We left the store with our pumpkins in hand, walking under the dim light of the campus lampposts. The conversation had been lively throughout the journey, but when we mentioned that we'd leave the pumpkins in Olivia's room, her smile widened with a dangerous glint. It was the same smile I'd seen before—the one reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat.
"Why are you smiling like that?" I asked cautiously.
"Oh, nothing!" Olivia responded with feigned innocence. "I was just thinking about how nice the pumpkins would look in my room tonight. Protected. Cared for. Maybe… decorated."
Lindsay and I exchanged a glance.
"I don't trust you for a second," said Lindsay, hugging her pumpkin as if it were her firstborn.
"What? I wouldn't do anything weird!" Olivia placed a hand over her heart, pretending to be offended. "Well, maybe something small. Like giving them some artistic touches."
"Exactly!" Lindsay exclaimed, pointing at her. "I don't trust what you consider 'artistic touches.'"
"Pfft, you're both boring," Olivia huffed. "But fine, take your pumpkins, even though it means I won't have the chance to give them a special touch."
"That's the point, Olivia," Lindsay said, moving slightly further away from her with her pumpkin.
Olivia rolled her eyes but didn't insist anymore. Eventually, each of us took our pumpkin to our respective rooms.
When I entered mine, Marcus, my roommate, was lying on his bed with his headphones on. He looked at me with a frown when he saw the pumpkin in my hands.
"Don't ask," I said before he could say anything.
Marcus simply shrugged and got more comfortable in his bed.
"Better for me," he muttered, turning off the light on his side and rolling over to sleep.
I placed the pumpkin on my desk and sighed. Halloween had never meant much to me. At least not for a long time. There was a time when I celebrated it with enthusiasm. When I was a kid and my mom was still alive, we used to dress up together and go trick-or-treating. She always found a way to make every holiday special, even if it was just the two of us.
But after her death, I had stopped celebrating many things. Maybe it was my way of pushing away the pain, of avoiding remembering what I had lost. Special dates only highlighted her absence, so I simply decided to ignore them.
I stared at the pumpkin on my desk for a moment before turning off the light and letting myself fall onto the bed. Despite everything, this time Halloween felt different. Maybe because, without realizing it, Olivia and Lindsay had dragged me into the celebration. And perhaps, just perhaps, this time it wasn't so bad.
After a while of trying to sleep, I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through TikTok. Videos of landscapes accompanied by relaxing music filled the screen. Waterfalls, snow-covered mountains, beaches at sunset… there was something calming about them. Without realizing it, I kept watching video after video until the clock struck midnight.
Just as I was about to close the app and try to sleep, my phone vibrated with a group call. It was Olivia. I answered immediately, though I knew it probably wouldn't bring good news.
"What now?" I asked, trying to sound more annoyed than I actually was.
"Sack! Thank goodness you answered!" Olivia's voice sounded agitated, almost hysterical.
"What's going on?" Lindsay asked at the same time, her tone calmer but equally curious.
Before we could ask another question, Olivia jumped in:
"I've summoned you to this urgent call because I discovered something that could change EVERYTHING about our Halloween plans. I was browsing the university forums, as I do every night to distract myself, and… OH MY GOD!" She paused dramatically, as if making sure she had our full attention. "There are several posts about paranormal legends at Stanford. Did you know that some parts of the campus are rumored to be haunted?"
I rolled my eyes but listened carefully. I knew Olivia couldn't tolerate horror movies, so this must be serious for her.
"What kind of legends?" Lindsay asked, clearly intrigued.
"Well, for example, there's the story of Hoover Tower," Olivia explained, lowering her voice as if someone else might overhear her. "They say that if you stay there after midnight, you can hear footsteps and whispers, as if someone is searching for something. Then there's the story of Encina Residence, where some students swear they've seen shadows moving through the empty hallways. And then there's the story of Stanford's Oak, that giant tree in the center of campus. They say that if you walk around it at midnight, you can hear ancient voices of the university's founders arguing about Stanford's future."
"Those are just stories, Olivia," I said, trying to sound rational. "They're probably made up by bored students."
"No, Sack! This is serious!" she insisted. "Also, I found a post about how some students claim to have felt strange presences near the central fountain on campus. And I'm not willing to take any risks!"
"So, what do you suggest?" Lindsay asked, clearly evaluating the situation.
"I think we should change the time of the treasure hunt," Olivia quickly replied. "Instead of doing it at night, we could do it in the afternoon. That way, we avoid being alone on campus after dark."
There was a brief silence as Lindsay and I processed the proposal. I knew Olivia could exaggerate, but I also understood her concern. I didn't want anyone to end up scared (or worse, running across campus at midnight).
"It makes sense," Lindsay finally said. "We can cancel dinner at the restaurant and the campus tour. There will be other opportunities for that. The important thing is that everyone feels comfortable."
"Cancel dinner?" I asked, surprised. "I thought that was part of the plan."
"I know, but we can postpone it for another day," Lindsay replied. "I made a reservation a few days ago at that fancy Italian restaurant near campus. It was going to be our little celebration before the treasure hunt, but if we move everything to the afternoon, it doesn't make sense to do it so late. Besides, the campus tour was to see the Halloween decorations, but we can do that another day. At least the restaurant. I don't want Olivia screaming in the middle of campus because she thinks she saw a ghost."
"It wouldn't be a scream! It'd be a strategic shriek," Olivia corrected, though I could detect some relief in her voice.
After discussing a few more details, we agreed to hold the pumpkin contest early, followed by the treasure hunt in the afternoon. The fancy dinner and nighttime campus tour would be postponed for another occasion.
When I hung up, I stayed thinking about how quickly our plans had changed. Olivia had that ability: turning any situation into something completely different. But somehow, it didn't bother me. Maybe it was because, for the first time in a long time, Halloween didn't feel like an empty date. I had people to share it with, even if one of them had an irrational fear of the supernatural.
I turned off my phone and lay down again, this time with a small smile on my face.