Tales for the Midnight Hour
written by: Esme Lee Wilmot
Judith pretended to browse the horror section, although she’d read everything there. Through the gap in the shelves, she watched the bookstore owner, who sat mesmerised by a thick volume he held with gloved hands. His bloodshot eyes never left the page.
Decades had passed since she’d read anything so compelling.
Outside, children in costumes screamed and giggled as they ran past the shops and restaurants lining High Street. Retail had been lagging, prompting the local council to organise a free Spooky Night for Halloween, with the local businesses participating in late-night trading. The street had been blocked off for games and live music busting out songs like Thriller and The Monster Mash. Ghostly street performers terrorised patrons before handing out free candy, and food trucks sold pumpkin pie and caramel apples. The presence of so many bodies after dark had been what attracted Judith in the first place— until she found the antique bookstore.
She came closer to the counter. The book’s black cover was richly decorated with different clocks, each one gilded red and set to midnight. But some of the gilding had worn off.
‘What book is that?’ she asked.
The man frowned at the interruption. ‘Tales for the Midnight Hour.’
‘I’ve never heard of it,’ she said, getting excited. ‘Who wrote it? When was it published?’
He lowered the book and looked down at her. ‘Shouldn’t you be trick or treating? With the other children?’
She chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be joining them later. How much for the book?”
“A lot, little girl,” the man said, his upper lip curling. “This book is extremely rare. Most copies were burnt during the—”
She held out a thick wad of cash.
“No. I’m still reading it.”
Judith smiled, showing her long white fangs. The man shrank back. “Then I suggest you hurry,” she said.
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