Paying the Consequences - Halloween Bash
I found this story that I wrote back in 2006. I don't think I ever finished it, but it's still cute. Have you seen this, Tracy?
"Trick or treat!" three small children yelled, shoving their orange bags out through the threshold.
Kyle dropped Snickers and Butterfingers into their bags. "Happy Halloween," he grumbled, and then shut the door behind them.
"Kyle..." he heard his sister say from behind him. "Can't you be a little happier for the kids at least?"
"No." Kyle locked the door and set the bowl of candy on the coffee table. "I'm not the who signed up for this candy thing anyway."
"I know, I know..." Nicki said, plucking a Butterfingers from the bowl and flopping down on her white couch. "But you've got nothing better to do, so you might as well put on a happy face for a few seconds. Besides..." She reached over the armrest and pulled up a white sheet. "I got you a costume."
"What is it?" he asked, just as the doorbell rang again.
"TRICK OR TREAT!"
"What the hell is it with kids coming before it's dark now days?" Kyle complained as he grabbed the bowl and walked back to the door. "Remember when we were kids? We didn't even start getting dressed till it was dark."
"Yeah, yeah," Nicki mumbled, throwing the sheet on the table and unwrapping the candy. "Just answer the door."
*****
On the other side of the river, Justin locked his doors, checking once more through the peephole. "All the crazies are out tonight," he muttered, turning around to find himself face to face with Adelyn.
"What are you doing?" she asked, slipping her hand inside of his and leading him away from the door. "You know that the kids from building are coming around trick or treating tonight, don't you?"
"Yeah, kids, they say," Justin said as he looked back at his secured door. "This is downtown Minneapolis, Adelyn, you never know what kind of weirdos might sneak in."
"I think you're gonna be able to tell the difference between an ax murderer and a five year old dressed up as spiderman."
"You always take things so lightly!" he exclaimed.
Adelyn was just about to push him to the couch when her cell phone rang. "Hang on a minute," she said, dropping his hand and reaching to answer the phone.
*****
Officer Blake Pertel fumbled with his cell phone, almost dropping it when he heard his partner's voice on the line. "Brady," he said, once he had it firmly in his grasp. "Something weird is going on here."
"Where's here?" Adelyn's voice came through the phone.
"I'm at my apartment," Blake said as he peered out his window. The sun was just going down, and there were already plenty of families out in costumes. "I just have a bad feeling about tonight. Like something horrible is going to happen."
"Oh, please. You're letting your imagination get the best of you. It's Halloween. That means kids and candy, Pertel. Nothing else."
Blake didn't say anything. He just stared at the kids as they walked past his window.
"You and Justin are the same. He's freaked out about some murderers getting into the building or something. Whoever said that men are the strong sex clearly hadn't met either of you."
Blake scrunched up his nose. Whenever he was compared to Adelyn's stupid boyfriend his stomach turned. Especially when it was Adelyn herself who was doing the comparing. "Whatever," he said, brushing her comments off. "I just have a really bad feeling..."
"Trick or treat!" three small children yelled, shoving their orange bags out through the threshold.
Kyle dropped Snickers and Butterfingers into their bags. "Happy Halloween," he grumbled, and then shut the door behind them.
"Kyle..." he heard his sister say from behind him. "Can't you be a little happier for the kids at least?"
"No." Kyle locked the door and set the bowl of candy on the coffee table. "I'm not the who signed up for this candy thing anyway."
"I know, I know..." Nicki said, plucking a Butterfingers from the bowl and flopping down on her white couch. "But you've got nothing better to do, so you might as well put on a happy face for a few seconds. Besides..." She reached over the armrest and pulled up a white sheet. "I got you a costume."
"What is it?" he asked, just as the doorbell rang again.
"TRICK OR TREAT!"
"What the hell is it with kids coming before it's dark now days?" Kyle complained as he grabbed the bowl and walked back to the door. "Remember when we were kids? We didn't even start getting dressed till it was dark."
"Yeah, yeah," Nicki mumbled, throwing the sheet on the table and unwrapping the candy. "Just answer the door."
*****
On the other side of the river, Justin locked his doors, checking once more through the peephole. "All the crazies are out tonight," he muttered, turning around to find himself face to face with Adelyn.
"What are you doing?" she asked, slipping her hand inside of his and leading him away from the door. "You know that the kids from building are coming around trick or treating tonight, don't you?"
"Yeah, kids, they say," Justin said as he looked back at his secured door. "This is downtown Minneapolis, Adelyn, you never know what kind of weirdos might sneak in."
"I think you're gonna be able to tell the difference between an ax murderer and a five year old dressed up as spiderman."
"You always take things so lightly!" he exclaimed.
Adelyn was just about to push him to the couch when her cell phone rang. "Hang on a minute," she said, dropping his hand and reaching to answer the phone.
*****
Officer Blake Pertel fumbled with his cell phone, almost dropping it when he heard his partner's voice on the line. "Brady," he said, once he had it firmly in his grasp. "Something weird is going on here."
"Where's here?" Adelyn's voice came through the phone.
"I'm at my apartment," Blake said as he peered out his window. The sun was just going down, and there were already plenty of families out in costumes. "I just have a bad feeling about tonight. Like something horrible is going to happen."
"Oh, please. You're letting your imagination get the best of you. It's Halloween. That means kids and candy, Pertel. Nothing else."
Blake didn't say anything. He just stared at the kids as they walked past his window.
"You and Justin are the same. He's freaked out about some murderers getting into the building or something. Whoever said that men are the strong sex clearly hadn't met either of you."
Blake scrunched up his nose. Whenever he was compared to Adelyn's stupid boyfriend his stomach turned. Especially when it was Adelyn herself who was doing the comparing. "Whatever," he said, brushing her comments off. "I just have a really bad feeling..."