Halloween. My favorite day of the year. The one day of the year that I fit in. It's the only day everyone accepts and compliments me, and I even get rewarded for it by generous neighbors who don't think I'm too old to celebrate - or are more than likely too afraid of what my tricks would be.
But this year I decided that I really wanted to wear a costume. I shopped in stores I usually never went to and borrowed things from my dad. I combed and slicked my hair back and wore a lusciously soft cashmere sweater with blue tennis shorts. I gave myself a healthy glow with some of my mom's base. I even carried around my dad's tennis racket. I went around the house saying things like. "Mummy dear, I'll be home after my tennis lessons!"
Nerd Girl didn't recognize me as I passed her in the kitchen. Then her mouth dropped open when she realized it was me and not a neighbor's kid dropping over for sugar.
"I've never seen you look so… good," she said, dressed as a baseball player. I thought I was going to be sick right then and there.
My parents wanted to take pictures. Go figure. They were acting like I was going to the prom. I let them take just one. I figured my dad should finally have a picture of me he could proudly hang at the office.
Serenity and I were eating lunch in the cafeteria later that day. Everyone looked at me like I was the new girl. Really, no one recognized me. It was fun at first, then a bit annoying. I got stares when I dressed in black. I got stares when I dressed in white. I couldn't win! Then Seto came into the cafeteria dressed as Dracula. His hair was slicked back, and he was sporting a black cape. He had plastic fangs and red-hot lips.
He stood with Duke as he glanced around to find me. He wanted to rub his new look in my face. Duke finally pointed to me and Seto did a double take. He stared at me long and hard, looked my up and down. I had never seen him gaze at me like that before. It was as if he was in major Crushville, as he checked out my preppy white sweater and healthy glow.
I thought for sure he'd come over and say something stupid, but instead he sat at the opposite side of the cafeteria with his back to me. He even left before I did. I was free of him! But I was wrong. I should have known our truce wouldn't last long.
My little pumpkin basket was almost filled with Smarties, Snickers, Mary Janes, Jolly Ranchers, Double Bubble gum, and lots of other tasty treats. And most importantly - spider rings and temporary tattoos. Serenity and I walked over town and now wondered what awaited us at the front door of the mysterious Mansion. We were saving the best house for last. Apparently so was everyone else.
There was an actual line to the front door. It was like we were at Disney World. Ghouls, punks, bums, Mickey Mouse, Fred Flintstone, and Homer Simpson were all eagerly waiting their turn. And a bunch of coiffed parents who showed up to steal a peek inside. The circus was in town, and everyone had come to look at the freaks.
"He's really creepy," a twelve-year-old Frankenstein remarked to a pint-sized werewolf as they passed us.
Nerd Girl spotted me and Serenity as she walked down the driveway.
"It's well worth the wait, Yugi. You'll love it! This is my brother!" she proudly said to here geekoid Batman friend, who looked at with junior crush-girl eyes.
"Did you see any shrunken heads? Or monsters with fangs?" I asked.
"No."
"Then maybe we're wasting our time."
"That old man is really freaky. He looks scary and he isn't even wearing a costume!"
I could see Nerd Girl was trying to bond with me, since this was the first time she could actually show me off to her friends. But I could also see Nerdo was expecting a verbal body slam.
"Thanks for the info."
"Thanks? Uh… yeah… of course, Bro."
"I'll see you at home, if you want to trade any candy bars."
Nerd Girl nodded willingly. She smiled and left like she had met her long lost brother.
Serenity and I eagerly waited our turn. We were last in line, and as Charlie Brown and a witch who were in font of us stepped away with their goods, the door closed. I looked at the B-shaped knocker and wondered if it was the initial of the new owner. When I peered closer, I saw it was a serpent with emerald eyes. I rapped it gently, hoping the Gothic guy would answer. I wanted to ask him if he was the one in the road the other night, and if so, what he had been doing? Most people got their exercise at the gym, not on spooky country roads in the dead of night. But no one answered.
"Let's go," Serenity suggested nervously.
"No, we waited forever for this! I'm not turning back until I get some candy. He owes us!"
"I'm tired. We've been out all night. It's probably just some creepy old guy who wants to go to bed. And I do, too."
"We can't leave now."
"I'm going home, Yugi."
"I can't believe you're so chicken, C'mon, I thought we were best friends."
"We are. But it's late."
"Okay, okay. I'll call you tomorrow and tell you all about Mister Creepy."
There were enough treaters walking around that I wasn't afraid for mousy Serenity. She'd get home safe. But would I?
I stared at the serpent knocker and wondered what stood behind the huge wooden door. Maybe the new owner would pull me inside and hold me captive in his haunted mansion. I could only hope!
I knocked again and waited. And waited.
I knocked again. I banged and banged and banged. My hand was starting to hurt. I dashed around to the side, then I heard the locks coming unlatched and the creaky door open. I quickly ran back up the front steps. And there he was, standing before me; Creepy Man.
He was tall and skinny, his face and hands as pale as snow, is sharp contrast to his black butler's uniform. He had no hair, not like he'd lost it, but like he'd never had any, and bulging green monster eyes. He looked like he had been alive for centuries. I loved him.
"We have no more candy, sir," he said in a deep foreign accent as he peered down at me.
"Really? But you must have something. Some peanut-butter twists? A piece of toast?"
He opened the door, no more than necessary. What did the place look like inside? How had it changed since I had snuck in four years before? And who were "we," and did they look creepy, too? We could all be friends. I felt someone watching, looming, and I tried to step past the doorway.
"Who else lives here?" I asked boldly. "Do you have a son?"
"I don't have any children, sir. And I'm sorry, but we don't have a crumb left." He started to shut the door.
"Wait!" I blurted out and blocked the door open with my shoe. I reached into my pumpkin basket and pulled out a Snickers and a spider ring. "I'd like to welcome you to the neighborhood. This is my favorite candy and my favorite Halloween treat. I hope you like them, too."
He almost didn't smile. Then as I placed the treats in his spidery snow-white fingers, he smiled a creaky, crackly, skinny-toothed smile. Even his bulging eyes seemed to twinkle.
"See you!" I said, dancing down the steps.
I had met the creepy man! Everyone in town could say they had gotten candy from him, but who else could say they had given him a treat?
I spun around on the front lawn and looked back at the grand Mansion. I saw a shadowy figure watching from the attic window. Was it Gothic Guy? I quickly stopped spinning and stared back, but there wasn't anyone there, just the ruffle of a dark curtain.
I had just passed through the iron gate when a ghoulish vampire in a red Camaro drove up to the curb.
"Want a ride, little boy?" Seto asked. Duke the Farmer sat comfortably behind the wheel.
"My mother told me not to talk to strangers," I said, taking a difficult bite of a Mary Jane. I was not in the mood for a Seto confrontation.
"I'm not a stranger, babe. Aren't you too old to be trick-or-treating?"
"Aren't you too old to be toilet-papering the town?"
Seto got out of the car and came over to me. He looked particularly sexy. Of course, I find all vampyres sexy, even fake ones.
"What are you supposed to be?" he asked.
"I'm dressed up as a freak, can't you tell?"
He was trying to be cool but was stepping on himself. I was the only person that had said no to him. The only person in town he could never have. I had always been a mystery because of the way I dress and behaved, and now I was standing in front of him dressed as his perfect dream boy.
"So your visiting Amityville by yourself?" He stared up at the Mansion. "You're a wicked dude, aren't you?" He glanced down, sending chills through me - he was gorgeous in his Dracula cape.
I said nothing.
"I bet you've never kissed a vampyre before," he said, his plastic teeth shining in the moonlight.
"Well when you see one, let me know," I said, and started to walk away.
He grabbed my arm.
"Give it a rest, Seto."
He pulled me in closer. "Well, I've never kissed a tennis player," he joked.
I laughed, it was such a corny line. He kissed me full on the mouth, his plastic teeth getting in the way. And I let him. Maybe I was still dizzy from spinning on the lawn.
He finally came up for air.
"Well now you have!" I said, pulling away. "I think Farmer Duke is waiting for you!"
"I didn't get any candy!" he said, fingering my pumpkin basket. He pulled out a Snickers bar.
"Hey that's my favorite! Take a peanut-butter twist!"
He gobbled up the Snickers with his vampyre teeth, which came loose and fell to the ground, dripping with chocolate and caramel. I quickly reached for them, but he grabbed my arm, spilling my candy everywhere.
"Look what you've done!" I shouted.
He grabbed handfuls of candy and stuffed them into his jeans. I watched as my remaining treats were strewn across the lawn. The only candy I could salvage were some boring Smarties and a smashed Mars Bar.
"Still want to be an item?" he asked, his pockets stuffed full with my night's work as he pulled me close. "Want to be my boyfriend?"
Suddenly he let me go and started toward the Mansion. "Now I'll get some real candy."
I grabbed his arm this time. Who knew what Seto would do if he reached the door?
"Miss me already?" he asked, startled that I hadn't run away.
"They're out of candy."
"Well, I'll just see about that!"
"They're lights are off. They want to sleep."
"This'll wake them up." He pulled out a can of spray paint from underneath his cape. "They definitely need someone who knows how to decorate!"
He walked on toward the Mansion. I ran after him.
"No, Seto. Don't!"
He pushed past me. He was going to vandalize the one thing in this town that was truly beautiful.
"No!" I cried.
He popped the lid and shook the can.
I tried to pull his arm away, but he threw me down.
"Let's see… how about 'Welcome to the neighborhood'?"
"Don't, Seto, don't!"
"Or 'Vampyres love company!' I'll sign your name."
Not only was he going to deface their property, he was going to frame me for it. He shook the can once more. And began to spray the Mansion.
I rushed to my feet and pulled back my tennis racket. I used to play with my father, and no game was more important to win than this one. I locked my eyes on the aluminum paint-filled cylinder as if it were a ball, and smacked it as hard as I could. The can spun off into the distance, and, like my usual game, I lost my grip and the racket went flying after it. Seto let out a yell so loud I thought the whole world could hear. I guess I had hit more than the can.
Suddenly the front door light came on, and I heard the jingle of locks being unlatched.
"We gotta get out of here!" I yelled to Seto, who was crouching down, holding his wounded hand.
I was ready to make my escape when I felt something I had never felt before: a presence. I turned around and let out a soundless gasp, because fear had taken my breath away. I stood frozen.
There he was. Nor Creepy Man. Not Mr. or Mrs. Mansion Family. But Gothic Guy, Gothic Mate, Gothic Prince. He stood before me, like a knight of night!"
His long white hair lay heavy on his shoulders. His eyes were dark, deep, lovely, lonely, adoringly intelligent, dreamy. A gateway into his dark soul. He, too, stood motionless, breathing me in. His face was pale like mine and his tight black T-shirt was tucked into his black jeans, which were tucked into monster-chic punk-rock combat boots.
Normally fear is something I feel only when I know my mom is hosting a Mary Kay party and wants to us me as a model. But we were on private property, and my curiosity to meet this strange creature was overwhelmed by my terror of being caught.
The tennis shoes really were a good choice tonight. I could hear Seto yelling at me as he followed me in flight. "You monster! You broke my hand!"
I raced through the open gate and climbed into the waiting Camaro.
"Drive me home!" I screamed. "Now!"
Duke was started at his unexpected passenger. He just stared at me, in silent denial.
"Drive me now! Or I'll tell the police you were involved!"
"The police?" he blurted out. "What's Seto got us into now?"
I could see the angry Count Seto running down the driveway, his cape flowing in the wind. He was almost at the gate. Gothic Guy hadn't moved but continued to stare straight at me.
"Drive! Just drive the freakin' car!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
The motor started and we peeled away until the Mansion and its unusual occupants were out of view. I turned around and looked out the back window at a shouting Dracula Seto chasing after us.
"Happy Halloween," I said to Duke as I let out a sigh of relief.