The Murphy boys were jibing at the girls from the rear guard as their little unit climbed the hill. ReRe kept stumbing on her gown and mumbling about getting in trouble. Janey held her hand snuggly and Wendy whispered reassurances to the little Bride. Janey took the point, eyes peeled to her left and right. What did she expect to see after all? They had all seen this place hundreds of times. It was still the big, gray Victorian house that sat atop this hill and watched them pull up their sleds, or ride their bikes past on their way to fishing down the road. She'd seen it hundreds of times if she'd seen it once. It was quite another sight after dark.
The maples and the oak trees closed in around the porch more, and wind set the branches to clawing the sides of the house. It sent the leaves scratching across the hard ground and stone walkway,whispering disapproval of their presence. The rain gutters cut the air and sang a dirge in the key of goose bumps.
There were lights on inside! Never before had they seen the cracks between the drapes glowing. As they got to the steps of the porch Janey stopped and the whole gang bumbled into her.They were too busy gawking upwards at the Tower, a black, pointy witch hat for a roof and little windows like two square eyes. "Ya see that tower, ReRe?" Tommy whispered to her,"That's were the groom will lock you up when yer married." All of the boys laughed pretty hard at that one.
"You stuff it right now or I'll stuff this down your neck."Wendy was waving a fist in front of him so he'd see it. "Don't listen ReRe. He's just a moron."
"Well what are you waiting for Captain Janey? Cold feet all of a sudden?" the oldest boy said while standing safely behind them all. Janery stared. The door bell button was made visible by a gliint of the moonlight, right there, beside the ornate wooden door. The broom by near the door jamb trembled in the wind,causing a "shhshhshhshshshsh!". The end of the porch where three steps lay waiting for her to bolt seemed a mile away.
"Shut up, Murphy," Janey hissed,"If we live through this, I hope you get drafted." She found she was thinking of the trouble they all got into back on
the night of the fight right out on that grass. She looked back to the door, looming large with every step. What if there was even more trouble waiting for them? 'Too late to think about that now',she told herself.' It's time to put my money where my mouth is'. If there really is a ghost, she could out run everybody at school and not as much worried as just plain scared.
"Go on then, Captain Short Straw" he poked again. With a slight tremor in her hand, she reached for the button. As her finger felt the cold metal of the botton, and before she could push it...the door creaked open and light spilled on to the porch, revealing them all to the night. They stood stock still, holding their breaths.
"Oh oh ohhhhhh,,,I'm Scaaaared!" squealed ReRe.
" Well,look what we have here." said a small but unperturbed old voice. Before them stood a very old woman who towered over them with a straight back. Spindly legs sprouted below a black and white,flower print dress. The two big girls slowly looked at each other, wearing "O's" of expression in their mouths. Crows feet sprouted from the sides of her face, which wore a nearly white powder. This face was strong jawed and framed in black pin curls that barely showed any gray. Still,she seemed so pale and frail, as if she weren't really there. She took a step backward and said, "Well...what can I do for you tonight?"
Nobody moved, and nobody breathed on that porch. The wind had picked up a little and sent the leaves and branches to protesting. ReRe was trembling and Janey's hand was hurting from the squeeze the little Bride was exerting on it. They were in a common dream, caught in a black and white still shot. "Ahem..." the old woman coughed and looked sideways.
"T-trick o-or Treat?" Janey at last let out.
"Now that's more like it!" she smiled down on the kids." Would you care to come into the kitchen with me?". She smiled, turned and seemed to just float down the wainscoted hallway towards a warm smell of baking. One by one, they crossed the threshold of fear and stepped into fascination and adventure.
********************
How do you spell...?
The kitchen was very large after the country kitchens from a century before Janey's time. The yellow walls rested on light grey wainscoting and the cupboards looked as though they could hold enough food for an army. They cautiously accepted her invitation to look up on the counter. She was standing beside a large sheet cake. "I was just finishing up decorations on this cake." she said quietly. They could see pumpkins and black cats all around, with a thick, orange ribbon of frosting waving it's way around the whole cake. In the center in black and orange frosting script it said "Happy Hallowe." 'Would a ghost bake a cake?', Janey wondered silently. "Does anyone know how to spell this word?" she asked as she pointed to "Hallowe...".
Janey looked at her. "H-al-l-0-w-e-'-e-n?" she spoke as politely as possible.
"Yes. That's exactly right. I'll bet you are very good at spelling in school?"
"Well...." Janey blushed at the giggles behind her.
"There now," said "Mrs. Murray" as she finished off the word with orange icing. "Who would like a piece of cake?" No one spoke. Could a ghost's cake be eaten? Would it make you sick? Janey swore she could hear the boys drooling on the floor though. "It's chocolate, you know..."
"I do! I do!" came the little voices from the group. From around the corner came a tall man with blonde Bryl-Creamed hair, wearing a mohair sweater.
"This is my son, David" Mrs. said as she took his hand ."David. We are about to have some cake in the parlor. Would you help us please?" David smiled at his mother and as she served up the cake on little tea plates, he led them into the large front parlor of the mansion. He bid them sit by the fire or anywhere near it. Everyone was staring around, mouths wide open, at all the well kept antique furniture. She floated slowly in and took her seat on the sofa close to the fire. David followed close behind with a tray of hot chocolate for all. As they happily chowed down on the chocolate cake and sipped at the cocoa, she asked them all about themselves.
"We all go to the same school in town, elementary and junior high." Wendy told her.
"Do you all live nearby? I think you are some of the sledders I see in the winter time,yes?" the old woman asked gently. They all blushed to think that she may have been the one who witnessed the only time things got that out of hand among them.
"Yes,M'am," Janey sought to change the subject. "May I ask you a question?"
"Of course you may,Dear. More cake anyone?" There were hands up and thank you's for that.
"We never knew anyone lived here before."
"Oh, I have been so rude!" she cried in a bird voice. " Where are my manners? I am Mrs. Murray. I have lived here since my marriage to my poor departed husband, some 74 years ago. I was the only school teacher here for a long long time. Why, I'll bet I taught some of your grandparents! And whom might you be?" she raised her eyebrows for some emphasis.
'When my grandparents were young? She must be at least a hundred!' Janey couldn't help thinking. As the kids explained themselves, and their parents names, she brightened up and welcomed them all, as newcomers.
It was getting late for the reclusive old woman of the hill. She suggested David see them to the door and give them a grab in the Trick or Treat sack. She saw them to the door and told them to come back again,"Maybe around Christmas time to help me with my tree. David always finds one that nearly touches the cieling!" She waved a white bony hand,"Bye Bye now!"
As they filed past her on their way out, they all remembered their manners and mumbled awestruck thank you's to her. Back out in the dark of night, they shivered a little and began to descend the hill. There was a quiet sense of peace around them. "Well" said one of the boys in the dark,"She was no ghost. That's for sure.
"Nope. But she was a hundred years old I'll just bet. That was even better than a ghost, right ReRe?" Wendy chucked the little Bride's head. They negotiated their separate ways home and ReRe tugged on Janey's hand.
"I didn't get married yet, Janey"
"I know,ReRe, but I think David was a little too old for you." the three of them broke into a giggle fit.
"Here comes the bride...ten miles wide...nya nya nya nya.." came the Murphy brothers comment on that idea. ReRe started to leak around the eyes and threw her Ragweed bouquet at them.
"Shut up, you little farts." Wendy shouted at them.
"C'mon, ReRe,"Janey took her by the hand again,"It's getting cold. Let's go home and show what we got for Trick or Treat!"
"Yeah Let's!" she creid eagerly, already forgetting the fun the boys had made of her. As they walked away from the hill, Janey and Wendy turned to look at the Murphys going on ahead, then back at each other.
"Well,Janes," Wendy said to her friend, "that sure was a short truce,eh?"
"Yeah,sure was," Janey said through a sigh."nice while it lasted. Looks like it's going to be another long winter on our street." They just nodded agreement, and waved goodbye at Wendy's house , until tomorrow.
The End