Blood Games

    ‘Say what?’ asked Finley in a muffled voice.

    ‘A perfect Allhallows Eve,’ Abilene said. The wind in the tree tops sounded like cars rushing by on a freeway. It made shadows tremble and shake on the pavement of the road and sidewalk. It tumbled leaves through the air. It billowed Helen’s sheet and flapped Vivian’s witch gown and lifted Cora’s pleated skirt. It tossed Abilene’s pendulum from side to side. It licked her bare armpit, eased inside her sweatshirt’s gaping hole and slid its chilly tongue over her breast Though it gave her gooseflesh, she rather liked the feel of it.

    Stopping at a corner, Finley asked, ‘Which way?’

    ‘Let’s not get any closer to campus,’ Vivian said.

    Campus was several blocks straight ahead.

    Abilene glanced to the left That direction would lead downtown. To the right, however, the street passed between rows of family houses. Cars were parked along both sides and in driveways. Lights glowed on porches. Windows were bright. She saw jack-o’-lantems in front of many nearby homes. And as she watched, a group of kids hurried toward the sidewalk from a house midway down the block.

    ‘This way,’ Abilene said.

    They went to the right

    The kids were heading in their direction. Four little tykes, accompanied by a couple of women who waited on the sidewalk while they made forays to each house.

    ‘I hope these mothers don’t think we’re nuts,’ Vivian said.

    Approaching them, Abilene suddenly found herself feeling very self-conscious about her armpit She wished she’d worn a more conventional costume. Or a jacket.

    The kids came scampering back to the sidewalk. The boys were Batman and a Freddie Krueger. One girl was a ballerina. The other, in high heels, fishnet stockings, a black leather miniskirt and silky silver blouse, wore a great deal of makeup and a shaggy red wig. Abilene supposed she was meant to be a rock star, but she looked like a six-year-old hooker.

    What kind of mother would let her go out looking like that? Neither woman looked particularly weird.

    ‘Happy Halloween,’ Finley said.

    ‘Yikes, an ape!’ said one of the women.

    ‘He’s not a real ape,’ Batman pointed out.

    ‘We’re the Merry Halloween Team,’ Finley said. ‘And we bear gifts of goodies for all the little boys and girls.’

    A snort of laughter came from under Helen’s sheet.

    Finley clapped Cora on the back. ‘This is Cheery the Cheerleader. Cheery, give the kids some candy.’

    The children gathered around Cora. She reached into her sack, pulled out a handful of miniature Three Musketeers Bars, and dropped one into each bag.

    Receiving his treat, Freddie Krueger said, ‘Unpleasant dreams,’ and let out an evil laugh.

    The ballerina shyly murmured, ‘Thank you.’

    ‘Thank you very much,’ said Batman.

    The hooker muttered a petulant ‘Thanks’ and stepped right over to Abilene. ‘What’re you?’ she asked in her snotty little voice.

    ‘I’m the Razor Lady,’ Abilene told her, tapping the edge of her foil-wrapped crescent. ‘I sneak around in the night and cut out the tongues of obnoxious little children.’

    ‘You are not. Sides, that’s too big to go in a mouth.’

    ‘I make it fit,’ Abilene said.

    Helen started giggling inside her sheet.

    Vivian cackled in a very witchlike manner.

    ‘Come along, kids,’ said one of the women. If she’d caught Abilene’s remarks, apparently they hadn’t bothered her.

    Abilene and the others stepped aside to let the group pass, then continued along the sidewalk.

    ‘Geez, Hickok.’

    ‘She was a little creep.’

    ‘Can’t take you anywhere.’

    At the end of the block, they spotted several small clusters of trick-or-trfeaters in both directions. Since going to the left would lead them toward campus, they headed to the right.

    They met a pirate, a princess and a tiny little girl in a Snow White costume accompanied by a young man and woman who seemed to enjoy the encounter more than the kids.

    ‘The Merry Halloween Team?’ asked the man after hearing Finley’s spiel.

    ‘Hiis is really neat,’ said the woman. ‘What a nice idea.’

    ‘We’re just out to have some fun,’ Cora told them. ‘Monkeying around,’ said Finley.

    ‘Woooooo,’ said Helen.

    ‘And look at you,’ the man said, smiling at Abilene - eyeing her armpit.

    ‘She’s the Razor Lady,’ Finley said. ‘She sneaks around and slices off the tongues of obnoxious children.’

    ‘Really?’ asked the woman.

    The man, frowning, shook his head. ‘I would’ve guessed you might be “The Pit and the Pendulum.” ’

    Abilene burst out laughing. ‘You’re right! Fantastic!’

    ‘Obscure, but clever,’ the man said.

    ‘You’ve made her night,’ Vivian told him.

    ‘Give them some candy,’ Abilene said.

    Cora gave a couple of Three Musketeers bars to each of the adults, then dropped a few more into the bags of the kids.

    On their way again, Vivian said, ‘Nice people.’

    ‘Smart, too,’ said Abilene.