If there was a time of the year six-year-old Joshua Washington loved the most, it was Halloween. He couldn't wait to haunt his neighborhood in his new bloody, Texan chainsaw massacre dungarees, and white hockey mask in the name of collecting candy. So the boy frowned when his seven-year-old sister Hannah, descended down the stairs in her shiny green dress with pink wings strapped to her back by elastic. It contradicted with the thick fake cobwebs and ghoulish decorations inside their hallway.
"Why are you dressed like that? Fairies aren't scary!" Josh exclaimed. Hannah pointed her sparkly pink wand with a star tip at her brother.
"Mom said I can be a fairy if I wanted!" She argued. "Besides, I can turn you into a frog!"
"Not if I chop you and your wand up with my chainsaw!" The boy thrust his small plastic prop at his sister and made revving noises. Hannah waved her wand to deflect her brother's assault.
"Mom! Josh is trying to kill me!"
"Hannah said she'll turn me into a frog!" He yelled after. However, it was Hannah's twin sister, Beth who appeared from upstairs and stepped down towards them in her black and purple witch's garb and a broomstick in one hand.
"Mom said if you two don't stop fighting, we won't go trick or treating at all," Beth crossed her arms and gave her best impression of their mother's stern expression. The warning promptly silenced the fairy and the axe murderer but not without Josh holding his mask up and sticking out his tongue. By the time their mother arrived and handed out an orange pumpkin bucket to each of her children, they waved their father goodbye and ventured into the dark neighborhood.
To the Washington children, it was like they stepped out to something out of the Amityville horror with paper ghosts plastered on people's windows. Glowing carved pumpkins guarded nearly every house porch, and many parents escorted other children dressed as supernatural beings.
When their mother let them approach each property, Josh, Hannah and Beth sprinted down the pathway and fought over who got to knock on the door or rang the doorbell. After they finally decided who got to make their arrival known, they waited until the residents open the door and pretended to be surprised when greeted with a shrill "trick or treat". The children watched the handfuls of colourful candy drop into their buckets before they thanked the strangers, and dashed back to their mother to start the process over again.
It wasn't until they'd been roaming the streets for at least an hour or so that the Washingtons stopped at one elaborately decorated house. Gravestones scattered the front yard and the gentle breeze made the papier-mâché ghosts swirl around the cobweb-streamed tree.
"Go on," their mother encouraged the trio. Josh, Hannah and Beth gave each other uneasy glances as they hesitantly held each other's hands and entered the spooky front yard.
They couldn't work out where all the owl hooting and ghostly wails came from; they never saw either one during the day when they walked past the house on their way to school. All three children stopped halfway on the garden path when they spotted a lone scarecrow sitting in a rocking chair, with a pumpkin bucket in their hands. They glanced at each other until Hannah finally piped up.
"I think Josh should go and get the candy." This prompted the axe murderer to scowl at the fairy.
"Why have I got to go? You two are older and faster than me!" He protested.
"It's because we're older that you have to go get it," Beth explained while Hannah shuffled behind her sister.
"But that's not fair! You two are twins!" Josh almost shrieked and pointed his plastic chainsaw at the pair.
"Just get the candy Josh," Beth crossed her arms, as Hannah stayed hidden. The axe murderer's frown remained when he looked to his mother for support.
"It's all right, just get the candy," she called although he assumed it was for all of her children rather than just himself. Josh looked back at the scarecrow guarding the porch and the bucket of confectionary. He wanted what was inside that bucket very much and if he succeeded in his conquest, he'd have more than Hannah and Beth put together. At that thought, a quiet determination burned inside of him as he turned to his sisters.
"Fine! I'll get the candy! I'm not scared!" Josh declared and marched towards the house. Beth and Hannah watched in anticipation as their brother bravely reached the porch.
Josh contemplated his strategy as he came face to face with the straw filled figure. Should he just take a handful and run or would a slower approach not disturb it? It didn't help that the toothy yet creepy smile challenged him to take some of its treats. Looking up and down the scarecrow, Josh was convinced it would come to life. It looked too real not to. Then his gaze locked onto his objective: the bucket of candy cradled in the figure's hands. He had to prove to Beth and Hannah he wasn't afraid. If the scarecrow moved, he could just hit it with his chainsaw and get away.
With his empty hand the boy slowly reached for the candy. When his hand was halfway inside, Josh closed his eyes. His heart pounded against his ribcage. He held his breath. Finally his fingers felt the smooth plastic wrappers. Without hesitation, he grabbed a handful of the treats and quickly dumped them into his own bucket. He didn't care if he got any he didn't like, Josh turned to his sisters with a triumphant smile on his face.
"See? I'm not scared!" He shouted. However instead of admiring his bravery, Beth and Hannah screamed and ran in the opposite direction. Josh was confused about their reaction until he heard a cackle beside him. The boy snapped his head to the looming scarecrow with raised arms. Josh erupted a terrified shriek and bolted down the stairs and across the front yard.
He didn't dare himself to look back at his pursuer; he just had to get back to his mother. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his breathing heaved as he ran as fast as he could. Josh could already see Hannah and Beth cling onto their mother's trouser legs. When he finally burst through the gate, he grabbed onto what little space his sisters didn't occupy. Mrs. Washington consoled all three sobbing children while stifling her amusement. Several minutes later passed before she managed to prize hem off her legs and clamped her hands around theirs.
"Come on you three, lets go home and show your father how much candy you've bought," she smiled and lead the children away from the house. Joshua took one last glance at the scarecrow that sat motionless in the rocking chair. He stuck his tongue out in retaliation. At least he got the candy from the scarecrow.