A Thin Veil

He hated Halloween. People just didn't understand it wasn't all fun and games. It was a seriously dangerous time. The veil between worlds was at its thinnest and there was no better time for all manner of creatures to make their way into our world.

Maybe it was for the best that people thought all that stuff was just made up. What would happen if more people knew the truth about the paranormal? Would they ban together to fight it, or would they just give up because life was already hard enough?

He didn't know the answer to that, so he decided to remain grateful that only a few people knew the truth. It would be nice to have more numbers on their side, but maybe it was too great a risk to be open about what they did.

It wasn't even dark yet and there were children running around dressed as their favorite superhero or Disney character. Alex knew it was going to be a long night as he turned from his apartment window and set about checking his weapons. Other than some rock salt ammunition, holy water, and an iron rod, there wasn't much in his arsenal that would do any good.

He donned his own costume and headed out. Like he did every Halloween, he'd patrol the streets until the early hours of the morning.

The street patrol went well enough at first. The majority of people out were parents with their young children carrying their Trick-or-Treat bags. Alex knew it wouldn't be long before the older kids would be out and the adults on their way to parties would follow. Things would get more exciting after sunset, and continue every hour right up until midnight.

A couple hours later, Alex was glad that the worst of what he'd had to deal with was a few mischievous ghosts who'd been teasing people and trying to get away with bags of candy. He wouldn't mind if that was the extent of the activity, but he knew better than to hope.

Even later, close to midnight, Alex was tired. He'd been walking for hours almost non-stop, but he knew the night was almost over. Although it was normal for supernatural activity to ramp up gradually, it would climax at midnight and quickly end. Things had still been fairly quiet, and Alex was grateful for the change. Previous Halloweens had let him beaten and battered from battles with all sorts of things that most people didn't know existed.

After stopping at an all-night diner for a bathroom break and a coffee to go, Alex headed back toward his apartment. He figured it would take him until just after 1am go get home if he walked at the same pace he had been, and by then, it would be safe for him to crawl into bed.

Several minutes later he turned a corner and knew his evening wouldn't end as peacefully as he'd hoped. The street was almost deserted, but he saw someone dressed as a pirate talking to a girl in a maid costume. He thought she was in her early twenties. He didn't know how old the pirate was, and he only assumed it was a male.

Alex watched for a few moments before becoming convinced he was looking at some supernatural creature - a strong ghost or maybe even a demon - attempting to take over the girl. Without further hesitation, Alex dropped the cup of coffee and moved forward, a flask of holy water suddenly in his hand. He unsnapped the lid, letting it hang by the rubber string attached to the neck. He took long steps and without a word, splashed holy water on the pirate. Alex heard the yelp of the man and he grabbed the girl by her arm.

"Run!" Alex yelled. "Get out of here!"

The girl looked at him, her expression one of pure shock, and complied. Alex looked at the creature to see its arm was smoking from the burn of the holy water. He splashed it again, and the monster's scream of pain brought the attention of a couple walking across the street. Alex pushed the pirate into the nearby alley, and began to chant in Latin as he threw more holy water. It wasn't long before the creature left the body in a bright stream of light. Alex was pushed backward by the force and it took him time to recover.

A few minutes later, he left the alley, grateful for the lack of street traffic, and looked around for the would-be victim. He didn't find her and assumed she'd headed for safety. He went back to the alley to find the person used by what he now knew had been a demon sitting up and looking confused. The man said he must have had too much to drink before declining Alex's offer of help. He made his way to his feet and staggered away. Alex watched him for a few moments, then turned toward his apartment.

Alex unlocked his door and reached for the light switch. He flipped it, but nothing happened. Suspicious, he took another step inside and listened closely. He heard the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen, so he knew power wasn't out to the entire apartment. With the nearly empty flask of holy water in his hand, another few steps brought him to one of the tabletop lamps. He turned the control, but the room remained dark.

Before he could even think about what to do next, he was thrown backwards and the holy water flew out of his hand as he hit a wall. He was momentarily stunned, but adrenaline kicked in when he was brought to his feet only to be thrown again.

Alex started to chant in Latin, but he heard only laughter in response.

"You think it's going to be so easy with me? You should have just let me have the girl on the street, you idiot."

Alex was undeterred as he scanned the dark room for the flask.

"Is this what you're looking for?" He heard a voice ask as the flask floated in front of him. "It won't do you any good if I'm not inside a body. Where would you fling it? At what? And besides, for all you know right now, I'm just a figment of your imagination."

Alex was worried. His limited options seemed even less helpful now.

"I know about you and your kind. Unwilling to let the underworld go about its business. You want to pretend that we won't rule you snively humans some day. Your little war against us is ineffective and even laughable. And you know what? I'm going to enjoy riding one of you for a while."

Alex felt his insides turn cold as what could only be the creature slipped inside of him. The little bit that he'd been able to see before began to fade and there was nothing he could do to fight it. He'd lost this battle, but if he could hold on long enough, he might just still win the war.

He only hoped he'd live long enough to try.