I remember one Halloween, when I was about 10, my cousin, my sister, and I, ventured off a little farther into an older part of my cousin’s neighborhood. It was almost pitch black as no street lamps helped to guide us, nor was there a safe sidewalk to follow. I remember how much we loved the thrill of feeling fear on Halloween night, so going into a dark, unknown part of the neighborhood without an adult would do that. One particular home, an intimidating, white-columned, stately mansion, was lit by two, large carriage-style lanterns. We approached it, not really sure anyone was home, and rang the doorbell. To our surprise, a petite older woman, kind and soft spoken, welcomed us into her large foyer. It was the kind of foyer you would imagine a mansion might have, large with marble floors, a dramatic split staircase, and a chandelier that hung above. More importantly, she had two large bowls set on tables, filled to the brim with full-sized chocolate bars and full sized packs of Twizzlers. She asked us to take as many as we would like because we were the first and only kids who had come by and it was nearing the end of the night. Of course, being relatively humble kids, I remember only taking two pieces of candy each. She would have been happy with us taking them all, but we didn’t want to appear greedy and impolite. Silly us.
This piece is inspired by the unlikely surprise behind that mysterious home. I decided to push the scare factor here and add innocent looking trick-or-treaters to juxtapose the creepy landscape. A big Halloween treat awaits at the top of the stairs by its shadowy owner. Should you judge a house’s treats by its curb appeal? Where’s your sense of Halloween adventure?