Waiting For Autumn

Chapter: 12 - October

October 31st, 2015
Autumn is 16

The air grew even more chilly throughout the month, now always reminding myself to wear a jacket before I went outside was hard to get used to as it is every year. The trees' little children that they've nursed all summer were slowly dying; who knew that death could be so beautiful? The leaves were turning fantastic oranges, yellows and some almost red. There were only a chosen few that were still a pale green, clinging on to life as best as they could. The grass was also dying, not such a vibrant green as it was just a few months ago. There was a thrill in the air today, an excitement. Today was Halloween. Anna had told Nathan and me that we had to stay home and give out candy to all the kids that will come to the door. It was a depressing feeling, knowing that last year was in fact the last year I would go trick or treating. I enjoyed it simply for dressing up and scaring little children. I love art with a passion, so every year I would paint my face a gruesome look, and tear some old clothes to shreds, paint them a gray, a blood red, or a black, and hide in the bushes around my Aunt Robin's house. And whenever kids would come to the door...
"Boo!"
And they'd run away screaming- every time. But there must have been a thrill to it for them, it must have been fun, because the same kids would still come every year.
But not this year. There would be no one to jump out of the bushes to scare them. There would be no one at the door to give out candy.
I let out a sigh. I'm sure giving out candy isn't half the fun as dressing up.
I walk down the stairs, it was about 1 in the afternoon, I'd say, and the house was silent as always, even though it was Saturday. It was almost too quiet, and I knew something was wrong.  I make it way to the bottom of the stairs, and I hear 'Boo!',
Right beside me.
I look over with a sigh, to see Nathan in an odd-looking werewolf mask.

"Why aren't you scared?"
He asks, his voice muffled inside the mask. 

"Cause I'm not scared of you, even though that mask does make you look much more attractive than you do usually."
I laugh.

He takes off the werewolf head, and rolls his eyes.

"Where's my mom?"
He asks.

"I'm not sure.  I just got down here, obviously."
Just then, I hear a terrible growl behind me, and I turn around with a jump.

It was Anna, in a clown costume.
My heart starts beating faster with terror, even after I realized it was in fact Nathan's mom.

"Don't do that!"
I shriek.

She laughs heartily, and takes off the clown head.

"Got ya!"
She continues to laugh at her own triumph.

"Well at least we know what she's scared of now."
Nathan mumbles, holding back a smirk.
He throws his mask on the table, and Anna does too, soon after.

"Now then,"
Anna starts.
"The candy is on the kitchen table, do not eat any!  Give it out to the kids this evening, one piece each."

"Where will you be?"
I ask.

"At a Halloween banquet, hosted by a girl from my job."
She smiles, and goes to her room.

"I'll be leaving soon!"
She shouts, and closes her door.
An awkward silence follows soon after, for the next 10 minutes Nathan just sits on his phone texting. 

"I don't wanna give candy out to the kids tonight."
Nathan finally says as he sits down by the table.

"Me neither."
I sigh.

"I mean, you could scare off people by just walking around town.  Your face is ugly enough."
He smirks.

"Thanks."
I say as I sit down also, rolling my eyes.