Deadly night, p.1
Deadly Night, page 1
Deadly Night
F. A. Witte
Published by F.A. Witte, 2024.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
DEADLY NIGHT
First edition. October 31, 2024.
Copyright © 2024 F. A. Witte.
ISBN: 979-8227249227
Written by F. A. Witte.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
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Further Reading: The Bestfriend
Also By F. A. Witte
About the Author
To all my Halloween fans, this one is for you.
Prologue
I sat with my sister Mylah in front of a fire station. It was Halloween night. Our mother was supposed to take us out trick or treating but instead she wanted to go to a party with her boyfriend. She handed us a blanket because she forgot our jackets at home.
“Wait here and I will be back as soon as possible.” She said to us.
“Are we still going to go get candy?” My baby sister Mylah asked.
“As soon as I get back. I promise.” Another broken promise out of her mouth.
Mylah was too young to understand that our mother was a compulsive liar. I sat there quietly because I knew what she was doing.
It felt like hours had gone by, but I didn’t have a good judgement on time then. I just knew it was getting colder by the minute.
“When is mom coming back?” Mylah asked in a soft voice.
“Soon,” I lied to her. I knew our mother wasn’t coming back for us. She left us here for a reason. She didn’t want us anymore. I knew Mylah’s heart would be shattered so I wanted to protect her. One day she will understand but right now there was no point in explaining it to her.
“What are you two doing sitting out here?” A deep voice from behind us spoke.
We both turned around to see who it was. A tall bulky man in a firefighter uniform stood over us.
“We are waiting for our mom.” I started to whimper.
“Why don’t we go inside and wait for her. It’s warmer in there and I believe I have some potato soup you both would love.”
Mylah looked at me confused. “What is potato soup?”
“It’s food,” I answered. I jumped up from the curb and grabbed my sister's hand and followed the man into the station.
Chapter One
Present Time
“You are breathtaking.” I heard someone say with an accent.
I looked up from the book I was reading to see who he was. I raised an eyebrow in amazement by what I saw in front of me. His plain white shirt hugged his muscles tightly. He was in shape for sure. He had the sexiest jaw line I had ever seen. Almost like he was created right out of my dreams. He didn’t look familiar. There was no way he was talking to me. I glanced behind me just in case he was talking to someone else. That’s happened to me before. I didn’t want to relive that embarrassment.
“Excuse me?” I replied to him not knowing for sure I heard him right.
“I said you are breathtaking.” he repeated himself. “Do you come here a lot?”
I blushed as I set my book down on the table. “Thank you.” I told him. “I actually do come here on a daily.” I was flattered that someone as good looking as him would be interested in a girl that looked like me. Not that I'm bad looking or anything. He just looked like a model out of a magazine.
“Do you mind if I sit down with you?” he asked before pulling out the chair across from me. I nodded my head yes. He sat across from me and stared at me with his deep blue eyes. I started to feel awkward. I was sitting outside of my favorite diner ‘Karla’s’ like I do every day at this time, reading the new book by James Patterson. My all-time favorite author. This has never happened to me before. I started to think this had to be a prank or something. I didn’t want to look desperate or keep staring at him, but this man was gorgeous.
“Are you from around here?” I asked him to try to keep the conversation going. I didn’t want to bore him.
“I’m from Australia originally but I’ve lived upstate for a couple of years now.” he answered.
“That’s cool. I could tell by your accent; you weren’t from around here.”
He grinned at me and licked his lips. I felt my face starting to heat up. “I happened to be walking by, and your beauty stopped me, and I just had to get to know you.” his charm was on fire.
I've never experienced getting hit on like this. One for the books. I’ll play his game. I was a little rusty in the field, but I'll try my best. “You are a sight to see yourself. Something right out of.” I flirted back. His mahogany brown hair was pulled back into a man bun with an undercut underneath. From the look on his face, he was freshly shaved.
“Please tell me you’re single?” he asked, placing his hands together like he was praying.
I chucked. “I am as a matter of fact but I'm not looking for a relationship.” I was honest with him. Although I did imagine what fun we could have together.
“You are too beautiful to be single.” He went with a classic line. I wasn’t impressed. He seemed more creative than that.
I chuckled. “If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard that line...”
“You’d be rich.” He finished my sentence.
“Exactly.” I smiled.
“Well, what if I told you I'm not like other guys.” he smiled. I noticed a dimple on his left cheek but not his right. But that was one hell of a sexy smile he had.
“Yeah, I'd still be rich.” I joked.
“Would you like a predate?” He leaned forward and smiled.
“What is a predate?” I asked curiously.
“I take you out, but it wouldn’t be a date.” he began to say. “It would be with a bunch of other people, so you can trust me. And you’ll have the opportunity to get to know the real me in an environment that I enjoy.”
“That sounds interesting.” I’ve never heard of a predate before. I guess it couldn’t hurt.
“So, what do you say?” he asked, being hopeful.
“I’ll think about.” I didn’t want to just give in to him right away. Although I wanted to. This could be the beginning of something exciting.
“You don’t even have to show up with me. And you can bring whoever you want.” He tried to convince me.
His plan was working. I was curious about where he wanted to go. “Where am I supposed to be meeting you at?” I asked playing along
“There’s this secret Halloween party tonight.” he began to say before I cut him off.
“I don’t do Halloween parties. Sorry.” I was uninterested as soon as he said Halloween party. I hate scary stuff.
“Oh, come on it’ll be fun. You don’t even have to dress up.” He tried to convince me again.
“I’m sorry. It's just not something I'm into.” I explained. “This day isn’t something I like to celebrate.”
“If you change your mind, here is the address.” He reached into the back pocket of his ripped jeans and pulled out a folded piece of paper. I grabbed the paper from his hand when he handed it to me. “I really hope you will come. I’d love to see you again.”
I wanted to see him again too, but I knew that was unlikely. “I will see what I can do.” I told him with no intentions of going or ever seeing this man again. He stood up from his seat and leaned towards me once again.
“The name is Arlo.” he uttered then reached his hand out to me.
“Breigh.” I grabbed his hand to shake it but instead he kissed it. I could feel the heat coming from my cheeks. He made me blush hard. The way he looked at me with those gorgeous eyes of his, it was hard to contain myself. I was already fantasizing what our children would look like. Hopefully more like him. For their sake.
“It was nice meeting you Breigh. I hope to see you tonight.” he smiled.
“You too Arlo.” I uttered as he walked away. I watched him until he disappeared with the crowd walking. There was no denying he was attractive.
“What just happened?” I said to myself out loud.
I unfolded the piece of paper he handed me and read it. It was a flyer for a Halloween party and haunted house in one.
Come party and get scared at the same time.
Located at 1211 N Archer Road
Look for the warehouse.
“That doesn’t sound creepy at all.” I said under my breath.
I folded the paper up how it was before and noticed Arlo printed his name and number on the back of it. Arlo Jones. Mrs. Breigh Jones. That had a ring to it. I giggled at how childish I was acting over a man I had just met. As much as I wanted to get to know him better, I knew I couldn’t. I didn’t need any distractions right now. Not while I'm still trying to find my sister Mylah. I glanced around at all the little kids in their costumes roaming the streets with their parents. Some were just adorable angels and pumpkins, and some were scary clowns and horror film characters. I
Chapter Two
Mylah was twenty-two years old when she went missing. In fact, she went missing one year ago today. Halloween night. I remember our last night together like it was yesterday.
“Why don’t you come to this party with me and Daegan?” she asked while she was getting ready in the bathroom. We shared an apartment together. I was sitting on the couch watching horror movies and eating popcorn. Even though I was terrified of scary films I often tortured myself watching them.
“No, I don’t want to.” I yelled to her not taking my eyes off the television
“Seriously Breigh. She peeked around the corner into the living room. “I really want you to meet my new boyfriend.” she begged.
“I will in due time.” I promised her as I took a handful of popcorn and shoved it in my mouth
“We’ve been together for six months now and you haven’t even met him.” she pouted.
“I said I will.” I grew annoyed with her. “When the time is right, I will meet him.”
“Do you promise Breigh? You say this every time we want to hang out with you.” she pointed out.
“Mylah, stop please!” I shouted at her. “He isn’t worth us arguing about.”
“He asked me to move in with him.” she blurted out.
She now had my full attention. “Please tell me you told him no.” I jumped up from the couch.
She didn’t answer me. She just looked at me like she feared my reaction.
“You told him no right?” I asked again.
“I told him yes.” she started to cry. She knew I would be upset with her actions. I had every right to be.
“Mylah what are you thinking? Why would you do that?” I questioned her. I wanted to know why she thought this was a good idea.
“Daegan loves me, Breigh You need to realize that.” she tried to explain.
“He is just using you.” I shouted at her.
“You don’t know that. You have never even met him.” She defended him. “He is a great guy, and he really does love me.”
“I don’t have to meet him to know he is no good for you.” I shouted at her.
“Give him a chance Breigh.” she begged.
“You are not moving in with him.” I demanded her.
“I already have.” she confessed.
“What?” I gasped. Those words cut me like a knife. I couldn’t believe she would go behind my back and do something like this.
“You heard me.” she said rudely. She has never disobeyed me before. This guy must have brainwashed her against me or something.
“Mylah, you didn’t.” I said in disbelief. I walked to her room and opened her door. It was empty except for the bed. I opened the drawers in her dresser, and they were all empty. I then went to her closet and opened it. Nothing. My heart was racing. I had never been so angry in my life.
“I told you.” she said as she stood behind me. I was still in shock that my little sister moved out without me knowing about it. “We were going to tell you tonight during dinner and I had hoped you would have come out with us and celebrated me becoming an adult and making my first real adult decision. I love you Breigh, but I can’t live with you forever.”
“We made a promise to each other.” I reminded her as I wiped the tears from my eyes before I faced her. The last thing I wanted was for her to know she made me cry
“When we were kids. We are not children anymore Breigh.” she pointed out.
She was right. We weren’t kids anymore. Our mother left us at a fire station when I was seven and Mylah four. We bounced around from family to family until I aged out of the system and got custody of my sister. I had to work really hard to get her and keep her. I knew little about our dad. He left us when Mylah was two. Shortly after he left our mother turned to drugs and men for closure. One of those men finally convinced her that we were too much baggage, so she didn’t hesitate to let us go. Mylah doesn’t remember every detail like I do. I still have nightmares of the last thing our mother said to me before she walked away.
“Take care of your sister for me. I’ll find you both one day.” She kissed both our foreheads and never looked back. I remember being cold and scared. I stayed strong for Mylah. That was sixteen years ago. Since then, I have busted my ass to take care of her. Lived with horrible strangers. The first few years I had high hopes that our mother would return. I finally gave up on the dreams when I was ten.
I knew I had to give in. I was scared to be alone but deep down I knew this day would eventually come. “You’re right Mylah. You are absolutely right.” I admitted. “You are no longer a child, and you deserve happiness in your life. Who am I to keep you from having that?” I had to let go of my little sister. She was a woman now and was able to make her own choices. Sometimes I felt she was still a kid, and I had to protect her but looking at her tonight she wasn’t a kid anymore.
“Oh Breigh,” she wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me tightly. I hugged her back. I could tell she was crying happy tears.
“You're messing up your makeup.” I told her.
“Oh, I'm not worried about that.” she claimed. We let go of each other and both wiped our eyes.
“I can’t believe my little sister is grown up and moving out.” I smiled at her. Even though it was breaking my heart for her to go. Who was going to keep me company in this apartment now? Being alone was my biggest fear. With Mylah leaving the nest I was going to be just that.
“Daegan is a really great guy, Breigh. You are going to love him.” She sounded like she was truly in love with him.
“Well, I can tell you now, I already hate him. He’s taking my sister from me.” I teased her. Although deep down I did dislike him.
“I won’t be too far away, and I'll come hang out with you all the time.” she promised.
“I’m sure you would forget all about me in no time.” I teased her.
“I could never forget about you.” she replied. “I have to go fix my make up now.” she let out a light giggle.
I returned to the living room and let her finish getting ready. I wondered what life was going to be like without my sister so close to me. I’ll get to see her maybe once a month. Yeah, sure she promised to come and see me all the time, but she doesn’t realize being in a relationship is going to take up all her time. They’ll have work and then one day kids. Where does that leave time for me? Holidays? I hate holidays.
Twenty minutes later she returned. “How do I look?” she spun around with a big smile on her face. Mylah looked stunning in her little black dress with a cross back and slit down the side. Her strapped around the ankle sandals complimented her legs nicely. Chandelier earrings hung from her ears, and they were the most alluring piece of jewelry I had ever seen.
“Wow.” I said in amazement. “You look stunning.”
“Thank you.” she smiled.
“I thought you were going to a Halloween party not a fancy restaurant.” I was confused that she wasn’t wearing a costume.
“Well, we are going to a fancy restaurant before the Halloween party, but Daegan wanted me to dress nicely. Do you love the earrings?” she sounded giddy. It almost made me sick.
“I really do love them. Where did you get them?” I asked, not really caring about them.
“Daegan gave them to me for our sixth month anniversary.” she said with a big smile plastered across her face.
“Looks like you picked a winner.” I told her sarcastically. She didn’t notice at all.
“Breigh, I have something else important to tell you.” her voice turned to a serious tone.
“Don’t tell me you two are already getting married or something?” I asked, hoping she would say no.
“No, it’s not that.” she told me.
I gasped. “Are you pregnant?”
“No Breigh.” she started to sound frustrated.
I was relieved that she wasn’t. Although, it wouldn’t be that bad having a little Mylah running around. “Then what is it?” what else could she possibly brag about?
“I wanted to tell you this sooner, but I didn’t know how you would react.” she hesitated to say.
