A Special Halloween  Adventure

Halloween arrives as the leaves are at their most vibrant, while at the same time falling from the trees in increasing numbers, so that even in daylight as you walk through the streets the rustling sound made by your footsteps creates a cacophony of sound. In daylight this is not at all menacing but once darkness falls it's another story.

Walking down a windswept street with only moonlight, streetlights, or the occasional jack- o- lantern to light your way creates a whole different atmosphere and the rustling becomes mysterious and at times even menacing. Particularly if you are walking past the old haunted house on the outskirts of town which has been the subject of conjecture with most of the townsfolk for years.

Granted you only pass the old house once you leave the main streets and follow the path through a grove of trees which borders the town on the west. In daylight it is quite a pleasant stroll, until you approach the rickety fence with the huge iron gate surrounding the old house. Somehow the sun always seems to disappear and darkness seems to envelop you the moment you are within sight of the gate. Not many look forward to having to pass the old house once evening has arrived.

Rumour for years has hinted at strange and mysterious sightings around the gate. Some have even even insisted they have actually seen ghostly shapes actually floating through the rusty iron bars creating a cold, damp chill unlike anything they have ever before experienced. Even adults hesitate to go near the old house particularly after dark. For years the most curious and daring  youngsters have challenged one another to actually venture through the gate but no one has ever actually had the nerve to go up the path to the house and see if there is anyone, or anything alive up there.

The old man who had lived there for years  was very much a hermit and was seen in town only about twice a year when he would visit the local post office and send off a strange shaped heavy box, always to the same address,   a mortuary in a nearby city. About ten years ago, his visits to town stopped and no one has seen him since. Either he is still living all alone in the old house, although what he does for food or heat no one knows, or he has left town without being seen. Or he has died and is still in the house.

Because he never made any friends in the town there has never been anyone who would bother to check and see if he might still be there and perhaps even need assistance. Sadly, because he chose solitude and discouraged all who did try to be neighbourly from the time his wife passed away about two years after they first came to town, there simply was no one who cared. It isn't that the townspeople are cruel or heartless because  they are for the most part decent friendly people, it is only because if one rebuffs every effort at communication and refuses to be part of the community sooner or later everyone gives you what you want and leaves you alone.

Through the years the house has taken on the appearance of being abandoned and uncared for and in fact appears to be quite unsafe. Just like the old man who lived (or lives) there, unloved and alone.

This Halloween two of the town's most daring young men have decided to solve the mystery of the old house once and for all. They have made a pact to not only open the gate, but even to brave the mysterious aura which seems to emanate from the mist or fog (or whatever it might be) which surrounds the gate and actually venture up the path to the house.

Furthermore, they have made a pact that they are going to go into the house and not come out until they have solved the mystery and put an end to all the weird stories they have been hearing all their lives.  After all, who really believes in ghosts anyway? What if that old man is still alive and needs help? Wouldn't it be a terrible thing to be so alone? Surely no one deserves that fate.

Once the decision had been made to embark on this adventure the boys decided they would not say anything to anyone but quietly wait till dark and head for the house.That way, if they lost their courage and didn't carry through with their plans they agreed they would very much prefer no one else know of their plans. And, if they did as they planned and found the answers then they would tell everyone after the fact and be the town heroes for a day at least.

So tonight they headed out as soon as it was dark, even though tonight is Halloween and weird things are expected to happen as trick or treating is in progress. There were witches and goblins everywhere as the younger children made their rounds in costume calling on each house in town (except for the old house of course) so no one even noticed them heading in the direction of the old house.

As they approached the old rusty gate  there was a strange odour which seemed to be coming from the fog like mist which was floating through the iron bars and Jimmy was certain he saw a shape resembling an old man wearing a long white cape emerging from the mist but seeming to dissolve as the fog drifted through the bars. He tried to convince Tom of what he had seen but all Tom did was put his hand into the mist and wave it around and aside from his fingers being immediately REALLY cold he felt nothing. Tom figured Jimmy was just chickening out and was making it up to frighten him off so they wouldn't have to go through with it and refused to pay any attention to him.

No way was Jimmy going to be called a nerd who was afraid of fog for crying out loud ! So instead he decided to  hide his nervousness and follow Tom and get the darn adventure over with as soon as possible. Why had he ever let Tom talk him into this anyway ? Sheeesh !! He could be at the party at Kelly's house having a great time bobbing for apples or playing spin the bottle instead of slipping and sliding on the blasted stone walkway they found as they passed through the gate. What was that slippery stuff anyway?? The stones seemed to be all covered with a slimy sort of moss as if no one had walked on the path for years.

Maybe the house was really abandoned and empty as most people assumed. Maybe the old man had simply moved away at night when no one would see him, or some other equally reasonable explanation. Well, if they didn't lose their courage they would have the answer before the night was over. He really had to watch where Tom was going so he didn't lose him as the fog seemed to be following them and making it nearly impossible to see more than a few inches ahead. He had better concentrate on where he was and stop thinking of where he would rather be !

 As they approached the front door of the house they both saw what appeared to be a flickering light moving past the windows, as if someone were holding a candle and following their progress step by step. Naaah ... it must just be moonlight reflecting off the windows and looking strange because of the fog. 'Don't let your imagination run wild Jimmy,' he quietly told himself, ( but between you and me, he was getting pretty nervous.) He decided to show Tom HE wasn't afraid and stepped right up to the door and pushed. Oooops, it opened as easily as if it had its hinges oiled regularly and before he knew it he was sprawled on the floor inside the house ! Holy cow !  it really smelled awful in here ! He quickly got up and said, "Come on Tom, ... don't chicken out on me now! Get in here!"

As their eyes got used to the dim light in the hallway they saw cobwebs and  dust everywhere and  the weirdest shape over in a corner. What they heck was it anyway? "Hey Tom! turn on your flashlight, what the heck is it?" It looked like an open crate full of cobwebs ! As Tom shone the flashlight at the crate, what they saw  was the scariest thing either of them had ever expected to see. It looked like a skeleton, and it seemed to be smiling at them !  Gosh, did they ever wish they had never ever started this adventure ! It WAS a skeleton, and it was covered in cobwebs! This was where that weird smell was coming from ! Was this the old man? Had he really died ? It was too late to back out now  and run. They had to stay calm and think. But first of all they had to get away from that horrible smell !

They saw a door just ahead and ran toward it. Tom reached out to open it, and  geez, the knob was as shiny as a new penny. It was the only clean thing they had seen so far. This was really strange. Tom turned the knob and opened the door and the lights inside the room were so bright they hurt their eyes. Everything in the room was shiny and clean, there were flowers everywhere, and there was a fire burning in the fireplace! This room was in the back of the house out of sight from the street, (which explained why the lights were not seen  outside). It looked as if someone had just stepped out of the room  a minute ago. What the heck going on ?

As they stood there trying to understand what they were seeing a door in the back of the room slowly began to open. They had no where to escape - that door was between them and the door they had come in through. As they stood there almost frozen  with fright, a lovely old woman seemed to almost float into the room bringing the smell of lilacs with her. What a pretty lady she was ! And what a lovely smile she had ! She hadn't noticed them yet... how strange ! They were only a few feet from her, she MUST see them !

As they stood there she walked over to the fire and sat on the sofa, pulling a tea cart toward her as if she were about to offer to serve tea and was only awaiting the arrival of her guest to do so. As they stood watching she took out a small mirror and started to fluff up her hair and it appeared she was checking her makeup as she sat there softly humming a happy little tune. She gave every appearance of being a very happy lady awaiting the arrival of someone she was very anxious to see.

 And still she gave no indication whatsoever that she knew they were there watching her. What was going on ?

Suddenly they were almost scared out of their wits as a big grandfather clock on the back wall began to peal ... nine times ... it was nine o'clock. As the clock stopped chiming, the door they had come in by slowly opened, and in walked the old man ! This was impossible !! They had just seen him in the hall in a crate !!!

As they stood there transfixed the old man passed them, and he didn't see them either ! He had a smile on his face, and his hands outstretched towards the woman as he walked towards her, and reaching down took her hands and pulled her to her feet, giving her a hug as he said, "My dear, I have waited all year for this moment." Both of them looked as happy as any two people could be as they sank onto the sofa and the woman began to pour tea, all the while smiling happily at the man.

They looked so pleased and happy the boys were  ashamed as they both felt  as if they were spying on these lovely old people in a very private moment. Jimmy whispered to Tom , "let's get out of here and leave them alone." Tom nodded and they slowly backed out the door the old man had just come through leaving it ajar as they were still too curious to not want to see what happened next.

As they stood in the hall listening, gradually it made sense. The old man and woman were talking about what a long year it had been and how they had missed one another. And how they only had three hours to last till next year. They were ghosts ! And they only materialized once a year on Halloween in order to be together again, even for a little while. This was the old man's wife. She had died many years before he did and only after he died as well were they able to be together again. And only on Halloween from nine till midnight. Last year had been the first year they were able to meet this way and they had both spent the whole year waiting for this night to come.

They even heard how come the room was so clean and bright. Before the old man passed away he had made arrangements through his lawyer to hire someone to keep this room clean and aired at all times, always ready for company. The old man had made his plans well and carefully. He spent too many years waiting to be reunited with his wife to leave anything undone. He wanted their reunion to be perfect in every way and had carefully built up the aura of mystery surrounding himself and their home, to assure that no one would come near, or find out what he was planning.

He had succeeded wonderfully. ( Until tonight that is, when two inquisitive nosy kids decided to go where they should not have gone.) The boys really felt badly now and tiptoed out the door to the walkway, quietly closing the door,  leaving the lady and gentleman of the house their  well deserved privacy.

As the boys walked down the laneway they sheepishly looked at one another and almost without a word reached agreement. They would tell no one EVER what they had discovered this evening. They would keep the old man's secret. So what if they couldn't brag about solving the mystery of the old haunted house ?

It was a dumb idea anyway. Besides, they both agreed it was really neat that people could really care that much for one another, and actually be able to find a way like the old couple had,  to be together again even if only for an evening once a year. NO WAY were they ever going to spoil the old folk's Halloween date. They would never tell anyone !  Well... maybe someday they would tell their wives. Who knows? Maybe they might even be as lucky as the old man someday !

Perhaps Tom and Jimmy didn't have a story to tell which would make them  the town heroes but they definitely had something even better. They may have started the evening as thoughtless kids on a Halloween adventure but they ended it as caring young adults, with an understanding of respect and consideration for others which would serve them well all of their lives. A very productive evening indeed.