The Halloween Spirit

I love fall

Darla skipped along the sidewalk, the brisk fall wind blowing her long blond hair behind her. She smiled. This was her favorite time of year. She loved the smell of baking goods filled with cinnamon and nutmeg, she loved the golds and reds and oranges that the leaves turned, but most of all, she loved the Halloween spirit. There was a certain splendor in it, how differently people could treat the holiday. For some, it was just an excuse to dress up in skimpy costumes and get frostbite all in the name of "sexy". For some, it was a time of guts and gore, psychological terror and fear in its purist form. For some, it was a time to dread, when those departed walked the earth, and to the rest, it was a time for free candy and alcohol. Any way you slice it, Halloween is a time of celebration, and Darla was no different. Every year her family did something grand, along with their down to earth family tradition. Sometimes going to see a long awaited horror movie, sometimes going to a haunted house, but it was always fun. It was what they would tell friends and neighbors what they did for Halloween. Of course, it wasn't the only thing.
The wind tore through Darla's orange sweater. She let out a satisfied sigh as she felt the heat leave her skin. The feeling was wonderful. Anyone else would call her a masochist, but she was more jealous than anything.

She arrived at her house, recognizable by the skeletons in the front yard. Yellowed bones arranged to look as though the skeletons were crawling out from the ground, as if they were unceremoniously buried in their front yard. The front of her house was decorated with fake spider webs and jack-o-lanterns. Bedazzled skulls lined the porch. They were covered in vibrant paint and plastic jewels, giving them an unnervingly festive look. The neighborhood kids liked to pretend that they were real, and would dare each other to try and steel them, but they were always too scared to touch them. Darla patted each one on the head, addressing them by their names.
"Good afternoon mr. Hudson" "Hello ms. Jones" etc.
She pulled out her house key,  opened the door and the smell of cooking meat washed over her like a wave. It made her mouth water. "I'm home!" She called.
"How was school?" Her father called back to her.
"Pretty good. I made friends with a new kid in science class." She said as she dumped her backpack next to the door.
"Excellent." Her father said. She wandered into the kitchen to see what her father was cooking. Her father had curly brown hair with streaks of gray, a full beard, glasses and kind brown eyes. He stood over the stove in his pajamas and an apron, with a big juicy steak cooking in the skillet. Her father had the day off, and tended to use his spare time to cook.
"Mmm! That smells delicious."
"Thank you Darla my darling." Her father smiled. That was his favorite pet name for her. He let her mother name her Darla, then said that non stop for three months.
"I had an interesting visitor today. Very nice. Very polite." He said cheerfully.
"That's great." She said as she walked to the living room.
She flopped on the couch and turned on one of her favorite shows. American Horror story. Her mind wandered as she watched.

Her mother worked as a nurse in the local hospital, her father had a quiet nine to five at a tech company. Her little sister and brother were at Girl Scouts and Soccer practice respectively. Tomorrow was Saturday, and they all were going to a haunted house, then next Sunday on Halloween, they would engage in their family tradition. They'd already chosen the guests they'd have over for dinner this year. The whole family would be there, and it would be a massive celebration.

"When is Mom gonna be home?" Darla called.
"I think around five. Dinner will be ready then too." Her father responded.
"Got it." Darla said.