Hello readers 😊 It’s my favorite time of the year: Spooky Season! To celebrate, I’m writing a five-part story that’ll be released every Tuesday of October. Did you know there’s five Tuesdays this October? The more the scarier! So snuggle up with a blanket and your pumpkin-spice latte (or Oktoberfest brew) and enjoy!

 

*****

 

October 2016

 

 

“This party blows!”

 

Maggie and Olivia stood in the corner of Phi Upsilon’s dingy basement. Some tech-heavy German pop song was playing through the fraternity’s 20-year-old speakers. Maggie took a sip of the cheap lager that she had just poured from the frat’s only keg.  

 

“Yeah, this party is not it,” said Olivia, who glanced warily at the frat boys stumbling around in their half-assed lederhosen. Maggie and Olivia were matching, both wearing Bavarian dirndls. Each of their costumes included a white blouse under a tight fitting, low-neckline bodice and a high-waisted skirt.

 

“There’s gotta be another party happening somewhere,” said Maggie. She was annoyed. Coming to this stupid Oktoberfest party was all Olivia’s idea. All because Olivia wanted to hook up with Aiden, who was currently in the corner opposite them making out with a freshman.

 

Seeking any distraction from that visual onslaught, Maggie turned to the dirty mirror on the wall next to her. It featured the words “IN BEER WE TRUST” along the top, and looked like it hadn’t been wiped down in years. Despite the grime, Maggie could tell her long brown hair still looked presentable under the orange flower crown she wore. Olivia wore a matching crown over her blonde hair, and through the mirror Maggie could see her still staring at Aiden.

 

“I heard the Ag students are hosting a bonfire on the reserve,” Olivia muttered as she continued to stare at him making his best attempt to chew the freshman’s face off.

 

“One of their Pumpkin Patch Parties?” teased Maggie.

 

“I’ve heard good things; some girls were talking about it in class yesterday.”

 

“I don’t know about—”

 

Maggie was cut short as the girl Aiden had been kissing suddenly pushed him away and ran out of the basement. He stood in the corner, clearly confused, before peering out over the rest of the basement. Finally, he caught sight of Maggie and Olivia and began staggering over in their direction.

 

“Olive! Hey, Olive! I didn’t know you were here!” Aiden nearly collided with one of his fellow lederhosen-clad frat brothers as he clumsily made his way to their corner.

 

“It’s Olivia, asshole!”

 

He looked confused. “Olivia. Sorry.”  Then, smiling again, he said “Hey, are… are you a pretzel… cause you’re making my heart twist!”

 

Maggie leaned over towards Olivia, nearly yelling over the German pop song, “Hey, why don’t we try out that bonfire you were talking about?”

 

“You’re… leaving?” said Aiden, clearly disappointed, although his eyes were barely open.

 

“Fuck you and your stupid party,” said Olivia, who tossed the rest of her lager directly into his face.

              

“Aw, what… the hell?” Aiden slurred. The girls slid past him as he tried to process the slight. As they rounded the corner to the stairs, they heard him yell out, “Hey, hey, are… are you a sausage? Cause you’re the… the wurst!”

 

The girls giggled as the raced up the stairs and out of the frat house. The cool air of the October night felt rejuvenating.

 

Feeling a second wind coming on, Maggie said, “Okay, so how do we get to this bonfire again?”

 

“No idea. Let me call one of my friends,” said Olivia. “I think the ag reserve is…” she spun around a few times, “this way!”

 

Something tells me I’m going to regret this, Maggie thought as she began walking in the specified direction. Meanwhile, Olivia took out her phone and began calling her friends she thought were at the bonfire.

 

“Hey, hey, Jess? Can you hear me? Jess? God damn it!”

 

As the girls walked the path leading to the western edge of Monroe State University, Maggie couldn’t help but feel a bit spooked. As a communications major, Maggie rarely ventured onto this side of campus, which was mostly the domain of the agricultural science students. This was the oldest part of MSU’s campus, part of the original land grant provided by the State of Monroe.

 

“Heather? Hey, yeah, Heather! Are you—yeah. Are you at the bonfire? You are? How’d you—hello? Shit!” Olivia pulled the phone away from her ear to see that the call had dropped. “Wherever this bonfire is, it has terrible cell service.”

 

“Makes sense,” said Maggie. If it really was in the middle of the ag reserve, she’d be surprised if there was any service at all.

 

After making several more calls and piecing together the directions she could actually hear, Olivia concluded that they needed to walk all the way to the western end of campus, to Old Kiln Road, where a tractor would be waiting. They were to hop in the trailer in the back someone would drive them to the bonfire.

 

“So, we get to the bonfire by hayride?” asked Maggie.

 

“Sounds like it.”

 

“You’re sure about this?”

 

“Not really. But they sound like they’re having fun!”

 

“The things I let you talk me into.” Maggie felt the autumn breeze between her bare legs. If she had known she’d be spending the night outside, she would have switched the dirndl out for a sweater and jeans.

 

After walking for about five more minutes, the girls reached the edge of campus. Passing a sign that read, “Monroe State University, West Entrance”, the girls stepped out onto the road.

 

“Is this Old Kiln Road?” asked Maggie, looking around for the hayride. “I don’t see a street sign anywhere.”

 

“Must be,” said Olivia, scanning the distance. “I swear, if those bitches lied to me.”

 

“You probably just didn’t hear them right,” said Maggie. She was starting to shiver.

 

“Fuck!” Olivia screamed into the night sky.

 

“Hey, maybe Aiden left Phi Upsilon’s party? We can head back and—”

 

Maggie was interrupted by the sound of motor. It came from field on the opposite side of the road, from behind the tree line.

 

“Do you hear that?” whispered Olivia.

 

“Yeah, you think it’s—”

 

The girls watched as a tractor appeared around the tree line. Its bright headlights cut through the darkness and temporarily blinded them.

 

“Holy shit, it’s actually real,” said Maggie, shielding her eyes with her hand.

 

“I knew I heard them right!”

 

The girls stood waiting for around five minutes until the tractor stopped about 15 yards from the road. The tractor’s headlights were still shining directly in their faces.

 

They heard a man’s voice call out, “Y’all the only ones waiting?”

 

“You mind shining those lights somewhere else?” Maggie yelled out.

 

“Shit, sorry,” said the man. They heard the motor pick back up as the tractor turned around to face the way it came.

 

Their vision restored, they were able to scope out their transportation for the evening. The old red tractor was pulling a rickety trailer stacked up with bales of hay.

 

“Sure beats Uber,” said Maggie, turning to Olivia. “We doing this?”

 

“We’ve come this far,” said Olivia. Maggie could sense the hesitancy in her voice.

 

“Come on,” said Maggie, grabbing Olivia’s hand. “No regrets!”

 

With that, the two girls ran across the road and leaped across the ditch. Maggie felt her skirt fly up as she jumped, and she was grateful the tractor’s lights were now facing the opposite direction.

 

Both girls landed on their feet and began walking to the hayride. As they approached, the man stepped out of the cab. He was a tall, gangly guy, who looked to be about their age. He wore a trucker hat and sported a brown goatee.

 

“So y’all really is the only ones,” he said, eyeing them up and down.

 

“Trust me, we’re the life of the party,” said Maggie.

 

“I can see that, ma’am. What’s that you’ve got on?”

 

“Dirndls. We were at an Oktoberfest thing earlier.”

 

“Deern dells? I ain’t never heard such a thing.”

 

“They’re German,” said Maggie. “Anyway, can you take us to the bonfire now? Sorry, we’re a little chilly.”

 

“Sure can. The Fourth will be mighty glad to see y’all.”

 

Maggie and Olivia exchanged glances. “The Fourth?”

 

“Yes, ma’am. Hop on in,” said the man, stepping up onto the tractor once more. He paused as he grabbed the door to the cab and turned to them. “I’m Hunter, by the way.”

 

“I’m Maggie, this is Olivia.”

 

Hunter tipped his hat and stepped into the cab.

 

The two girls scrambled up onto the hayride. Maggie once again found herself grateful that there was no one else around, as she most certainly would have flashed anyone behind her.

 

Once the girls were safely in the hayride, Hunter started pulling off for the tree line. The tractor’s engine hummed as it pulled their trailer along. Maggie and Olivia sat low so as to hide from the wind. They pulled their skirts low, trying to keep pieces of hay out of their outfits.

 

Slowly, the tractor pulled their hayride past the tree line. Maggie briefly sat up, trying to catch sight of the bonfire. In the distance she could make out a faint orange glow. The sky was clear, the stars were bright. MSU’s campus felt far away.

 

As the minutes wore on and the tractor sputtered along, the orange glow grew more pronounced. Maggie could start to make out different sounds now. She thought she heard country music, the sounds of girls laughing.

 

“Do you hear that?” asked Maggie. “Sounds like we won’t be the only girls here.”

 

“Thank God!” said Olivia. “I was getting nervous it would just be me, you, Hunter, and The Fourth.”

 

They both giggled.

 

Maggie could see the bonfire clearly now. It was larger than she expected. Its flames licked the night sky, its crackling reverberated through the cool air. There was a group of about ten students sitting around the bonfire. Maggie felt herself relax a little bit.

 

The tractor finally pulled to a stop about twenty yards away from the bonfire. Hunter turned off the engine and jumped out of the cab.

 

“I got two more ladies to join us. They was the only ones waitin’,” Hunter said to the group by the fire.

 

Maggie and Olivia stood up. They saw some girls wave in their direction.

 

“Welcome! Don’t be shy!” one shouted.

 

“Let’s do this,” said Olivia.

 

“After you.”

 

The girls climbed out of the hayride, taking a bit longer than usual as they attempted to preserve their modesty in the process. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Hunter materialized in front of them holding two red solo cups.

 

“Damn, that was fast,” said Maggie.

 

“This is the good shit. Marzen lager. Brewed by ag science students using grain and hops grown right here.” He pointed toward the ground.

 

“Thank you,” said Olivia as she grabbed one of the red solo cups. She cast a mischievous glance towards Maggie before proceeding to chug the entire beer.

 

Both Maggie and Hunter stared at her.

 

“Well, shit, lemme grab you another,” said Hunter, taking Olivia’s cup back. He took a step back and then paused, looking at Maggie.

 

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” said Maggie, grabbing her cup out of his right hand.

 

“No trouble at all,” said Hunter. He quickly turned around and shuffled towards the bonfire.

 

“What was that about?” Maggie whispered.

 

“I was getting too sober,” Olivia whispered back. “And he wasn’t wrong. That beer is way better than what they were serving at the frat.”

 

Maggie took a sip from her cup. There was a malty sweetness to the beer. Her senses embraced the notes of caramel, biscuits, and nuts. She took another sip, larger this time. Olivia was right—the beer was good.

 

The girls walked closer to the bonfire. Square haybales lay scattered around the circumference of the fire. Maggie had seen people sitting on the hay bales from afar, but now as she approached, she could see the other guests more clearly. Couples sat on several of the bales. The guys looked similar to Hunter; they wore hats, flannels (or camo), and jeans. Their facial hair varied, although they all had whiskers of some sort.

 

The girls that sat with—or on—the men were much more interesting. They didn’t look like agriculture students at all. The girls were Maggie’s age, some wore crop tops and jeans, some wore skirts and tights, a few even had dirndls on. They must have left the party before us, thought Maggie. Some of the girls sat on the guys’ laps, some girls had their legs draped over the men’s legs. They were all giggling, their arms wrapped around the necks of their men.

 

“Oh, shit, Jess, is that you?” said Olivia, who had just recognized her friend. Jess was also blonde, and was dressed in a flannel that she had tied up high to reveal her stomach. She wore blue jeans and brown leather boots. Before Olivia had called out her name, Jess had been whispering into her man’s ear, her hand on his thigh.

 

“Oh, hey, Olivia! You made it!” said Jess, who briefly peeled herself away from the man. He stared daggers at Maggie and Olivia as they approached.

 

“Yeah, I totally thought you were fucking with me,” said Olivia. She glanced at the man Jess was sitting with. “And who’s this… who’re you with?”

 

“Oh, this is Kyle,” said Jess, patting his thigh. Maggie could see Hunter returning with two red solo cups. She looked down into her own cup and realized it was empty. Wow, it really goes down smooth.

 

“Oh, and… and you and Kyle have class together?”

 

Maggie didn’t get to hear the answer. Hunter stepped in front of them, handing each of the girls a new cup filled with beer.

 

“Thanks,” said Olivia, who grabbed the cup, took a big gulp, and walked closer to Jess and Kyle. Maggie could tell Olivia was concerned, but she couldn’t make out what she was saying. Maggie tried to get closer to her, but Hunter stepped in between them.

 

“The Fourth’s wantin’ to have a word with ya.”

 

“The Fourth?” Maggie asked, distracted. Then, remembering, she said, “Right, right. Now? Where is he?”

 

Hunter pointed in the direction of the bonfire. It struck Maggie that she hadn’t actually looked past the fire until now. As she squinted through the flames, she could make out a cornfield in the distance. And there was something lying in front of it, some sort of structure.

 

“What is that?” Maggie asked.

 

Hunter smiled, “The VIP section. Come with me.”

 

Maggie looked back at Olivia, who was squatting near Jess, whispering into her ear.

 

“Fuck it.” Maggie started walking towards the cornfield. She wasn’t sure whether it was the beer or not, but she was feeling adventurous.

 

“Shew! Hold on now,” said Hunter as he tried to catch up with her.

 

Maggie was walking quickly now. As she approached the cornfield, she realized that the structure she saw in front of it was made of haybales stacked up about eight feet tall. On her way to it, she passed two guys. One held a baseball bat while the other pitched him small pumpkins to smash in midair.

 

Maggie reached the entrance of the hay structure and peered in. The entrance cut a sharp right turn which proceeded for about ten feet before ending in a left turn, preventing Maggie from seeing far from where she stood.

 

“Hmmm, nope, this is creepy,” Maggie said, ducking out of the entrance.  

 

“What’s a matter?” asked Hunter.

 

“I’m not going in there. Your guy—The Fourth—can come out here if he wants to talk to me.”

 

“Mighty sorry, but I don’t think that’s gonna fly, miss.”

 

“You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going in there alone.”

 

He took a step forward. “There ain’t nothin’ to be scared of in there.” 

 

Maggie stepped back. “Sorry. Not happening.”

 

He frowned, but remained silent. It was only now that Maggie realized how tall Hunter was; he stood a solid six or seven inches taller than her. I should have never walked here without Olivia. Maggie contemplated whether she should make a run for it or not. I ran track in high school, after all, and he doesn’t look like he’s in the best shape. How far back was it to the bonfire?

 

Just as Maggie was about to make her break for it, she heard laughter coming from behind her. She turned and looked back into the entrance, only to see three girls her age come into view. They were whispering to each other and giggling. Maggie stared as the girls exited the hay structure and walked past her and Hunter as if they weren’t even there, not even acknowledging their presence.

 

Maybe it’s not as bad in there as I thought. She turned back towards Hunter. “I’ll make you a deal: I’ll go in there and talk to your dude if you leave me alone and walk back to the bonfire.”

 

Hunter smiled, “Deal.” He quickly turned around and started following the three girls towards the fire.

 

Maggie watched him walk away for a couple moments. Finally, she sighed. Oh well. Now I’m curious. She turned around and walked through the entrance.

 

Although the haybale walls were about eight feet high, there was no ceiling to the structure. The starry night sky lit Maggie’s path as she made the right turn, walked for about ten feet, then made a left turn. She walked ahead for another ten feet before making another left, at which point she emerged into a large open space, still enclosed within the haybale walls.

 

In the open space, with his back turned towards her, stood a college-aged man with brown hair. He wore a white button-down shirt tucked into blue jeans, the bottoms of which were cuffed, revealing brown leather boots. Next to the man was a platform, also made of haybales, that came to the man’s waist. On top of this platform was a large round object covered with a black sheet. The space was lit with several small jack-o’-lanterns lying on the ground.

 

Maggie coughed, then said, “Uh, are you guy they call ‘The Fourth’?”

 

Maggie was pleasantly surprised when the man turned around. He was more handsome than she expected. Unlike the other guys she had seen at the bonfire, he was clean shaven. His high-fade haircut was stylish and his smile was warm.

 

“Yes, please, come in.”

 

She took a few steps closer. “You don’t have a country accent like your friends.”

 

“No. Are you disappointed?”

 

“No.”

 

“Good. What’s your name?”

 

“You first.”

 

He laughed. “Fine. I’m Cantwell. Cantwell Becker IV, to be precise.”

 

Maggie could feel the surprise on her face, the laugh ready at the tip of her tongue. “That’s a hell of a name.”

 

“Yes, it is. But you can call me Chuck.”

 

Maggie took a few more steps forward. “I don’t know, between Chuck, Cantwell, and The Fourth, Chuck is pretty boring.”

 

He smiled, “And what can I call you?”

 

“Maggie,” she smiled back.

 

“That’s a pretty name. You go to MSU?”

 

“Yes, I’m a sophomore. You?”

 

“I’m a senior. A third-generation MSU student, actually.”

 

“No shit? You from around here?”

 

He laughed. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. Let me guess, you’re from Spring City?”

 

“How’d you know?”

 

“Your accent. Bring me anyone from Monroe, I can tell you where they’re from.”

 

“Impressive,” she said. Then, remembering the cloth-covered object, said, “What’s that thing?”

 

Chuck didn’t turn to look at it. “We’ll get to that. What’s your major?”

 

“Communications.”

 

For a brief moment, Maggie thought she saw a look of pure disgust pass over his face. But he quickly regained his composure, sighed, and knelt to the ground.

 

“My great grandfather donated this land to Monroe. Most of the land that MSU sits on, actually,” he said, grabbing some dirt in his right hand and letting it fall slowly through his fingers.

 

Something clicked in Maggie’s head. “Oh, shit! Becker Hall!” she said, thinking of the austere administrative building at the center of campus. “That’s named after your family?”

 

He looked up at her, smiling again, “Yep. Unfortunately, these days we don’t have the wealth to build a new football stadium or anything shiny like that. But back in those days, the Beckers were sitting pretty.”

 

He paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, then started again.

 

“You know, nowadays you have your Barretts and your Carlyles donating new engineering and comp sci buildings all over campus. MSU has lost its roots. Every year, the funding for STEM programs goes up, while the agriculture budget gets slashed.”

 

He stood up. “You think MSU even cares what happens on this ag reserve?”

 

“Um,” was all Maggie managed to get out.

 

“They don’t. They don’t care about me or any of my friends out here,” he said, gesturing through the haybale wall in the direction of the bonfire. “And why would they? We’re a thing of the past, right?”

 

Maggie finally spoke up, “I don’t know. Schools have to stay relevant, you know? Computer science is, like, important these days.”

 

He scowled. “You’re just like the rest of them. But that’s alright,” he said, moving towards the covered object. “I’ve got a plan, you know, something big. MSU needs a new Becker to lead it into the future.” He placed his hand on the cloth.

 

“Fourth Becker’s the charm?” said Maggie, trying to lighten the mood.

 

He looked back at her, completely serious. “Exactly.”

 

With that, he pulled the black sheet up into the air in a single, sweeping motion. The movement was so sudden that Maggie jumped. For a moment, she stared at the black cloth billowing in the wind. Then her eyes focused on what had been laying underneath.

 

Maggie was staring at the largest jack-o’-lantern she had ever seen. At least three feet wide by two feet tall, it’s triangular eyes and jagged smile flooded the previously dark space with an orange light.

 

“Holy shit, is that a real pumpkin?” she said.

 

“Oh, yes,” Chuck said, smiling, patting the top of the jack-o’-lantern with his hand.

 

“So, this is what you ag science students are up to out here,” she said. “Honestly, I’m impressed. I’ve never seen a pumpkin so big.”

 

“Thanks, but this is about way more than getting first place at the Monroe State Fair. This,” he said, giving it another pat, “is about my legacy. About the future of MSU and the future of the ag reserve.”

 

Maggie tried to stifle a laugh. “You lost me. I mean, it’s cool and all, don’t get me wrong. But what does a big ass jack-o’-lantern have to do with the future of MSU?”

 

“You don’t get it yet. But you will. Sooner than you think.”

 

“Uh huh. Okaaaay then. Hey, let me go grab my friend Olivia. She’ll definitely want to post this on QwicPik.”

 

“I’d rather you stay for a moment,” he said. He was staring at her now.

 

“I’ll be right back. She’s not f—” Maggie cut herself off. The strangest sensation ran through her body. Either the beer was starting to get to her, or she had just seen a flash of green emanate from the jack-o’-lantern’s face.

 

“You’re going to stay with me for right now,” said Chuck, walking towards her.

 

Maggie stood transfixed. She tried to take a step back, but couldn’t. And yes, the jack-o’-lantern was glowing green.

 

“How are you doing that?” she whispered.

 

He was standing close to her now. “Doing what?”

 

“It’s changing colors.”

 

“Is it?” He put his hand on her waist.

 

“Hey, stop it,” she said. Again, she tried to move away, but remained frozen in place.

 

“You see, this is how I make my comeback. How I’ll convince people to take me seriously.  To take the Beckers seriously. I may be The Fourth but I will not be the last.”

 

“You’re freaking me out, dude,” she said, still trying and failing to move away from him.

 

“And you’re going to help me. You’re all going to help me,” he said. He leaned down and kissed her neck. His right hand reached under her skirt and gripped her ass.

 

“Stop it, Chuck. Hey, fuck off!”

 

“Stop talking,” he said. His left hand reached down and grabbed her other cheek.

 

She tried to curse at him, tried to scream, but suddenly she could no longer speak. No matter how much she willed herself to shout, she couldn’t make a peep. What the hell is happening to me?!

 

“That’s better,” he said, smirking. “I like you better when you’re quiet. Communications major my ass.” He gave her a hard spank. She tried to cry out but couldn’t.

 

He released her ass, moving his hands to her two shoulders. “There’s an election coming up, you know. President of Student Government. And what’s a President without his First Lady?”

 

He slid her white blouse down her shoulders, pausing right above her chest. “Of course, we don’t have to keep this monogamous. I’m traditional but I’m not that old fashioned. Yeah, I think I will have you go fetch your friend soon. What’s her name again? Olivia?”

 

I can’t let this creep get to Olivia! I have to help her. But how? Maggie continued to try to break free, leap away and scream, but she couldn’t say a word or move an inch.

 

He tried to pull the blouse down further, but her bodice prevented him from doing so. His face betrayed a brief moment of frustration before his smile returned once again. “You may not fully appreciate your situation just yet. That’s okay. Let me help you get there.” He took a step back and said, “Maggie, undress.”

 

She wanted to scream at him, laugh and spit in his face before sprinting off, but she did none of that. Against her will, she felt her arms move, her hands reach up to the lace at the front of her bodice. She felt her hands get to work unlacing the closures. What the fuck? Once it was unfastened, she slid it down over her shoulders and arms, then over her waist and legs.

 

She was now standing in just her white blouse and skirt. Without further prompting, her hands began unbuttoning her blouse. Chuck stood staring at her, the green light of the jack-o’-lantern dancing in his eyes.

 

Once the blouse was unbuttoned, she pulled her arms out of the sleeves and let it fall to the ground. Her right hand then moved to the back of her skirt, searching for the zipper. No, no, no!

 

Her hand found it and slowly began unzipping her skirt until it fell around her ankles. She was now just in her beige strapless bra and matching thong.

 

“Keep going,” he ordered.

 

Her hand moved to her back, where she quickly unclasped her bra. Her breasts bounced free as her bra fell to the ground. She felt her nipples get hard in the cool night air. Then, without pausing, she grabbed the waistband of her thong and slid it down her thighs and calves, bending over in the process, until her thong was around her ankles. She then stepped up and away from her clothes, leaving them in a pile at her right side.

 

“Beautiful,” he whispered. He stared at Maggie for what felt like minutes, entranced by her naked body. After a couple moments, he snapped out of it.

 

“Okay, Maggie, now you’re going to take a little nap for me. And when you wake up, we begin my campaign.”

 

What the hell is he talking about? If only she could run away, scream, do anything!

 

“You’re going to fell yourself get very sleepy now,” he said, resting his hand on the jack-o’-lantern. The color emanating from its face slowly transitioned from green to blue.

 

He was right. She was starting to feel tired. Too tired for the situation at hand—too relaxed to be standing naked outside, with some creep, in the middle of fall.

 

“You’re going to sleep for me in three…”

 

I have to fight it. This can’t be happening. She felt herself growing more and more tired.

 

“Two…”

 

This was the sleepiest she’d ever felt in her life. Must resist. Must warn Olivia.

 

“One.”

 

“Unhh,” Maggie moaned, unconscious, as she fell to the dirt.