13.

O ne year later

Zeke opened his eyes, and he jumped back.

She was standing in front of him. Of course, she was. It was Halloween again. It was a whole year later, and he'd been stuck as a pumpkin in Jacqueline's home.

And he'd spent the whole year watching and listening to her, but he hadn't been able to talk. He hadn't been able to move, but oh, he'd seen her move.

Jacqueline moved into a small studio apartment shortly after their night together. She'd purchased a large kitchen table, and she'd set Zeke as a pumpkin right in the center of the table. He'd been able to watch her daily life all year long. He'd seen her grow, and he'd seen her change. He'd seen her bring friends over, and he'd gotten to know all of the things that she liked.

He couldn't tell her anything.

He hadn't been able to speak to her, and it had nearly driven him mad. He wanted to talk to her, to connect. Zeke wanted so desperately to be able to connect with her. He'd seen her laugh with her friends, and he'd seen her reading book after book about witchcraft, and he'd finally realize about halfway through the year what she was doing.

She was trying to find a way to break the spell.

She believed him.

And that had kept him going. He'd been able to keep going because he knew that she cared about him. Jacqueline - his Jack - hadn't brought a single man home all year. She'd been waiting for him, and she'd told him. Every night, Jack sat next to Zeke-the-pumpkin-man, and she read him stories, and she told him about herself, and she explained what she was doing.

And she brought his dad over.

He'd had a chance to talk to his dad.

Today, though, Jack had gone to work, and Zeke had woken up in his human body. The head was still attached. He hadn't been able to break the curse after all. And now, the witch was here. Of course, she was. Every year on October 30th, Eleanor visited him.

This year, she'd waited until Halloween morning.

She'd waited until he was in his human form, minus the head, of course, and she'd looked at him like he was nothing but a piece of meat.

"You didn't break the curse," she said.

"I have until midnight."

"You're going to tell your father goodbye today," she said. "You need to go to him, Zeke. Otherwise, the pain of losing you is going to break his heart."

"You don't know a damn thing about my father," he snapped. "Don't act like you do."

"Oh, Zeke," the witch shook her head. "I know more than you think. I've been watching over Daddy Dearest." She snapped her fingers, transforming into a young woman wearing a white pair of scrubs and a nametag that read RENEE. "In fact, I see him every day."

She snapped her fingers again. This time, she was wearing blue scrubs, looked like a man, and her nametag said EDMUND. She changed again. Snap. Again. Snap. Again.

"Stop," Zeke finally said. "That's enough."

"Oh, is it?" Eleanor finally returned to her witch form. "No, no Zeke. It's not enough. It's never enough. In fact, after tonight, all we're ever going to have is not enough ." She took a step back, waved her fingers at him, and smiled once more. "I'll see you tonight...lover."

Then she was gone, and Zeke was alone. He collapsed on the floor, already exhausted. How was he going to break the spell? He really thought he'd break free today. After spending a year with Jacqueline talking to him, he thought that he'd just break through.

Why hadn't he turned into his normal self?

How come he still couldn't access his head?

Zeke reached for the pumpkin he carried on top of his shoulders, and he mourned. He wished he could cry, but he couldn't. He thought about screaming, but he didn't want to scare the cat. Jack's cat. His cat. He'd grown to love the little goofball over the last year. Max-the-cat was a good, orange cat who liked to scratch at the side of Zeke's head.

Zeke reached up and felt the side of his pumpkin head now. He felt the scratches, the little scars, but he didn't mind. Max had helped him feel more comfortable during moments when he was convinced he'd never feel anything again.

"Hi, Max," Zeke said when the orange ball of fur came up to him. Max purred and rubbed against him. Zeke pet the cat eagerly, glad to finally be able to return the favor of scratching the little pet. Max seemed happy, and Zeke certainly felt happy. For a little while, he was able to forget about Eleanor, and he was able to think only of Jacqueline and the love he felt for her.

After a little while, Max grew bored and left, and Zeke stood and looked around the kitchen. He spotted a pair of clean, folded clothes on the table, along with a note. He opened it up.

Dear Zeke, I'll be back soon. Don't go far. Love, Jack.

Maybe the day was going to be okay, after all.