*This was meant for Halloween, but unfortunately, I didn't finish it in time.*
She shouldn't have watched it, but Beth just couldn't turn away. There was blood and there were guts. It was the spattering gorefest that would probably keep her up half the night. She used to handle these slasher flicks a lot better, but lately, the knife-wielding, ax-throwing, machete-stabbing, why-are-you-running-up-the-stairs horror movies stayed with her long after the credits rolled. When had she turned into such a softy? Was she just not brave anymore?
After the movie, Beth and her husband Connor funneled out of the movie theatre ribbing each other, the way they always did. "I was sure you were going to fall asleep." She teased.
"How could I when you were gripping my thigh like a vice? Jesus, I probably have a bruise now, you big scaredy-cat."
"I wasn't scared." Beth lied, but her claim sounds a little too forced even to her own ears.
"Sure, sure, sure," Connor said, with a dismissive hand wave. "Good thing I was there to be your stress doll."
They pushed through the double doors and Beth expected the chill of the autumn night to greet them. Instead, she was surprised by how warm it was. She turned to Connor, who was ordering a Lyft home, and halted him with a hand on his arm before he could select a ride.
"Baby? Let's walk home?"
"Oooookay?" He peered down at his watch, then did some mental calculations before explaining, "It's gonna' be at least a twenty or thirty-minute walk back. Are you alright with that?"
"Yeah, that's fine," Beth answered before pulling him by the arm. "Try and keep up." Connor shot her a wry smile.
Four blocks down, they passed under the bridge, where someone (probably some kids) had knocked out all of the lights. They'd have to pass through a blanket of darkness to get to the other side. As they walked, Beth braced herself. She expected Connor to try and scare her. When he didn't, she tried to scare him, grabbing his arm yelling, "Raaaarrrr."
Connor sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're gonna' have to try harder than that. I'm not a scaredy-cat like you."
She stuck her tongue out at him, then peered across the street, at the path through the park. Beth nodded to it and asked, "Wanna' cut through there?"
Her husband raised an eyebrow before giving Beth a surprised look. "You sure? I don't want you to be scared."
"Who's scared? You're scared?" Beth shot back at him. "Tough guy like you scared of a little stroll through the dark park?"
"Really?" He asked flatly. "Coming from the woman who could hardly sit through a Halloween movie without covering your eyes? What? All of a sudden you remembered your big girl pants?"
"Yeah," she said, stepping in front of him defiantly while offering a bratty smile. "That's exactly what it means. Besides, you'll protect me if some tall mask-wearing psycho pops out from behind a tree and pulls a knife on us, right?"
"Nope," Connor answered, taking in a deep breath before letting it out through flapping lips, sounding like a motorboat. "If I see Ghostface, Jason, Freddy, or Micheal, I'm hauling ass. You're on your own pretty lady, but don't worry, I'll pray for you."
She called him a jackass before sliding her arm through his and crossing the street. As they entered the park Beth noticed that there weren't any lights lining the path through the park. Even though it was technically closed, she'd expected to see some light poles lighting up the path. Instead, Beth was greeted by darkness with only faint moonlight to fight it back. Lights out under the bridge, and now this? Suddenly scenes from the movie flashed in her mind, and Beth couldn't help but clutch at Connor's arm.
"Ooooh," Connor exclaimed, and Beth rolled her eyes. She could already tell she's in for an earful. "Where did your courage go? I thought you were wearing your big girl pants. I thought you were brave."
"I *am* brave." She yelled stubbornly.
"Yeah?" He looked at her, and even in the dark, she could see that smug look he carried so well. "Could've fooled me."
