Ghosts of Halloween: Epilogue

Two Years Later

I stand over Ethan’s body, panting, his blood dripping from the knife in my hand. My greedy eyes take in his sallow face, tight from pain, even in death; the bloody slashes down his arms and chest, and the gaping mess that used to be his stomach. I got carried away gutting him, but it’s just as well. As I fully absorb that the last one is dead, finally, after I got Robert a year ago, something inside me finally loosens and lets go.

With my rapists all gone, I am at peace.

“You okay?” Caden asks, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I nod, my throat closing up. God, I feel like crying. And that’s not the thing to do right now, standing over the body of my last rapist. There’s so much work to do. We’re in an abandoned shack far away from civilization, and no one’s likely to come in here, but still, we should wrap up and go.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say, my voice slightly nasal. “You, uh, have everything?”

Caden nods and leans in to give me a kiss on the neck. “You need a moment, baby?”

I snort, but the sound too closely resembles a sob. So I shake my head and turn to Caden, looking into his warm, loving eyes that never fail to ground me. “I’m fine, love,” I say quietly. “Let’s torch this place.”

Caden nods, gives me another brief kiss, and then we both get busy. I shed my clothes and clean my hands with supplies we brought with us. I get dressed in clean stuff, and we drench the small, wooden building in gasoline. All evidence will burn here, save for the knife. I’ll dispose of it somewhere else, because I don’t need it anymore.

There is no one else left to kill. We’re free, all four of us. We can finally live, fuck, laugh, and do whatever we want.

When we stand at a safe distance away, watching the shed blazing high into the blue sky, I take Caden’s hand and we walk to our stolen car parked in the woods. We’ll drop it off and go back home. To Harlow and Jack.

“I’ll suck your cock tonight,” I say impulsively, even as nerves churn in my stomach.

I’ve never done that willingly before. Ever. All the memories I have of being on my knees for someone are from prison. As they rise around me now, I squeeze Caden’s hand and exhale a long breath, forcing my body to calm down. Because they are all gone now. They’ll never hurt me again.

And it’s high time I make new memories with those I love. With Caden, Jack, and Harlow. My three lovers. My family.

We can finally be together, and even if ghosts of the past sometimes slink back to wreak havoc in our beautiful life together, we know how to deal with ghosts now. We’re safe, and we finally have our happily ever after. Together.

Until death do us part, or maybe longer.