeate his body, which at first, he thought was from his climax. However, he soon recognized it was different and the hair on the back of his neck began to rise. At the same time, a strange glow began to emanate from behind them, which he knew had no place in the small enclosure. Then, all at once, his fight or flight response overcame the sex and he jumped for the door pulling on Heather's arm as he moved. There was a blinding flash as he fell outside, and the next thing he knew, he was rolling in the pea gravel trying to get his bearings.

"Wow! That was amazing!" Heather said a few seconds later as she stepped from the mausoleum.

The inside of the structure was once again completely dark and an eerie silence seemed to envelop the entire area. There were no night sounds, and even the wind seemed to have disappeared. Matt still felt something strange, like a nearby presence that caused him to look in all directions. He spotted nothing, and when he turned his attention back to Heather, he could see that she looked fine. Her tights were back in place and she stepped towards him and helped him from the ground.

"What happened?" he asked, truly confused.

"We had great sex," she giggled.

"Something... there was... something happened," he replied.

"Yeah! You got too excited and fell down when you came," she laughed, and then continued with a sultry voice, "Let's do it again... right now."

"No... let's go home..." Matt replied, still shaken by the experience.

"C'mon, baby... once more," she whispered and pulled on his arm.

"No..." he started before she interrupted.

"Yes... now! I want to do it again. In there! Don't be such a damn baby," she said in a loud voice.

In all his time with Heather, he had never seen her act in such a manner and it concerned him greatly. In truth, everything about the past few minutes was disturbing and he knew that they needed to get out of the cemetery as quickly as possible. All the way to the car, Heather pleaded with him to go back for more sex, but the harder she tried, the more he wanted to go. Finally, they were in the car and driving towards their apartment, and the entire way, she looked at the floor with an angry expression.

There was another argument at the apartment where once more she expressed her desire to return to the cemetery. When he rejected her again, she stormed off to the bedroom, leaving him alone on the couch. He knew that something wasn't right, and his mind churned but failing to make sense of it all and feeling drained, he fell back and entered a troubled sleep. Several times, he awoke, and on each occasion, he could hear sounds from the bedroom that indicated that Heather was still up.

Mid-morning, while drinking coffee, she approached him again about the mausoleum. It seemed that she had become totally fixated on the place and tried again to convince him to return. She repeated her attempt several times in the afternoon, and on each occasion, when he declined, she became very agitated.

At seven that evening he left her and went to his office at the college where he worked for an hour before leaving for a bar. She had tried once more to convince him to go to the cemetery and this time when he refused, she went ballistic. When he had to dodge a shoe, she launched his way, he reached his limit and decided that he needed space. He turned his phone off and didn't return to the apartment until after eleven, finding it empty. Checking his messages, he saw she had tried to call him nine times and left three voicemails. Listening to them, he learned that she was trying to be conciliatory, so he tried several times to reach her, but his calls went unanswered and he finally fell asleep in front of the TV.

The next morning, when Matt woke, he found Heather asleep in bed. Evidently, she had returned sometime in the night and left him on the couch. He was sipping coffee and checking the news on his laptop when she appeared in her fluffy white robe. After pouring some coffee for herself, she sat down at the table.

"I'm sorry," she said in a soft voice.

"Okay... are you okay?" Matt asked.

"I'm fine. I... I said some things and I'm sorry," she responded.

Heather reiterated her apology several more times and continued to tell him she was fine, but he wasn't convinced. There was just something about her, something he couldn't quite pin down, that wasn't right. However, rather than press and risk another argument, he remained quiet.

For the next few weeks, they went about their lives, but Matt couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened to his girlfriend. There was nothing visible, no wound or scar, but she was acting differently. The normal Heather was lively, adventurous, and occasionally a little wild. Now, he saw a reserved, calm, almost brooding woman. Also, there was the matter of their lovemaking. They had not had sex since the night in the cemetery, which was not normal, as the young woman libido had always been equal or greater to his own. Twice, he had tried to initiate something, and on each occasion, she had demurred.

Matt sat in his office looking at his computer screen, trying to work, but Heather consumed his thoughts. No matter where he started, he always came back to the night in the cemetery and the weird experience in the mausoleum. There was the bright flash, and he wondered if maybe lightning had struck them. However, there were no storms that evening and neither of them showed any physical damage. The hours slipped by as he tried to piece together a scenario that made sense, and finally, he decided he needed to go back to where it all began and see if he could learn anything.

When he arrived at the cemetery, the sun was setting, and knowing he had little time, he parked in the same spot and retraced the step they had taken to the mausoleum. Once there, the first thing he noticed was the firmly locked gate. He peered through the bars hoping to spot something that would provide a clue, but it was difficult to see in the growing darkness.

"Hey! What are you doing? Get the hell away from there," a voice yelled out.

Startled, he turned to see an old man in workman's clothes, carrying a rake standing several feet away. He was slight, with longish hair, and a scowl that made the young man wonder if he ever smiled.

"Do you work here?" he asked.

"Of course, I work here. I'm the groundskeeper," he replied.

"Can you tell me about this... this crypt?" the young man asked.

There was a short pause, and Matt sensed the man was concerned before he replied, "No... don't know nothing about it. You need to leave. The cemetery is closed."

He nodded to the old man and walked back to his car with a strange feeling as if something ominous permeated the area. However, being a well-trained rational thinker, it was difficult to accept feelings over facts. There had to be an answer, and in his experience, it usually turned out that it was a simple one. Over the next few days, while watching Heather closely, he tried over and over to deconstruct and then reconstruct events hoping something would emerge. In the end, he remained frustrated as nothing seemed to connect.

"Sir? Can we talk?" Matt called out to the groundskeeper.

Two days had passed and he had decided to return and see if he could convince the man to talk. From the prior encounter, he sensed the man knew something, and he had found him tending a small plot not far from the mausoleum.

"What? What do you want?" he replied.

"I'm interested in learning about that mausoleum," he explained.

"I told you I don't know anything about it. Now, leave me alone. I got work to do," he said.

"Please... I just have a few questions," Matt begged.

"Why? Why is that place important?" the old man demanded.

He looked at the man and tried to think about the best way to reply, but after several seconds, he just let it out, "My girlfriend and I went in there and something happened."

Instantly, the man's eyes shot open and a look of near panic filled his face, "What happened?"

"I... I don't know... I'm trying to figure it out," he replied.

"When were you there?" the groundskeeper asked the student.

"Halloween," Matt responded.

"You were there on Halloween? Early or late?" he asked.

"Late," he replied.

"Did you go inside?" he asked.

"Yes..." the young man admitted.

With that, the old man looked down at the ground and didn't speak for a long time. Matt was just about to ask if he was alright when the man stood and approached him.

"Come with me," he said.

The groundskeeper led him through the cemetery towards a collection of old buildings. As they grew near, Matt could tell that they were work sheds and around them, several vehicles sat parked. At one end of the longest shed was a simple door with a light over it, and when they reached it the man took out a key. The duo stepped inside a simple living space that looked to have a small bedroom and a combined living room and kitchen. It was functional and the young grad student wondered how many years the man had called it home. Near the sink, was a half-full quart of bourbon, and the man went straight to it and poured a healthy amount into two glasses.

Although not a drinker of hard liquor, Matt took the glass thinking he might need it. The old man piddled for a few minutes as if he was trying to avoid the discussion, but finally dropped into a chair and motioned him to do the same.

"You said you were in the mausoleum late on Halloween. Was it before or after midnight," he asked?

Matt thought about the question and the timeline that fateful evening and finally answered, "I'm not completely sure, but I would guess after."

The man nodded his head and then said, "I think you are right because the key date for that place is November 1st, not Halloween."

"What's going on? What's it all about," he asked.

The old man ignored his question and said, "Tell me what happened... everything... don't leave nothing out."

Matt didn't want to explain what he had done with Heather, but he knew if he balked the man would likely go silent. Plus, something inside told him it was important he tell the man all the details. So, he explained what had transpired and how they had been having sex when the strange feeling and flash occurred. He told the man about coming to outside the structure and his girlfriend appearing, looking unscathed but not acting herself.

"That's it, I think," he said when he finished.

"The gate was unlocked?" the groundskeeper clarified.

"Yes... unlocked and open a few inches," he replied.

"Where was your girlfriend when y'all were inside," he probed.

"She was uhhh... kind over the thing on the left... the table," he replied.

"That gate hasn't been left open in all my time here and that ain't a table, it's an altar," the old man said.

His words made Matt very frightened and he had to force out his words, "Please tell me... tell me what you know."

"I'll tell you. After what you went through and what you will go through, you have a right to know. But I don't want you interrupting. So, you just listen," the man said, and when Matt nodded his acceptance, he took a sip of his whiskey and started, "I moved here about sixty years ago... took this awful job all those years ago. The reason I did was that something happened with my brother and his wife out here. In that mausoleum to be precise. He was an architecture student at the college and he liked to sketch things that caught his eye. I was staying with him and his wife at the time. You see, he practically raised me since our daddy died young and our mother was always sick. She died young, too when I was just sixteen."

The old man stopped his story and took a drink of the liquor, and after setting the glass on the table, he just stared at it.

Matt let the seconds turn into a minute before he decided the man needed prompting, so he said in a low voice, "Okay."

The groundskeeper looked up at him and started again, "Anyway, he comes out here with his wife, her name was Dorothy, his was Frank, to sketch that mausoleum that he had spotted. It was November 1st and a pretty nice day. When they get back later, I can tell something ain't right. I mean they looked fine and all, but something just wasn't them. I started asking if they're alright and at first, they say they're fine and then they start getting mad that I'm asking. The more I'm there the more I see it really ain't them and before long my brother tells me I need to go. Says I'm upsetting his wife. Let me tell you that my brother and I were very close and he would never do that. Dorothy wouldn't either. It just wasn't in her nature. So, I start digging into things and I end up out here. You know the whole purpose of the day was to sketch that place, so I decide I'll start there."