Snakebite

"It was after," I leaned in towards Larry with emphasis, but uncertain, "Yeah, I guess," costume party fatigue was setting in, that good-buzz was wearing off. He looked up with semi-interest, knowing who and who we were talking about. The one that was invited, but nobody really liked, and that guy.

"Didgya catcha glimpse 'r somethin?" he said polishing of the crumbs of the doggie bag plateful he had or whatever. I shook my head, cause at this time of the a.m. our quirks can be too much.

"That's what I'm telling about," I said adamantly, trying to pass his mal processing.

"So she finalllly took off the mask?!"

"It didn't happen like that. It was some weirdass conversation between her and the one dressed like a phantom." We'd presumed who that was, but weren't all sure, and I guess it didn't much matter.

"Lloyd," Larry ventured with a yawn, "well?"

"She stood by the window," like a mannequin on display I thought, "and just spoken all limp. I mean the words were coming out death like."

Larry scrunched his face like W-t-F and scratched his arm, waiting for me to go on. He wasn't in any hurry to sit up on the rug or get a move on out of the hall.

"She said, 'Look at me.'" It scared the bejeezus out of me. Not normal.

Larry raised a bushy eyebrow, twisting his nose to one side, like that's all?

"Did he?"

"I guess not, cause, soon I hear her hissing insistently, 'Look at me,' and I get to looking, myself you know? He's glanced up, and says 'uh you've let your hair down, very nice.' And she whispers, 'Look at me,'" again. Pitifully. It gave me the creeps.

"Sounds freakin' annoying, man," Larry folded his arms and I just knew he was bout to close his eyes, so I push the wrappers and leftovers towards him to remind him to take care of his own trash on the way out, and not fall asleep on the spot. He takes the hint; "And?" renewing his waning interest.

"Now Lloyd-boy looks up from his phone, tries to look attentive and says, 'Ohhh you've darkened your make up, tonight,' and goes back to his Facebook or whatsit that he's got his tilt on, but now I'm not on cell lit Lloyd anymore. It's like her face is falling through..."

"What?!"

"She's giving out this hiss like a deflating tire," and I still hear her slithering tongue, "She says 'Lloook at me, Lloyd,' but he's all engrossed in the angle of the screen with his back shouldered away like he doesn't want her to see and I hear him say, 'Can you close the window, hon, there's some kind of chill in here,' and she's got no face," she was backing into the shadows outside and I was transfixed on watching like it was animation.

"No face? how's that?" Larry's got his mass together now and is about to lumber out.

I hold the knob, with the door just enough ajar to let him pass. "Maybe it was all ok, relational BS, but I swear she swung a leg out the sill, then the other, and shut the window behind her. Her face was hollow as a skull, and still whispering 'Llooook at me.'"

"Eve is so messed up."

"I know, I know. Man, see you tomorrow."

10.21.2023

Halloween Mask challenge @Bunny