Harry's Scary Halloween

I was curled into a ball, belly side up and my head tucked under my arm, lying on a chair in the dining room when it happened.I was minding my own business; warm and safe, I thought, from the outside dangers.It was dark and damp out side and all was quiet, out front three round orange objects glowed from with in, one projecting a toothy smile, another an open mouthed scream and the last an evil grin. I should have known something was amiss. But, I am used to my human doing strange things. Yes, this seemed just like any other night in my house when it happened.It started with cars driving by slowly and doors banging shut, not unusual on our street except there seemed to be more this night than most nights.Then my ears twitched, what was I hearing now? Squeals and screams and laughter! There was the thumping of running feet! My back arched and I came half out of my loafing position. I looked to the left and then to the right.Then there was the distinct sound of pounding feet on my doorstep and a slamming of fists on the door. I lept from my chair and crouched low to the floor just as my human came sweeping through the kitchen draped in a long black sheet. She was covered from head to toe, nothing visible but her big nose.“Trick or Treat!” little human voices boomed from the other side of the door.My human grabbed a bowl from off of the kitchen counter and swept through the dining room. Laughing hysterically she whipped the door open. My fur bristled along my back as I was hit by a blast of cool damp air that flowed across the dining room floor.Still crouching on the floor beneath the table I watched as my human gave treats to nasty little goblins and pretty little princesses. “Oh, look! Harry,” she screeched at me, “are they not darling?” I stared at the little humans then slowly turned my head away.That’s when it really got bad. A little monster saw me.With a squeal of wicked delight the little monster ducked under my human’s arm and pounced toward me, tripping over his big feet it fell with a thud right in front of my face!I dashed through the kitchen; down the hall and under the bed I dove. My heart was pounding and there was a swooshing noise in my head. I peeked out from under the blue dust ruffle; I’m sure my eyes were big as my milk dish.The little monster was hauled back by his human who was apologizing profusely for such bad behavior; the monster shrugged and went cheerily booming, “trick or treat,” to Mona’s house next door.I waited a bit to see if all was clear; it wasn’t. They just kept coming group after group, pounding and yelling and my human kept laughing a high-pitched cackle. What was wrong with her? Finally, it ended. My human took off the black sheet, shut the door and turned off the outside lights.I slunk out from under the bed and jumped up on the couch next to my human. I curled up against her hip while she watched TV. If she was going to do something else crazy I was going to be ready. I slept with one eye open and one ear turned.That was a couple years ago. Now I know, when my human sets out the round orange objects with glowing faces, the scary little things will come, they will yell and chase me and make my human laugh in a terrible way. That’s how it happened that night and that’s how it will happen again. My human calls it Halloween.