---

The Big Apple is beautiful this time of year. All the trees are turning golden and brown as they decay into the night. Right about now the darkness is arriving and the first creatures of the night are emerging on the streets.

There's a three-foot tall, bright orange pumpkin with stubby little feet and matching bucket. A little devil with a pointed tail, and a three-pronged pitch fork like Poseidon's fury sits miscellaneously on the sidewalk munching on peanut-butter cup from his pillowcase full of the poison treasures. Spiderman walks the streets of Manhattan, but for some reason doesn't bother with his dangerous web slinging antics. And a pirate, majestic thief of the Spanish Main, with an awkward land walk that makes him trip in his size 9 boots.

You can tell he means business by the glint in his eye. It's the kind of glint that indicates that something big is going to happen, most likely to involve a conflict, exposition and resolution.

Accompanied by a companion of sorts, he walks in the shadow of a 17-year-old American teenager who wears a bad facial expression of numerous blemishes, and an old hand-me-down Metallica t-shirt.

"Just a couple more, then we're going home," the zit face vomited.

"Aye" the inspirited buccaneer piped. The older boy just rolls his eyes and then swivels them in their sockets, searching for some orientation. Westminster and 3rd street, two nearby street signs indicated. His eyes widened a little as he fixed them on the building directly across the street and on the third window from the right on the top floor.

"John," the malicious seadog steps out of character, "why don't you ever dress up for Halloween anymore? I've seen the pictures of when you were an alien and Freddy Krueger. You looked kind of happy." There was no more spirit in his face, just a thirst for answers.

"Well, I guess that you just take all of the happiness out of me. Anyway, I'm going across the street for a sec, you hit this one and wait for me on the steps right here. Okay, got it?" And a few steps later, "You know, I heard when mom told you not to go to Jake's."

John just smirked and kept walking, "Mom's not here, and if she finds out then I'll kick the crap out of you, got it?" He begins his ascent but no one answers. Up the stairs, up to the top floor, third door on the left and he just walks in without knocking. An extremely skinny man with huge lopsided spectacles jumps off the couch startled.

"Calm down, it's just me you moron."

"Oh, hey, what's goin' on?" the squirrel man asked, a little bit frightened.

"Well not a whole lot being Halloween and all." John answered a little agitated, "You got my stuff?"

"Yeah. Gimme one second." And at that the flesh tube slithered into the bowels of the oddly smelling apartment. John moved toward the bay window and lit a cigarette from a pack in his pocket. He watched the little pirate as he walked to the steps which he had indicated and sat like he told him.

"Man, that little bastard pisses me off sometimes."

And at that moment a large truck turned onto 3rd street which on the side read, "Know Thyself?" And John viewed his brother for the last time, for after the truck passed he would never be seen again.

---

Next story: A Night of Terror

---

Copyright ©2008 Chance Rose, Plano East Senior High. All rights reserved.

---

---