Tell me something scary! (HALLOWEEN/2020)

"Scary?" Delilah stammers, not expecting you to say something like that...She relaxes and blinks, thinking for a moment. "Well, I don't have many scary stories to tell you, but have I told you my night terrors when I was younger?"

"I don't think I've ever had you this before, actually. So everything you tell me tonight will be new to me..." You tell her and then exhale.

"One night," she began. "I woke up and couldn't move. In the corner of my room, a tall, pale..."

Delilah froze for a moment, thinking about the right words to say. "Some kind of pale monster crept into view and watched me for what seemed like hours. It was horrible! I was so scared I passed out."

"You can do better than that. That one is obviously fake," you say snickering. She blows a raspberry and crosses her arms. "What else you got?"

"OK...Let me tell you about the time I got lost in the woods." She started up again. "At the time, I was only about 13; still ignorant of what kind of a world we lived in. I was with my Dad at the time, we were trying to find something that he was sure he had lost while he was hunting - ironically, in the process of finding the lost item, I got lost myself. Even losing track of my father...It was awhile before I was able to find my way back to my parents...I swear though, something was following me the entire time from behind though."

You nod, cleaning your teeth, still unimpressed. "Everyone gets that feeling in the woods. It isn't very original."

Delilah pouts. She huffs and shakes her head, racking her thoughts together. "Here, let me tell you a story from when I was little then. This one is true! Back when I was just a child, around 7 or 9, my parents and my siblings spent a lot of time outdoors until we settled down in a little cottage that was surrounded by the forest East from here. It was great! I was fairly close with my brother and sister, so we played a lot outside. One day, when I was alone in the back, I heard someone calling for me in the forest, I thought it was my older brother, so I started to go into the forest, but then he grabbed me from behind and looked at me - telling me that he heard it too..."

For a for moments, you think about her story. It was getting a little spooky. Her expression was serious this time. Was that true? "Got anymore?"

"When I first moved here, I actually lived in the dorms with the other maids and staff. I had the luxury of having a small room, so I was actually alone for the most part. One night, I woke up to the sound of scratching coming from my room's door. Thinking it was one people I had befriended, I didn't think twice before getting up to open the door. What I saw, however...was anything but a friend. It was too dark for me to gather too many details about the tall creature, but I can you this...I have never seen anything more horrifying than that beast in my life. I must've scared it somehow though, because as soon as I opened the door - it ran away." Delilah exhaled, blinking a few times to get rid of some tears in her eyes. She looked visibly scared.

You stretched, like a cat trying act like it was calm. "Tall and pale; seems to be theme here, Delilah. Was the first story true then?"

She shrugs. "I don't usually talk about it. I've probably convinced myself that whatever I saw that night was just a nightmare or something."

"Here, try this scary story -this one is actually about you, so you might enjoy it a little bit. It was about a month ago, a little after you left for a, uh, 'hit' or so you say. Usually, while you are gone, I do the same thing as I usually do! which is; work, eat, sleep, and spend some time with some of the people I work with that I actually consider friends. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't usually creep around your room while you are gone, but I had to check it since every night I heard noises coming from behind your door - like scratching of a wild animal of some kind, I can't really explain it." She inhaled. "Anyway, one night, it was so loud and intense, I just had to check what it was. So, I got a spare key and opened the door, and whatever it was that was in your room, got scared of the door opening and literally leaped out of your window. It was no animal...I still don't have a clue what it was, but it was...Well, you know the theme here. Tall, pale, humanoid. Wasn't like the mutants I'm used to seeing."

She a laugh and scratched the back of her head. "That was actually why I moved your rooms when you returned from that time. You can thank me later."

Delilah shivers and looks around. "I'm feeling a kinda scared now. I think I'm gonna call it for the night."

You give your farewells and think for a few seconds while you are alone. The lobby is empty, but you can't help but feel like you're being watched after listening to her stories. You suppose you should turn in for the night now too. You go to the room and get ready for bed, feeling a little less safe.