Down the Rabbit Hole

Jack-O_Lantern

30-Day Blogging Challenge
Your Prompt for Oct 29th:
Start your entry with this sentence:
As I looked at the Jack-o-Lantern, it seemed to be looking back at me. Then…


As I looked at the Jack-o-Lantern, it seemed to be looking back at me. Then the ground seemed to suddenly shift under my boots and I staggered with the effort not to fall down. A arm shot out and gripped my elbow, steadying me.

"Whoa, you okay? Sure that is coffee in that travel mug?" my neighbor Shelly joked, her eyes sparking in the glow of our lanterns.

I laughed, and blamed it on my poor choice of footwear.

"Only I wear heels to take the kids trick or treating right?" I covered my embarrassment with a big gulp of bitter coffee.

I searched the dark lawns for my daughter, running with the pack of neighbor kids. I felt a sharp stab of panic as I located her. They had reached the porch with that creepy Jack-o-lantern. She ran past it without stopping, her fuzzy raccoon tail trailing out behind her. The kids rang the doorbell and chorused their greeting when it swung open, the sudden light from within setting the kids faces ablaze. The old man shuffled forward, a large bowl wrapped in his arms.

"Do you know this neighbor?" I asked Shelly, without taking my eyes of the kids. We had moved to town the summer past and we'd only met a handful of neighbors so far.

"Yeah, that's Mr. Willis. He lives with his daughter Marcella. Nice girl, bit of a strange bird but she moved in with him after he had a stroke last year."

We moved off, keeping pace with the gaggle of kids as they crisscrossed the wide street. I turned back, sneaking another look at the intricately carved pumpkin flickering in the darkness. I noticed a movement in the big bay window, as if someone stepped quickly out of view. The Jack-o-lantern seemed to turn toward my gaze, it was as if I could feel its eye holes boring into my back as I walked up the street.

The next morning on the way to school, I deliberately passed by the Willis house. I slowly as much as I could without drawing my daughter's attention. The jack-o-lantern was still there but it had collapsed into a pool of decay. The face had melted in on itself and it was oozing blackened flesh down the steps. Odd. It had looked freshly carved for the trick or treaters last night. As I drove off I registered an uneasiness in my stomach, a sense that last night hadn't merely been spooky jitters inspired by the nocturnal holiday. There was something about that house. I made a mental note to formally introduce myself to the occupants...as soon as they managed to clear that rotted jack-o-lantern off their porch of course.