"CARE FOR A SCARE?"

I was fortunate enough to be chosen to read my Halloween story at the Writers of One Flight Up Flights of Fantasy event in Mount Dora. Being a fledgeling writer, it was a nerve-wracking experience. Once I sat in the chair and faced the microphone, all worries faded away and I simply began to read. I am lost to the magic of writing and am looking forward with great excitement to the next contest, the next reading, the next short story, the first, second and third novels. My heartfelt thanks to the Writers at One Flight Up. Here is my story:

CARE FOR A SCARE?

BY

LISA RAST

I sat on the front porch with my arms wrapped around a big orange bowl filled with candy. It was that magical time between day and night when the sun and moon waved howdy to each other as one checked out and one checked in. October is my favorite time of year and I live for Halloween. The days may still be warm but the mugginess is creeping away, no more mold or mildew or pesky insects. The front walk all the way up to the porch glowed from the tea lights flickering inside orange paper sacks. I admired them warily – they were lovely and dangerous. Next to me a big ole jack-o-lantern rested on the worn wooden planks of the porch floor, watching the world with a crooked smile.

I stared at the walk, waiting for the first of the trick-or-treaters to come, begging for candy, or perhaps those awful teenagers who threw eggs at me last year. They had gotten egg on my favorite flannel shirt, a faint orange-yellow stain still apparent if you knew where to look for it. A very large lizard perched on the arm of the rocking chair next to mine and munched one-half of a love bug. The other half scurried in circles looking for its mate, or perhaps waiting its turn to be eaten.

“Mighty fine night,” I said to the lizard.

The lizard said nothing, just cocked its head at me as it continued to chew. The corner of a tiny black wing protruded from its mouth.

I checked the sidewalk again; I thought I could hear the distant laughter of children. Somewhere nearby a dog barked. The night grew darker; the lights along the walkway grew brighter. The gloaming was giving way to night. The darkness brought the promise of enchantment.

“Here come the bloody brats,” said the lizard. He had finished course one of his supper. He snatched the other half of the love bug and scampered up the wall, out of reach of juvenile hands.

Oh, she was adorable! The first trick-or-treater climbed the porch steps and gingerly lowered a tiny hand into my bowl. “Twickertweet,” she said softly. Wide blue eyes peered at me from behind a ladybug mask. She was dressed in red and black and when she turned to run down the steps her wings flew out behind her.

Ladybug was followed by a parade of ghosts, goblins, princesses, pirates, superheroes, and witches. Parents pulled very little ones in Radio Flyer wagons. One fat little dinosaur, heavy with candy, wobbled and nearly toppled over. A little Elvis hopped onto the porch and began twirling in circles, chopping his little hands and yelling “I know karate!” Elvis spotted Lizard and made a valiant effort to claim his tail. Lizard cursed and disappeared through a crack in the porch floor.

The moon climbed higher and the steady stream of children grew thinner and finally dried out altogether. It was very dark now, and most of the candles in their paper sacks had burned down to their wicks and perished in a tiny puff of smoke. The moon was very high. A harvest moon, the color of the egg stain on my shirt.

The jack-o-lantern that glowed brightly all evening suddenly dimmed. “Look out,” said Jack-O-Lantern, “here come those egg-throwin’ hoodlums.” Jack-O-Lantern’s light blew out with a whoosh.

I braced myself. Four teenagers in dark clothes laughed softly and inched up the walkway. They hadn’t bothered to wear costumes – what a disgrace! I sat very still in the dark and waited.

“If there’s any candy left let’s just take the whole bowl.” I heard one of them say. Another said something that I couldn’t make out and they all laughed. One by one they ascended the steps and gathered at the end of the porch. Now silent, they came closer.

“AAAAHHHHHH!” I jumped up and threw the bowl at them, waving my arms in what I hoped was a menacing way. Pieces of candy and bits of straw flew through the air. Those troublemakers screamed and bolted, the four of them merging into one dark lump of frightened teenager.

“Good job, Scarecrow,” said Lizard, now back on the arm of the chair. “Look what you did!” I glanced at

Jack-O-Lantern, who had laughed so hard he’d fallen over and split clean down the middle.

I was thankful Jack-O-Lantern’s candle had gone out, the last thing I needed was to catch fire. My stuffing was very dry and my clothes were very old. I sat back down in my chair and once again felt the joy of this time of year. I couldn’t stop grinning if I wanted to. Tomorrow I would be sent back to the attic to await another year, but tonight I had Halloween.

* * * * *