Hugh J. O'Donnell

He had the power to read minds. If he could see a person, their thoughts would fill his head, as overwhelming as though they were shouting in his ear.
He wasn’t even able to watch television. Recorded images still broadcast the actors’ minds, and plots became lost in their anxieties and emotions. Just a photograph would cause him to experience a single sharp stab of memory.
He realized the problem was with his eyes. If he didn’t see the person, the thoughts couldn’t come through. The blindfold helped for a while.
Then he had to resort to more drastic measures.

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The ghost ship appeared suddenly out of the fog, floating above the water on rotten boards and torn sails, threatening to overwhelm the little merchant ship.
The pilot rang the alarm bell as the crew panicked. “Quit your blubbering and get to your posts,” The captain growled. “Priests to the forecastle!”
A trio of holy men rushed on deck, each wearing the vestments of a different order. They chanted at the approaching craft, and it paused before fading back into the shadows.
The captain nodded, satisfied. The Haunted Sea was full of dangers, but it always paid to be prepared.

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Three icy faces stared out at the applicant over the conference call. “I see you’ve conducted for the Boise Philharmonic, and San Antonio Public Transit?”
“Yes. I’ve conducted busses all over, actually.”
“This committee doesn’t appreciate jokes, Mr. Schwartzkopf.”
Saying nothing, he picked up his baton and made a few deft, quick strokes. There was an awkward silence before chaos erupted on one of the cameras. A blaring horn, breaking glass, the glare of headlights and the brief flash of a vehicle number and one of their colleagues dropped from the call.
“Shall we discuss compensation?” Schwartzkopf asked, grinning malevolently.

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It was dark by the time he reached the abandoned factory. He found a dry patch of ground, set down his backpack and pulled out his lamp. The heavy-duty contractor’s lamp lit the space in a harsh LED glare. It was the lynchpin of his arsenal.
He took a quick look around, then launched the Shadowhuntr app on his phone. He was in the top five on the combination ARG and urban exploration toolkit. Tonight’s raid would take him over the top.
But he became so engrossed in checking his standings he never noticed the creature creeping up behind him.

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He returned victorious from his rounds with the moon still high in the sky.
He’d spread holiday cheer the world over. And if his cheeks felt a little too warm and he was weary to the bone, that was just proof of a good night’s work. As he touched down in his domain, he couldn’t help but smile as he looked down at a field of smiling faces.
He reminded himself that this was their success too. They had all worked hard all year to spread terror and darkness.
The pumpkin king howled to the moon. Another Halloween was finished.

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