Fair Warning: This is in first person and the main character is just me if I was in this situation and I am an oblivious person. Itās a miracle Iām not dead already.
Halloween. Itās probably my favorite day of the year.
I always love seeing the creativity of all of the costumes and listening to the shrieks of glee as the kids run from house to house.
Unfortunately, I donāt get a whole lot of visitors due to a combination of living out on the edge of nowhere and the weird rumors. (Iām different and thatās okay. The neighbors just love to hold tight to their stereotypes)
But I love the visitors I do get. Theyāre mostly teenagers, too, so it makes me feel good to show them some love. (And they really appreciate full-sized candy bars)
The first few years they began showing up, I donāt think they were up to any goodā¦
A pot crashed on the front porch.
I sighed and shook my head with a small smile on my lips, grabbing the bowl of candies.
I opened the door and looked around, spying someone in a very realistic werewolf costume ducked down below the side of the porch.
āHello,ā I called. āHappy Halloween.ā
I looked down at the pot by his feet, obviously knocked off the railing above, and smiled comfortingly.
āAt least it was an empty one.ā Silence. āThatās a fantastic costume. Did you make it yourself?ā
He blinked, his yellow contacts flashing in the darkness.
āYou could say that.ā
I chuckled and knelt closer, holding the bowl out.
āWould you like some candy?ā
He eyed the bowl and glanced back up sheepishly.
āDo you have anything besides chocolate?ā
I turned the bowl around so the side with all the gummies was facing him.
He snatched a bag with a clawed hand and ran off, a āthank youā shouted over his shoulder.
I woke up the next morning to find a new pot with colored glass inlaid in the clay in front of the door and the broken pot swept and put in a box for recycling.
The next year, he came right up to the door. I had a bag full of gummies waiting for him, which made him smile so big he showed off his fangs. (I really am going to have to ask him where he got those. Theyāre just so realistic)
When I was getting ready for bed, though, I heard some scratching and thumping from outside.
After I put on my robe and slippers, I picked up the candy bowl and opened the front door to find two people climbing the side of my house.
I couldnāt see any equipment, so they mustāve been on the gymnastics team, but I didnāt know that it was possible to climb plastic siding.
When I stepped out, they both froze like Iād caught them both with their hands in the cookie jar⦠That is, if the cookie jar was twenty feet in the air.
āIs there something I can help you with?ā
The boy looked up at the girl who just shook her head minutely.
I barely kept from rolling my eyes. They were either there to rob me or trying to pull some sort of prank and I was not having it.
āHow about you two hop on down here, take some candy, and go on home?ā I frowned, realizing how late it was. āDo your parents know youāre out right now?ā
āNo, maāam.ā The boy let go of whatever he was hanging onto and landed in a crouch in front of me, his friend following smoothly.
I blinked twice at the smell. They must have had pockets full of pennies, because they reeked of copper. I wondered what kind of prank they were pulling with thatā¦
Both teenagers took candy bars and left, whispering between themselves the whole way down the road.
I really couldnāt figure out what equipment they used to get up there, though.
I didnāt see anything, but there were claw marks on the side of my house the next morning.
The third year, I actually had some little kids. Three of them, and they even knocked on the door!
āHello!ā I ignored the fact that they werenāt in costume except for their black contact lenses.
āHello, miss,ā said the first in a monotone voice.
āWeāre lost,ā continued the second.
āMay we come in and use your phone?ā the third finished, smiling entirely too sweetly.
I laughed. Oh, these kids were good.
āHow about I just give you some candy as a treat, that way you donāt have to trick me?ā
They shared a silent, blank-faced conversation. The eldest turned back to me, squinting with a serious expression.
āThat would be acceptable.ā
The trio filled their pockets (I hope their parents forgave me for the inevitable sugar high) and scampered off down the road.
Ever since then, every year, Iāve gotten more and more visitors.
The ages range from elementary students to college-aged, and the costumes vary even more.
Iāve had everything from fairies to werewolves. (I had a gorgon came by last year)
On the occasion some kids come trying to cause trouble, Iāve caught the others confronting them in the woods behind the house. They never turn them away, but they make sure that everyone knows that this is a safe place.
Since that started happening, kids have been coming all year āround (still in their costumes) and theyāve just been getting weirder and weirder.
But even the weird theater kids need a place to hang out sometimes.
I canāt wait to see what new costumes show up tonight.
Iām thinking about making a big roast and inviting everyone in for dinner.
Some of those kids look so hungry every time I see themā¦