Getting ready for Halloween was only half the fun. Cutting scary faces into pumpkins and getting costumes ready for trick or treat. This was no exception for Toby and his sister Morgan. Toby and Morgan were pretty close considering they were bother and sister, but then again twins do have that closeness. Toby was slightly older by 17 minutes, but like all big brothers do he did look out for his sister.

This year Toby wanted to dress as a zombie and Morgan as always a witch. Their mum helped them get ready and put their make-up on them. She took a quick picture of them before they went on their way to go trick or treating. Their mum opened the door to them and told them that they was not allowed to go out of the street and not to knock at No. 7 as Mrs McMeekin wasn’t very well and certainly didn’t need any one disturbing her or probably scaring her out of her skin. Toby spoke then, “her house is so scary mum, it is just like a haunted house that you see in the movies”. Their mum laughed a little and told them not to be silly as they knew there was no such thing as haunted houses. With that, their mum opened the front door for them and told them to be back in no longer than 2 hours especially if they wanted to go to the Halloween party.

Toby and Morgan started at the beginning of the street where they saw a pumpkin lit up. They knocked and were greeted by a woman dressed in a devil’s outfit. They both chorused “Trick or Treat” and held out their little plastic pumpkins to get their first bout of sweets. The devil laughed and handed them both a toffee apple and wished them both a ghoulish night.

Toby was a bit fidgety and said to Morgan that he has a feeling that they are being watched. Morgan laughed at him and said it was just his imagination what with all the excitement of Halloween. Toby agreed she was probably right but kept looking over his shoulder to see if they were being watched.

They were approaching No 7. They knew they was not allowed to go up to the door, but stood staring at it for a few minutes. The house was in complete darkness. They went to go to the next house along and Toby gasped. He noticed a young face staring out from the upstairs window at him. It looked like someone dressed for Halloween but he couldn’t be sure. He spoke to Morgan and she looked up and saw nothing, but as they was about to walk away Morgan too spotted the face and they both froze on the spot where they stood. Toby finally spoke and said he was going to knock on the door to see if the child would like to join them trick or treating. Morgan glared at Toby and reminded him of what their mum had told them before they left the house. He wasn’t listening to anything she was saying and was already standing on the first step of the house which creaked very loudly as he stepped on it. Morgan gave up trying to stop him and decided to join him on this mini quest even though they knew they were in the wrong. There was a black cat sleeping on the door mat that woke as they got to the top of the steps. It hissed and ran straight passed them. Morgan took hold of Toby’s arm as she was now feeling a little scared.

Toby stretched out his arm and was about to knock, when Morgan stopped him, “maybe we shouldn’t bother her, mum said she is not very well”.
“Stop being such a scaredy cat” Toby said back to her. He again stretched out his hand and this time managed to knock on the door, at first there was no answer, so they decided to turn around ready to move on to the next house. As they got to the second from last step the door opened and in the doorway stood Mrs McMeekin. She looked very old and frail even though she wasn’t as old as she actually looked.

“I have no treats and you will not be doing any tricks, now leave me alone. Every year it’s the same with you kids. Why is it you only knock on my door at Halloween? No I am not a witch, it is dark here because I choose it to be. Now leave me alone”, Mrs McMeekin practically screamed it at Toby and Morgan.
Toby spoke, “sorry to bother you Mrs McMeekin, but we saw someone looking out of the upstairs window and wondered if they would like to come out and join us as they looked a little sad just watching us from the window”.

Mrs McMeekin took a small step forward and said very sternly “there is no-one here except me and Silas my cat, and it has been that way for the last 15 years and it wasn’t going to change now. Now be gone and stop disturbing me or I’ll call the police”. She turned and slammed the front door behind her. Toby and Morgan looked at each other and quickly stepped off the step to move towards the gate.
Toby and Morgan quickly closed the gate behind them. Toby had the urge to look up and sure enough the face was there, still staring out looking blankly in to thin air. Toby grabbed Morgan by the hand and ran as fast as they could away from No. 7, they weren’t particularly looking where there was going and ran straight into Mr O’Connor, their next door neighbour. He calmed them down and then they told him what had happened over at No. 7. Mr O’Connor listened without interrupting them and then told them the story of Thomas. Thomas was Mrs McMeekin’s son who had died on Halloween 15 years previous, he was only 10 at the time. He was out trick or treating and slipped of the curb and landed in the road, he unfortunately hit his head hard on the curb which later killed him in hospital due to severe head injuries. “Many people have said they have seen his face staring out what would have been his bedroom, still dressed in his costume from Halloween. He was dressed as Dracula, but now his face was naturally white with no need for make-up. Mrs McMeekin locks herself away at Halloween every year, hoping not to be disturbed so as not to remember the tragedy she had to face”.

Toby and Morgan felt a rush of sadness as Mr O’Connor relayed the story to them. He sent them on their way as they had probably had their fair share of scares for one night. Toby and Morgan both had the same idea. They went and got a red rose from the vase in their mum’s kitchen and went and placed it on the door step. As they walked away they both quickly looked up and he was there, only this time he looked like he was smiling. Toby and Morgan waved to Thomas and Thomas waved back.
Now they will have to wait till next year to see Thomas again, but they have a whole year to make it up to Mrs McMeekin, and they was going to start on All Souls Day by taking over some cookies they had made.