Look Twice Oct23 '02

I saw the candle in the right sconce of one of the mirrors wink and go right out, and almost immediately its companion followed it. There was no mistake about it. The flame vanished, as if the wicks had been suddenly nipped between a finger and a thumb, leaving the wick neither glowing nor smoking, but black. While I stood gaping, the candle at the foot of the bed went out, and the shadows seemed to take another step towards me.

The Red Room, by H.G. Wells

I love Halloween.

From alleys to front porches – a spook is always shrouded. Decorations grab our attention, and attempt to frighten us. Halloween has always been filled with a wonderful sense of apprehension. Some may deny it, but others know it exists. All they have to do is read this:

"Look Twice," by Matt Thommes

I was walking down a quiet side street in October, at dusk. Leaves crunched at my feet. Darkness was creeping up around me, like a snake hovering over its prey. My bare hands seemed frozen, as they bathed in the bitter air. A slight breeze filtered through the trees. The leaves rustled, as if expressing their presence. The parked cars rested silently below the trees. Traffic droned in the distance.

A front porch grabbed my attention. Fake spider webs, two nicely carved pumpkins, a scarecrow, and a witch all clung to the house. I smiled at the effort that was put forth. Halloween is such a child’s holiday, I thought. Why do grown people decorate like that? I laughed to myself.

I continued on my path. An instant later, I turned my head to look back at that front porch, as if the scarecrow had just called my name. Not having the slightest idea why, I looked more closely at the porch, as if something had just moved. Nothing did, of course. Everything was in it’s right place. Everything was still.

Almost too still.

I shook the feeling and continued on my way.

What am I doing?, I asked myself. Not entirely admitting it, I felt something eerie about the decorations. Something hidden. Something waiting for the right moment...

I realized that I was completely alone on this block. Does everyone hibernate inside after 5 PM?, I wondered.

I decided it was getting cold and began to quicken my pace. A sense of uncertainty crossed my mind, and I couldn’t figure out the source. I began to eye the trees and shrubs closely, as if something was going to jump out in front of my path. From the corner of my eye, shadows seem to be dancing in the twilight.

I asked myself, How can I be scared of some harmless halloween decorations? It’s absurd.

Grow up, I repeated in my head. However, despite my own reassurances, I couldn’t bring myself to decrease my walking pace.

I have to get home. I have things to do. All this to justify my sudden sense of apprehension. Finally I made it to my block. I breathed a sigh of relief. I smiled again. What was that all about?, I wondered. It was kind of exciting, in a strange way. I felt like a little kid.

As I walked up the driveway leading to my own front porch, I stared at the Halloween decorations that my parents put up. A scarecrow in the ground, and witch clung to the pillars. It was then I realized what Halloween is really about.

It’s not just a child’s holiday. It lives in each of us. It silently calls our name and always makes us look twice.

Categories: Creative Writing , Holidays

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