Assignment #83--Spooky Halloween Story

It was the night AFTER Halloween that freaked me. 

After a weekend of lying to my parents, I thought that God's wrath was going fall upon me.  I was with my friend, Denise, and we were driving a very twisty and windy highway back home from a weekend in San Francisco.  The rain was pouring down on us, and the car's tires skided quite a bit.  There was thunder, there was lightning, and Denise had just gotten her driver's license a few months previous.  Is that scary enough for you?  It was a shakey and swervy ride.  I remember putting on a brave face, but reciting the Hail Mary under my breath as we slowly skidded down the long highway.  I remember Linda Ronstadt's Blue Bayou was playing on the radio.  All I could think of however was that song "Riders On the Storm" by Jim Morrison (Doors).  "There's a killer on the road....."  Denise's knuckles on the steering wheel were white.  I honestly did not think we were going to make it home, and that I was going to be punished somehow or another.

When I was seventeen I agreed to go spend Halloween with my best friend, Denise.  We thought it would be fun to go up to San Francisco to look for Halloween costumes, and Denise had an uncle who lived close by who invited her and a friend (me) to spend the Halloween weekend at his house. Her uncle was going to throw a big Halloween party, and urged us to go and to come in costume.  I desperately wanted to go, but I knew there would be no chance in hell that my parents would let me go up to San Francisco and spend the night there; so I lied. 

 

Denise picked me up in her mother’s old BMW, and we took off to San Francisco.  I asked my mother if I could go to San Francisco for the day, and she wasn’t very happy about it, but I somehow convinced her to let me go.  Of course, I lied and I knew very well of the consequences involved, and that I would be in a whole lot of trouble later, but at the time, it seemed worth it to just be the rebel and spend the weekend in San Francisco.  I wanted to hang out with my friend Denise,and I wanted to go to this party. 

 

After hanging out at Denise’s uncle’s  gated condo duplex community in Walnut Creek (he must have had money, because this place was massive and quite trendy looking), we decided to go on BART and go shopping in downtown San Francisco.  We went to a few costume places, but didn’t buy anything, mostly we just went window-shopping, and it was great!  I had never been on a subway before, and never had the opportunity to actually walk around downtown San Francisco!  It was a taste of independence and freedom for me.  When we got back to the uncle’s condo, I decided to call my parents, and give them the news.  Of course, I lied again, and explained that my friend’s car had tire trouble, and that I wouldn’t be able to return until the following day, but I was completely okay, because we were going to stay at my friend’s uncle’s house, and we would leave the next day…  It is only now that I can fully appreciate how furious my parents must have been with me.  Of course, at the time, I could not understand why they were so upset, and I resented the fact that they didn’t trust me. 

 

Poor Denise had no idea what I had said, and did not know that I had to lie to come up withher.  I didn’t tell her mostly because I felt embarrassedthat my parents didn’t trust me, or feel I was old enough to spend a weekend with a friend.  For God sakes, throughout high school I never got in trouble, or hardly went on dates with boys, or ever caused them worry, and Denise was someone that I actually went with to her religious revivals for the Salvation Army!  In no means was my friend a party animal of any sort, and we didn’t smoke or drink…we were two goody too shoes.  How dare my mother question what and where I was going!!  I was 17, not 12!!

 

Denise’s uncle took us out to dinner to a hole in the wall Italian restaurant.  I remember eating my spaghetti, hearing my mother’s very disapproving voice in my head.  The spaghetti wasn’t that great, and I remember thinking that my mom’s spaghetti tasted a whole lot better.  I don't know if it was really the food I didn't like, or the guilt that was building in my stomach as I envisioned my mother fuming. 

 

After dinner, we got ready for the uncle’s Halloween party.  He gave me an old karate outfit for a costume.  I turned the shirt backwards, and wore it as a straight jacket, wore a lot of makeup, and teased my hair as high as I could muster.  I wanted to look like Pat Benatar from one of her album covers.  I don’t remember what Denise was, but I think she was dressed as a cat, I can’t remember for the life of me.  I only remember feeling VERY guilty, but at the same time, determined to have fun. 

 

Well, we went to the party, and right away we both felt out of place.  It was apparent that we were at a “singles” party, and we were the youngest ones there.  The men were checking out the women, and vice versa.  People were drinking, and of course my friend Denise was totally against that, so we decided to play on the elevators and walk around.  A younger guy who was also at the party befriended us, and we thought he was nice looking, but he seemed a little too interested in Denise.  He wanted to know if we wanted to join him at hisplace where we could go drinking and smoke some Mary Jane.  I knew what was coming, so I just sat there and let Denise do the talking. 

 

“Have you tried talking to Jesus?”  Denise asked. 

 

Well, after that question, I don’t remember exactly what he said, but let’s just say he left us rather quickly and disappeared in the night.  Denise and I, the cat and the psycho girl, returned to the party, and proceeded to play on the elevators and pretended to work out in the gym and racket ball facility at the condo. 

 

To make a long story short, WE DID survive that crazy night on the highway, and although I was yelled at when I finally got home, I could clearly see the relief on my parent's faces when they saw me at the door.  I was happy to be home too.  It was a terrifying night, and this goody too shoes was done with her weekend of freedom. 

Extra Credit:  "Monster Mash"-- Not my favo; the Beach Boys version is bearable tho..  I like the song "Witchy Woman"..(Eagles)