Treats and Tricks

It was past ten and the doorbell was finally slowing down. The pumpkin on the path had survived the bulk of the night. The little wolves and witches were heading home now, making way for the real thing to haunt the night. And the candy was just about done. Time to turn off the porch light and call it a night.

The doorbell rang out, beating the lightswitch for the while. Stragglers, but not too late. There was time for one more round.

“Trick or treat!”

“Well, hello, there! Three of you, eh? What have we got?”

Three stragglers, late for a school night, and truth be told, a rather scraggly looking bunch. There was a ghost, an honest, old-fashioned, made from a bedsheet ghost. The eyeholes at least lined up but little sneakers poked out below. There was an alien, the cheap plastic mask kind that cost ten gil at any corner store. The kid slouched, and his t-shirt said ‘Take me to your dealer’. He’d be a right pumpkin kicker in a few years, no doubt about that.

There was a taller one behind them in some sort of lizard costume. With a tutu. And a crown. Well, there had been stranger things in the night. And they were just kids and it was all about the spirit of the thing anyway.

“Let’s see, here’s something for the ghost, got me there, very spooky.”

“Thank yoooooooo!” Ghost yowled and he wasn’t half bad.

“And something for the little blue man. Please don’t abduct me now.”

“I come in peace. Long as you got candy anyway.” Oh, he was going to be a tp master, this one.

“And a little something for… Um, what are you, dear?”

“I’m a dragon princess!” she declared.

“Oh, of course. The tiara makes it obvious.”

“Thank you, loyal subject.” Pretty good curtsy too.

“Alright, guys, one more house and home we go, okay?” Now that was a real scare.

“Awww, Dad.”

“Come on, we already started late.”

“I know, I know, and that’s my fault, but it’s still a school night.” The shadowy parental figure stepped into the light.

Well, looked like it was all his fault. He was half-assing it too. The silver wig had seen better days. Probably why he had it pulled back in a ponytail. And he hadn’t bothered with the uniform, either the WRO or SOLDIER classic version, just plainclothes as it got, with the cheap glowing contacts to finish it off.

“I’ll make up for it next year, okay?” he said, “make sure it’s not so last minute.”

“Okay.” It was a grudging unison. Adult eyes met and Dad shrugged.

“Busy day, huh?”

“The job is what it is,” he said. “Come on, kids.”

“Oh, hang on.” Might as well empty the candy bowl. “I’ve got a lollipop for the General, if he wants it.”

“Oh?” Dad turned. “What flavor?”

“Looks like cherry.”

Maybe it was the flickering porch display, but those contacts looked like they glowed a little brighter. “Sounds great to me. Thank you.”

And the porch light went off and that was it for the night.

~.~.~

“Good hustle, Dad,” Ella said. “That’s how much now?”

“I’ll let you know when I empty my pockets.” Sephiroth slid the lollipop from one side of his mouth to the next.

Ari took a soft swing at him with his candy bag. “You’re supposed to dress up as something you’re not.”

Rei stopped in his tracks and shared a glance with Ella through the scissors-snipped holes in his sheet. Ella shrugged. “Nobody here has room to talk. Look, there’s the car.”

“Race ya!” Ari yelled and tore off.

“Hey, wait up, you nuts.” Ella took off behind them.

Sephiroth crunched the last of his lollipop and strolled the rest of the way. “Hey, Dad, next year we get to Trick-or-treat longer, right?” Ella said, “I only got a couple more years before I’m too old.”

“Don’t say that,” Sephiroth said, wondering exactly when she had gotten that tall. “I never got to go trick-or-treating when I was a kid and look at me now.” He whipped two full size candy bars out of his jacket.

“Sheesh, Dad,” Ari said. Sephiroth could see the eyes rolling behind the cheap mask.

“Yeah, old man,” Ella said. “How long you going to ride that ‘Deprived as a Child’ train?”

He whipped out two more candy bars and a strawberry licorice whip. “As long as I can get away with it.”