I just felt like writing a piece for this movie because my friend Abri and the movie itself inspired me. This was also going to be a Halloween piece, but I didn't have time to finish it til now so I guess you can call it a late Halloween gift from me.

This place didn't always suck. This place didn't always make me want to lock myself away and think of how fly it would be to live in New York. To be away from the sickly smell of the salty sea, my obnoxious family, and this boring ass town.

I actually liked it here when I was younger. Back when I was naïve and childish. When I was about David's age, this felt like a home. Now it feels like a timeless tomb. A dirty, boring, tomb. This place isn't home anymore. It's just a big house with nothing to do.

"Can't find any cause it aint time for 'em."

I like to close my eyes and remember, though. I like to remember when this place felt like home. I like to remember back when mom was happy with dad. When he was still here. Back when old Mrs. Johnson use to tell me old stories and always had a whimsical smile. Back when my Aunt Laura was still alive and Uncle Roger wasn't as obvious in his schemes. And back when Willie wasn't always drunk and pretty cool to hang around.

I like to close my eyes and remember back then. Especially on those nights I'm… Not myself. I like to look out the window down at the growing Pumpkin patch and can see my younger years call to me.

"What are ya doin trompin around in the pumpkins?" Carolyn looked up slowly, She didn't have to look too far up for he wasn't the tallest adult around. But he was almost the scariest. He was strong for an adult and he sometimes said bad words and growled when he worked. But he was the nicer one, even when he was scary.

Carolyn gave a sheepish smile. "I wanted to look at the pumpkins… I can't find any though," she huffed, looking down at the ground. Around August she usually found pumpkins. Her daddy and her always picked out one together and they'd carve it out and make funny faces or even turn some into pies and treats with mama.

The not so tall man snorted. It wasn't a mean snort like a scoff. It was more like he was laughing. And… He was. Kinda. It was a chuckle, like when she would say something serious and daddy would do the same thing. His wasn't as deep and growly gutty sounding.

"Can't find any cause it aint time for 'em," he said, reaching down and plucking her from the muddy ground. He moved her like she weighed nothing. Daddy always commented about how she was always growing and feeling heavier. But he moved her like she didn't weigh a thing. Maybe he was stronger than daddy?

Carolyn looked up at him as her feet touched the ground. She found herself really looking at the man. He was always scruffy looking. Like the sailors mommy would talk to in town. Only he didn't smell like them. He smelled like wood, dirt, and fire instead of stinky fish. Carolyn hated fish.

"But it's almost Halloween! They gotta grow by Halloween… Can't you make them grow faster, Willie?" she asked, confused. Willie raised a bushy brow, his very blue eyes almost a twinkle with amusement dulled by a veil of gruffness that Carolyn couldn't quite understand. "Don't work like that. Gotta grow on their own. Can't make you or me grow bigger just like that, can we? Give 'em time," he explained.

That was something she liked about the gruff man. He explained things. Even when he was annoyed or smelled like that stuff Uncle Roger liked to drink, he would explain things to her. It was nice. She liked learning things. And she liked when adults didn't push her away like she was an annoying baby toy… She wasn't a baby! She was six! Almost seven!

Carolyn looked at the empty pumpkin patch. "So pumpkins are like people?" she asked, tilting her head. Willie shrugged simply, scratching at his neck. "Kinda. They grow, we grow. They die, we die. They need food and water, we need food an water. All kinda the same," he tried, and Carolyn wrinkled her little nose, trying to understand. She kind of did.

Willie bent down and picked up his shovel he had dropped while picking her up as her mother came outside, calling her over. It was always around her mama that Willie became his really grumpy and growly self. He would watch her but would act like he was working. Carolyn knew he was watching her cause she was good at spying and she spied on everyone even though daddy said it isn't nice.

Willie waved her on to her mother as he threw the shovel over his shoulder and grumbled bad words and made for the tool shed. Carolyn tilted her head before a call from her mother motioned her over and she found herself forgetting about the grumpy handyman.

Sometimes when I find myself remembering those times. I liked the pumpkin garden. I learned a lot while following everyone around. But Willie I learned the most from. He use to be the nice one. The adult that always seemed ready to be there for her.

But I grew up. And things changed. And so did Willie and everyone else. He wasn't the nice handyman. Now he was the drunk who passed out in the pumpkin garden.

"Carolyn! Come down. It's time to eat."

Another roast night. Another boring day in this boring house.

R & R