“All Messed Up” By David Ghilardi

A hippy was standing out by the back gate. He seemed drunk, looking thru trash. I ignored him. "They're coming to get you, Barbara." "Stop teasing, Johnny." I glanced at our black and white television. The nerds were still in the cemetery. Even though stern adult voices warned that 'images were intense' and admonished 'younger viewers should leave the room', not much was happening. The music was creepy, sure. But I'd seen worse from Vietnam War newscasts. That Walter Cronkite guy's voice gave me the willies. Swiveling in my jammies towards the yard, the vagrant there had not moved. Looked…
Halloween Haunts: Dirty Ghost by David Ghilardi

Halloween Haunts: Dirty Ghost by David Ghilardi

"I'll trade you three Clark bars for one Snickers." Jerry said. My little brother nodded. They made the candy exchange quickly, both satisfied with what they considered a total score. They both ripped into the candy like sharks. Jerry had never found a food group he didn't like. We all were pillaging from our full bags of treasure. It was a great night. We had scored big. One of the only Halloween's in memory where it had not rained, in Chicago, that was a miracle. It was building though, you could feel it. The weather was changing, pressing at my…