The Halloween Cannibal

Chapter 2)One, two, sucks to be you..

"This is Halloween" by Marilyn Manson
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As I made my way across the beautiful brick pathway up to the Stern's three-story home after school, I wasn't bothered by the fact my entire Halloween afternoon and night would be spent babysitting contrary to Jessica's beliefs. She had spent the rest of the school day trying to slyly persuade me to change my mind, but it was a useless effort.
I pull my light blue jean jacket a little tighter against myself, slightly regretting I didn't bring a strong winter jacket with me. Even though Oklahoma is more south, it can still get chilly this time of year.
The Stern home -mansion- is out in the county. The only neighbors are a good five miles spread out from one another, courtesy of living out in the wealthy areas of rural middle of nowhere.
I highly doubt I'll be seeing many trick-er-treaters tonight if any at all. The candy was going to be used as a backup candy supply on the chance that the grey clouds provided rain tonight. Typically, in this area, when it rains out in the country, it pours and floods the roads in a short amount of time. With a backup candy supply I can appease the Stern children incase trick er treating is cut short. I use the heavy gold-lion knocker to knock twice, and then ring the doorbell. Waiting outside, I feel the cool autumn breeze gently brush against my skin.
Cooler weather, change of leaves, pumpkins...It makes me appreciate fall just a little bit more. "Cassie, darling!" Mrs. Stern greeted me instantly the moment the large mahogany door opened.

It took me bysurprise seeing the middle-aged woman. She looked nothing like her usual bleachblonde self. Mrs. Stern sported a beautiful black Flapper era dress thatreaches her knees, a short black bob wig, gold bracelets jangling off herwrists, and a colorful display of beads around her neck. "Cool costume,Mrs. Stern!" I compliment as she released me from the hug she pulledme into. "Cassie, I keep telling you...call me Simone!"Mrs. Stern playfully scolded before she ushered me into the house. She wasalways telling me to call her Simone, but it always felt too impolite to callher by anything but formalities. Secretly I knew she loved it; I had oftenoverheard telling my mom how polite I always was. I look around and find the gorgeous fronthallway is decked out in its usual Halloween decorations of a rustic fallnature. Real pumpkins decorated a lovelydark brown bench that had two real autumn flame red maple trees on either sideof it. A burlap picnic blanket covered the bench while a stuffed jack'o'lanternsat on the corner of the bench. It looked just as real as the jack'o'lanternssitting on the front porch. The rustic fall look soon took a sharp turn as Ilooked towards the den that also doubled as the children's toy room. Gone werethe more mature fall themed decorations that looked like they were pulled froma Pottery Barn. Orange and black balloons are in different areas of the roomwhile cute Halloween themed stickers of ghosts, witches, and mummies are placedonto the windows looking out onto the massive front porch. What had myattention was the cool inflatable pumpkin in the room that nearly reached theceiling. It was so massive it drew my attention away from the Stern children's minibounce house that was kept in the corner along with their small cinema spacethat was made up with an eighty-inch flat screen and large sofa sectional infront of it for viewing.
"You like it?" Simone asked, looking at what I wasadmiring. "That's Parker's latest purchase off Amazon forHalloween...He's tried decorating every room in the house!" She beamed.I could imagine that Jessica would be rolling her eyes massively if she everdiscovered the Stern's allowed their nine-year-old son access to his own Amazonaccount for purchases.
"He did a really great job," I said, admiring the room's fake cobwebsdecorating the back of chairs and the curtains. Even with all the addeddecorations to the den, there was still a very large amount of space to roamthe room. Parker even went the extra mile by adding large fuzzy fake spiders tothe cobwebs.

"Ok," said Simone as she rubbed her manicured hands together. "Areyou sure you don't mind taking the kids trick'er'treating? Imean, it'll be a bit of pain having to drive to each house."
By that she was referencing driving toeach and every housewe stop by at. This wasn't as simple as walking around a block. Living out inthe county, the Sterns had a good 5-miles to go to reach another house, andthen you had to go up long and winding driveways. I smiled warmly. "Idon't mind in the slightest. To be honest, I probably love Halloween more thanthe kids do."
Simone smiles. "Again, if you need to leave, I won't be offended, justgive me a call. I mean, it is Halloween after all..." shetrails off, looking nervous as if wondering if I'll try backing out because ofher words.

"It's totally not a problem!" I smile brightly. "I didn'thave plans and I always love spending time with the kids."
"Okay then! Typical bedtime routine tonight, brushing of teeth, story forLauren, and-"
The high ringing of the doorbell cut her off mid speech. Simone looked backdown the hallway towards the front door, her expression of confusion. It wastoo early to expect kids trick'er'treating. "Tom!" she called, her thin heelsclicking against the hardwood floor as she walked out of the room toanswer the door. "Are we expecting someone?"
Mr. Stern descended the staircase dressed as a 1920's gangster in an old-fashionedblack and grey pinstriped tuxedo with a black fedora. His dark hairis slicked back to add to the look.
"That's probably Ben."
My expression froze as well as my walk.I suddenly couldn't hear the Stern's as I stood silently in the hallway,mentally praying that it was a different Ben they were referring to. But myprayers were pointless. There was only one Ben the Stern's relied on forbabysitting. Only one Ben who the kids loved as much as they loved having mearound. The Sterns have relied on him as much as they've relied on methroughout the years. We typically babysat together through the past few years.My expression remains frozen because sure enough, Ben Fallon is at the door asSimone opens it, holding a large pumpkin and a bag of candy. Peanut buttercups: the exact same pumpkin shaped cups that I had brought with me as well. Theywere the kids favorite treat during the Halloween season and we both knew it. Ben'sout of control brown hair was falling into his eyes ever so slightly before hetook a large hand to brush it back.

"Hey! I see there's already some out here so I hope you don't mind Ibrought a pumpkin that me and the kids can carve tonight!' He said brightly ashe walked in. His eyes widened as he saw me.
Simone said nothing. She looked between Ben and I, appearing to not know whatto say. Simone already knew of the falling out Ben and I had months ago. Shefound out when she wanted to schedule both of us for an overnight trip she wastaking with Mr. Stern back in July I politely declined back then, sheepishlyexplaining that Ben and I were no longer on speaking terms. She never askedquestions after that, and she hadn't spoken of Ben in front of me since.
It's only then that Mr. Stern spotted me in the corner did he address me. Surprisewas on his face. "OH! Hey Cassie!" He looked to Simone. "I didn't know youhad found someone on short notice, so I called Ben." Judging from the way heand his wife looked at each other, I gathered the impression Simone had toldhim of the awkward frostiness between Ben and I.
I could feel Ben's eyes on me, but I couldn't return his gaze. We couldn't takeback the harsh words we had spoken to each other all those months ago. Ourfriendship now seemed irrevocably broken. "It's okay...I can leave," I say awkwardly.

"Uh, no, I can..." tries Ben before sound from the staircase cut him off.
Before I can think of placing the candy still in my hands on the nearby lamptable, a tiny voice gives a high-pitched giggle.
"CASSIE, BEN!!" The small girl that possessed that tiny voice boundeddown the large staircase before launching herself at me in a hug. Lauren wasthe youngest of the Stern's children at six. She was missing a few baby teethand it made her bright smiles utterly adorable.
"Hey cutie pie!" I cooed. Lauren's dressed in identical costume attireto an ice princess. Baby blue dress, flowing light blue cape that seemed to besewn onto the sparkling dress. Her dark hair was shoved neatly under a white,blonde wig that had a long braid that was tossed over her shoulder.

"Guess who I am!" said Lauren, her wide smile missing two baby teeth on the bottomrow.
"Hmm," wondered Ben, walking over to Lauren before kneeling down. He's nowa lot closer to her height. He practically needs to sit on his knees to be ateye level.
"I can't believe you're going as a snowman," he said, pretend shock crossinghis face. Lauren wrinkled up her nose and giggled, completely believing him."No, silly! I'm queen Elsa!"
"I think I can sort of see it," teases Ben as Lauren gives him a hug aswell. Parker and his twin Sarah bound down the stairs to greet us. Parker'sdressed in a skeleton costume with ghost white face paint, Sarah in a black andpurple ruffled dress, a black pointed hat atop of her head. Her face held mintgreen face paint; an old-fashioned twig broom in her right hand. Both kidspleased to see me and Ben in the same room.

"Whoa! Two babysitters!?! I love it when there's two! Parker crowsexcitedly.
"Um..." I look towards his parents.
Simone looks sympathetic while Ben finally breaks his gaze the moment I lookback at him. He then makes sure we don't make eye contact. "If you're okaywith it, I'm ok with it," she says, looking to gage my reaction. Ikeep my face void of emotion, but inwardly I feel betrayed she didn'timmediately send Ben home. She left the decision up to me so she wouldn't bethe bad guy asking him to leave while I stayed. If I left, I would look like a brat.A hot flush of red flooded my cheeks at my own embarrassment for how much I wasoverthinking this while everyone watched me.
"I can leave," said Ben, looking to the floor and still not making eye contactwith me.
"No," I say automatically without giving it much thought. "We can bothbabysit," I say, hiding my discomfort with a fake smile. Ben looked indifferentby my words while the kids looked ecstatic for having both of us tonight.Simone didn't say another word and avoided eye contact with me after that.
"Alright!" said Tom, breaking the tension ridden silence. "You guys haveour cell numbers...Oh! Rosalita left this morning, she's taking a few days off tovisit family and won't be back until the 4th. Nick is also leaving for thenight, he's somewhere...upstairs." Tom waved his hand airily as Simoneheaded to get her coat from the nearby closet. Although, closet wasprobably the wrong description to explain where she was headed. The room thatheld the Sterns coats and shoes was the size of a bathroom. It was bigger thanmy parents master bathroom back at home.
Once Tom assisted Simone in putting on her black peacoat, Simone turned back toaddress Ben and I. "The kids already ate an early dinner. Bedtimeis..." She trailed off, thinking. I notice the three children are wigglingin anticipation at what their mother will allow. Little Sarah is biting herbottom lip.
"Ten." Mrs. Stern said with a smile.
"YEAH!!" All three kids roared with delight, high fiving one anotheras if they just won the lottery rather than just get their bedtime extended. Agrin reached my face as I watch them. Since the kids woke up at five everymorning and were typically in bed before seven, I was highly skeptical theywould make it until ten. "Remember to brush your teeth after candy and tobehave for Cassie and Ben...Understand?" asks Tom sharply. The kidsobediently nodded before their parents left.
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