Excerpt: Shalloween

He reached the landing and crossed to a door, gently leaning on it and pushing it open. He stepped into the room and a chill ran through him. It was a little girl’s room. The room was plastered in pink, from the garish wallpaper down to a Barbie duvet. Barbie littered the room, dolls and play sets everywhere. Scott glanced around nervously, growing paranoid. He could swear every single doll in the room had their eyes pointing at him. The door swung shut behind him and he stepped further into the room.
Along one wall stood a cupboard, the door a full length mirror. He stepped gently towards it, finally seeing himself for the first time since he had been knocked out. He looked terrible. His whole left eye was swollen shut, the entire left side of his face bruised black. “Ahhh…” He moaned as he gently prodded his cheek. “Bloody Max Fulham.”
There was a creak behind him, and he took his eyes away from his reflection to see in the mirror that a little girl was stood behind him.
“JESUS CHRIST!” He yelped, jumping three feet in the air and spinning around. There was nobody behind him. “I’m in a bloody horror movie.” He muttered, turning back to the mirror. The reflection of the girl hadn’t moved. She stood stock still, dressed in all pink and smiling happily. In her hand she clutched a small dirty teddy bear. Scott glanced behind himself again. Still alone. He stepped closer to the cupboard and, taking a deep breath, shoved the door open. And screamed his head off. There, in a position mirroring that of the little girl in the mirror stood the skeleton of what was once a little girl. She was dressed in all pink, and in her hand she clutched the arm of a ragged teddy bear. Scott slammed the cupboard door shut and stepped back. The girl in the mirror pouted and looked at the floor sadly. “I only wanted to play…” She sniffled, gripping on to her teddy bear.
“I’M SLEEPING IN THE FUCKING VAN.” Scott cried, wrenching the bedroom door open and jumping down the stairs as fast he could.