Time Shifting Halloween

Dear readers. this is my Halloween story for this year. I tried for something unusual. This is a story that could just as easily go in romance.

Enjoy.

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Diane was nervous as she drove to her job interview. This was her second interview with this company. She wanted, no, she needed to get this job. She was currently working in a toxic environment and she wanted out. She dressed in her best pant suit, conservative, business-like, just right.

The team from HR was in the room. At least she thought it was the team from HR, since they were all dressed in costumes.

"Oh yeah," she thought to herself. It was October 31st, Halloween.

Dianne, sat down at the conference table and folded her hands in her lap to hide the fact that they shook like the leaves on a maple tree.

The Vampire gave Dianne a toothy smile.

"So Dianne, do you have any questions for us arising out of our first interview?'

"No sir. I understand what the position is about and what your expectations are. I am excited to be able to help this company to grow."

"Then let me be the first to welcome you aboard! We would like you to start on Monday, is that good for you?'

"I'll advise my current employer within an hour of leaving this meeting. I'm really looking forward to working with all of you!"

"If you have a moment, I would like to take you for a short tour of the office and introduce you to a few people."

The office was a typical, modern office; a cubicle farm. Dianne got to meet a dozen or so office workers before coming to a smaller room. She stopped stock still when she saw a six foot, seven inch Frankenstein's Monster standing before her. For a moment she thought it was a Halloween prop. The monster extended his huge hand.

"Hello, I'm Jim Smith. I'm guessing you are my new work partner."

"Hi, I'm Dianne Graves."

"Graves, a perfect name for Halloween!"

" Yes, I suppose so." Dianne agreed. The sight of this giant of a man scared her a little.

"They call me "Big Jim."

"I can see why!"

"When are you starting?"

"Monday."

"Have you been invited to the Halloween party tonight?"

"No."

"You should come. It will be a lot of fun and you'll get to meet some of the other team members when they let their hair down. I see by your ring are married, would your husband like to come?"

"I'll ask but I doubt it."

"Come if you can."

She was led back to the foyer by the vampire.

"We'll either see you tonight or on Monday morning."

"Thank you! I'll do my best."

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Dianne and Earl Graves had married young. She was twenty and he was twenty- one. They had matured together and by age thirty Dianne was sick and tired of her dead end job. Her unhappiness extended to her marriage. Earl was a rock, he could withstand the changing tides like a champ but eventually water will have it's way, even with a rock. He was beginning to sour just like Dianne.

Earl was thrilled that Dianne had landed this job. He had prayed that something would happen to bring her out of the terrible moods that had plagued her.

"It's everything I wanted. I'll be working in what appears to be a happy group of people. That alone will be a huge change from the doom and gloom of my old job."

"Have you let them know you'll be resigning?"

"Yeah, they pitched a fit about my lack of notice. They can't talk, they fired a guy last week and walked him out of the building immediately."

"Earl, it's Halloween and the new company is having a party tonight. They have invited the two of us."

"We don't have costumes."

"I have the old angel costume."

"That one is way to sexy! You want to make a good impression on these people. Advertising as a sex pot won't make you a lot of female friends."

"So you think I should give this event a miss?"

"No, it could be good to get to know some co-workers. You could alter the angel outfit."

"Yeah, I have a longer skirt, the top is still too daring though."

"I'll leave it up to you. I'll stay home and hand out the goodies to the trick or treaters."

"You're a sweetheart! I'll go down to the thrift store and see if I can find a more conservative top to wear."

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The party was underway when Dianne arrived. Frankenstein's monster saw her and hurried over.

"Dianne, you make a wonderful angel! I'm glad you could make it. Is your husband with you?|

"No, he's at home handing out the candy. He didn't have a costume."

"Come on over to our table and I'll introduce you."

Once introductions were made and drinks were bought; Dianne got to find out more about some of her co-workers. She was happy to hear them all praise the company for it's employee relations. The pay was better than most places. Most of them were single and young.

Some of the men from the factory floor would come over to ask the women to dance. The atmosphere seemed light and friendly, until one young gentleman wouldn't take no for an answer.

Big Jim stood, his six foot, seven inch frame towered over the young man.

"The young lady said no. What part of no don't you understand?"

"I just keep seeing her in the office and she is so... beautiful. I'm usually really shy and I can't work up the nerve to go and talk with her. This seemed like a perfect opportunity."

"You've had a couple of shots of courage tonight haven't you?" Jim asked.

"Yeah."

"Ask the young lady again, politely. If she still says no then go and sit down at your table. If she says yes, then you're good to go."

"Bridget, would you like to dance with me?"

"Sure Steve, all you had to do was ask nicely. Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

Big Jim winked at Steve as the couple made their way to the dance floor.

"That was very nice of you Big Jim," said Dianne.

"I'm kind of the big brother to some of the women in the office. Steve is a nice sort. I was just afraid that he might get in over his head with the shots of courage. Calling Bridget beautiful was a very smart move."

"Are you dancing tonight Jim?"

"I'm not sure I can in this costume, but I'll try if you want to dance."

"Sure, lets give it a go!"

Dancing with a man as tall as Big Jim wasn't easy. Dianne wasn't all that tall. Her face came somewhere between his chest and navel when they danced. He was quite light on his feet for a big man. She could feel that he was solid, not gym rat muscled but there was not a lot of fat between skin and hard muscle. She guessed that he would weigh at least two hundred and fifty pounds.

At the end of two songs they returned to the table. Jim got asked by another woman to dance. Then an endless parade of willing partners danced with Jim. He was going to be busy tonight.

Dianne wasn't interested in dancing anymore. She had done what she wanted to accomplish. She said her good nights to everyone and headed home.

Earl was asleep in his recliner when she got home. The candy was gone. He must have had a good night.

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Earl Graves found that Dianne's happiness was catching. Their relationship felt better. This job seemed to give her a new life. They got along, they argued less and made love more often. The first six months passed quickly. Earl noticed that Dianne seemed more distant. She seemed deep in thought but he could never get a reason from her. Before he knew it, Halloween had rolled around again and one of Earl's jobs was to buy the candy for the kids.

He'd just got back from the grocery store and remembered leaving the lawn mower in the back yard. He meant to put it away the garage later. While getting the mower he could overhear Dianne having a conversation on her phone. In the kitchen. The window was open. He could only hear her half of the conversation.

"The angel costume is a go! I'm going to wear it to the party. What did you decide on?"

"Oh, that's perfect, a red devil costume will match perfectly."

"No, he won't want to come."

"I can't wait. It will be so much fun!"

"Okay, thanks Jim. See you then."

Earl put the lawn mower away and let the conversation marinate in his mind. She was obviously talking about the company Halloween party. She had not asked him if he wanted to come this year. She was coordinating a costume with Jim. He assumed this was the "Big Jim" that Dianne worked with every day. Was this a "smoking gun?" No, but it made Earl very uncomfortable.

That evening at dinner Earl decided to probe for more information.

"Is your company having a Halloween party this year?"

"Yes."

"You know, I wouldn't mind going this year."

She stopped chewing her food and just looked at Earl. She swallowed and then asked, "Why would you want to go this year?"

"Last Halloween you just got hired. I didn't have time to get a costume together. I still have a few days to get a costume for this years party."

"It's mostly just office talk that goes on. I doubt you'd enjoy it."

"But there will be dancing won't there? We haven't danced in ages!"

"Yes, it's kind of late though. We had to RSVP by last week."

"Surely they can fit in a few extras."

"They were pretty strict on the deadlines."

"Why didn't you ask me to go with you?"

"It's an office function and you generally hate office functions."

"You haven't invited me to any office functions."

"Just leave it. I can't get you in so just drop it, okay?"

Earl didn't like it. He smelled a rat and it smelled like Big Jim in a costume.

He sensed that his marriage was cursed. It seemed appropriate, cursed on Halloween.

The rest of the week was spent not speaking to each other. They ate their meals separately and Earl slept in the guest room.

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Halloween was on a Saturday that year. Earl came home late from a rare Saturday job. By the time he got in the door there was no sign of Dianne. He checked the closet and noticed that Dianne's angel costume was missing. Earl changed from his business suit into a pair of jeans and sweatshirt. He left the house and drove downtown.

That evening the fog rolled in heavy and thick. The street lamps made little light halos against the dense cover. It was hard to see anything, even if it was right in front of you. He had lived here for years and knew the place like the back of his hand. Except there seemed to be a new business he had never seen before. He saw a neon sign through the heavy mist that read; "Tempus Fugit -- Bar and Grill." Without further ado, Earl entered the bar.

The bar reminded him of the Cantina scene in the Star Wars movie. There were maybe a dozen people in costumes. Vampires, zombies, werewolves, witches and space aliens all drank their cocktails and munched on bar snacks. Earl sat on a bar stool and signalled the bartender.

"What can I get you?"

"Whiskey, Jamesons if you have it, Bushmills if you don't."

"We have both. If you like whiskey you might like to try my new cocktail creation, no charge. I'd like your opinion."

"Sure, why not."

The bartender used Jamesons added bitters, some unknown liqueur that turned the drink a deep red color. It looked like blood.

"I am thinking of calling it "A Bloody Good Time Out."

"Just what I need, a bloody time out," Earl muttered.

He tasted it rather than downing it in one go. He could taste the whiskey but the liqueur gave it more viscous body.

"It's sweeter than I expected. It's good." He downed the rest of the glass."

"Would you like another?"

"I think I'll stick with Jamesons straight for now."

The whiskey was set in front of him and he took a sip.

"Your cocktail was excellent but I love my Jamesons when the world is against me."

"Work or women trouble?"

"Wife trouble, the third 'W'! I'm pretty sure my wife is having an affair. I think she's with him now at an office Halloween party."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You may think the whiskey helps but it doesn't. The liqueur I use in my cocktail is from an old world recipe. It is said to have some strange and powerful magic."

Earl could only guess at the true contents. He tasted thyme, basil, nettle and ginger. The barkeep said it was a very secret old European recipe.

Earl warmed the seat for about an hour. None of the other guests bothered him. He had just enough whiskey to make him feel better but not enough to blow over the limit on drive home.

He wasn't able to use his parking spot on the driveway due to a big truck taking the space.

Earl noticed some odd things on his way to the door. The small shrub that Dianne had planted the other day was huge. It was tiny this morning.

He twisted his key in the front door lock and then quietly walked into his home.

Dianne woke from a light sleep when she heard movement In the house.

She climbed out of bed, grabbed a baseball bat as a weapon intending to defend her home. She saw a dark figure move in the foyer. She wound up and struck the interloper.

Earl felt immediate pain on his right shoulder. He lunged for the light switch and flicked it on. Dianne stood before him, wide eyed and scared. She recognized him, screamed then fainted.

The scream awakened someone else in the house. That person came barreling down the stairs like a freight train, flattening Earl.

Both Earl and Dianne lay there on the floor unconscious.

Big Jim stood there in his boxers. He was half asleep but eventually he recognized Earl.

"No, it can't be him." Jim thought. He lifted Dianne and put her on the sofa. He lifted Earl and set him in the recliner.

Dianne recovered first. She saw Earl unconscious and shook her head in disbelief.

"This isn't happening. It can't be real."

"It's real. I hit him pretty hard, I knocked him out."

"I need to get some cold water for Earl."

"Stay there, I'll get it."

Dianne went to the recliner and moved it to the reclining position. She checked his pulse, it was strong. She took the cool water and poured it on a handkerchief and mopped his brow. He stirred. He moaned and opened his eyes.

"Dianne, what the fuck?"

"Stay there, you got hit pretty hard. You scared me. Where the hell have you been?"

"Downtown, you were off to the Halloween party and I spent time at a new bar called "Tempus Fugit." I came home and found you here, shacked up with Jim."

"You've been gone for five years!"

"No, that's impossible, it was only one night."

"What day is it then?"

"November first, 2026."

"Today is actually November first, 2031. Check the date on your phone."

"My phone won't even power on."

"Then here, check mine."

Earl saw the date on Dianne's phone. She was right.

"This is impossible."

"You say you were in a bar?"

"I'd never seen it before. It was on the corner of Queen and Elm."

"There has been a bank on that corner for thirty years."

"So what is big Jim doing here?"

Dianne looked at Jim and then at Earl. Jim went to the piano and took down a framed photograph. It was a photo of Dianne and Jim. Jim was in a tux and Dianne in a beautiful gown.

"We were married a year ago."

"No, it can't be. You are still married to me!"

"You were a missing person. No one could find you. I hired private investigators to locate you without any success. I love you and I mourned you."

"But why marry Jim?"

"Jim supported me during my bad times. He was the perfect coworker, we became friends and eventually we fell in love. I was granted a divorce because of your abandonment. We married on Halloween last year."

"This is insane. This has to be a prank. C'mon, tell me the truth."

While the conversation was going on Big Jim had called 9-1-1 and requested help for a mentally ill person. The help came quietly, without sirens.

They got Earl up and standing. They put him on a gurney and took him to the mental hospital for consultation.

Dianne and Jim watched as the ambulance took him away. Dianne broke down in tears. Jim tried to comfort her but she ran to the bedroom and locked the door. Jim went to the guest bedroom to spend the night.

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Earl was given a thorough physical and he was determined to be in good physical shape. He seemed to be lucid and able to express himself. His description of what happened to him that Halloween night was bizarre and had to have been experiencing some psychotic break from reality. Yet all other indications were that he was of sound mind.

The police interviewed him as well because he had been a missing person. They could come up with nothing. Both the hospital and police agreed that a polygraph test would be helpful to detect any deception. There was great hope that it would help explain what happened to him.

The polygraph test showed that Earl was not being deceptive. There was another test that could clarify things, oddly enough it was a simple dental examination.

Earl had a bad tooth. He was due for a root canal the week after Halloween, 2026. He had made the appointment but missed it. His dentist said it was urgent and if it wasn't looked after it would become an abscess. That was five years ago. The tooth would have abscessed long ago. The dentist confirmed that the tooth was untouched and still needed a root canal. It pointed to the fact that Earl had indeed been gone for only that one night.

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All of this helped Earl deal mentally with the problem but it devastated Dianne.

In her mind she had two husbands, Earl and Big Jim. Could she simply choose between them? No. Could she live with both of them, unlikely.

Could she be with both of them sexually?

Earl was always a good and caring lover. Big Jim was... big. A man with a frame as big as his naturally had an equally massive package. She couldn't lie, it wasn't easy to get used to Big Jim, but after she did, she loved it. She loved both men but how could she say no to one of them?

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Earl was now homeless, jobless, moneyless, confused and had no idea where to start rebuilding a life.

Dianne and Jim agreed to let him sleep in the guest room. Earl was grateful for their kindness.

Later that week, Earl was half asleep on his bed when he heard the unmistakable sounds of vigorous love making. He couldn't believe what he heard. Dianne was in the throes of an epic series of orgasms. He had never heard her like this in all their time together.

Earl pictured Jim and Dianne. There was no way that Jim was on top because Dianne would be crushed. She was likely on top and riding Big Jim. He tried to control his emotions but despite the valiant effort, he broke. He buried his face in his pillow and screamed.

The next morning Earl asked Jim and Dianne for a loan. He claimed he didn't want to intrude on their life together. He promised quick repayment as soon as he could. Earl found a low rent motel and moved in.

His next move was to visit his former employer. His former boss took him into his office for a private chat.

"I don't know what the fuck happened to you and I don't care. You left us cold, no warning, no chance to get a suitable replacement. You set our production back two months. Not just that, your wife Dianne was a mess. You just left her without a single word. Even if I had a job available I wouldn't offer it to you. Get out and don't come back!"

Earl quickly learned that telling the truth about those missing five years was a good way to end up committed to the loony bin. He chose to fabricate a story about an accident and the loss of memory. That at least garnered some support or at least some sympathy.

He finally got a job mopping floors at a fast food restaurant. It was honest work, not exactly what he wanted, but it was some income.

Earl couldn't keep his mind off Dianne. He recalled how jubilant she was at getting hired at the new job. They were so happy. That first half of the year had been great. Six months into the new job Dianne changed. She spent longer hours. She seemed happy but distant, distracted. He could now see Dianne had been falling for Jim.

Dianne had started eating lunch with Jim. It had become a regular routine. They would even trade sandwiches sometimes. She loved Earl but Big Jim was literally larger than life. He was hard not to become close to him. That 2026 Halloween party was going to be their first pseudo date.

At the Halloween Party, Dianne felt Jim's arms around her as they danced. Suddenly she had a feeling of dread, a sense of impending danger.

"I need to go home," she said.

"Why? Is it something I did? Did I step on your toes?"

"No, I think my husband's in trouble. I need to get home."

She knew that if she stayed her marriage would fall apart.

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Big Jim and Earl sat in the coffee shop a week after Earl moved into the motel. Earl kept glancing out the window to the corner of Queen and Elm. where the bar "Tempus Fugit" stood on Halloween night.

"I love her Earl," said Jim. "I can't give her up. I don't understand the strange magic of your missing five years and likely never will, but it changes nothing. I want to help you deal with this situation the best you can."

"I appreciate the thought. I know this puts Dianne under a lot of pressure. It will be her choice, her decision, not ours."

"You're right. This has to be killing her."

Big Jim never said truer words, Dianne was struggling more than either man knew. Making a choice was eating her alive. She couldn't sleep, barely ate and hadn't been to work since Earl came back.

She loved both men, how could she turn one away?

The three of them spent a year in therapy as a group and individually. As the next Halloween approached nothing had been resolved. The men seemed more at peace with each other but Dianne had lost way too much weight and was an emotional, nervous wreck.

Earl spent a lot of time meditating about the past year. He loved Dianne just as much as he ever had.

Something about this situation reminded him of a lesson about the wisdom of Solomon.

Two women claimed to be the mother of a baby. King Solomon needed to determine which was the real mother. He ordered that the child be cut in two so it could be shared by the two women. One woman broke down and begged the king to spare the child. She would give up her claim to save the child. That was real mother. She was willing to give up anything to save her baby's life.

Earl knew what he had to do.

Earl paid a visit to Big Jim and Dianne the night before Halloween.

"We need to settle something tonight. This past year has been painful for all of us. I have come to know that you two are in love. As much as I will always love you, Dianne, I need to accept that I am never going to be your husband again. You have been very kind to me and I appreciate all you've done. I'll leave town and find my own way. I wish you all the best."

Dianne burst into tears and hugged Earl, crying into his shoulder.

"I have been wanting to talk to you for almost a month. I couldn't find the right words to say it. I'm pregnant. Jim is going to be a father. I'm relieved that you came to your decision now. I'll always love you too."

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Halloween night was finally upon them once more. Big Jim and Dianne stayed home from the annual Halloween party.

Earl had a theory that he wanted to test. He left his motel room and almost on cue a heavy fog engulfed the town.

Earl walked through a fog his grandfather would have called a 'pea souper,' all the way downtown to the corner of Queen and Elm, he saw the neon sign again, "Tempus Fugit."

He opened the door and walked in. The scene was identical, the same costumes, the same characters, the same man behind the bar.

"Ah, you made it! Welcome back. How was your year?"

"Fucking miserable. What the hell happened. I come in here for a drink and five years passed!"

"Were things much different?"

"My life went to shit. I was declared dead. My wife remarried and she loves him. She's pregnant with his baby."

"Sad to say that is what happens in this place, Earl. We only get to open on Halloween night. It's the same old crowd of customers but there is always one newcomer. That was you, Earl. Every newcomer gets to see what their best friends and partners would do without them for five long years."

"Why? Why disrupt some poor bastards life?"

"To teach them something that they might not learn otherwise."

"What good does it do for someone like me? I've lost the love of my life and she is nothing but skin and bones and a nervous wreck."

"Remember that cocktail I gave you?"

"Yes, I preferred the straight whiskey."

"Here, drink this one, it's much better. You'll like it."

Earl picked up the highball glass and looked at the murky blue drink. He thought the blood red drink looked bad but it had nothing on this.

It smelled of turpentine, blueberries and beef liver.

"That's just gross. I can't drink that."

"It's the answer to your prayers."

Earl figured his life was so bad right now that drinking battery acid couldn't make it much worse. He put the glass to his lips and chugged the whole thing, not bad, not bad at all.

"Earl, take whatever lessons you've learned and apply them to the rest of your life. Good luck and Happy Halloween!"

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Earl walked back to his old home. The fog lifted, mentally and physically. The shrub that Dianne planted earlier was back to being tiny. He walked into the house to find Dianne sitting in the living room. The clock struck midnight.

"I thought you'd be waiting for me at home, Earl. Where were you?"

Dianne had obviously been home long enough to have taken off her costume and taken a shower. She wore her favorite terrycloth robe.

Earl was confused.

"Where's Big Jim?"

"At home I suppose. He was at the party earlier."

"This is 2026, right?"

"Of course!"

"After you left and the trick or treaters stopped knocking, I went downtown to a bar. I felt like celebrating and didn't want to do it at home alone. How was your party?"

"It was fun. They really are a fun group. I had a few drinks and danced a bit. I left around ten o'clock. I have to apologize, I should have invited you."

"Do me a favour, show me your phone."

"Why?"

"Mine is on the blink and I want to check the date."

She held it out to him and rolled her eyes as if he was crazy.

Sure enough, it was the correct date. November 1st and the year was right. He was back in his proper timeline. The relief was immediate.

"Dianne, if I've ever neglected you or failed to express just how much I love you, I want you to know that I'm sorry."

Earl wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. She responded with shock at first but she kissed him back. This level of engagement hadn't happened in a while.

He untied her robe and put his hands on her butt cheeks.

"What has gotten into you?"

"I'll explain later, much later. Right now all I want is you."

"What the heck were you drinking at that bar, a viagra cocktail?"

"A magical potion that made me realize that you are the most important person in my life."

"You're just like that guy Scrooge in a Christmas Carol. You've had an epiphany and you're a changed man. Are you sure you weren't visited by three ghosts?"

"No ghosts, but a few werewolves and vampires."

"I've had an epiphany too. I've let my passion for you fade. I won't let that happen again. I don't know what I'd ever do if I lost you?"

They kissed again and passion overcame them. They made love like they used to when they were first married. Both of them felt like they had almost lost each other.

From that day forward they celebrated Halloween as their special day.

Happy Halloween

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