Repost: The Halloween Store: Chapter 2

THE HALLOWEEN STORE
CHAPTER 2
(c)Chris Calderon 2016

TWO WEEKS IN

John had been making great progress with the locations of the costumes. They were nearing the end of September and the store had seen plenty of traffic and sold lots of costumes and plastic props.

Andre, a short, plump, goateed sales rep had been boinking his fellow employees on their heads and arms with his squeaky, rubber, caveman club. Stacey, who was destined to be a Playboy Playmate in the minds of her male counterparts, had recently graduated from high school about a year before.

Jennifer, was a freshman at Burbank’s Community College. She also played softball there and was a decent outfield catcher.

Megan just moved to Los Angeles so she was considered a transplant along with John. She had come a longer way though, all the way from Ireland along with her friend Laura who also moved with her to make a cd and record label. John had talked with Megan about why she moved to LA. She wanted to get work as a nature photographer but most of all get out of the cold rainy climate she had grown weary of over the years. They had both had that in common with each other. Michigan had similar weather, where one didn’t know what to dress for from day to day.

Star, was one of the first original sales reps to be dressed in costume and what a costume it was. The blue Alice skirt stopped close to her rear, exposing her legs with black-net stockings. The dress also left open a generous portion of her cleavage. The outfit also included a multi-colored skirt. John was a big fan of her occasional exposed cheeks when she bent over and even when she didn’t.

She even had a tattoo of a star on the back of her neck. John tried flirting with her on several occasions over the weeks but she was stiff and not very talkative at least not to him. He still found himself occasionally looking at her as she put the plastic bagged costumes away. What could break her social ice wall that she put up? “Cheer up! You only have two-hundred more bags to go,” said John.

“Heh…” Star replied and stared dead ahead.

John walked on to his next task of getting some more costumes for the racks himself.

The next week they hired another girl John didn’t mind staring at for several minutes as well. Her name was Lucy.

Repost: The Halloween Store: Chapter 1

THE HALLOWEEN STORE

By Chris Calderon

(c) Chris Calderon 2016

CHAPTER 1

THE STORE

The leafs never fell in Burbank California during the fall. It never felt like the season to John. Things had changed much since leaving Michigan for a shot at the movie business. It had been a bold move indeed. After shacking up with a friend for two straight weeks he had been diligently looking for a job up and down San Fernando Blvd.

Ideally he’d been wanting a videographer job or a PA gig on a film or TV set. Unfortunately, John had to pay rent and feed himself. His unemployment would run out soon.

After filling out an application and chumming around with the manager about being a videographer in the past.

Gary, the manager told him to call back soon because they needed lots of people for the Halloween season.

They were in the first week of September but to Gary they were already late into the approaching Holiday. Gary and his management team always made sure they were stocked with costumes at least six months in advance.

* * *

The week John started. He worked with a majority of girls. Most of them were in their twenties. There were also a few guys they varied from five to ten years older then he. John was the oldest floor sales rep there. He had to do what he had to do. He purchased a red polo shirt and black pants, the company didn’t supply its own uniforms. John could only afford to buy one shirt. He was lucky to have the black pants. Money for him these days wasn’t an object. The pressure to make money for rent and feed himself was high, and he was a long way from home.

Allen who donned white hair and glasses gave John the tour of the isle. He was second in command to Gary. He showed him where the food costumes were. He showed him isle four, the gangster outfits and faerie costumes in ail seven. Allen had to make sure John was familiarized with the store’s costumes, the newest costumes in the store. In the back of the store Allen opened the curtains where piles and piles of boxes of costumes were ready to be opened.

The white-haired man opened the rickety tick metal door. The dark metal garage was all around them as they stood on a iron floor above the stairs. Next to it was a cut off square platform.

“This lovely area is where we take the garbage out. Ponder the garbage bin in the corner, “Allen pointed in its direction. He grabbed the red and green button controller hanging from the ceiling and pushed the green button with his thumb. “Green means go.”

The platform slowly lowered.

“So it does sir.” Replied John.

Allen shook both hands in the air. “Make sure you always have someone help you when taking the garbage to the bin. It’s store policy."

Time For a New Short Story

Yep, Halloween's getting closer and I have a short horror story ready to go! As always, like The Ranger & Dark Carpentry it'll be a trial run which means it won't be perfect or in its final form. It will however be a quick read full of potential. Feel free to comment and hit me up on my Short Stories page on Facebook.

I hope you're ready to get your costumes :)