The Treats of Halloween

As the sun is setting, and the shadows grow,

the silver rays of moonlight glow.

Bright and comforting, they keep away the darkness.

They keep the night alive, and protect the prey from the predator’s madness.

The silver light,

a welcome sight,

for parents and guardians most of all,

‘twin known and unknown, an eternal wall.

The one night of the year when children’s laughter echoes through the street,

and all their little voices sing: “Trick or treat!”

On this night of mischief, beware the wandering child,

in their youthful careless stride, they might escape the light!

In my murky sanctuary under the trees,

I keep watch of those who wander away from their peers.

As I have set so close a lure for all sweet children,

who are so often, by pure craving driven.

I hear them coming now, they are moving closer,

past the small town road, and into my forest border…

“Come on quick!” The first child yells, “We only have one hour till the bells!”

He rides his small bike as fast as he can, with six more on his trail, trying to catch up, following his tail.

“Sam, wait up, we‘ll crash if you keep going so fast!” another boy cries out. But none of them slows down, as they move closer and closer to the special place Sam found.

Like fireflies they move through the night,

t’is not their lanterns though, that bring the light.

The day before, I could have had a mouthful,

But I let go, and so tonight, I shall be sated in full!

Their little bicycles start screaming through the quiet of the night, as they finally catch up to the one, who has ended his flight. He looks at them excited, blushed and sweaty from the ride.

“We are here!” he proclaims, while his little lantern to my forest he aims.

“Oh, wow! Congratulations! This is incredible! It looks the same as everywhere else around here, you fool!” John, an older, salty child, berated him and smiled.

 As if it was a signal, everyone else began complaining, creating a chorus of foul mouthed profanities, and my silence painting.

“SHUT UP!” Sam drowns out their complaining. “I tell you, this is only where we start! On the other side, there is something they are preparing!”

“Who are they?”

“Preparing what?”

“I don’t know that!” Sam responded in fact. “I think t’is like a fair; I overheard something in the air. Yesterday it echoed loudly, they spoke of fun and fair and candy!”

“Come one come all they said! Young and old, come everyone and join the fold!”

“A fair in the forest?”

“You are a liar Sam!”

“This feels like nothing but a scam!”

“I didn’t say it was inside! It all sure came from the other side! The voices came from far away; they spoke of tons of candy and sweets! I even found this chocolate bar on the ground, it was tastier than other treats!”

“I won’t be persuaded by garbage you ate from the ground, what would it matter now, what kind of sweet you found? This is the Night of Halloween, there is candy all around!”

 “It was not garbage! It was closed and clean! I tell you t’ was far better than anything found on Halloween! And more than that, there is tons there still, we could go grab it, we won’t even have to steal! Tons they said, they’ll hand out sweets! No more need for tricks for treats! It shall be ours, two bags, no, three each! If you’re not scared that is, through the woods to reach!”

And there it is, the lure was placed.

 And dear sweet Sam with it, to his friends he raced.

At once they feel the lure of sweets and taunt of pride,

they shall ignore the shades to claim the prize.

“Your words are foul and I fear not!” The salty boy was quick to retort. “We shall see about your candy free, yet forget me not, should this be another lie, in this forest we will leave you alone to rot! You will not be welcome with us to return. You will eat all your false sweets from the ground for your deceits!”

 “T’is there I told you so! Just follow me and you will see! It sure must be just past the final tree!”

 Still prideful and angry young John commands the rest: “We shall leave the bikes behind; we cannot ride through the forest.”

“Hold on, just wait, a moment still! We cannot simply enter here mid night, ignore all danger, just to have our fill!” Young and spicy Anny is too thoughtful, her taste is surely awful, but should I act now to make sure, that her attempted foil, my lovely meal will not entirely spoil?

 “Me and mine, we shall not follow. We will go back to town; this promise of fun was obviously hollow.”

“But Anny!” Her sweetest brother said, “What if there’s truly tasty candy on the other end!”

“Then we shall miss it like every other time! We shall “trick or treat” and we shall not waste the night!”

The girl is adamant and strong, she cannot be swayed, not by the taunting, not by the promise, not by her brother’s complain. And as they move away I still can hear him, young Timmy still begging to come in… do not worry child, I shall give more chances once you grow more wild.

Now for the rest of you… move closer,

surely you have not forgotten what I have to offer.

That’s it, move fast, come closer still,

and as you move around, ignore the chill…

“Too long we have walked and we have yet to hear something! I told you Sam is a liar, there is no candy, and he heard nothing!” Some time later salty John proclaims filled with anger and frustration, not knowing he has already reached his destination. Now the time has come, to savor the tasty light, as it expires in my wood’s darkest night.

“No! I told you, t’ must be but a little further, we cannot just give up, we must be close to the forest border!”

“Sam I am tired and cold, we will find no sweets! If we go home we might have time for some trick or treats…” Sweet Georgie now complains, his light is dwindling, but there is still more to feast, I shall treat you with horrors, spooks and beasts. Your light you shall give, I will replace it with fear, tonight you shall sate my hunger for an entire year!

“Did you hear that?” Georgie asks, as I slowly slither close to him, hidden in black grass.

“T’is but the wind, keep going!” Sam proclaims enthused, as his little lantern to point the way he used.

“No, I say this is enough!” Salty John cries out in anger. “You have wasted our entire night you liar!”

With anger full and hate, he moves forward; the younger boy backs up against a tree and by his friends feels cornered.

“I told you so, did I not? On your way back you’ll walk alone! And now to pay for your deceits; t’is time for you to enjoy your sweets!”

Sweet Sam is violently pushed to the ground, just like the mindless bully vowed. But we cannot have that now, oh no! Happiness is what lights little children up! Fear and terror is what makes them give the light up! Anger is of little use, I shall leave a present near the tree roots.  

“There! Right there! Another one you see? I told you so; there is another chocolate next to that tree!” The young boy shouts vindicated! They all move to see where he indicated.

“I told you so, I told you so! Taste and you will see, we need to find more, we cannot miss this treat!”

One bite is enough, one bite so sweet,

with it hear my promise, there is more for you to eat.

Let your light shine with hope at this new find,

make sure to keep moving forward blind!

T’is almost time you now, so take care,

I will feed you, you will feed me, t’is only fair!

Here follow the sweets through the woods little fireflies,

I shall keep watch from above, keep looking for my final surprise!

“Who would drop all this candy to the ground? There is at least a bag for each of us, and even more to be found!” Sweet John now exclaims, as he keeps eating one piece of goo for every time he picks up two.

T’is time now though, to give it back, the light I gave you, and finally be claimed by the black…

As young Sam greedily keeps searching on the ground, his eye does see him: A slender, tall, pale shape towering far above him. His shouts of terror pierce the night; they all start desperately fleeing for their life. And I can taste the light, as they run away from a scene so obscene; now I can play with them this Halloween!

 They ran far and fast, deep into the black, before they finally feel safe enough to stop and look back.

“What was that monster? Did you see? That was no man; he was so tall, almost like a tree! We need to move, find our way out of the woods, back into the light. This cursed forest’s full of evil and fright!” For the first time this night all five of them agree, they take solace in each other’s presence, I can see a spark of light between them, as I crawl up on a tree.

“Let us go quick, this way for certain!” Young John takes charge of the group once again. They run through wood, and cold and dark, desperate to be free and reignite their spark!

Just so, sweet child, do look for the light.

I shall return some, and finally bid you, goodnight!

There, see it behind that nearby tree,

The spark is calling on to thee.

Also hear the voices and the cheering,

you are not alone, forget that feeling!

“We finally made it out keep running! I can hear people, I can see light! The fair I told you so is running! We are safe now from the darkness, we can take a rest, enjoy the sight, and eat candy through the night!” Sweetest Sam is oh so happy and bright, his terror forgotten, he takes in the sight! Let me welcome you young children to the fair! And for the greatest feast this night prepare!

“Come one, come all, come young and old!

Come everyone and join the fold!

Here we play games, here we have fun!

Here we eat candy by the ton!

Come in, move fast, come closer still!

And as you dance around, ignore the chill.

Have some more candy, it isn’t stale.

T’is even better than a fairy tale!

Keep moving in, you’re almost there,

now you can see the center of the fair…

You are deep inside now, here at the center,

The beautiful carrousel is waiting for you to enter.

Keep riding now t’is warm not chilling,

the cheering has not turned to screaming.

There are people around; you are not alone in darkness,

the pale man approaching is harmless!

Why do you stop, carry on another round,

what does it matter if there is no sound?

Do not move away, you cannot go, you are now entirely ours,

where would you go, how would you leave after so many hours?

In the end t’was you yourself, that willingly walked inside the bowels…