Ink Splatters - Contest Entries & Random Ideas

Tricks No Treats

We were too old to trick or treat now. Now we were sitting bored in the basement of my house, holding a bowl full candy I had snuck from my mom's trick or treaters stash.

"We could play Mafia," Winston suggested. The rest of us moaned our disapproval.

"The Spook Alley at the school?" I said.

"Lame!"

"Well, what should we do?" I asked, sliding down the couch and onto my head. I stared at Jake, his face upside down. "You have any ideas?" I asked. Ever quiet Jake shook his head.

I could feel the blood fill my face and I kicked back on the couch and flipped right way up. I turned around to face my friends just as a fantastic idea popped into my head.

"What if we went inside the Eastman mansion?"

Jake's head snapped up. Caleb snorted. "I'd rather keep my soul, thank you very much."

Winston snapped at me to throw him a piece of candy. I tossed him a blue Jolly Rancher. "Maybe Benton's on to something," he said before eating the candy. "I mean, we're thirteen." He smacked his lips in a sticky sounding way. "What else are we going to do?"

Jake sighed.

"What do you think, man?" I asked him.

"Whatever," he said.

"Let's take a vote," I said, standing up. "All in favor of going to the mansion, say aye."

"Aye," Winston said.

Jake gave a thumbs up. We all faced Caleb. He groaned and fell back into the carpet. "I'll go." We all cheered. "If," he said suddenly, sitting up and a sly look appearing on his face. The skeleton makeup that covered his skin didn't help the look.

"And only if Winston spends the night in it."

"No way!" Winston cried. "Why should I? It was Benton's idea."

"No one has to spend the night," I said. Jake clutched his chest and fell back. "We all just go in, walk around and leave," I said.

"No," Caleb said, folding his arms. Jake pointed at Caleb. "You spend the night." Winston and I laughed. "Yeah, cowardly Caleb. You spend the night," Winston said between laughs.

"Okay, okay," Caleb said. "How about this. Benton, pull three pieces of green Laffy Taffy and one piece of banana. Put it in..." he looked around the room. He snatched the baseball cap off Jake's head. "Here and we'll all take on with our eyes closed. Whoever gets the disgusting banana, has to spend the night."

"No one has to spend the night!" I said. "Why is this even part of the deal?"

"'Cause I won't come unless it is," Caleb said.

"And if you get picked?" Winston asked.

"Then I spend the night."

"Deal," Jake said. He snatched his hat from Caleb and frisbeed it to me. I caught it and put the candy in. I held it and shook it around. "You ready for this?" I asked. Everyone nodded. I dropped the candy on the ground and sat near it. The guys scooted closer. "On three, everyone close their eyes and reach into the hat. No backsies."

"One, two, three!" We cried. I closed my eyes right and reached forward. I missed the hat the first time but felt around for it. I grabbed a taffy and tried to take it out but someone else had it too. "Hey!" It was Caleb. He finally relinquished it to me.

"Cover the candy with your hands so no one, even you, can't see it," I said. "Ready?"

Affirmative for everyone.