"Sorry that we had to park so far away from Main Street, Jess," apologized Seth. "It seems the parade is very popular today which would account for all the foot traffic around us."

"The walk will do us good," countered Jessica as she looped her arm through her husband's and they started walking toward town. "Besides, we have a sunny afternoon nearly 60 degrees and the trees are all in their glory of color!"

"That was a pretty funny joke someone played on us, wrapping the front door like a Christmas present! I wonder who did it," puzzled Jessica.

"Whomever it was had to have been up very early - I didn't hear a thing," added Seth. "That reminds me of a trick we pulled on our social science teacher when we were freshmen in high school. He was a real pill, or so we figured at the time, so one night, when we knew he was at a meeting, my buddies and I thought we'd toss a few rolls of toilet paper into the trees on his front yard. Well, we all brought extra and wound up decorating all the trees as well as his front porch railings and bushes. We were having so much fun we didn't pay attention to the time until headlights lit up the whole front yard with us in it."

"What happened, or do I not want to know?" asked Jessica.

Seth chortled loudly. "We were caught dead to rights! We couldn't even run away. The teacher made us take down every little bit of paper."

Jessica interjected, "That doesn't sound so bad…"

"It wouldn't have been, if it hadn't started sprinkling. Have you ever tried to take damp toilet paper off of a tree, or a bush, or anything? It was a right mess! But the instructor turned out to be a pretty good guy - he never did tell our parents."

The couple chuckled about that for a minute. "So," prodded Seth as he glanced over at Jessica, "did you ever pull a trick during Halloween?"

"Hmmm, not really. After I was too old to go begging I would take my younger sister and brother out. But this one time we were done for the night and were walking back up to the house and I noticed a rather large scarecrow slumped on our porch, just to the side of the door. There were a few kids in front of us who ran up to our house yelling for treats. My brother Martin took his time opening the storm door while the kids admired the scarecrow. One of them began to taunt a younger girl that it was real and just waiting until she turned around to grab her treat basket. The girl told him he was wrong and gave the scarecrow's leg a really good kick just to prove it."

"I feel like a drum roll should go in right about here. Drrrrrrr," mimicked Seth with a big grin on his face.

Jessica continued with a smile. "Well, the girl got her treat and was waiting for her friends when behind her the scarecrow silently got up and rose to about six feet."

Jessica giggled. "Seth, I tell you, it was just like in the movies. The little girl's eyes started getting really big and she very stiffly turned around and slowly looked up - right into my oldest brother Marshall's scary face. The poor thing screamed to wake the dead, dropped her treats basket, jumped off the porch, and tore down the street. Right toward the major intersection. I parked my siblings on the steps, grabbed the girl's basket and ran off after her. I finally caught her and convinced her it was just my brother and returned her treats."

"Then what happened," Seth prompted.

"Marshall was waiting for me and greatly relieved to hear that she was all right. He had wanted to run after her himself and apologize but she had kicked him so hard that he limped for a week!"

Seth put his head back and laughed as they sauntered down the street. "So, justice was served." He drew in a deep breath. "Ahhh, the air is so clean and fresh today you'd like to bottle it. And I do believe we have one of the most vibrant years for color than I've ever seen. Those sugar maples on the right are just crimson."

"Look at that chestnut on the left," instructed Jessica. "Forget the hills - there's gold in them thar' trees, Seth! And how everything stands out against that endless blue sky. Ooh, that tree over there," she waved to the right, "is glowingly orange."

They turned a corner and stopped dead in their tracks. In front of them was a 30 foot maple with boughs of scarlet, gold, bronze, green, magenta, and amber - all mixed in and highlighted against a spider web of black branches.

"Wow!" Jessica exhaled. "That's breathtaking!"

Seth was silent for a second, just staring at the visage before them. Then he turned to Jessica. "It's… amazing! I'll always remember this picture, this moment, here with you. I'm so glad we're married. I love you, Jess."

Becoming misty eyed, Jessica could only murmur a heartfelt, "I love you, too, Seth," and kissed him warmly right there in the middle of the sidewalk.

The other walkers smiled at the couple and passed around them. The Appletree sisters happened to be going by on the other side of the street. Lillian nudged her elder sibling and remarked, "My goodness, sister. Isn't it shocking to see such behavior in public?!"

Helen Appletree looked across the street and noticed the Hazlitts in their embrace. "Now sister, you must remember that the young people are still newlyweds. We should make allowances for them," she kindly said.

"Well, you do have a point there, sister," allowed Lillian. "Oooh, look! The children are all gathered at the far end of the street. The parade must be ready to start."

Coming up to Main Street shortly afterwards Jessica and Seth noticed something else - Sheriff Mort Metzger supporting his deputy, Andy, as he was stretching up the far side of a statue of local Revolutionary War hero Joshua Peabody.

"What in the world is going on over by the new statue?" wondered Jessica.

"Who knows?" groused Seth. "I'm still wondering why the city council decided to honor someone who never existed in the first place!"

"Oh, Seth. Don't start," Jessica grinned even as she rolled her eyes. As they came up to the figure they could see that the deputy had just successfully dislodged an empty whiskey bottle from the crook of the statue's left arm and had torn off a bright pink taffeta tutu from around its middle.

"Good grief, Mort - how did that all get there?" asked Jessica.

"Oh, hi Mrs. F., Doc," greeted the sheriff as he helped Andy back to the ground. "Some prankster got to old Peabody here last night. I thought we'd better get the tricks down before the bottle fell and the glass cut someone. We've been getting these kind of calls all day."

The deputy pointed upwards. "I don't mind climbing half-way up for the bottle and the skirt, but the Department of Public Works will have to come with a lift to get that off of his head."

All eyes followed his finger to the tri-cornered hat, which was festooned with an oversized gaudy tiara that sparkled in the sunlight.

Despite herself, Jessica started laughing and everyone around them joined it.

"Thanks, Andy. Get rid of that stuff, will you? Then let's help shut down the street," Mort instructed as the snickers died down. "So, Mrs. F., are you and the Doc here dressing up for the Mayor's little costume bash tonight?"

"We are. We'll be there just after the trick-or-treating hours are over. Will you and Adele be there in costume?"

"I'm off duty so we'll both be in a couple of great costumes Adele made up. It would be sweet to win that grand prize of having our snow shoveled all winter. I swear, I almost got a hernia last season with all the snow we had! Say, it looks like the kids are getting ready to head out. I'd better go and re-direct traffic. See you both tonight." And with that the sheriff hustled off down the street.

Seth and Jessica turned around and they joined the crowd in the street for a better view of the young revelers. "I like this way of having the youngsters show off their outfits," noted Jessica. "They take to the sidewalks and collect treats from the store owners and we stand in the street and watch them go by."

"A-yuh, safer for everyone, all around. We seem to have quite a large bunch this Halloween."

Jessica leaned into Seth and he unconsciously put his arm around her waist as they watched with delight as the little ghosts, goblins, Smurfs, cowgirls, princesses, Indians, Power Rangers, mummies, kings, witches, bats, and the like scampered about collecting treats and showing off their finery.

Eventually Seth remarked, "It seems about done, Jess. Maybe we should be getting home - the kids will be at our doorstep is a little bit."

"Right you are," Jessica agreed as they headed back to the car. "We need to light our pumpkins. I'll lay out the costume I chose for you in the spare bedroom for the party later."

"You know, I'm not so sure it was the wisest idea for us to choose the other's costume…" added Seth. "You may not like what I got for you."

"Don't worry," Jessica gave his arm a squeeze. "I'm sure I'll love it. You'll like yours, too."

I surely hope so, contemplated Seth, with the image of a bright pink taffeta tutu stuck in his head. He turned to his wife and smiled wanly.

Jessica just chuckled and gave his arm another squeeze. "Oh, don't worry, Seth. You know the old saying, 'Stare at the dark too long and you will eventually see what isn't there.'"

Seth's mouth twitched into a grin. "Did the spirit move you to say that?"

Continuing the silly banter Jessica replied, "You know there's not a ghost of a chance I'd admit to that."

"When we were kids we'd chant on Halloween, 'It's October 31st, when all the witches do their worst!'" reminisced Seth as they stopped at the station wagon. "What's your favorite All Hallows Eve saying?"

Jessica looked up at her husband, her eyes glinting mischievously. "If you are reading this you are blissfully unaware of what is creeping up behind you!"