20 | halloween

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Halloween quickly approaches with dark rainclouds, stormy days and violent winds that reverberate through Tulsa. It's the perfect weather that matches the sinister and eerie mood of Halloween, shaking tree branches in the violent wind resembling outstretched, mangled arms. On the days leading up to Halloween, it rains heavily, hitting the bedroom window in a melodic and repetitious pattern that slowly lulls Billie to sleep. 

Curly curses on the morning of October 31, 1965, as bony, thin shoulders lean over his bowl of Sugar Stars, listening intently to the radio for the weather broadcast for Halloween.

The radio relays news of a pro-Vietnam War march in Washington D.C the previous day and Curly switches off the radio abruptly, causing silence to worm its way into the room.

"Hey!" Angela and Billie both protest.

"Why'd you do that, idiot? We wanna know the weather," Angela adds crossly, eyes furrowing and her lips thinning in displeasure.

"Couldn't stand listening to the news," Curly huffs darkly.

"How are we gonna know the weather now?" Angela complains.

"Why do you need to know the weather? It's going to be like how's it been for the past few weeks; windy and cold," Curly replies.

"So I know what to wear!" Angela answers. Upon Curly's blank expression she adds, "whether to wear a skirt or jeans. Christ, you're hopeless, Curly."

"Why do you think I need to know that?" Curly scowls.

"You're not the only one who wants to listen to the radio, idiot! Why do you think Billie and I are in the kitchen?" 

"To eat?" Curly responds. 

Angela's face is red with fury, eyes blazing at Curly. She's leaning forward in her seat, like she's going to stand up any second and do something that will escalate this fight further. Billie watches on helplessly. 

The fight is interrupted as Tim walks into the kitchen, dark hair like tar messed up and sticking in all directions and eyes slit from sleep. "Shut up, both of you," he snaps at Angela and Curly. "Can't you go one day without fighting?" 

"Only if Curly can go one day without being a brainless idiot," Angela mutters. 

To end this argument, Billie changes the subject by asking Curly, "are your friends alright with going trick-or-treating with us?" 

Tim squeezes Billie's shoulder in thanks as he passes by her. 

"Yeah," Curly responds through a mouthful of Sugar Stars. Both Angela and Billie wrinkle their noses in disgust. 

"And he wonders why your friend rejected him," Angela mumbles to Billie, who laughs into her pyjama sleeve. 

The rain holds off for the rest of the day, despite the dark storm clouds looming overhead ominously

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The rain holds off for the rest of the day, despite the dark storm clouds looming overhead ominously. After sunset, all four Shepard siblings stand outside the porch. Curly and Billie say goodbye to Tim and Angela, who head to Tim's car with Tim dropping Angela off at a friends' house before heading to a party at Buck Merrill's place, the rodeo partner of Dallas Winston. 

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