Sheila's Dribs 'n Drabs

Three witches, a headless horseman, and a ghost went into a bar. “I’ll have a scotch,” said the horseman. “Make it a double,” said a witch. The other two intoned “Ah, toil and trouble.” The ghost said spirits weren’t quite his thing. Come closing time three author’s shades went home.

D’you smell the wet earth loamy, Taste the leaf-fall in the air? D’you hear the owl-call, nightfall’s host While squirrel’s strident chatter shares Its mystery? Do you see the dark? Your fingers splay in hopes to touch the day? D’you sense him now? You really shouldn’t have come here anyway.

The orange pumpkin seems to glow, hanging with bright plastic handles from little boy’s hand. He feeds it candy— begs at all the houses—“Trick or treat”—hoping for more. Brighter and brighter shines the light in orange pumpkin’s eyes, till sudden roar. Pumpkin gobbles child. Child begs no more.

“Trick’r treat,” shouted Mom. The spaceman hid behind the table. “Come on sweetheart. Trick’r treat.” Sad eyes gazed up through helmet’s bowl. “Time to go.” He stared with corners of mouth turned down. “Trick’r treat.” The trick is to stay very still. The treat is when monsters don’t eat you.

“Trick’r treat!” He heard the children’s voices down the lane. “Trick’r treat!” He struggled out of bed. “Trick’r treat!” The gravestone’s weight pushed him to earth again. “Trick’r treat!” He crawled around the other way instead. “Trick’r treat!” He hurried home. “Trick’r treat!” Contentedly he gave his dog a bone.

Janet checked the time. “They’ll be here soon.” Jared checked the candy-bag. Jessie checked their costumes were all on straight. “D’you think they’ll notice we’re invisible?” asked Joe, adjusting bone-white gloves to cover his wrists-bones. “No way,” said Jason, tugging a black balaclava over his skull. “They just want candy.”

“Trick or treat!” Three children waited at the door, a witch with black pointed hat, a wizard, an angel, and a scorpion. “Trick or treat!” The woman who answered wore black, dusty veils over her face, blood dripping from her teeth. The children screamed and ran. The scorpion ate her.