Halloween at Midnight | 31 Days of Halloween. (2019)

Day 11- Christmas In October.

"Candice, go help your brother decorate the tree."

I continued to text on my phone until my step-dad snatched it away.

"Hey!"

"Candice go help your brother decorate the tree, please."

"This is ridiculous! It's October, why are we decorating a Christmas tree?!"

"You know why. It's your mother's favorite holiday and we... we don't know how time she has left."

"I don't want to. Give me back my phone."

"I pay the bill, I decide whether you get the phone."

"Well, it won't be your problem much longer."

"What does that mean?"

"Our dad got out of prison last week. As you're well aware. When mom dies, custody will go to him."

My step-dad Phil laughed in my face. "You honestly think a judge is going to award custody to a murderer."

"My dad didn't murder anyone!"

"Yeah? Who did then? Who killed your grandmother?"

I looked away and at the wall.

"Now you'll get this back when you finish helping your brother. Do it for him, huh?"

When he moved in to comfort me, I jerked away and walked downstairs.

"Thanks."

"For?"

"Helping me. I know you don't want to."

"I do it for you."

"Carmen?"

"Yeah?"

"When will mom die?"

"Soon. You'll have to be strong for me. Okay buddy? We'll need each other more than ever."

He nods.

"Will we go live with dad?"

"God willing." I mumble.

"You know who really killed grandma, don't you?"

I paused as I began to hang an ornament. "You ask a lot of questions kid."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. You'll find the answers you seek. In all due time."

"It's done Phil!" I yelled to the stairs.

He carefully brought my mother downstairs. She was weak and fragile. She'd lost so much weight.

"You guys, this looks fantastic."

I held out my hand to Phil and he gave me my phone back.

"Carmen, Jacob. Thank you!"

After opening last minute gifts, Phil put Jacob to bed. It made my eyes role. Jacob is eight. He can tuck himself in.

"Carmen?"

"Yes?"

"Can you help me to the bed?"

"Why not?"

She grabbed a whole of my arm and we went back upstairs. I turned to leave when she laid down, but she stopped me.

"Carmen, wait."

I sighed and turned around.

"Talk with me for a second?"

I hesitated, but closed the door and sat at her bedside.

"I really appreciate how you are with Jacob. Especially since I got sick. I hate that my sickness caused such a riff between us."

"Ha! Are you serious? You think you being sick causes the angst between us?"

She stared wildly.

"Think back, think back to the times I used to act up as a kid. When do you think that started?"

"I—I don't know when you were eight?"

"When I was eight. What else happened when I was eight?"

"You mean your grandmother dying? You're mad at me because your father killed—

"Give it a rest mom! You and I both know dad didn't kill grandma. I was there and I saw it happen. You... you smothered her."

Her face changed gradually.

"Jealously. He loved me and grandma more than he loved you. She was ill and old and while she lay in her bed, you took a pillow in your hands."

"Stop it."

"My God! You're just the most brilliant actress ever. You knew dad had been drinking and you used his issues to frame him and make him look guilty. Bravo."

"I—I—

"And then poor Jacob was born... without his father."

"I said stop!"

"Admit it. Say it to my face."

She shook her head and smiled. Then she giggled to herself. "Fine. So what? She was dying any way."

I felt the emotion but I didn't expect there tears. "And there she is. The real you. Now I see where I get it from."

"Get what from?" She coughed.

"You're sick... because of me."

"You're not making any—

"I've been poisoning you."

"What?"

"I've...been...poisoning...you. Every damn day for eight months. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't died yet. Well, anytime now the doctor says."

Her mind, surely blank, couldn't believe the words as they came out of my mouth.

I kissed her forehead and smiled, "Merry Christmas Mother."