Horror Stories from Horrified - Volume One (2)

spots. They tr aced a cir cle as if something had danced about me unseen but it was their
unifor m almond shape that caught my eye. They dotted the floor ahead, w eaving thr ough
the ticket bar r ier s to disappear into the night beyond. Hoof pr ints.
?Shit.?
?You ok, miss??
He buzzed me thr ough the bar r ier even though I couldn?t find my ticket; he must have
seen the r aw ter r or in my eyes. I walked home at speed, avoiding the hedging and tr ees
and cluster ing shadow s.
15th December
?You?r e w elcome. Yeah, Mer r y Chr istmas. Goodnight.?
The night air w r apped ar ound my ankles as he closed the door and handed me a small
candy-cane.
?Char ity collector s for a hospice.?
I looked at the pepper mint stick in my hand. Red on w hite on r ed on w hite.
?And a ver y cr eepy Santa. Those poor kids.?
I w ent back to the kitchen w her e I had been pour ing w ine. I watched him move thr ough
the flat, sw itching on lights and dr aw ing cur tains. Inviting the war mth to stay.
?What do you want to eat??
I handed him a glass and collapsed into the softness of sofa cushions and blankets. It had
been a long w eek. He joined me, tugging off his shoes.
?Pizza. Lots of cheese, stuffed cr ust.?
?One of those nights, is it??
I dr ank deep of Mer lot, letting the r edness br uise my mouth clean of any memor ies of
nutmeg and cinnamon and pepper mint.
?If I or der pizza, w ill you tell me about your ghost? And befor e you say no? ?
148