Editor’s Note: This story is a work of fiction published in the fun spirit of Halloween. This story is on the opinion page and is a work of fiction, not a factual account of events in Cibola County. This story is a continuation of last year’s Mortimer
It has been a year since the notorious Mortimer had met his abrupt, mysterious end, his reign of terror snuffed out. But his legacy is not so easily forgotten.
Shivani walks towards what remains of Morthill, Mortimer’s house and inside garden. A place she made sure burned when he met his demise. A place where she had spent countless hours learning the ropes of fear and death under his twisted tutelage. But he had never seen her potential, which is why no one ever knew her name- or at least not those who lived. But now, the fire within her is not restrained or dismissed, it is hers to wield.
In the darkness, Shivani whispers her bargain into the abyss, a secret transaction with the embodiment of fear himself. She promises him suffering and chaos as long as she receives something in turn. Its a twisted game she’s playing now, now that she feels the transition and the magic within her to make people see their worst fears.
The pale moon above reminds her that it is time. No longer will October be a month to remember the terror of Mortimer, instead, it will be the start of her reign. That night she strikes, easily entering a house, approaching whoever she decides at that moment. Concentrating on the great wickedness within her, the room fulls with a cacophony of screams and irrational fright, spiraling the victim’s consciousness into the dark recesses of his greatest fears. He writhes in horror as his loved ones, unaware, feel a chill grip their hearts- their terror an echo of his own. Shivani watches with an evil grin, before ending him and leaving her name written across his forehead with his own blood.
The days continue to pass and with every horrifying act eventually leaving a trail of bodies, their faces frozen in expressions of the most intense fear a human can imagine, forever capturing the moment before they succumbed to death. She enjoys each random victim as much as the last. Each victim is left with the name of Shivani drawn across their forehead, a reminder that it is someone much worse than Mortimer who has come for blood.
Fear grips the citizens, Shivani becoming a word people are even afraid to whisper, as many believe invoking her name would summon her to come for them or their loved ones. Those that don’t live in Grants or haven’t been affected by her wrath, paint her into a fictional horror story. But the more people who fear her or speak her name, make desire for power and chaos be fueled. The more fear she instills, the more power surges within her, and she feels that Death is a sinister supporter of her work.
A plan begins to take shape, vicious and grand. One that would have her name truly known to more than those in the small city. She plans what the citizens believe to be a meeting, a way to push their fears away and find the monster who stalks the city. Her next victim is someone she knows would have the people’s trust and lead to an attendance. She would let people become confident during the meeting and maybe even mock her, so it can be all the more pleasant when she makes them suffer, drowning in their own torment, trembling on the brink of sanity, until she lets Death collect them. She crafted the event carefully and executed it perfectly on the third week of October, a night that will go down in history. Feeling Death’s approval, she decides to expand her hunting ground, for she is worse than Death, she is every revolting emotion, thought, and feeling. Mortimer was a simple killer, but she is the architect of horror and master of fear who plans to see the city painted red.