No treats, only TRICKS!
- The Halloween Tree, Ray Bradbury
Everyone knows that on Halloween, you should make it a point to visit the most decorated houses, because that’s where the real fun is.
You and Cole dress up as Ben and Beverly, from Stephen King’s It, and walk down the street, hand in hand. You’ve collected a good amount of candy, but there is one house you’ve been dying to visit, the one on the end of the block. The man and woman that live there are Bradbury fanatics and always decorate the house to look like Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud’s haunted house. It’s raining, but that doesn’t affect the excitement.
Something feels wrong as Cole pulls back the Marley door knocker and lets it drop against the door. The door opens and a thin man appears.
“Trick or treat!”
“No treats, only TRICKS!” And the slams the door shut in your faces. You have expect to see a tree with pumpkins dangling from its branches when you turn around, but instead you see what looks like someone dressed up as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. It just and laughs and waves, Its bunch of balloons casting no shadow and not moving at all in the wind. The door flies open and you and Cole run inside instinctively, slamming it behind you.
Both of you wide-eyed, Cole turns to you, “What’s with the clown?!”
You just shake your head, heart pounding.
The house is completely empty on the inside. You look up to see a winding staircase, moonlight cascading down on it through a hole in the roof.
“I’ve been expecting you.” It’s the man from before. His skin has a green tinge to it, clinging to his bones, his hair has the texture of seaweed, and his lips are green. He glides down the steps and approaches you. Cole grips your hand in his and steps in front of you.
“Step aside, boy,” the man’s fingers dig into Cole’s shoulder and push, causing him to stumble off to the side.
You can’t move at all, images of the clown still rushing through your head as rainwater trickles down the stairs, filling the house.
“You’re going to die just like I did,” the man says.
Soon, you’re underwater, your life flashing before your eyes.
