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DS Gavin Troy stepped out of the crowded pub in Badger’s Drift, the chatter fading behind him. The chill of the evening hit him like a bucket of ice water. Leaves crunched underfoot like brittle bones, and flickering skeletons dangled from the windows of the old houses, their gnarled fingers seeming to grab at anyone who ventured too close. The pumpkins by the roadside, their ugly grins brightened by an eerie orange light, watched him with vicious interest. Gavin’s nervousness grew and he could not shake it.
In the twilight of October, reports of a creature haunting the streets began to surface. Local watch groups brainstormed safety measures, and paranormal enthusiasts from across the country made plans to visit, hoping to witness whatever was hiding in the shadows.
The people of Badger’s Drift had seen their fair share of murders, but this time the threat to the community was more insidious. Encouraged by concerned residents calling for police intervention, DCI Tom Barnaby had sent Gavin out to investigate.
Some thought the phenomena were caused by light, or perhaps too much alcohol. But Gavin wasn’t quite sure what to believe. The loneliness of the night weighed heavily on him and made him wish he were at a Halloween party, enjoying tasty pies and playful costumes instead of chasing the supernatural.
The clock on the dashboard jumped to 7:30. The sun had long since left the village, plunging it into darkness. As he navigated the winding roads, memories of the afternoon’s interviews swirled in his mind. The villagers had spoken of a spirit that materialised unexpectedly, causing drivers to swerve frantically to avoid an accident.
Mr Robert Singer, a retired copper, had recalled his frightening encounter: “I was on my way back from my brother’s when she appeared out of nowhere... a woman with long black hair that looked greasy. Her eyes pierced me like daggers and she was wearing a white nightdress. Just when I thought I was going to hit her, she disappeared!”
Gavin thought it might all be people’s wild fantasies. He’d seen stranger things explained by rational means.
This was Midsomer, after all.
The headlights cut the thick fog, illuminating the greenery that lined the road. Shadows came to life, stretching and distorting, blurring the line between Gavin’s imagination and the growing unease inside him. He found himself leaning over the wheel, lost in his thoughts, when a sudden, fleeting sensation snapped him back to reality. Something had brushed lightly across the windscreen, a soft, feathery caress.
“Just a crow,” he murmured, his gaze fixed on the bird, its black wings catching the breeze and gliding effortlessly over the treetops.
Gavin couldn’t relax for long. His car began to cough and wheeze. It made a mocking sound, as if laughing at his predicament. He pulled over to the side of the road, getting increasingly annoyed as the engine roared one last time before falling silent. The headlights faded, leaving him in the dark. Gavin picked up his torch and stepped out of the car. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and pine. A biting wind swirled around him, the cold creeping up his body.
“What’s wrong?” he grumbled, his voice tinged with irritation as he lifted the bonnet and peered into the engine. After a quick inspection, he closed it with a thud. Everything seemed fine.
As he surveyed his surroundings, a deep sense of isolation set in. The villager’s warnings repeated themselves in his mind - the ghost comes when people are most alone and vulnerable.
He chuckled nervously. Surely that was just bad luck, right? Fumbling for his phone, he realised there was no signal.
“Great.”
He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to slow his racing pulse and regain control of the wave of frustration that had taken hold. Desperately, he kicked at the gravel beneath his feet.
A twig snapped behind him. Gavin’s heart leapt, racing in his throat. He whirled around, searching for any sign of movement that might explain the disturbing noise. Something caught his peripheral vision, a hint of white breaking the muted greens and browns of the undergrowth. Probably another bird, he reassured himself. But his gut instinct told him that something else was lurking under the bushes.
“Hello Gavin.”
The whisper went right through him. A pair of eyes flashed from the thicket, burning with an unnatural intensity.
“I’m coming for you now!”
Hell, no! Gavin was about to run when a figure sprang out of the trees.
A deer, its antlers like twisted branches against the moonless sky, leapt from the bushes, its hooves pounding the ground as it charged across the street. It stopped abruptly mid-step, its eyes reflecting the beam of Gavin’s torch.
“Hahh... you scared me!” he gasped adrenaline shooting through him.
The deer snorted, a wet sound, and with a flick of its tail disappeared as quickly as it had come, melting back into the protective embrace of the forest.
Gavin stumbled towards his car. Nothing would keep him out here any longer. He needed warmth, he needed the sanctuary of his own home... anything that would make him feel safe. Then Gavin saw them: Two lights coming towards him. Paralysed, he could do nothing but watch.
The black Rover pulled up alongside and the driver’s window rolled down with a faint whirring sound.
“Do you need a lift?” Tom Barnaby asked, smiling at him.
“Yes, please,” Gavin sighed. He put down his torch and climbed gratefully into the passenger seat.
“Seen a ghost, Agent Mulder?" Barnaby teased, looking over at him curiously.
“Not funny, sir. I was stranded, a deer jumped out of the bushes and... and…”
“Sounds like you’ve had a really tough day, Troy. Don’t worry, I’ll get you home.”
Gavin rubbed his sweaty palms against his jeans. “By the way, what are you doing out here, sir?”
“Oh, I forgot the sweets for Cully’s Halloween party,” he explained. “But mostly, Joyce was worried about you being out here alone, so I thought I’d check on you.” He held out a brightly coloured bag. “Do you want some? I took a little extra, but don’t tell my wife and daughter, or they’ll put me on a diet again.”
The tension in Gavin’s shoulders eased. He enjoyed being with Barnaby, his casual warmth and easy humour. He told the DCI what he had heard from the villagers today.
“It’s so weird. I mean, do you believe any of these stories?” he asked, stuffing a bunch of gummy spiders into his mouth.
Barnaby listened intently, his expression hard to read.
“They’re probably old tales that have taken on a life of their own,” he mused, his gaze distant. “Besides, you should never let your fear control you, Troy.”
A comfortable silence fell between them, broken only by the rustling of wrappers. Time flew and before Gavin knew it they were back at his flat.
“We made it!” Barnaby exclaimed, brimming with the excitement of a tour guide showing off a luxury destination.
But as Gavin was about to step out, he saw someone lingering at the edge of the streetlight. A figure in a flowing white dress emerged.
“Sir, there!” he blurted.
Barnaby said nothing at first, his eyes narrowed. Then, either overcome by courage or a touch of madness, he opened the driver’s door and got out. The ghost came closer and the details of the dress became clearer: Victorian style, with intricate lace and a high neckline.
The DCI leaned into the car and looked at the still frightened Gavin.
“Oh Troy, it’s a woman in a costume!”
She was standing in front of them now, smiling.
“Good evening, gentlemen. I was trying to scare some trick-or-treaters. Did it work?”
Barnaby laughed, clearly amused by the situation. “It certainly did! My sergeant wouldn’t get out.”
Gavin finally got out of the Rover, a little embarrassed. “You look fantastic! Definitely the best costume here tonight!”
The woman bowed gracefully. “Thank you very much! I’m waiting for my friends. We’re going to a Halloween parade. Would you like to join us?”
Barnaby politely declined, as did Gavin. He just wanted to go to bed and leave his day behind him.
The next morning was a beautiful, warm one. As Gavin and Barnaby drove through the villages, they could see that Halloween had left its mark: Candy wrappers fluttered like fallen leaves, tossed randomly onto the pavement, while empty liquor bottles caught the early light and fake spider webs swayed in the breeze. Gavin’s car was still sitting quietly and untouched at the side of the road, awaiting his return.
Barnaby slid into the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition. “I don’t see any problem here,” he said, checking the gauges on the dashboard. Gavin was relieved. It seemed that, mechanically at least, normalcy had been restored.
The two of them finally made their way to Causton. But when Gavin followed behind his boss, he noticed an unfamiliar smell and a drop in temperature.
Unconsciously, he pushed himself deeper into his seat.
What if... he was not alone?
Gavin shrugged it off, putting it down to the fresh air coming in through the half-open window. The last thing he wanted was to feel like he was losing his grip on reality again.
He glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw an image that stole his joy. A woman in a white dress, old and tattered at the edges, the fabric shimmering as if wrapped in moonlight. Her eyes glowed an unnatural blue.
“Hello again, Gavin. Where did you go last night?”
He opened his mouth to answer, but couldn’t speak.
She leaned closer, her breath brushing against Gavin’s cheek like a touch of winter.
“I almost had you in my grasp if it hadn’t been for that old man who came to your rescue,” she hissed.
Gavin felt dizzy and didn’t dare turn his head. The rational part of his brain was screaming at him to write it off as a hallucination. But the mouldy smell of her presence filled his nostrils, leaving no doubt that this was really happening.
Her words sharpened. “I see... you’re not quite ready to join me yet. But I won’t quit that easily. Next time, no higher power will be able to protect you.”
Gavin’s muscles tightened, instincts roaring like a fire alarm; he wanted to unbuckle and jump out.
Her hands traced the headrest behind him, gliding along the nape of his neck, leaving an icy trail that made him tremble.
“See you next Halloween!” she declared a triumph creeping over her pale face.
Just then, a wave of irritation washed over Gavin, cutting through his state of shock. His brain was buzzing, oscillating between panic and rationality. Barnaby’s words echoed in his head: Never let fear control you!
Gritting his teeth, he slammed on the brakes, the tyres screeching mercilessly against the asphalt. He whipped around. “No! I don’t have time for this!”
The ghost blinked at him, a look of sheer disbelief on her translucent features. “You what?”
“Yes, you heard me! You already ruined my plans for yesterday’s Halloween party because I had to investigate your hauntings!” Gavin’s voice rose an octave.
Her eyes widened in confusion. “I... I was trying to–”
“Trying to what? Scare me to death?” He threw up his hands in indignation. “I couldn’t sleep because of your nonsense.”
“But... but I’m a ghost! This is what I do!” Her tone, now so innocent, turned into a whine, and it almost got through to Gavin's irritation.
“And I’m a policeman, lady! My job is to save people, not chase things!”
Gavin said, more angry than scared. “Look, there are some things I still hold sacred, like my weekends off or going to a party now and then. And I have no interest in your supernatural harassment.“
She stared at him, the spell in her eyes broken by his outburst, crumbling like a rotten skull. “How dare you! I will–”
“No!” he cut her off again, wagging his finger at her like a teacher shushing an unruly student. “Enough is enough! Why don’t you take a break and get some rest?”
With that, Gavin let out a heavy sigh, a weighty exhalation that carried away the tension that had enveloped him. He slumped back into his seat, the plush fabric moulding to his form.
The ghost crossed her arms over her flowing gown. “Fine. But you’re going to miss all the fun! You might regret this, you know!”
Gavin chuckled and shook his head, trying to deflect the weight of her threat with humour. “Yeah, sure, next time try to send an invitation, alright?” His attempt at levity hung between them. “And leave these people alone.”
Her face contorted into a grimace. With a quick tug on her dress, she disappeared, vanishing into thin air until there was nothing left of her.
As Gavin continued on his journey, he began to think about what he would write about this case in his report.
Tom Barnaby would never have believed his story. But deep down, Gavin knew that this encounter would stay with him forever. It was perhaps the best Halloween he had ever had.