What's in a Prompt - 3. Prompt 340

“There is no way I am going in there!” Cody said, pointing at the house that stood at 74 Ashchurch Crescent. The edifice, for it should surely not simply be called a house, sat back about thirty yards from the sidewalk. "I've changed my mind."

“What’s the matter? You scared?” Joe stuck his tongue out.

Hallowe’en night had nearly come to an end, and the two fourteen year old boys had collected a large amount of sweets, chocolates, and lots of other goodies that were guaranteed to rot their teeth.

They had hit up Mrs Taylor (who handed out candy like there was no tomorrow), Mr Johnson (who was a few fries shy of a happy meal, but still managed to somehow know when the holidays were upon him), and had even stopped in on Ms Garry (who, at the ripe old age of 103, told stories of what her childhood had been like during the First World War to anyone who stood still long enough). However, there was one last stop that just had to be made. It was a stop that filled Cody with dread.

Cody let out a nervous giggle. “You’re damned right I’m scared.”

The two boys looked up at the large house. There was not a single light on . . . not a single window was open . . . there was no sign of life at all. The bright light of the full moon was obscured behind a cloud, when something brushed across Cody’s back.

He let out a scream and started swatting at thin air. When he calmed down, he realised Joe was laughing.

“You think that was funny?” Cody put his hands on his hips and pouted.

Joe could only nod, as he could not stop laughing.

“What’s so damned funny?”

“Cody, it’s just that you look so childish when you pout.”

The moon came out from behind the clouds and bathed the expansive garden of the house in an eerie light. There were carved pumpkins scattered all over the lawn, large plastic spiders were dotted here and there, and there was a life-sized fluorescent skeleton dangling from an oak tree by a noose.

This was the house of Mr Mizen, the most feared man in the neighbourhood; at least the man most feared by Cody. Mr Mizen was the headmaster of the local primary school, and was a strict disciplinarian.

Cody, like many of his friends, had served numerous detentions whilst under the tender mercy of Mr Mizen, so Hallowe’en was often used as an excuse to pull some kind of trick on him – for no child would dare to walk up to his door, ring the bell, and cheerily say “Trick or Treat”.

Last year only one of his carved pumpkins out of twenty was left intact the next morning, and the hanging skeleton had a sign on it saying “Here hangs Mr Mizen”. The year before, every single one of the oversized rubber spiders were missing, presumed stolen. The year before that, the oak tree had been TP’ed.

There were also games of “Dare” played. Kids would be dared to walk over to one of the pumpkins and pick it up, or to push the skeleton so that it started to swing, and then there was the ultimate dare: to walk up to his front door and stand facing away from it for ten seconds.

When nine year old Jared Peterson had been dared to do just that last year, he had made it to a count of eight when, without warning, Mr Mizen appeared and put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Jared had let out an ear-piercing scream, pissed himself, run down the lawn, and hadn’t stopped running until he had reached the safety of his own home.

The two boys stood on the edge of the lawn and looked at the infamous house. Joe looked over at Cody and asked, “You ready?”

“No,” Cody answered honestly. Cody doubted he would ever truly be ready for this. This was absolutely nuts.

“Well, ready or not, here we go.” Joe grabbed hold of Cody’s wrist and dragged him along.

They walked past the skeleton and Joe gave it a little nudge. Cody looked around and saw nobody, so feeling slightly emboldened, he gave it a proper push. The branch creaked audibly at the shift in weight of the swinging skeleton.

Joe trotted on ahead. He picked up one of the carved pumpkins, turned it over a few times and put in back down somewhere different. Cody, not to be outdone, picked one up and held it as high above his head as he could. He spun around a few times, and then nonchalantly dropped the pumpkin back where he got it from.

The two boys quickly crossed the remainder of the lawn, each kicking one of the fake spiders as they went by, and finally reached the house. Cody's heart was pounding in his throat, but Joe seemed incredibly relaxed considering what they were about to do.

They waked up the porch steps, and up to the door of the house. Joe rang the bell . . . once . . . twice . . . thrice.

Cody’s heart sped up, and he was ready to bolt. After about twenty seconds had passed and nobody had answered the door, he said, “Doesn’t look like he’s home.”

“Then you won’t mind standing with your back to the door then.” Joe giggled while he rang the bell a few more times.

Cody went to playfully slap Joe up the back of his head when suddenly the hallway light came on. Cody was already getting ready to run for all he was worth, but Joe held on to his wrist.

“Oh no, Cody. You’re not going to run.”

The two boys could hear someone inside the house walking down the staircase. Cody tried to pull himself free, but Joe had a firm grip. They could hear the chain rattling in the lock. Cody was terrified at this point, and was desperate to flee.

The door opened and there stood Mr Mizen. The headmaster looked down at the two boys.

“Dad,” Joe said, “this is Cody, my boyfriend."