Reggie stirred when Grace came downstairs. Michael was still asleep, so he followed her into the kitchen.

"Looks like it's you and me, Reggie." She made a big pot of coffee. The clock said 6:55 am. "How about oatmeal with maple cream?"

Reggie cocked his head to the side trying to figure out what she was asking.

"No?" Okay, how about chocolate chip pancakes?"

To that, Reggie barked once.

"Chocolate chip pancakes it is. I applaud your choice."

She let him out the sliding glass door leading to the backyard so he could relieve himself. The early dawn put a waxy film over the coastline, painting it in gray monochrome. The wind picked up, catching some fallen leaves and swirling them in eddies' around the yard. The cold air made Grace shiver as she stepped back inside the house. "Halloween. I hope I'm doing this right," she prayed out loud to her sister.

Guilt had been creeping over her since she had realized she was in love with Michael. Living in her sister's house, taking care of her children, basically living the life she and Scott could no longer live, had created a deep crevice of remorse which Grace was having a hard time avoiding. While her happiness made her feel as if she were skipping along, she would trip and fall over her guilt without warning. I wish I could get off this emotional roller coaster she thought, immediately feeling guilty for thinking it.

~~~~~

He opened his eyes to the filtered light of early morning. Looking over at the clock, he saw it was 7:23 am. The girls should be having their breakfast about now he told himself. They must be so excited for tonight, the scariest night of the year. He was going to make sure they weren't disappointed. The party would be especially enjoyable. He'd finally get to Grace. Implementing his plan, he'd have her all to himself.

He found it particularly amusing that he would be able to walk among the crowd without detection. The mask obscured his face just enough so that no one would be able to give a good description of him.

~~~~~

Alex came into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"Well, good morning," Grace greeted. "You're up early. Excited about tonight?"

Alex shrugged not able to explain what she felt. An unsettled foreboding was digging at her somewhere just out of reach. She felt as if she were walking down a long dark corridor. She knew something was going to jump out at her, but she didn't know who or when.

"I'm making chocolate chip pancakes," Grace said hoping to get a smile; but it never came.

~~~~~

He sat at the small Formica table looking out over the parking lot of the motel. He drank a lukewarm cup of instant coffee and went over his plan. Tonight he'd mix in with the other ghosts and ghouls but he had much more sinister plans in mind. The little girl would be collateral damage. It was the only way he could separate Grace from the rest of them. Anyway, it would give him more control over her. She would do whatever he wanted if she thought he wouldn't hurt the girl. Besides, he owed that little brat for screaming the night she saw him out the window. He could have been caught. He smiled as he thought about how he'd make her pay for that. After all, he told himself, 'I deserve this night, it's been a long time coming. I plan on taking my time with them.'

~~~~~

Michael was the next to make an appearance. "Good morning," he said. "How are you two this morning?"

It was Grace's turn to shrug, as she glanced over at Alex questioningly.

Michael sat down at the table across from Alex and looked directly at her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay."

She wanted to tell him about her fear, but it didn't have a name. She knew he couldn't protect her from a ghost. No one could.

Michael got up to get a cup of coffee. This was the first holiday since the accident. This whole next year was going to be difficult.

Hugging Grace, he rubbed her back reassuringly and said in exaggerated excitement, "Tonight is the big night!"

Grace smiled, looking over at Alex, "That's right!"

"I'm going to get dressed for school," she said pushing herself away from the table and heading for the stairs. She wanted to be excited for Halloween, but it seemed like Michael and her aunt were acting as if everything was alright when they knew deep down, that nothing was. She wondered why they were hiding their fear and what exactly it was, that they were afraid of.

"Okay," Grace answered a little too cheery. "Wake your sisters up please."

~~~~~

He checked his list to make sure everything was in place. Costume, Syrup of Ipecac, invitation, hammer, knife, rope, and tape. 'Oh yeah, he thought, I know how to party.'

~~~~~

Reggie scratched at the back door when he heard Michael's voice.

"Hey boy," he greeted as he let him in.

Reggie wagged his tail as Michael reached out to pet him. He found it a comfort since he was overwhelmed with a far-off sense of danger, which kept him on alert for whatever might happen. He had no appetite for his food even though the lady added a scrambled egg to it.

"What's wrong Reggie? You love scrambled eggs."

"Well, that's a first," Michael commented when he saw Reggie's half full food dish. "You feeling okay boy?"

Reggie lying with his head resting on his front paws gave a soulful moan. He felt something was waiting to harm him or his people. Somewhere out of sight, in the dark. Like Alex, he just didn't know who or when.

~~~~~

He was getting antsy waiting around in the small motel room for tonight. Deciding he was hungry he set out for a walk and a breakfast burrito.

Traffic snaked along the main thoroughfare leaving a stench of exhaust in the cool morning air. The ocean, on the other side of the highway, added another layer of slate. The seagulls ran along the beach where the tide slowly receded back from the sand. Their squawking was almost deafening as more of them crowded the row of fast food restaurants on his side of the street. He wished he had a pellet gun to pop as many of those bastards as he could.

He was beginning to feel the cold moist air work its way to his arms and legs. He hated it here. This entire area was ugly and cold and offered very few diversions. At least for his taste in entertainment. He forced his hands into the pockets of his shorts and picked up his pace. He couldn't wait to take care of business and blow this God-forsaken place.

~~~~~

Jessie and Charlie came bounding into the kitchen full of excitement and giggles.

"Good morning," they shouted as Jessie chased Charlie around the table.

"Happy Halloween!" Grace greeted as she brought over a heaping plate of chocolate chip pancakes.

"Oh boy, chocolate chip pancakes!"

Grace looked around, "Where's Alex?"

"I don't know," Jessie mumbled after stuffing a healthy portion of a pancake into her mouth.

"Alex breakfast is on the table!" Grace called.

"I'm here okay!" She arrived back at the table in a dark, subdued mood. Her long blond hair was neatly brushed and held back by a black headband. She ate two pancakes, drank a small glass of orange juice and spoke only when she had to.

In contrast, Jessie and Charlie chatted excessively, as they planned their trick-or-treating paths through the neighborhood for later that evening.

When Michael left with the girls, a quiet spread over the house. It gave Grace the feeling that a thick heavy snowfall had just fallen outside, covering all the noise with a downy white comforter. It was peaceful and lonely at the same time. She looked over at Reggie who hadn't moved a muscle.

~~~~~

The breakfast burrito was greasy and stale. It sat on his stomach like a piece of cement. He decided to stop at the porn shop near the motel for some reading material to pass the time. He considered it conditioning, just as an athlete might use weights or other equipment to get in shape for the big game. This thought made him smile. He pulled open the heavy door and a cluster of metal bells clanked against the thick glass.

He decided when he got bored with his porn, he'd go check in on Grace and see what she was up to. Stalking her before the big night made him feel powerful. He especially enjoyed getting as close to her as possible without detection.

~~~~~

Alex and Reggie's dark moods began to creep into Grace's outlook. She felt an apprehensive fear of unknown origin. Of course, there was her stalker, but even Hillman thought he was long gone from the area. Still, she felt a shadow of gloom move over her once cheerful morning.