Sugar 'n Spice 'n... (Shock Suspenstories #6, Dec/Jan 1953)

They were out there again. The kids from down the block, Johnny and Margaret. I could hear their childish high-pitched voices squealing. I peered through the curtains at them. Johnny was the older of the two, about ten or eleven. Margie, his younger sister, was no more than eight. The brightly-colored ball they had been playing catch with bounced out of the little girl's hands and leaped over the picket fence into my front yard.

JOHNNY: "Catch it, Margie! Catch it! Oh...!"

MARGARET: "It...it went into her garden! Golly!"

I am an old woman. Children always seem to be frightened of old women. Margie and Johnny were especially frightened of me. They called me the 'old crab'! I guess it's because I was always chasing them from in front of my house.

MARGARET: "What'll we do?"

JOHNNY: "We've got to get it! It's out new ball! Mommy will be angry will us if we lose it!"

The boy looked around, staring at the house. I stepped back from the curtained window so he wouldn't see me watching him. He tiptoed toward the gate and tripped the latch. It swung open, squeaking on its rusty hinges.

MARGARET: "Shhhh! She'll hear you!"

JOHNNY: "Maybe...maybe she's not home."

Johnny waited a moment, studying the house for a sign of life. I stepped further back into the shadows. He started to tiptoe up the walk.

JOHNNY: "You keep your eye out for her, Margie!"

MARGARET: "Hurry, Johnny! Hurry!"

They were so cute. I wanted to eat them up. Johnny crept toward the ball. I went to the front door and, as his tiny, little, pudgy fingers closed around the brightly-colored sphere, flung it open.

OLD WOMAN: "So!"

JOHNNY: "...*gulp*...!"

MARGARET: "Johnny! It's her!"

I stepped out onto the porch, putting on my very angriest look. I could see his wide eyes filling with tears. My gruff voice even surprised me.

OLD WOMAN: "What are you going in my garden?!"

JOHNNY: "M-M-My ball! I...I...!"

MARGARET: "Run, Johnny! Run!"

I started down the steps slowly. For a moment, Johnny stood frozen in fear. Margie started to cry. She sobbed out another warning.

MARGARET: "Run, Johnny! *sob*...*sob*...RUN!"

Johnny took a fleeting lock at his precious rubber ball and darted out of the yard.

OLD WOMAN: "And don't you ever come in here again! Next time, I'lll...!"

JOHNNY: "Y'old crab!"

MARGARET: "Nyaaa! Sour puss!"

I had to turn away from them so they wouldn't see me smiling. They certainly had spirit, those two. I like kids with spirit. I bent and picked up their ball. They stopped running and watched.

MARGARET: "Hey! You give us back out ball or we'll tell our daddy!"

OLD WOMAN: "Here. Come and get it."

Johnny's face turned white. Margie hid behind him. They contemplated my offer.

MARGARET: "Uh-uh! You throw it to us!"

JOHNNY: "Yeah, throw it!"

OLD WOMAN: "Alright, if you don't want it..."

I turned toward the porch, carrying the ball. I watched them out of the corner of my eye. They were whispering together.

JOHNNY: "She's taking it inside with her."

MARGARET: "Mommy told us not to play in front of her house. She'll say it served us right!"

I climbed the steps slowly, giving them time to make up their minds.

JOHNNY: "Ain't...ain't yuh gonna give us our ball back?"

OLD WOMAN: "Come and get it, if you want it."

Johnny shuffled across the street hesitantly. Margie stood silently, biting her fingernails.

OLD WOMAN: "BOTH of you!"

JOHNNY: "Come on,...*gulp*...Margie."

MARGARET: "No! I'm...I'm scared of her!"

Johnny begged Margie to come with him, but she refused. Finally, she fled down the street, crying.

MARGARET: "NO! *sob* NO, I'M...*sob*...SCARED!"

JOHNNY: "Margie, wait!"

Johnny started after her. He had completely forgotten about the ball. I tossed it at him and called...

OLD WOMAN: "Here! Here's your old ball! Now, stay out of my yard! In fact, stay away from in front of my house!"

JOHNNY: "...*gulp*...!"

Johnny caught the ball and scampered away after his sister.

JOHNNY: "Margie, I got it! I got it!"

MARGARET: "...*sob*...*sob*...huh? Gee!"

I watched them for a while and then turned back into the house.

OLD WOMAN: "Little devils. I'll get them yet."

That's the way it had been ever since I had moved into that old house. I had been after those two imps ever since the very first day. As I went back into the house and slammed the door, something caught my eye. On the wall, the calendar...

OLD WOMAN: "October 30th! Hmmm. Tomorrow's the 31st. That means tomorrow night is..."

Little Margie and Johnny probably thought of it the exact same moment that I did.

MARGARET: "Halloween?!"

JOHNNY: "Yeah! Tomorrow night! It's our chance to get even with that old crab!"

I spent the next day getting ready for Halloween. Every once and a while, I peered out of the window and watched the kids on the block swinging those old silk stockings filled with flour.

KIDS: "Halloween! Halloween!"

By evening, everything was ready. I was set for them. And they didn't disappoint me. When darkness fell, I spied little Johnny and Margie stealing up to the front gate.

JOHNNY: "Got the milk bottle filled with water?"

MARGARET: "Uh-huh! But you're gonna do it. I'm scared."

I listened to the rusty gate squeak open as Johnny crept up the walk and placed the filled milk bottle on the door step so that when I'd open it, it would tip in and spill all over the foyer. And then he rang the bell. Naturally, I didn't answer. I just peeked out, watching them whisper together.

JOHNNY: "She probably knows it's just kids ringing the bell. We've got to get her to open the door."

MARGARET: "What about tick-tack-toe?"

Everybody has a different name fro that Halloween trick. Johnny and Margie called it 'tick-tack-toe'. Johnny slipped back up to the front door and pushed a thumb-tack into it. From the tack, he hung a length of threat with a nut tied at the end.

JOHNNY: "Shhh! Stop giggling!"

MARGARET: "Tee-hee! I...tee-hee...can't help it!"

Then, tied to the nut, the boy unrolled a spool of black thread till it stretched back down to beyond the gate.

MARGARET: "All set?"

JOHNNY: "Yeah. Duck down!"

Johnny pulled on the long thread from the nut. Then he let it go forward. The nut, hanging from the tack, rapped against the door. Again and again he pulled the nut back and let it ram against the door. Anyone not familiar with this Halloween prank would go crazy listening to that incessant tapping. But I just waited. Finally, Johnny gave up. I could see them whispering together.

MARGARET: "Maybe...maybe she's not home?"

JOHNNY: I guess your right."

I watched them start away down the block, disappointed. Now it was my chance.

OLD WOMAN: "HEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLPPPPPPP!"

JOHNNY: "Hey, what was that?"

OLD WOMAN: "SOMEONE HELP MEEEEEEEEE!"

JOHNNY: "It's the old crab! *gasp*!"

MARGARET: "Johnny, I'm scared!"

JOHNNY: "Maybe she's sick? Maybe she's dying!"

OLD WOMAN: "HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPPP!"

Little Johnny started back toward my house. I called out once more.

OLD WOMAN: "HELP ME! SOMEONEEEEEEE!"

MARGARET: "Johnny, where ya going?"

JOHNNY: "Come on!"

Johnny skipped up the porch steps and removed the titled milk bottle.

JOHNNY: "You alright, ma'am?"

OLD WOMAN: "Help me, please!"

He tried the front door. It was unlocked. I saw their frightened faces peer in.

MARGARET: "It...it's dark in there, Johnny."

JOHNNY: "Ma'am, you okay?"

OLD WOMAN: "...*moan*...!"

They stepped inside. The door slammed shut behind them.

MARGARET: "...*gasp*...!"

JOHNNY: "Huh?"

MARGARET: "JOHNNY! IT'S...IT'S LOCKED!"

JOHNNY: "PULL, MARGIE! PULL!"

The door knob came off in the boy's hands.

JOHNNY: "It...it broke!"

MARGARET: "Now we'll never get out of here!"

The heat from Johnny's hand had its effect.

JOHNNY: "It's sticky."

MARGARET: "What?"

Johnny stared down at the broken knob.

JOHNNY: It's candy! Caramel!"

MARGARET: "Candy?!"

The two children looked around horrified. Then they saw in the fire-glow...

JOHNNY: "Look! Candy-cane chairs!"

MARGARET: "Chocolate tables!"

I opened up the door a little further. The glow illuminated more of the room.

JOHNNY: "Spun-sugar lamps!"

MARGARET: "Gingerbread walls!"

OLD WOMAN: "Heh heh!"

And then, I flung the oven door open all the way. They saw me as I really am...a witch!

JOHNNY & MARGARET: "EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

OLD WOMAN: "Welcome, John and Margaret! Hansel! Gretel!"