A Halloween Tale: Red Noses, Mrs. McFee, and Caramel Popcorn Balls

Willy was so mad at his brother Eggie. He said he wouldn't take him Trick or Treating! Boy, that stinks!

His mom was sick in bed with a bad cold and his Dad was at work. His Mom said he was too young to go alone. That is what she said last year too!

He had spent a lot of time at the second-hand store getting his costume ready. He found one of those red ball rubber noses and he planned to paint his cheeks red and use the white paint his mom used for crafts to circle his eyes. He would be all set!

But now he couldn't go. His mom told him he had to stay home and hand out candy. He didn't want to hand it out - he wanted to go get some of his own. He was seven years old and he thought he was old enough to go out on his own.

Willy took his mom's phone and turned it off; he took the landline off the hook. He turned the TV on low, so if his mom did wake up, she would think he was watching it.

Willy put the white paint around his eyes and found his mother's blush in her makeup bag for his cheeks. He put the wild-looking tie on, then came the wig and the red nose. When Willy looked at himself in the mirror, he giggled hysterically. But then he remembered he had to be quiet so he didn't wake up his mom, but his sides were still splitting. He wished Eggie could see him. All Eggie's costume was two holes cut into an old sheet.

Willy just wanted to stay close to home. Maybe only two or three blocks; he wanted to be back before Eggie or he would wake up their mom to find out where Willy was.

He was really hoping someone was giving out caramel popcorn balls. His all-time favorite Trick or Treat candy was caramel popcorn balls!

Willy started following some bigger kids so that he felt safe. Willy went from door to door yelling "Trick or Treat!" He got goober peas from the Gilberts, and lots of bubble gum, the Westfalls gave out Snickers bars and the O'Keefes gave him raisins. No caramel popcorn balls.

The next house belonged to Mrs. McFee. Willy was scared of her; he would see her at the Post Office. She gave him the creeps. She was so old her wrinkles had wrinkles of their own. She was bent over, used a cane, and wore bedroom slippers all the time. Willy bet the cane was used to hit dogs and kids. But what was really scary was she had little strips of white tape on her eyelids to keep them open. Willy would bet when she took the tape off her eyelids would slam shut like a sprung trap.

Mrs. McFee's house was built up off the sidewalk and there were steps up to it. The house was built way in the back and had a long walk lined with large old trees. He heard the big kids go there and say PEANUT M&MS! THE BIG SIZE TOO! Egaad! His second all-time favorite Halloween candy! Wow!

Willy was scared as he slowly walked up the long walk. Hey, what happened to the other kids? He was the only one going to the door. He pushed the doorbell with a shaky finger. When it opened, he almost wet his pants.

"T-t-trick or t-t-treat," Willy said in a small voice.

"Oh, lookie here," Mrs. McFee said with a crackling voice. "Oh, won't you come in? I have a special treat for little ones. Caramel popcorn balls!"

Wow, Willy thought, she can read minds, too.

"But you have to come into the kitchen and get them," she called as she walked to the kitchen.

Holy crap, Willy thought, I don't want to go into the house! But caramel popcorn balls? His all-time favorite, best of all Trick or Treat candy? If I go in there they better be the best caramel popcorn balls in the whole wide world, Willy thought. But If I go in there she will cut off my fingers with a big butcher knife and push me in her oven!

But caramel popcorn balls....golly, gee, whiz. His mouth was watering, he could smell the popcorn.

He started to follow Mrs. McFee through the big dark house. He stepped lightly in case there were any ghosts of kids who never made it out last year haunting the place.

When Willy stepped into the kitchen, he noticed there was a large butcher knife on the table and the oven door was open. But the caramel popcorn balls were in sight!

Willy grabbed a popcorn ball and turned to run through the dark house; he ran out the door, down the long walk, and fell down most of the cement steps. He lost his big red nose but got up and kept running until he was so out of breath he thought he would die. He sat down to catch his breath and then noticed blood on his jeans. Willy rolled up his jeans and saw a whopper of a skinned knee. He was bleeding and he wanted to cry.

Willy walked home with a limp and his elbow hurt too. Eggie was not home yet. Willy washed his knee off and put the biggest Band-Aid he could find on it.

Willy sat down to watch TV and was just about to look in his candy bag when Eggie came home.

"Hey, Booger Breath, where did you get the candy?" Eggie asked. "And what's wrong with your knee?"

Willy just looked at him and smiled. Maybe he would tell him how he was almost killed by old lady McFee. Tell him about how she almost cut off his fingers and pushed him into her oven.

But it would have to wait until he ate his caramel popcorn ball.