FICTION
Editor’s Note: This story is a work of fiction published in the fun spirit of Halloween. This story is on theopinion page and is a work of fiction, not a factual account of events in Cibola County
The moonflower symbolizes the blossoming of dark times. Not many people are aware of this, so when the flower appeared in various locations throughout Grants on October 1st nobody was concerned. The following days were quite eventful, with fires and break-ins. Nothing was ever stolen and no one was ever seen. But in the buildings there lay a single black rose, with the note “Prepare to meet thy fate.”
The buildings that were set on fire also had a single black rose that was found when the fire was put out, and the note with it said “Revenge is mine.”
The citizens were alarmed by these strange occurrences, but they went on with their lives, certainly more cautious. Everyone made sure their smoke alarms worked, their fire extinguishers were full, and their doors and windows locked. The police were constantly on the lookout for whoever was doing this. But despite all of their precautions, each passing day has brought at least one disaster. But no one was ever harmed until Friday the thirteenth. In the early morning, officers were sent to a house on Mount Taylor. There lay a devastating sight. The occupants of the house had met a dreadful end. The officers came to the conclusion they were awake when the mysterious creature lurked into their home, which caused whoever broke in to react violently. On the fireplace an Aconite flower, also known as monkshood, was next to a note slightly colored red. It read “Be cautious, for the days are approaching.” That very night a similar occurrence happened in a store. The black rose of revenge was laid upon the victim.
For the second time in the month of October these occurrences made the front page of the paper. With each passing day there were less skeptics than there once was. More people couldn’t deny that something horrible was going on in their town. Buildings burned, warnings being left, houses were broken into just so a flower and note could be left, and now there were two families deceased at the hand of this seemingly phantom creature.
After learning of the new warnin g in the paper, the citizens had to make a decision. The wise left town, the worried became much more cautious, families of the victims were devastated. But the teenagers' reactions were different. Some spread rumors to strike more fear into classmates, others planned to have a Halloween party just out of spite, while others dared each other to go into the few haunted houses that there would be.
The police and firefighters found it impossible to find a pattern in the attacks. Fires were set in houses and buildings, each with a note that only had one letter. First was an M, then an O, R, T, I, M, E, and R. When the officers gathered these notes they immediately began searching for someone with the name Mortimer, but to no avail. “This has to mean something.” One officer said. “There’s always a reason behind what this creature does.”
“Maybe he just wants recognition.” Another officer suggests.
“Or it’s the meaning that he wants us to know.” The officer gets his phone, “It says the definition of Mortimer is Dead Sea.”
And so it was, on the twenty-first, the phantom that has terrorized Grants was given a name, Mortimer.
A s the days grew shorter and the night longer, the dark events grew darker. The wells were poisoned, the electricity was messed with, and vehicles were compromised. Deaths followed, some by the poisoned water, while others were electrocuted, and others were involved in the many crashes.
On the dreaded Halloween night, officers were posted in various places across town, waiting for the malevolent Mortimer.
Teenagers that weren’t too frightened to go places, went to the mining museum. But it was different from the year before. No one would come to scare them as they exited the elevator, and no one would be enjoying screaming, and laughing about it later. As the group exited the elevator, they were filled with the usual fear when they would walk into a haunted house, but when they actually took the time to take in their surroundings they were too afraid to speak.
Paralyzed by fear, the only thing they heard was their shallow breaths, beating hearts, and the tick tick ticking on one of their watches. By the time anyone thought to react and press the elevator button for it to open, they heard a noise. Quiet, but audible. The ones that thought maybe, this was all part of the nuanced noise, decided to walk forward. They peaked around the corner and like a Venus flytrap snapping shut on its prey, they disappeared. THere was no time for anyone to scream, even when they heard a noise and the lights went out. Their breathing became faster as they pushed others in front of them, but even then they kept it nearly silent. It became so quiet they didn’t even hear the ringing in their ears, too afraid they would give away their position. THe fear made them ill and the seconds felt like an eternity. The one watch the group had, ticked, and ticked. Until it was broken as the body fell.
November first, the officers came to the mining museum. When they stepped into the elevator they saw a dead moon flower and a note. “The darkness will return.”
The officers gasped as they saw what lay outside of the elevator doors. THe group that had suffered an unfortunate fate to the creature that no one alive had ever seen. But the determined officers, after experiencing loss of their own and of the town, vowed to find the malevolent doer before they returned