Author's Note: This was a timely little story idea that came to me randomly today. I had intended it to be a one-shot, but since I haven't even gotten to the scene that made me want to do this, it's safe to say there's more coming!
"There we are. Perfect," Daphne said as she finished the vampire makeup on her four-year-old son. She'd expected David to want to dress as a cartoon character, or perhaps someone from Sesame Street, but when David saw the Dracula cape in a Halloween store, he'd begged her to buy it. Luckily, that same store also sold a makeup kit, and even a set of fake teeth, so that David would have the all-important fangs to suck out victims' blood.
"Yay, can we go get some candy now?!" David asked, impatiently jumping up and down. Daphne could hardly believe he was this excited, before the sugar rush set in.
"I think so," Daphne replied. David held a plastic pumpkin, which would no doubt soon be filled with candy from their neighbors in the Montana. Daphne took David by the hand, and they walked onto the elevator together. While they waited for the doors to close, an elderly woman also entered the elevator.
"Oh, what a nice Dracula costume," the woman remarked, seeing David.
In response, David bared his fangs and hissed at her.
"David!" Daphne scolded. "I'm so sorry. Me son is just a bit too excited about Halloween." Daphne smiled apologetically at the woman.
The woman shrugged. "He's a kid. He's allowed to be excited. Believe me, he'll grow out of this fast."
The words took Daphne by surprise. But she knew they were true. He'd gone from baby to toddler to near-kindergartener seemingly in the blink of an eye. How long would it be before David wanted to go trick-or-treating with his friends rather than his mom?
"Mom? Aren't we supposed to get off here?" David asked when they'd reached the next floor.
"Oh, right. Of course," Daphne said, her mind suddenly returning to the present. They got off the elevator, and David nearly pulled Daphne to the first apartment door. The neighbors were duly impressed with David's costume. Several people even commented on it as they handed David his candy. Daphne was grateful for the fact that David could trick-or-treat right here in their apartment building, without even having to go outside. Unfortunately, Seattle was having its usual rainy weather.
When they'd stopped at almost all of the apartments in their building, Daphne walked David back to the elevator so that they could go home. She'd barely kept up with her son, and she was glad it was all over.
David was shocked when he saw his mom press the button for their floor. He didn't want to go home yet. "Mommy, I'm not done trick-or-treating!" he exclaimed.
"Your pumpkin is nearly full. You've got enough candy there to last you till next Halloween," Daphne said. "Your dad's going to be home soon."
"But Grandpa hasn't seen my costume yet!" David whined.
Daphne was about to put her foot down. Driving to her father-in-law's was about the last thing she wanted to do right now. But the elderly woman's words echoed in her mind. David would only be young for a very short time. "All right," she finally said with a sigh. "But we're not staying long!"