Behind the Mask

By Thomas Grant Bruso

Seventeen-year-old Jesse has a babysitting gig at the Linderman’s house on Halloween. He loves watching Christie and Dylan, and is thrilled to see them dressed up in cute, creative costumes. When he arrives at their house, Jesse he just knows it will be a fun-filled night of pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating.

But Jesse quickly realizes Halloween is not only about candy, pumpkins, and scary costumes. It’s known for tricks and ghoulish things, and can bring out the crazies. While trick-or-treating, he notices a strange person wearing a glow-in-the-dark mask watching him from the shadowy street.

The rest of the night turns into a cat-and-mouse game of survival. Strange things start to happen at the Linderman’s residence, setting Jesse on edge, making him apprehensive somebody might be taking the spirit of Halloween too far.

Will Jesse survive the things that go bump in the night, or will he become just another tall tale this Halloween?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
• Release date: Oct 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781646569649

Thomas Grant Bruso

Thomas Grant Bruso graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2004 with a Bachelor’s in theatre performance and English writing. He knew at an early age he wanted to be a writer. He has been a voracious reader of genre fiction since he was a kid. His literary inspirations are Dean Koontz, Karin Fossum, Jeffery Deaver, Joyce Carol Oates, and John Connolly. He loves animals, book-reading, writing fiction, and prefers Sudoku to crossword puzzles. He writes book reviews for his hometown newspaper, The Press Republican. He lives in Plattsburgh with his husband, Paul, and their miniature pincher diva, Riley. For more information, please visit facebook.com/thomasgrantbruso.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Trick or treat!

I huffed, slung my bookbag over my shoulders, and set off on a trot along the senior hallway. I hate Halloween.

My boyfriend, Billy Masters, popular jock and Durkin High’s lacrosse champion, dashed after me, his sharp cologne leaving a vaporous trail behind us. He reached for my arm. Baby, what’s wrong? Why are you in a bad mood today?

I stopped at my locker to drop off my biology book. I slammed the door shut, locked it, exhaled a long pent-up breath, and faced my ginger-blonde boyfriend. His green eyes looked puppy-dog sad.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the row of lockers. For starters— I stopped and shoved off the wall, striding to the middle of the near-empty hallway and clutching my social studies textbook as if it were a shield from all the horrible disappointments in my life. I failed my English exam today. My father’s been laid off from his job at the steel mill for three months. I’ve got to study for my math and history tests next week. And I’ve got to babysit for the Lindermans’ children tonight.

It’s Halloween. He said it with such disdain I thought he was going to scream. He grasped the Friday the 13th Halloween hockey mask he had purchased on eBay last week and turned it backward on his head. A souvenir, he’d told me, autographed by the actor Kane Hodder who’d familiarized the character of Jason Voorhees in subsequent installments. A similar jagged cut in the top left of the mask sold Billy on the eBay purchase. He told me that the actor used the same mask in one of the slasher flicks. I doubted it. But I didn’t argue with Billy. When he had something in his head, you couldn’t change his mind.

What are you doing with that? I asked.

Look around. Everyone’s wearing their favorite serial killer face.

He twirled me around to face the mass of student’s faces, coming and going from every direction, most of them hiding behind a famous scary Halloween mask.

Ted Bundy. Jeffery Dahmer. John Wayne Gacy. Jack the Ripper. Michael Myers. Freddy Kruger.

Jason Voorhees.

I rolled my eyes at Billy as he held me in his burly arms, wrapping me in mounds of muscle and his overpowering male musk. I hate Halloween, I said again.

How can you hate the most exciting holiday of the year? Candy, carnage, and creepers!

Why would anyone dress up as a deranged serial killer?

He burrowed his bony chin into my shoulder and kissed my earlobe. His lips were so close to mine. I felt my boner teepee my gym shorts, hardening at my boyfriend’s heady touch, smell, and animalistic grumblings. Because it’s the one time of the year that we can be somebody else.

Billy was the most beautiful guy I had ever dated. We had been together for a year. I often asked myself how I had landed him. His arms were Vin Diesel strong, and that geeky grin he flashed me every morning when we’d see each other first thing before class left me weak-kneed and horny. I wanted to lean in right now and kiss him hard on those big, pouty lips. I wanted him to swallow me whole.

Locking lips with Billy in front of the entire high school would be my fuck-you salute to every bully who degraded us for holding hands in the hallway or stealing a smooch in between classes. But thinking about my current family and school dilemmas, I didn’t have time to rationalize my fears about what anyone else thought of us.

I’m sorry for being a downer, I said. I’ve got a lot going on right now.

He took his basketball-sized hands off my waist and planted them on my sagging shoulders. I smelled the toothpaste and his breakfast banana muffin on his breath when he inched closer and surprised me with a hard kiss, sneaking his meaty tongue into my mouth, sliding it in and out, reaching the back of my throat. I melted into him.

I want to get you alone tonight, he said, pulling his tongue out and licking the sweetness of the grape juice taste from his lips. Just you and me. We can have our own party.

His eyes widened, and he winked as he reached down and slipped his thick fingers inside, fumbling with the opening to my boxers and finding the prize.

Not here, Billy.

He closed his eyes and kissed me again, lingering. Somebody’s excited. His voice deepened, and he smirked, his trademark sexy, seductive smile that aroused me every time. My body tingled at his playful touch. Billy was the only guy that made me feel different, unique, and wanted.

I want you right now, he whispered.

I want you too, but not here. I pushed his hand away and readjusted my growing hard-on.

I wish I had Billy’s confidence. He did not care what anybody thought or said about him. Being gay in a small, backwoods town was a challenge for any teenager. If anybody from our class shouted a slur at us when we walked down the hall, holding hands, Billy just had to shoot them his infamous tight-lipped glare, and they scattered like scared cats.

I was looking forward to seeing you tonight, he said, wrapping his comforting arms around me and pulling me into him for a sword fight with our gazes.

He tasted sweet. I hated to break up our small tête-à-tête, but I had to scram. I have to babysit tonight. I told you last week.

He shrugged as we walked, one of his arms slung over me like an afterthought. You probably did. But you know my short-term memory.

I’ll call you tonight before I leave for the Lindermans?

Can I come over and keep you company?

I pushed the doors open, and we strolled out into the main hallway. Lockers clanged shut, and students’ voices filled the air. Mrs. Linderman doesn’t allow visitors when I’m babysitting.

He grumbled. I’m not a visitor. I’m your boyfriend.

I pecked him on the cheek before I turned down the hall and headed to class. I’m sorry. We can talk on the phone.

"Can I at least drive you to the Lindermans’