We never knew that old house was haunted. Yes, it sighed and groaned like any other old house but on Halloween…it came to life.
I was six but remember every detail as though it a happened to me yesterday. My older sister and I just had a good run on trick-or-treating. My bag and belly was full of Halloween candy.
My mother, tired of fighting with us to keep out of our candy, sent us to bed immediately that night. We shared my sisters bed to talk about our Halloween booty and trick-or-treating success. Soon I fell asleep as she continued to talk.
I heard whispers. I thought I was dreaming but they buzzed in my ear and woke me. Next to me my sister sat up staring blindly into the darkness.
“What is it?” I asked her
“The dresses!”
“The dresses?” I asked.
“I have to make the dresses!” She insisted as she began to climb over me to get out of bed.
“Where are you going?” I asked nervously. Fear crept into my belly with the thought of being left alone in our bedroom.
“I have to make the dresses.” She explained.
I watched her walk into the hallway nervously looking around. There was a groan and whisper from our closet. Frightened, I jumped up and ran after my sister clinging to the back of her strawberry shortcake night gown.
We descended the steep staircase side-by-side. Once downstairs, she walked into our front room and began waving her arms in the air.
“Here!” She said holding her hand out to me, “help me make the dresses.”
I stared at her confused as she shook her hand at me impatiently. A mist formed turning into a luxurious piece of silver fabric. Breathless, I cautiously took the fabric which felt slippery and cool to the touch.
Satisfied, my sister turned back to the front room. Before her, a dress was hanging on a seamstress mannequin. It twinkled and shimmered in the soft glow from a street light outside.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” She sighed.
“Yes!”
“We need to finish yours,” She explained pointing to the opposite corner of our living room.
There, a deep, velvety blue dress materialized. It was alive with swirling pools of water and floating clouds. Excited, I began to help her drape the mysterious cool fabric over my dress when I heard footsteps.
“What are you girls doing up!?!”
We quickly turned around to find our mother staring down at us with her hands on her hips.
“We are making dresses Mommy!” I blurted with excitement.
“Dresses?”
“Yes! Dresses!” I explained and turned to show her but nothing was there. “They were just here!” I looked around the room. “Where are the dresses?”
“We have to make the dresses,” my sister replied methodically.
My mother sighed, “Your sister is sleep walking again.” She took my sister’s hand and began to walk her up the stairs, “C’mon honey, there are no dresses. Your sister is only dreaming.”
“But…” I turned to look back. The silky magical dresses which lightened the room vanished. Only shadows remained which appeared to take shape in the dark corners. Afraid, I quickly scampered up the stairs with my mother.
The next morning I asked my sister what happened to the dresses. She was baffled and did not know what I was talking about. She only remembered a vague dream about making dresses but nothing more. My parents only laughed and said I was an overly imaginative six-year-old. But as my parents laughed, I caught them giving each other “the look”. Every child knows what “the look” meant. They knew something.
After that Halloween night, I nor my sister went downstairs to make any more dresses nor did the dresses appear again. Things pretty much carried on as normal until…the following Halloween….