The crispness of October. Halloween is near. One house on the block had elaborate Halloween decorations. A bit like the Griswold house in Christmas Vacation. If you glanced you would think the festooned home had early Christmas decorations. A widow lived there. She was morose . When she was putting up the decorations she had a sour look. If you waved she stared blankly. Her deceased husband was a curmudgeon. He was known for keeping to himself. People whispered that he had shrunken heads. He lived in a place that he learned the art of shrinking heads. For a price he would show you.
‘Let’s visit the decorated house for Halloween,’ Chet said. ‘I have always wanted to see a shrunken head,’ Chet laughed. ‘I have seen people with small heads but not shrunken…as far as I know,’ Chet noted. ‘I would buy one if the price was right,’ Chet offered. ‘When Tommy went missing a few Halloweens ago it was rumored that he went into the shrunken head house and never came out,’ Chet winked.
‘Look at the little goblins and ghouls,’ the morose woman said with a wicked laugh. ‘Here is a full coke and candy bar…come in and I will fill up your plastic Jack-O-Lanterns, the Morose Woman grinned. ‘I have quite a Halloween collection,’ she said. ‘Egbert keeps his shrunken head collection down stairs…follow me,’ Morose Woman said.
‘Hey guys…good to see you,’ Tommy said in a small voice. ‘People come in from time to time but no one I know…the Morose Woman has a separate reality from the rest of the world,’ Tommy said. ‘Time runs backward in this house…the rooms are endless…much liminal space,’ Tommy exclaimed. ‘There is neither day nor night here…the glow of the Halloween lights come through the windows,’ Tommy observed. ‘I think I have been gone for some time…it is very hard to tell,’ Tommy observed. ‘I have noticed I have white hair…when I entered the house my hair was jet black,’ Tommy laughed.
‘Well, that was a little weird kid,’ Neva J said. ‘I have not experienced anything like it…I am glad we got out of there with no ill effects,’ Neva J laughed. ‘It was a scary visit…I feel different,’ Neva J observed.
