Among You by Jack Wallen Read Free Book Online

making our pilgrimage to the Gaultier House and I wanted nothing to get in the way so I opted for simplicity.
    “ How can you not get this? It’s a picture of a fan and an XY.” I pointed, first to the fan and then to the letters.
    Sally exploded with laugher. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I didn’t get that. Fanboy, right?”
    We laughed. The moment stripped the remnants of stress away in time for the first of the trick-or-treaters to arrive. Our first victims, a witch and the smallest Scooby Doo I’d ever laid eyes on. The second Big Daddy roared to life and twisted to face the kids, the littlest-‘Doo-ever turned tail and ran.
    “ Rooby, rooby roo,” I howled.
    The little kid jump straight up, into what had to be his big sister’s arms.
    “ It’s okay, Devan, he just called Scooby’s name. And that thing’s just a robot – an amazing robot at that. Wow. I’m impressed.” The girl smiled and nodded our way.
    With big sister’s assurance behind him, the young boy nervously trotted back to the porch and grinned. He was missing one of his front teeth.
    “ Oh my God,” Sally cried out. “How cute are you, Scooby?”
    “ Trick or treat,” the nervous ‘Doo begged as he held out his plastic pumpkin, his eyes darting back and forth between me and Big Daddy.
    I dropped in a few extra fun size candy bars into his bowl of joy and the grinning pup launched himself back into the comforting arms of his big sis. The sister mouthed ‘Thank you’. I dropped a few treats into the witch’s cauldron and the small group turned toward the neighboring house.
    “ Do you miss it?” Sally asked.
    “ Miss what?”
    “ Trick or treating.”
    “ Not really. I actually enjoy the holiday now more than I did when I was their age. It’s so much more than costumes and candy.”
    Sally stared into me, her eyes and mind doing their best to discern a deeper meaning into my words.
    Without prompting, I continued on. “Halloween is about a connection to the past and the future – about spirits and souls. It’s a celebration of those that have passed on. Some even believe it is when the veil between the living and dead is at its weakest and the dead can pass back into the realm of the living. I like to think that’s possible.”
    Sally wrapped her arms around me and leaned her head on my shoulder.
    “ That’s beautiful, Scott.” Sally squeezed a little tighter. “If a bit scary.”
    Before I could offer up any assurance, our next trick-or-treaters arrived. This time we were treated with a pair of Stormtroopers and a Darth Vader. The tiny Lord Vader walked up to us, held out his Death Star with one hand and with the other gestured as if using the force to bid me give treats. Big Daddy roared and the mini Vader shot his hand toward the automaton as if to stop it with The Force.
    “ The ability to refuse candy is insignificant to the power of the force,” Lord Vader spoke through his voice-changing mask.
    I thought it best to play along.
    “ Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer’s ways, Lord Vader,” I followed up the kids quote with the next line in the scene.
    I fancied myself a Star Wars nerd as well.
    “ I find your lack of faith disturbing,” said Tiny Vader.
    My hand reached into the candy bowl as if being powered by an unseen force. I continued the pantomime through to dropping candy into Vader’s Death Star candy container and followed up by dropping to my knees. The young boy pulled his toy light saber from his waist and, with an impressive imitation of the weapon’s sound, swung out. I offered up the candy bowl to Sally and then dropped, motionless to the ground.
    Everyone around us applauded. I jumped up and joined the ovation so the kid knew it was all for him.
    I saluted the little guy. “Dude, you are Darth Vader.”
    A modified giggle spilled from the mask as the kid turned and ran off. Sally plopped some chocolaty goodness into the two Stormtrooper’s pumpkins and they too raced off to