Doug Lewars's Blog - Posts Tagged "magic"
Halloween Story - You Never Can Tell
You Never Can Tell - by Doug Lewars - Copyright 2017
“Where’s the cereal bars?!” called out Ellen Sharpe, “Oh right. They’re on the table. Okay, John, now don’t take Jim and Betty far. The weather forecast said there might be rain and I don’t want the kids soaked when they come home. It’s chilly and they might come down with something.”
John was Ellen’s husband. Jim and Betty were their two children aged nine and eleven respectively.
“We don’t need Dad to come with us,” protested Betty, “We’re old enough to go by ourselves. There’s a bunch of kids on the street. We can go with them.”
“Don’t be silly,” replied Ellen, “It’s dangerous out there. You never know who might be around. There are some people who take advantage of Halloween to … well, never mind. It’s just too dangerous.”
“But we’re not little kids anymore.”
“You’ll go with your father or you won’t go at all!” When Ellen raised her voice several decibels and the better part of an octave Betty knew that there was no reasoning with her and that she and her brother would have to go trick or treating with their father tagging along – just like the five-year-olds.
“Now,” continued Ellen, “Just around the block. I don’t want you going any farther.”
“But,” protested Jim, “we won’t get much candy if we just go round our block.”
“Candy’s not healthy for you so it doesn’t matter,” shot back Ellen.
Betty sighed, “Let’s go Jim. It doesn’t matter. She’ll pick it over anyway.”
Ellen looked up sharply, “Of course I’ll pick it over. It’s not safe you know. And I don’t want any candy eaten while you’re out there! John, you watch them for that! Sugar is not healthy. You mustn’t eat much of it. I’m your mother and I’ll decide what you will and will not eat.”
“Now John, don’t go to the house on the corner. The people who live there are … well, I’m not sure they’re clean. The kids might pick up something there. Be careful. Watch for the cars. Don’t cross the street. Don’t let the kids go into any houses. In fact, I don’t want you to just wait on the road. Go up to the door with them. You never can tell.”
The three left and Ellen hurried into the kitchen to start the dishwasher. Halloween, she thought, was such a pain. She’d had to hurry home from work and the traffic was murder. Not only that but she’d left a report half-finished and she knew she’d be hard pressed to have it perfected and ready by the eleven-thirty meeting with the client. For one second she flirted with the idea of pushing the meeting back by a day but then cancelled the thought. If she did that she’d be unable to stay on top of the three projects with which she was involved. Supper had been rushed – she’d been almost tempted to get take-out but the quality of the food – well you never knew what might be in it and the grease alone was enough to cause a heart attack. There was the sound of the doorbell ringing. Hurrying from the kitchen she grabbed up a handful of treats – wholesome and nutritious every one – and distributed them to the two ghosts, the fairy princess and the batman one of whose bat ears had fallen off.
So it went. Children came and children went. Ellen smiled sweetly and oohed and awed over every costume. Will this charade never end she wondered to herself but maintained her cheeriest disposition at the door.
Two hours later it was over. John and the kids were home. Their bags of candy had been confiscated to be reviewed and the unacceptable treats removed. Jim was in bed and his sister was just finishing her homework. Why, oh why, Ellen thought, would any teacher be so stupid as to assign homework on Halloween but there it was and it had to be completed. John was downstairs watching television. Ellen had just about finished the lunches for tomorrow when the doorbell rang.
What sort of halfwit kid would be trick or treating at such a late hour wondered Ellen but she hurried to the door and opened it. There stood a little witch - black cape, pointed hat, the works. She was no more than five years old – possibly less thought Ellen. What sort of parents would allow their child to be out so late? She looked to the street and was horrified to realize that the child was alone. There were no parents or anyone else that she could see.
“Where’s your Mommy or Daddy?” asked Ellen using the syrupy voice she thought that young children liked. The child merely held open her bag for treats.
“Isn’t your Mommy and Daddy with you?” Ellen could see they were not. Clearly she’d have to notify the police and get them to contact Children’s Aid. “Well you just come inside and I’ll give you candy.”
The child took a step backwards and held up her wand as if it would protect her.
“Come on in little girl. You don’t want to be out there on such a cold dark night. I can give you candy and then we can get your Mommy and Daddy to come and give you a nice drive home.”
The child took another step backwards.
Ellen’s patience snapped. “Look. You get into this house right now! I can’t have you walking around outside by yourself. There are dangerous men – I mean people – who hurt little girls. Now, no more of this nonsense. You get in here!”
She hurried down the steps to grab the child. It was totally unacceptable that someone so young should be out by herself after dark – or any other time for that matter.
The girl was gone – not actually vanished – just two doors down the street and running as fast as she could go. Ellen watched her growing smaller in the distance. Oh well, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if Ellen didn’t have better things to do with her time than worry about some small girl. Turning away from the light that came from the door that remained open behind her, she began hopping along the walkway. One never knew when one might come across a tasty insect to eat.
“Where’s the cereal bars?!” called out Ellen Sharpe, “Oh right. They’re on the table. Okay, John, now don’t take Jim and Betty far. The weather forecast said there might be rain and I don’t want the kids soaked when they come home. It’s chilly and they might come down with something.”
John was Ellen’s husband. Jim and Betty were their two children aged nine and eleven respectively.
“We don’t need Dad to come with us,” protested Betty, “We’re old enough to go by ourselves. There’s a bunch of kids on the street. We can go with them.”
“Don’t be silly,” replied Ellen, “It’s dangerous out there. You never know who might be around. There are some people who take advantage of Halloween to … well, never mind. It’s just too dangerous.”
“But we’re not little kids anymore.”
“You’ll go with your father or you won’t go at all!” When Ellen raised her voice several decibels and the better part of an octave Betty knew that there was no reasoning with her and that she and her brother would have to go trick or treating with their father tagging along – just like the five-year-olds.
“Now,” continued Ellen, “Just around the block. I don’t want you going any farther.”
“But,” protested Jim, “we won’t get much candy if we just go round our block.”
“Candy’s not healthy for you so it doesn’t matter,” shot back Ellen.
Betty sighed, “Let’s go Jim. It doesn’t matter. She’ll pick it over anyway.”
Ellen looked up sharply, “Of course I’ll pick it over. It’s not safe you know. And I don’t want any candy eaten while you’re out there! John, you watch them for that! Sugar is not healthy. You mustn’t eat much of it. I’m your mother and I’ll decide what you will and will not eat.”
“Now John, don’t go to the house on the corner. The people who live there are … well, I’m not sure they’re clean. The kids might pick up something there. Be careful. Watch for the cars. Don’t cross the street. Don’t let the kids go into any houses. In fact, I don’t want you to just wait on the road. Go up to the door with them. You never can tell.”
The three left and Ellen hurried into the kitchen to start the dishwasher. Halloween, she thought, was such a pain. She’d had to hurry home from work and the traffic was murder. Not only that but she’d left a report half-finished and she knew she’d be hard pressed to have it perfected and ready by the eleven-thirty meeting with the client. For one second she flirted with the idea of pushing the meeting back by a day but then cancelled the thought. If she did that she’d be unable to stay on top of the three projects with which she was involved. Supper had been rushed – she’d been almost tempted to get take-out but the quality of the food – well you never knew what might be in it and the grease alone was enough to cause a heart attack. There was the sound of the doorbell ringing. Hurrying from the kitchen she grabbed up a handful of treats – wholesome and nutritious every one – and distributed them to the two ghosts, the fairy princess and the batman one of whose bat ears had fallen off.
So it went. Children came and children went. Ellen smiled sweetly and oohed and awed over every costume. Will this charade never end she wondered to herself but maintained her cheeriest disposition at the door.
Two hours later it was over. John and the kids were home. Their bags of candy had been confiscated to be reviewed and the unacceptable treats removed. Jim was in bed and his sister was just finishing her homework. Why, oh why, Ellen thought, would any teacher be so stupid as to assign homework on Halloween but there it was and it had to be completed. John was downstairs watching television. Ellen had just about finished the lunches for tomorrow when the doorbell rang.
What sort of halfwit kid would be trick or treating at such a late hour wondered Ellen but she hurried to the door and opened it. There stood a little witch - black cape, pointed hat, the works. She was no more than five years old – possibly less thought Ellen. What sort of parents would allow their child to be out so late? She looked to the street and was horrified to realize that the child was alone. There were no parents or anyone else that she could see.
“Where’s your Mommy or Daddy?” asked Ellen using the syrupy voice she thought that young children liked. The child merely held open her bag for treats.
“Isn’t your Mommy and Daddy with you?” Ellen could see they were not. Clearly she’d have to notify the police and get them to contact Children’s Aid. “Well you just come inside and I’ll give you candy.”
The child took a step backwards and held up her wand as if it would protect her.
“Come on in little girl. You don’t want to be out there on such a cold dark night. I can give you candy and then we can get your Mommy and Daddy to come and give you a nice drive home.”
The child took another step backwards.
Ellen’s patience snapped. “Look. You get into this house right now! I can’t have you walking around outside by yourself. There are dangerous men – I mean people – who hurt little girls. Now, no more of this nonsense. You get in here!”
She hurried down the steps to grab the child. It was totally unacceptable that someone so young should be out by herself after dark – or any other time for that matter.
The girl was gone – not actually vanished – just two doors down the street and running as fast as she could go. Ellen watched her growing smaller in the distance. Oh well, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if Ellen didn’t have better things to do with her time than worry about some small girl. Turning away from the light that came from the door that remained open behind her, she began hopping along the walkway. One never knew when one might come across a tasty insect to eat.
