Trunk-o-Treat

A short story by Sarah Nieukirk

It was a dark night. Halloween night to be exact. One lone teenager was preparing for this special occasion. Ryan was his name, and he wore red horns and held a pitchfork. On his chest was a neon vest. This vest was important because Ryan would soon be the protector of a small gaggle of trick-or-treaters. As Ryan finished preparing, he went through the list of the trick-or-treaters in his head: Stacy, Will, Mindy, Aiden, and Tommy.

The doorbell rang, and Ryan went to greet the children. The children had a range of costumes: a pink fairy princess, a shiny space ranger, a furry dog, a spooky skeleton, and a rat. Once the children were given a bag, the group left the home. As they began their quest for sugary treats, they passed a grand building. On the front of this building was an orange banner with the words “Trunk o Treat”. Ryan never saw the appeal of trunk-o-treats. He thought it was more fun to explore the neighborhood for candy, so he led the group past as a line started to form outside the building's doors. As they were walking, Ryan checked the list again: Stacy, Will, Mindy, Aiden, and Tommy.

An hour or two ticked by, and Ryan noticed some children were straggling behind. He stopped and waited for the group to form again. There were sparkly wings, a clear helmet, a bony mask, and a rat tail. Ryan checked the list to see if they were all here. Stacy, Will, Mindy, and Aiden. Ryan felt like something was wrong, but he couldn't grasp what it was. Pondering, he continued on. Ryan faintly saw the glow of the Trunk-o-treat building. After trekking across a few blocks, Ryan stopped to let the children rest and to do another head count. Stacy and Will. Ryan thought their group had been bigger, but everyone was here. Befuddled, they started up again. The group once again passed the familiar building with the

orange banner. The line was still there, but it had dwindled. Ryan noticed a fairy princess and skeleton in the line.

After walking a long while, Ryan's legs had grown tired. He turned around to ask the others of their condition, but no one was behind him. Ryan thought that was strange, but couldn't remember why. In fact, he couldn't even remember why he was out here. Confused, he walked to the nearest building. Maybe someone inside could help. Ryan opened the door and walked under the orange banner hanging overhead.