The Halloween Divorce

Chapter 1Jesse Potter had just turned the corner on his parents’ street when he first saw the clown. “Son of a—” He stopped in his tracks, his entire body jerking away from the sight. The clown was hung up across a pine tree, its limp arms spread out wide and a half-torn red suit hanging down by its sides like demented angel wings. The face was painted white with red and blue jagged shapes around its eyes, which were yellow. The mouth was open in a hideous grin, and its hair was bleached white and thinning up into the air. It was horrible. Jesse’s grip around his backpack tightened. The clown wasn’t touching the lawn. It also wasn’t real. He stepped back and surveyed the rest of the Halloween lawn display. There were skeletons playing poker at a table, along with big spiders hung on the garage roof, and lights strung up around the frame that would no doubt glow orange and black come dusk. It was only mid-afternoon now, and barely into October. Jesse had been heading home to house-sit for his parents, as they went away on a long-overdue vacation. Since his graduate studies could pretty much be done anywhere at this stage in his academic career, he was looking forward to being in a place with more than one floor, a pantry that had endless amounts of snack food, and a house that he didn’t have to worry about heating. Maybe he’d actually get some reading done in the quiet, too—but not with that…thing hanging out close by. Jesse sighed as he realized the house that was decked out with the fiendish clown was directly across the street from his parents’ place. The entire subdivision was decked out in Halloween—or at least thematic fall—decorations. Jesse didn’t think that many people in this subdivision had kids anymore. Wasn’t this an area full of retirees? Why were they so interested in spooky things instead of a typical pumpkin and gourd display, along with maybe a rustic looking wooden panel that said Welcome Fall. “I f*****g hate Halloween,” Jesse murmured under his breath. He tried not to let the display bother him. He could handle skeletons—hey, we all had one—and spiders, especially since this one was a bright purple and not the scary brown or black ones in his shitty one-bedroom place. But that clown. Damnit. Its eyes were yellow and black, and he swore it stared directly into him. It wasn’t even one of the recognizable clowns, like Pennywise or Pogo, the one that John Wayne Gacy pretended to be. This was generic, like the skeletons. Probably a half dozen of them on this block alone, though he hadn’t seen anymore yet. Thankfully. “Jesse,” his mother greeted from the porch. Her long dark gray hair was tied behind her back. She wore her casual jeans and a tucked in shirt. “So glad you made it. How was the bus?” “Fine.” Jesse shrugged off the clown and greeted his mother. They hugged, she told him he was looking too skinny, and he put his bag in the front hallway just like always. He hadn’t stayed at his parents’ house like this in such a long time, but he marveled at how quickly he slipped into that mindset again. “Professor,” his father said as he approached from the basement. “How are your classes?” “Fine. And I’m not a professor yet.” “Better get used to it, anyway.” His father gave him his hand, a more formal gesture he’d only started doing once Jesse was a PhD student. It made him feel more like he was part of his dad’s business than his son, but he appreciated the respect it bestowed. “Now,” his father said, clapping his hands and getting down to the heart of their reunion. “Let me take you through the house, show you how to reconfigure the alarm, turn off the water in case of emergencies, how to use the flood lights, all that fun stuff. We’ve updated since you’ve left.” “And then there’s pie in the kitchen,” his mother added. “Be sure to eat some. The Uber will be here soon to take us to the airport.” “And you can, of course, use our car in the meantime,” his father stated. Jesse nodded, thanked them both, and completed the rest of the house survey with his father. After forty-five minutes, his dad was growing weary and needed to pack the rest of his suitcase. Jesse waited in the front hall with his mother. “Are you seeing anyone, dear?” she asked quietly, so his father could not hear, or maybe so he could even ignore the question and not answer. He shrugged. He shoved his hands deep in his pocket. “Hard when I’m always studying or writing my dissertation.” “Well,” she said, curling a finger around his ear and tucking his light hair behind it as she did. “Maybe you could get a haircut and help that out.” Jesse laughed. So did his mother. She gave him a real hug and kiss, a sentimental goodbye, just as the Uber arrived. He helped his father with his bags and waited on the porch to wave to them both. He continued until he saw the Uber car no more. The only thing he could see was the clown. He shuddered and went inside. Over a slice of pie—pumpkin from his favorite bakery in town—he still felt a chill. He fixed the heat. He unpacked his stuff. But the strange feeling of being watched never quite left.