Wednesday, 11 September 2024

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (144) Trick or Treat


Halloween had arrived at Cliff Haven and Molly was very excited about the evening, because it had been many years since she had celebrated Halloween.

Because all the years she lived at Lakeside with her grandfather in Colorado Springs they were too far out and too remote to attract trick or treaters.

That was not the case in Spaniards Creek, and she intended to make the most of it.

 

Elsewhere, in another part of the village, there was also excited anticipation of the evening’s events at the Bargeman’s house.

25-year-old Zoey Bargeman, worked in the village for Baker’s Tree Surgeon’s, and she had become close friends with one of her bosses, Vicki Baker, and it was through Vicki that she met her brother Brian and lost her heart.

She was a stunningly attractive girl and had been on the radar of every man she’d ever met, but she was very choosy, so for her being the pretty girl was a blessing and a curse.

It wasn’t her feeling excited anticipation of the evening however, it was her cousin Marion Fuller.

Marion had never done Halloween before; she had spent all her life living on remote farms, so she had never had Trick or Treaters knock on her door.

The girls were alone in the house dressed as witches when Marion pulled the curtain back a couple of inches and peered out and she suddenly panicked.

“They’re coming, what do I do?” she asked urgently, and Zoey laughed

“What do I do?” she urged

“Alright just calm down” Zoey said and after Marion took a breath she added

“All the children will have a goody bag”

“Ok” Marion retorted

“You put a small handful of sweets into each bag, but don’t be too generous too early or you won’t have enough to go round everyone”

“Ok” she said and nodded.

“But first you have to open the door” Zoey said inclining her head towards the closed door.

“Oh yes” Marion said and laughed nervously “That’s a good idea”

Marion opened the door and was met with a chorus of “Trick or treat!” from a small group of excited witches, warlocks, ghosts and ghouls.

“Wow! look at all of you” she said “What brilliant costumes”

“Ok who’s first?” she asked as she picked up one of the sweet tubs and scooped up a handful.

At the back of the group, chaperoning the group, was a tall dark-haired man, wearing a flat cap and a leather jacket, and a shorter auburn haired man in an overcoat, the former was Geoff Melling and Marion caught his eye briefly and smiled and he smiled back, then she carried on but she kept glancing in his direction, he was in his mid-twenties, and was there because two of the group were his nieces.

Soon she had deposited a handful of sweets into every bag and the group moved back up the path in a chorus of thank you’s.

“Goodbye” the tall man said and smiled.

Marion smiled back and then looked self-consciously in Zoey’s direction and was still smiling as she shut the door.

“Who was that?” she asked

“Which one?” Zoey asked

“The tall one” she retorted

“Geoff Melling”

“And the other one?”

“Brian Baker” Zoey replied

“The Brian Baker that you fancy?” she asked, and Zoey blushed deeply just as the doorbell rang.

“Saved by the bell” Marion said and opened the door and repeated the exercise, and then another five times until the sweet tubs were empty and all the village children had had their share.

She closed the door and reached for her wine glass.

“I’m exhausted” she said

“I enjoyed it though” 

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