Halloween Wish

Stanley trekked on. Pushing past fears. Each house bringing no form of relief. Each person answering the door stranger, scarier than the last. And the masks? Why was everyone walking around in plain clothes and those awful masks?
“Halloween is a special night.” He whirled toward the voice behind him. “When you gaze at the world through clouded eyes – it can be a bit deceiving.”
“Sam?” The old man with the glittering skin laid a hand on his shoulder. “Where did you come from?”
“I’ve been with you.”
“But I didn’t see you … why is everyone only wearing masks? Why didn’t I know? I don’t fit in,” Stanley whined. “I’m all alone and I’m different.”
Sam gazed about. “Looks like any other Halloween to me.”
“How can you say that? It’s not! It’s not!”
“I see a princess, a ghost, a pirate … some furry red … yup the same.”
“You’re lying! You’re teasing me!”
“You’re seeing fear. Not truth.”
“You’re following me?” Stanley spat. “If you’re a kidnapper, I’m too smart for you.”
Sam chuckled. “Don’t you want to collect more candy? I know a place.”
Stanley did want to go someplace better and he also knew that going with this strange man could be trouble. Then he thought maybe it would teach his mother and his big brother a lesson. Maybe if he was stolen away in the night they would care. Then they would be sorry. They would be so sorry! “Where? A party?”
“A place where they give out candy.” Sam touched his shoulder and in a blink, the neighborhood streets were gone.
“Where are we?” Disappointed brown eyes scanned the new room. It was plain. No Halloween decorations. Actually it looked like someone wanted it to appear fancy, but it was nothing but generic furniture like he’d seen in the doctor’s office. Half wood, half papered walls and stupid fake antique chairs covered with vinyl. And the air was heavily dosed with cleaning products.
He wanted a real Halloween party, but this was no party. “No one is wearing costumes here either.”
“Not that you can see.”
Someone hollered. He whirled to find a woman hanging over the side of a wheel chair. Hair so thin he could see scalp. A man hobbled by with a walker. Too big clothes swallowing a bag of bones.
What was this place? How could Sam leave him some place full of – of – zombies.
And kids in their masks were lined up to take treats from each one. Shuffling slowly with their masked parents like they were wearing invisible chains.
The zombies smiled toothless grins and poked at them.
Stanley fumed. There he was stuck in that place when he could have been having a really good time. If only someone cared … if only someone paid attention.
A woman caring a cup in her hand came rushing his way.
“Mom?”
The woman walked right through him.
“Huh?”
“No one can see us.”
“We’re ghosts?”
“Sort of.”
Now he was really scared. He watched his mother. She paid so much attention to the creatures around her. But she didn’t see him. Like always.
“Ugh! I hate my mom! She never does anything with me anymore!”
“Is that the truth? Do you really hate your mother?”
“Yes!” Stanley screamed.
“Tonight is the night for wishes,” Sam replied in his too calm and not so clear way. “Choose wisely.”
“I wish I had a new mom!”
And with that Sam nodded and faded away, leaving him in the room.
The haze faded.
He was no longer a ghostly on looker.
“That’s my Grandson. Come here, child.”
Stanley twirled toward the brittle boned finger. The woman’s eyes sunken. A skeleton draped with a thin layer of blue lined skin.
“You’re not my Grandmom.” Then the woman was saying the same thing to another kid.
“Mom!” He yelled to the woman kneeling beside a drooling being. He rushed to her side. “Mom!”
“Take this medicine for me.” She softly asked then turned to address Stanley. “Can I help you, young man?”
“Mom? Don’t you know me?”
She smiled sweetly. “Awe, I wish my son was still as young as you. He’s nearly grown now.” She smiled. “He doesn’t need me as much these days.”
“But I need you.”
“You better find your parents, sweetheart. You could get lost easily in this crowd tonight.”
It really happened. He’d wished his mother away. He stood against the wall watching this woman he’d known all his life. He’d never known what her job was. He knew she always had to leave and go to the office. She always said she had to work on the floor because there was no one else.
He began to think of all the fun they had. When she wasn’t at work. The way they ran around the yard playing football. How she scooped him up in his arms when he tried for a touchdown.
He thought about the cookies she made for him on snow days and the way she spent all day decorating his birthday cake on his birthday and she would never let him see it until it was time.
He remembered the way she cheered him up … how she took care of him when he was sick … and he’d wished her away.
He stared at the beings. One reached out and touched him.
He stared at her.
Her wrinkles melted and he saw a very beautiful young woman. Then she let go and her mask returned.
“Sam!” He screamed. “Sam! Come back!”