Trick or Treat by Littlewing1957
Ennis headed over to Alma’s place just as soon as he clocked out at the ranch. He looked forward to having his girls over for an entire weekend of Halloween fun. Alma was kind enough to purchase Jenny and Alma Jr. costumes, which was a time saver. All Ennis had to do was get them dressed and take them around the neighborhood for some tricks-or-treat fun. Ennis loved Halloween, but he kept that fact to himself. He loved buying candy for the few children who happened by his trailer every year; he loved the truly frightening store bought and homemade costumes; he loved the chill in the air which was a forecast of colder weather to come. Ennis loved it all!
Jenny was dressed as a witch and Alma Jr. was all decked out as a cute fairy. Not very imaginative costumes, but the girls looked beautiful and were very happy to be with their daddy. Ennis left a tray of goodies on the stoop of his trailer, just in case a few kids wandered by, and ushered his girls into the truck to take to town. Ennis read in a magazine that it was no fair taking children out of the neighborhood in search of wealthier blocks with better treats, but to his credit, Ennis did take his kids around the trailer park first. His neighbors were very nice to Jenny and Alma Jr., practically filling their plastic pumpkins with candy.
Ennis drove the girls to a neighborhood just on the outskirts of town. It was a working class neighborhood, and Ennis knew the people to be very friendly. He grew up with a few of the residents, and worked at the ranch with one guy who lived near the end of the block. As they made their way through the neighborhood, Ennis noticed a house that looked rather out of place. He didn’t remember such a residence on the block, but then again, he hadn’t been to that part of town in awhile. Alma Jr. and Jenny were having the time of their lives walking through the neighborhood, smiling at other kids, getting compliments on their costumes from the adults. When they reached the house that Ennis thought looked rather strange, he told the girls to go up and ask for candy. The porch light was on, which signaled that the residents were participating. Alma Jr. and Jenny ran to the front door and rang the bell. When a man answered in a death’s mask and black cape, the girls shrieked and ran toward their daddy for protection. Ennis even drew back when he saw the imposing figure.
“It’s okay, ladies!” The man in the skeletal mask laughed.
“Come on back. I’m sorry if I scared you, but I must admit, I love the fact that this costume is so effective.”
Ennis was rubbing Jenny’s back as she caught her breath. Alma Jr., being the oldest, recovered quickly and was headed to the front door before the man could finish his sentence. Jenny followed behind her. The man held out a brightly decorated bowl filled with treats for the girls. Each selected a piece of candy, and the kind man handed them a few more.
“Thanks, mister!” The girls sang in unison.
“You’re welcome, ladies!” The cloaked man answered. He looked over the girl’s shoulders at a smiling Ennis Del Mar.
“What about you, dad? The man yelled. “You want a treat? I have something special for you.”
Ennis shrugged and approached the man’s door warily. The man turned and walked a few paces into his house and returned with the largest fortune cookie that Ennis had ever seen. He handed it to Ennis, who needed to open both palms to receive it.
“Now you wait till you get home to open it, ya hear?” The man whispered. Ennis turned the fortune cookie from side to side, wondering what to make of it.
“Well, thank you kindly, sir!” Ennis stated. His girls looked at the cookie with puzzled expressions on their lovely faces.
“You’re welcome. Now remember, eat the cookie and read the fortune when you get home. Preferably when you’re alone.” The man nodded his head and closed the door.
“Are you goona keep it, daddy?” It was Jenny looking at the cookie as though it had sprouted wings.
“Yeah, that is one funny treat!” Alma Jr. chimed in. “I didn’t know people gave fortune cookies for Halloween!” Ennis shrugged.
“And look at the size of this thing!” Ennis stated as he turned the cookie from side to side. The cookie gave him the creeps, and he couldn’t explain why. Ennis remembered hearing about voodoo people gaining control of others by having them eat something. Ennis and the girls continued on, and when they reached a dumpster, he threw the cookie in. The girls seemed to exhale a sigh of relief when Ennis threw the thing away.
The man in the grim reaper costume removed his mask and sat down on his leather couch. His long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail that filled the hood of his cloak. He smiled as he thought about Ennis and his daughters. But he was bummed, as he had a feeling that Ennis would never read the message he stuffed inside the fortune cookie.
“Ah that Ennis Del Mar!” The blond haired man sighed. “He is a much harder nut to crack than I thought! But I’ll try harder. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.”
And with that, the blonde haired man retired to his den to practice his violin.