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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/Weird-Suggestion-152 on 2024-10-11 16:01:42+00:00.

I was working the closing shift at FootWorks, the shoe store crammed into the far corner of the Chapel Hills Mall. Halloween was supposed to be a night of fun, but instead, I was stuck stocking sneakers for minimum wage.

I only had a half hour left on my shift, and I could feel the seconds crawling by. The clock on my phone felt frozen at 7:30 pm. I drummed my fingers on the counter, trying to stay awake. My manager, who was supposed to help close, had ducked out for an early smoke break and never came back. Most of the customers had already thinned out, but there were still a few stragglers wandering around the mall.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from my friend Ben.

Ben: Yo, you coming tonight or what?

I sighed. I’d been dodging the question all day. Ben’s Halloween party was supposed to be the big event of the night. Half of the school was going, including all of my friends. But I hadn’t planned on going. After my shift was over, all I really wanted to do was just crash in my bed. I started typing “probably not” when another text popped up.

Ben: Don’t be lame man, it’s Halloween!

I stared at the screen, my finger hovering over the keyboard. It had been a while since I’d done anything fun, and even though I didn’t have a costume, I could probably grab something cheap from the Halloween store on the way. I wasn’t exactly Mr. Social, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get out of the house for once.

“Yo!” a voice called from the store entrance, breaking my introspection.

I looked up and saw Ben and Derek walking into the store like they owned the place. Ben flashed a grin, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“C’mon, bro. You’re not getting out of this one. You’re coming tonight,” Ben said, leaning against the counter.

Derek nodded, smirking. “Yeah, man, you never come to anything. You didn’t show up last year either.”

“Look,” I started, “I’m just tired, and I don’t even have a costume, and I don’t even have time to-”

“You’ve got time,” Ben interrupted. “The party doesn’t start until ten. Grab something cheap and just show up. It’s not like you have anything better to do.”

I sighed. They weren’t wrong. As much as I wanted to protest, I started to give in to the pressure. Ben raised an eyebrow, a smirk growing on his face, anticipating my answer.

“Fine,” I muttered. “I’ll come. But I probably won’t stay long.”

“Yes! There he is,” Ben grinned, patting me on the shoulder. “You’re gonna have a good time bud, trust me.”

Derek glanced at his watch. “Alright, well we’re heading out. See you there.”

I watched them leave, their laughter fading as they disappeared out of the mall. I wasn’t sure I believed Ben about having a good time, but I was locked in now. I just had to make it through the last stretch of my shift, grab a costume, and then down a few drinks to make the night more tolerable.

The mall was basically empty now. Most of the other stores were now closed, and the place began to get a little darker as more and more lights were turned off. I started mentally checking off the closing tasks, sweep the floor, cash out the register. Routine stuff.

As I was counting the minutes to clock out, something caught my eye near the entrance.

A person stood there, just outside the store, facing me. They were in a Halloween costume. A creepy red latex devil mask, which had a large pointy nose and a cartoonish wide smile which reached ear to ear. Small black horns protruded from the top of the mask. It looked pretty realistic, like one of those expensive movie quality masks. Had it not been so startling, it would’ve actually been pretty impressive. The mask was paired with a mismatched black and red suit that looks like it was put together from pieces found at a thrift store.

At first, I assumed it was just a last-minute shopper, or someone probably killing time before heading to a party. But they stood completely still, facing me, not moving. Not browsing. Not shopping. Just standing there.

I felt my chest tighten. There was no reason to be freaked out by some weirdo in a Halloween costume, but something about them made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The way they were just standing still, watching me, began to eat away at my nerves.

I was about to tell him, “we’re closed”, when he turned, slowly, deliberately, and walked away. I just stared, frozen in place. His steps were slow, measured, almost robotic as he disappeared out of sight.

I exhaled, realizing I’d been holding my breath the entire time. What the hell was that about? I thought. Just some creep messing around, probably. It was Halloween, after all.

I shook it off, trying to refocus on closing the store and getting out of there. But every few seconds, I found myself glancing toward the entrance, half-expecting to see that creepy guy in a devil mask there again, watching me.

By the time I finally clocked out, I was beat, and my nerves were shot. I made my way out of the now empty mall toward my car, checking behind my shoulder every few seconds. I safely made it to my car, now fully convinced that the person, whoever it was, was simply messing around with me. I brushed off the feeling and headed to the Halloween store to pick up a costume for the party.

The Halloween store was one of those pop-up stores that showed up every year, taking over abandoned sporting goods stores and the like. I pushed open the door and stepped inside, a chime sounding ringing loudly in the nearly empty store. The place was a mess. Shelves were mostly empty now, and decorations were scattered all the floor, with a few straggling shoppers picking over the scraps. The sound of Halloween music played faintly through the speakers.

I wandered aimlessly, searching for any scraps of a costume. The aisles were nearly bare, but I kept looking, feeling the pressure of time build. Suddenly, the music cut off, leaving the store in an uncomfortable silence. I knew I didn’t have much time before they closed, so I hurried, eyes darting over the shelves. The door chimed again. Someone else had come in, but I didn’t bother to look, I was too focused.

At the end of one aisle, I found a small rack with cheap knock-off masks of famous movie killers. I grabbed a plastic “Jason” style mask headed for the register, rushing to get out.

As I turned the corner, my heart lurched. There he was. The man in the devil mask. He stood at the far end of the aisle, illuminated by the dim, flickering light. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, just watched me. My stomach twisted, and my throat went dry. No fucking way, I thought, feeling my pulse hammer in my ears. He stood perfectly still, just staring.

For a split second, I considered throwing the mask down and bolting. But something kept me rooted. Maybe it was disbelief, maybe shock. I told myself it was a coincidence, forcing my legs to carry me to the front. The cashier barely looked up from his phone as I approached, too busy scrolling through his phone. My skin crawled as I sensed the man in the devil mask moving closer, his eyes locked on me. I could feel it, the weight of his stare boring into me.

“Just this,” I muttered, tossing the cheap mask onto the counter. It felt so pointless, but at least I wouldn’t show up to Ben’s party without something.

The cashier rang it up slowly, the beeps of the register cutting through the heavy silence. I kept my head down, resisting the urge to look back, but I knew he was still thee, watching me.

“That’ll be $10.53,” the cashier said, snapping his gum, finally glancing up at me.

I handed him the crumpled bills, my hand shaking slightly as I grabbed the change and shoved the mask into a bag. Without another word, I made a quick escape toward the exit. The bell chimed again as I pushed through the door, and the cold night air hit me like a splash of water. I exhaled sharply, tension easing from my shoulders.

Instinctively, I glanced over my shoulder, half-expecting to see him, the man in the devil mask, standing at the entrance, following me still. But there was nothing. Just the empty store and a couple of people loitering on the sidewalk. He was gone. Again.

I shook my head and got in my car. I kept reminding myself, it’s Halloween. Creepiness was just part of it. And besides, I had bigger things to worry about, like not making an idiot of myself at Ben’s party.

By the time I got to Ben’s place, the party was already in full swing. Cars were parked up and down the block, and I could hear the bass from the music thumping before I even stepped out of my car. The house was decorated to the nines, fake cobwebs hanging from the trees, jack-o’-lanterns lining the walkway, and orange lights flickering in the windows. I could hear Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” blasting from inside the house.

I pulled the plastic hockey mask out of the bag and slipped it over my face. It wasn’t much, but it would do. I didn’t feel like going all out for this party anyway. I just wanted to blend in, have a few drinks, and hopefully avoid any awkward moments with people.

The front door was wide open, and people were spilling out into the yard, already tipsy and laughing too loud. I stepped inside, and the smell of beer and sweat hitting me immediately. Ben’s living room was packed; people in costumes, some elaborate and some as half-assed as mine, dancing, drinking, and yelling over the blaring music.

“Hey! You actually came!” Ben appeared out of nowhere, clapping me on the back hard e…

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