Vengeance: A Halloween Novella

Chapter 1

Halloween 2021

Kamloops, Canada

This year Connor Zary, a six-foot 181-pound forward for the Western Hockey League (WHL) team the Kamloop Blazers, has decided to go trick-or-treating with his new teammates around Kamloops. He's chosen a Texan outfit: a gray plaid shirt with ripped sleeves, a red bandana around his neck and blue jeans.

"You look adorable, Zabu," Quinn Schmiemann remarks. He's got on a lion cub onesie costume.

"Same can be said about you, Quinny," Connor chuckles.

Orrin Centazzo, Zane Franklin and Logan Stankoven are there too. Orrin has on an Olaf costume, while Logan is wearing an Elvis inspired costume complete with his hair slicked back. Zane has on a bigfoot outfit.

They are standing under a streetlamp that is burning brightly. All around them, other trick-or-treaters are bustling about with full bags of candy.

Connor looks at Quinn, Orrin, Zane and Logan. "Have we had enough?"

"I think so," Zane remarks. "I've been itching to get to the party, you know."

"We had to kill time, Zany," Quinn remarks, jamming a kit-kat into his mouth. "And what better way to kill time before the party than getting candy!"

"Now we can go drink spiked punch!" Orrin shouts out.

"Well, all of us can," Logan states, gesturing to himself, Orrin and Zane. "The two of you cannot."

Connor opens his mouth to make a retort about the unfairness of the situation, but Quinn puts a hand on his shoulder. In a few years.

The five Kamloops players walk down the street, heading for a decked out house. There's spiderwebs covering all the bushes, a strobe light flickering in the front doorway and lots of pumpkin-themed lights decorating the frame of the house's exterior.

Connor spots movement to the side of the house's driveway. At first glance, it looks like a ghost or shadow figure. Either way he is curious about what the person is doing. He watches the rest of his teammates entering the party.

Then he walks away, heading for the figure. He peers around the side of the house, seeing nothing. Cocking his head to one side, he begins to walk along the side, which is some kind of alleyway.

"Hey?!" he calls out. "Anyone here?"

"You're not too smart coming here, future Flame," a deep voice hisses out to him.

Connor halts and spins around, coming face to face with a transparent white shape. He steps back into a patch of soggy dirt.

"BOO!" the figure shouts, jumping at him.

Before Connor can react, his leg that is stuck in mud gives way under him. He crashes to the ground, a soft yelp escaping his lips.

The ghost chuckles, becoming clearer. Connor can see the details of a curly brunette man with a dark, patchy beard and stache. "I'm really not sure if I'm scarier as a ghost now than I was as a Calgary Flame hockey player?"

Connor stares up at him, blinking and unable to move or say anything. His heart is pounding in his chest and he suddenly curses his curiosity. But as he looks at the ghost, his features begin to clarify before him.

"Matthew Tkachuk?"

"Oh, the little kid gets it," the ghost remarks with a sarcastic edge. "Wait, you can see me?"

Connor nods his head, biting his lip and trying super hard to disguise the fear that is flooding through his body.

Tkachuk's feet are hovering over the ground and glowing with the ghostly transparent white. Actually all of him is glowing. He glides over the ground, rounding Connor and eyeing him up and down.