A silver candy bowl sat perched on their lap.
Its large, human hands wrapped around the edges.
I took a step back, so I could brush her arm away from me without pushing her.
I dont want to wear this, I whined and scrunched my lips into frown.
Too bad, she replied as she turned away from me to dig through the console near the door.
I took a deep sigh as her hand reappeared with two purple gloves.
Hands, she said, and I quickly threw my hands behind my back in tight fists.
No, I said.
Ill wear the stupid jacket, but theres no way Im wearing those.
She frowned at me, the kind where her eyebrows dipped into v-shaped birds.
Her face softened, and I let myself take a breath.
Fine, she replied.
But put them in the pocket of your jacket, youll thank me later.
I grabbed the gloves out of her palm and stuffed them into the side pockets of the white fleece.
Id already planned on dumping this jacket the minute I reached Caseys house.
Theres no reason to try and grow up so fast, she said.
You would say that, I replied.
Hey, her voice regaining a hissing sharpness.
I replied, my voice rising with teenage agitation.
I turned toward her and opened my arms in exclamation.
You dont know what its like to be my age in this century.
Youre either everything or youre nothing.
Well youre my everything, she smiled as she said it.
Oh my god, I grumbled under my breath.
Listen, you have two options here, she began.
Yeah, I said dryly.
Ill go with option a.
She smiled at me, and I replied with a tight smile and hooded eyes.
When she turned her back, I gnarled my face into a mocking version of her.
She turned toward me again, and I quickly softened back to my complacent smile.
One for the road, she said as she threw a piece of candy toward me.
My mouth exploded with the supple creaminess of milk chocolate and pleasant grittiness of peanut butter.
Alright, she said.
Go forth and trick-or-treat.
Mommmm, I moaned.
We are just hanging out.
And going door-to-door for candy?
Just a few houses, I relented.
Do you want your pumpkin?
she said nodding her head toward the plastic pumpkin basket on the counter.
No, I snapped.
Im not 5 years old.
Clearly, she said.
Ill just take a pillow case.
Um, she replied, and I felt the anger begin to rise in my belly again.
You are not using our nice sheets as a bag.
Everybody uses them, I gritted my teeth.
She lifted her hands up into a stop motion.
Fine, she said.
But youre washing it tomorrow.
I shrugged and ran toward my bedroom.
Oh well, I said to myself not pausing to pick it up.
Have fun, she said.
I will, I said.
Back by 10, she replied.
I was about to contest, but she popped the lollipop from her lips and cut me off.
School tomorrow, non-negotiable.
I mouthed the letters o-k-a-y, and I opened the door.
The usually peaceful night was filled with excited squeals and delightfully frightened screams.
Parents lagged behind the mobs of children talking amongst each other.
A few carried metal cans with koozies obscuring the brands.
I took off in a run toward Caseys house.
Hi Melanie, I heard one of the parents bellow.
I waved my hand in the air without turning around.
Hey, I heard a boys voice behind me.
I slowed down to a jog and turned to see Seth walking to catch up with me.
He was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a long black cape pulled over his shoulders.
Cool costume, he said.
I smiled into the darkness and swerved out of the way of two little power rangers clobbering toward us.
Thanks, I finally replied, but it came out in a whisper.
Who is coming tonight?
I dont know, I replied.
Probably just the usual group.
Casey, Sarah, Rachel…
Oh great, he said.
Im the only guy again.
I laughed, and it came out in a horrid high-pitched cackle.
I slapped my hand over my mouth, and Seth began to laugh too.
We grew up next door to one another.
When we were young, we would build forts and play pinecone war with his older brother.
We continued to hang out during middle school.
Wed swap Harry Potter books and ride our bikes to the library.
It was our first year of high school, and this had been a harder transition.
Hed started playing soccer, which meant he had more friends.
I continued to reel away from sports like poison ivy.
Im surprised you didnt have plans, I said.
We always spend Halloween together, he replied as he punched me in the arm.
Are you going to homecoming?
he asked, and I felt my breath audibly catch.
I dont know, I stammered.
I asked Jessica, he said.
So you should totally come with us.
Yeah, I said trying to hide the deflation in my voice.
We reached Caseys house, and she was standing on the porch wearing a gown of white jagged fabric.
Enter if you… DARE, she screamed toward us and erupted in laughter.
Oh my gosh, she fussed.
Both of you are hardly scary.
Well, Casey smiled.
You do look KILLER.
I laughed and ran up the stairs to give her a hug.
Her dress smelled like mothballs and the powder from her face choked me in chalky fog.
Hey, hey, she said, pushing me off.
And anway, witches and ghosts are mortal enemies.
Seth said as he jumped on the porch, his voice lisping beneath the plastic teeth.
He waved his cape around like it was blowing in the wind.
Wheres Rachel and Sarah?
They are meeting us at the park, Casey replied.
Just let me grab a flashlight.
Casey disappeared inside her house as a group kids pushed past us toward the front door.
They rang the bell multiple times and chanted trick-or-treat, trick-or-treat give me something good to eat!
The door creaked open to reveal black nothingness.
The kids screamed and jumped back toward us.
Seth buckled over and began laughing as Casey continued to shriek into the night.
one of the kids yelled, but his voice was soaked in elation.
Grab your candy, Casey bellowed.
They dug greedy little fists into the bowl and grabbed as many pieces could fit into their pint-size palms.
Casey returned the bowl inside and reappeared with the flashlight.
Lets go, she screamed and howled like a wolf.
Seth and I reciprocated howls and our voices echoed across the cul-de-sac.
I love Halloween, Casey said.
Oh, I replied with a chuckle.
I had noooooo idea.
Its the only holiday when acting like a total freak is encouraged, she smiled toward us.
If only high school was like this.
She leaped into the air and spun in small pirouettes across the street her sneakers crunching on loose asphalt.
Oh come on, Seth said.
Its not that bad.
Okay, superstar, Casey replied.
You are not allowed to have an opinion.
He laughed, but he complied.
Not all of us were gifted beautiful normalcy, she replied.
And the ability to acclimate and assimilate.
Now youre making it sound negative, he sighed.
Her face never dropping a smile.
People suck, he finally replied.
So do vampires, I spat back with a laugh.
A couple swings drifted back and forth with the wind offering a metallic squeak into the air.
The park was empty, and I turned toward Casey.
They arent here, I said.
Or they are here, and theyre invisible, she replied.
I guess they are running late, Seth said.
God, hes back with his uniformity, Casey laughed.
I walked across the park and sat on one of the drifting swings.
I kicked my feet against the soft white sand, and my body began to swing back and forth.
I kicked my feet harder and I rose in the air with force.
The cold, night air whipped against my skin like shrapnel.
Get over here, I heard Seth yell from across the park.
I stopped pumping my legs and let myself fall back to the ground.
I dug my shoes into the sand and eventually the swing slowed enough for me to hop off.
Seth and Casey were huddled around a tree at the far part of the park.
I walked up, and Seth stepped aside so I could see.
Tacked to the tree with a red pushpin was a piece of yellow, lined paper.
were scrawled across the paper in dull pencil.
The lines were fat and rounded and the led was smudged.
Behind the tree, there was a small path indented in the brush.
Casey immediately lit up and took a step toward the path.
What are you doing?
Going down this freaky ass trail, she mocked.
This is sketchy, I replied, my heart beginning to beat faster.
she yelled as she began to walk into the woods.
Seth put his hand against my back and gave me a little push.
Weve got nothing better to do, he said.
I gulped down the accumulated spit in my mouth and stepped forward.
The trail was very small, and when you walked, thin branches smacked across your skin.
Do you hear that?
Casey kept walking, and she picked up her step, practically skipping toward the clearing.
She swayed as she walked the strips of fabric on her dress catching wind and dancing along.
When she reached the edge of the clearing she stopped suddenly.
I jogged ahead to see what she was looking at.
When I reached the edge, I could hear the music increase in volume.
The clearing, void of tree covering, was dipped in that soft ivory moonlight.
In the middle of the clearing, a person rocked back and forth on a wooden rocking chair.
I felt bile begin to rise in my throat and pulled Caseys dress back toward the path.
I felt Seths body pressed against mine as he curved his neck to see into the clearing.
The person did not move.
They just stared at us through fake plastic eyes.
A silver candy bowl sat perched on their lap.
Its large, human hands wrapped around the edges.
It was a mans voice cloaked in sticky, polite eloquence.
You look a bit old, the voice began again.
Do you care for some candy?
I took a step back, bumping into Seth.
Lets get out of here, I hissed to Casey.
Come closer, he began again.
His voice was still dripping in artificial civility.
All I require is that you say trick-or-treat, and you might take your pick.
He motioned down toward the pile of sweets.
Hell, Ill give you this whole bowl, he said.
He stopped rocking, and his head snapped back toward us.
He shook the candy bowl vigorously.
Say it, he said, his voice beginning to lose its artificial sweetness.
SAY IT, he bellowed toward us.
Lets go, Seth grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back toward the trail.
His voice shaking as it left his lips.
Sethhhhhhh, the voice cooed from behind us.
Why are you leaving so soon?
My stomach dropped, and I heard Seths breathing increase in rhythm.
Seth, dont you want your candy?
This is just a bad joke, Seth breathed.
Melanie, the voice sang, and I turned toward it.
Tell Seth to come get his candy.
The voice dropped to a growl.
What about you Casey?
Dont you want your Halloween treat?
Casey turned toward me her eyes wild and frantic.
I pushed her toward the trail and screamed for her to run.
We began sprinting toward the park, and the branches sliced against our faces this time with more force.
I felt a trickle of blood from above my eye, but I kept running.
Melanieeee, I heard the voice behind me, so close behind me.
My head began to spin, but I had to keep running.
I turned back toward the trail and whack.
My head hit the low branch, and I fell to the ground with an awful, heavy thud.
I heard something drop from above and hit the ground with substantial weight.
I tried to move, but my body had grown laden with the blow.
The static began to whisper away into blackness, and then, I began to sink into nothingness.
When I awoke, I was laying in the soft white sand.
I rubbed my fingers through the tiny granules, and my vision began to return in dark watercolors.
Casey was standing over me.
Her hands pressed softly on the sides of my face.
Oh my gosh, she cried, hot, wet tears against my skin.
You fell off the swing.
And I felt myself finally exhale a worried breath.
You hit your head, Seth appeared in my vision now.
He was walking nervously back and forth.
We called your mom.
I groaned and pushed myself off the ground.
The cold had wrapped around my body while I was unconscious, and I shivered against the wind.
I reached my hands into my pockets to pull out my gloves.
My right hand was met with the soft wool fabric, but my left hand only felt emptiness.
I lost a glove, I said to no one in particular.
I pulled myself to a standing position and looked around.
The glove was not there.
I turned away as the park lit up with the bright white of headlights.
My mom jumped out of the car and rushed toward me.
she said, her voice hissing again.
She fell off the swing, Casey said.
She hit her head pretty bad.
That night, my mom and I sat in the ER waiting room far past 10pm.
I didnt have a concussion, but I did get three stitches across my head.
They numbed my skin, but the needle still burned as it pierced my flesh.
My mom laughed, and we listened to the radio on the way home.
Melanie, I heard my mom seethe from the kitchen.
I tromped toward the room making sure my feet were audibly scraping against the laminate in my hesitation.
What have I told you about taking care of your belongings?
I just stared at her and blinked a few times.
Money doesnt grow on trees, she said.
A real mom cliche.
We cant just buy you new gloves every time you are careless, she continued.
She tossed the purple glove across the table to me.
The glove slid on the granite counter and slowed to stop near my hand.
I noticed it had specks of dried leaves attached to it.
Where did you find it?
In our mailbox, she replied.
I laid the glove in the palm of my hand, and I noticed there was something inside.
I waited for my mom to turn back to the sink and finish accosting me about my unconcern.
I slowly put my hand inside the glove and pulled out a crumpled piece of yellow, lined paper.
