Johnnyset the knife down on the counter, eyeing the carvings he'd made intothe bright orange flesh of the pumpkin in front of him. "What d'youthink, Bill? Spooky enough?"
Thelittle boy stood eye-to-eye with the jack o' lantern, furrowing hisbrow as he tilted his head. "Could be spookier. Needs fake blood!"
Johnnyraised his eyebrows in surprise as he looked down at theeight-year-old. "I've been letting you watch too many scarymovies," he said, pulling out a candle from a counter drawer. Heset the candle inside the pumpkin placing the top back into place."There."
"Yougotta light it, Pops," Billy insisted.
Johnnyknew there wasn't a lighter or matches in the whole of his apartment."Well, you got a light, firebug?
Billyshook his head dramatically. "You said stop startin' fires and Istopped."
"Whilethat's good, we need fuego...Go look in the drawer in my nightstand.There might be matches in there," Johnny said, gesturing with hishead in the direction of his room. He watched through the kitchenpass-through window as the boy jogged through the living room intothe hallway. He cringed, wondering if Billy's footfalls disturbed theFloreses downstairs. Johnny waited for just a moment, then focusedhis power just a little on the candle in the pumpkin as it caughtflame. He opened and shut the drawer loudly, for show. "Oh! Thereit is! I found some matches. Come look, Bill!"
Billyhurried back through the living room, into the kitchen. "Yeah, nowthat's cool."
Johnnyruffled Billy's hair, laughing a little. "Happy Halloween, son."
