Halloween Ii

Crowds of young children were roaming the streets, they had to be home before late, she heard giggling voices and shuffling of feet and that chirping squeak from the front gate. A muffled discussion on whose turn to knock and a voice said “ I did it last time”, just as at that moment a key turned the lock and the grandfather clock gave a chime. Their argument stopped as the door slowly swung, the child at the front led the call, “ Trick or tre- “ then he stopped, air was knocked from his lungs from the sight of what slouched by the wall. A few strands of hair framed a husk of a head, black sockets where eyes used to be wafer thin was the skin, from all colour had bled and it's mouth like an inverted 'V'. With a tongue that resembled a corpulent slug, and hands twisted as if double jointed, the children reeled backwards as with a loud crack it lifted an arm and then pointed. “Begone!” The thing hissed, spitting bile and hate as the kids ran without further ado, “And the last of you out will you please close the gate!” But you'll find frightened kids never do. The daughter looked up from her paper and smiled as it shuffled over to her chair, “Thanks, Mother” she said “Time to go back to bed- You'll be needing your spade, it's right there”. For contest 'Halloween', sponsor Eve Roper