Oh what a night

What a wet and fun night we had last night for Halloween. There were puddles everywhere and the rain was bucketing down. All of us parents wanted to head back indoors but the children were all screaming for more.
We went back to my Aunt’s house to try to dry off but the children were restless and wanted to go back out again. When we looked around at the sad faces – at least twenty of them peering back at us, my cousin and I relented and piled as many as we could into the car and took them around the neighbourhood to continue trick or treating. The squeals of delight were enough to make the coldest heart melt as we drove out of the yard to start the fun again.
We stopped at several houses and they all piled out shouting treat or trick. The mood was ebullient. The homeowners grateful to be giving out their candy so they wouldn’t have to eat it. And then the suspense began to mount the closer we got to the Haunted House. Dares were being taken as to who would venture in this year.
Despite the rain the children decided they would walk the last few houses before they got to the Haunted House – my guess was because they were trying to delay getting there. As soon as we were in front of the House, they all piled back into the car peering wide eyed at the house, no one daring to move. Then two of the older children got out and went into the House rushing back out full of wonder and fear.
I turned to my cousin and said, “Let’s go in and get our fright for the night.”
Her eyes grew wide, “Are you serious?” she asked.
“Yes, let’s go,” I dared.
“Who will take care of the children?”She asked trying to find an excuse not to go. But there were two cars in our group so I said, “Let’s get the others to look after the children so we can go in.””
We did and they agreed. My daughter heard I was going in so she insisted that she wait on the other side of the Haunted House for me to come out. This year it was much bigger than last. Each year it gets larger. Cars were parked all along the street as people come from near and far to go into the Haunted House. Anticipation hung in the air as people of all ages came out screaming, laughing or wild eye.
I couldn’t disappoint my daughter as she stood in the pouring rain waiting for me to go in and come back out again. So in we went.
We walked into the House, down a long narrow corridor and when we turned the corner, the terror began as I screamed and swung my arms to stop anything from getting near. I won’t spoil the fun of the Haunted House by giving you all the gory details but suffice to say it was scarier and better than the year before and well worth venturing in.
I came out the other end with my cousin draped around my back, screaming and laughing at the same time to the sheer delight and relief of my daughter and her cousin.

“Did you hear us scream mommy!”She yelled. “We heard a loud thump and we screamed because we were scared something happened to you.””
“We were screaming so much that we couldn’t hear anybody else but us,” I answered between laughter. And did I ever feel proud of doing something I would not normally do and you know what it wasn’t that bad.
And so there ends another Halloween night, no egging, no trouble, just good old fashion fun. Until next year.