by Joe DeRouen
“Amazing costume, Haley,” said Ella. “I didn’t think you’d be able to top last year, but you have.”
Haley smiled, heavily made-up eyes glinting happily at her friends, and linked arms with Aiden. “Shall we head to the Ackersley’s straight away?”
“Yes, let’s!” The group moved off, chattering, with Anna trailing behind, feeling slightly left out, and somewhat dowdy compared to the vivid costumes in front of her. She was surprised when Ella dropped back to walk with her.
“I’m glad you’ve come tonight, Anna. Is this your first Halloween?”
Startled, it took Anna a moment to reply. “Y-yes. We didn’t really celebrate it at home, or at least, not like this!” She gestured, indicating not only the group ahead, but the decorated and lit houses on either side of the street.
“Thought so. We had another Australian girl here a few years ago. She said the same thing. I like your costume - it’s Sarai isn’t it?”
“You know the Mulga Scout books?”
“Do I ever!”
“So I’m not the only fan here?”
“Well, they’ve only just made the shelves here, but there’s a few of us who like them.” Ella smiled at her. “Have you got them all? There’s only the first three out here.”
Relieved, Anna chatted happily to Ella as they made their way along the street, and then walked briskly through a maze of side streets. For the first time since arriving in Lewiston, Anna felt as if she might have met someone who could become a friend.
The streets became darker the further they walked. Anna looked around. The crowds were thinner, but the groups around them looked eager and excited. “So what makes the Ackersley place so special?”
Ella looked excited. “Well, they always have the best candy, and the decorations are always something really special.”
“What, better than these?” asked Anna, waving at the light festooned house they were walking past. The houses were more spread out now, so the lights looked brighter for the surrounding darkness.
“Much better. And different.”
“Different?” Anna hitched her bow case slightly higher.
“Yeah, I don’t know, sort of more spectacular maybe.” She frowned. “No, that’s not quite the right word. It’s hard to describe.”
The group’s chatter reduced as the gaps between the houses became larger and the dark stretches longer, and then the road began to rise. “How much further?” asked Anna, her voice sounding awkwardly loud in her ears. The Ackersleys must be something really special if they’d walk all this way, past other houses full of lights and candy, just to get there.
“It’s just up there,” pointed Haley. A glow at the top of the rise promised a bright light show at the very least, and Anna bounced slightly on her toes hoping to see what might lie ahead.
Ella giggled. “You’ll see as soon as we hit the top of the hill.”
The slope steepened, and Anna felt her breath begin to quicken as she walked with the others to the top of the hill, and then she saw why the others had been so intent on getting to the Ackersley’s house.
Lights glowed from every window. Not just lights from jack- o’-lanterns, but lights of every colour. They were spaced in rainbow arcs that illuminated every part of the three-storey building. Instead of the familiar motifs of spiders, broomsticks and pumpkins, at this house, fairies, unicorns, and other mythical beasts sparkled from every facade. The whole place was aglow with colour, and glinting light.
Anna stood spellbound. She’d never imagined anything like it could exist, or something so beautiful could be created for just one night. “Come on,” called Haley. The other small groups were drifting down the hill, rather like moths to a light, drawn in towards the brilliance of the display.
“That’s amazing,” Anna said, almost too astounded to move, but she was swept up as the other six began to walk down the slope towards the house.
“I know,” said Haley. “It’s one of the reasons I thought you’d like to come with us. Not everyone comes here.”
“I appreciate it,” replied Anna sincerely, “I never would have seen this on my own.” The vision in front of her dispelled her grumpy thoughts of the afternoon, and cast a glamour over her homesickness, albeit temporarily. For this moment at least, she felt hopeful her new home might one day be just that.
Beside her, Ella was holding hands with Jake, but just then, Anna didn’t feel excluded, or like a third wheel. Perhaps Haley was nicer than all the make-up had suggested. Slightly embarrassed to have judged the girl on her external appearance, Anna almost felt as if she should apologise as she hurried with the others towards the house, a part of the group, and looking forward to seeing the decorations close up.
Closer, she could see there were several people handing out what her companions so quaintly called ‘candy.’ Growing up in Australia, she’d only known candy as hard sticks of sugary sweetness. Everything else had had its own name, or had been collectively called ‘lollies.’ Every time she heard someone call a chocolate bar ‘candy,’ she was hard-pressed to rearrange the image it conjured up in her mind.
“Anna, have you got something to put the candy in?” asked Jake, “They’re very generous here, and they usually have really yummy stuff.”
Slightly awkwardly, Anna rummaged in the pockets of her trousers. They were large, and she’d stashed several snap-lock bags there earlier, at her parents’ urging. “This feels sort of weird,” she said. “You know - the whole ‘candy’ thing - and taking it from strangers…”
“It’s just Halloween,” giggled Ella. “It’s how it’s done. Don’t worry about it, just enjoy it.”
They approached the front garden of the Ackersley house, and Anna stood there, feeling as if she was gawking. Up close, the house was almost overwhelming. The whole thing glowed, and as they stood there, beams of coloured light shot into the air.
“Cool! They’ve got a laser display this year!” whooped Aiden, brandishing his plastic sword.
The lights danced and quivered, and Anna watched, almost mesmerised. “I’ve never seen anything like it!” she gasped. “And just for tonight?”
“Well, they do Christmas as well,” replied Haley, “But Halloween’s always better.”
“Enjoying the show?” A voice from behind Anna, startled her. A tall woman, costumed even more brightly than Haley, stood behind her. “Would you like some candy?” She held out a basket towards Anna.
“It’s amazing! Is this your house?” she asked.
“It is. And thank you. You’re not from around here?”
“Well, sort of. I wasn’t, but we moved here, because of Mum’s work, you see, so I am almost,” stammered Anna. The woman motioned with her basket again, and Anna felt Ella’s elbow in her ribs, and then nodded. “Thanks.” She took a wrapped chocolate bar from the overflowing wicker container.
“Please, take more than one,” said the woman, smiling beneath her glowing headdress. It was hard to make out her eyes, but Anna had the impression they were almost glowing too, and took a second look. No, it must have been a trick of the light, she thought. They were a normal brown beneath the lights. Beside her, she could hear Ella and Haley babbling about the spectacular display, and saw they were uninhibitedly taking a number of the chocolate bars.
Feeling self-conscious, Anna took one more, and then another, as the woman waved the basket again. “Thank you, you’re very generous.”
“It’s always nice to meet someone new to the area,” replied the woman. “There’s been a few more this year, what with the new mine and all.”
“I suppose so,” replied Anna.
“Well, welcome to our town, and welcome to our house. Be sure to pop around the back in about ten minutes - we’ll be setting off some Halloween fireworks then. My husband’s at the side gate - just tell him I sent you - I’m Mrs. Ackersley.” She smiled at them all, and then moved towards another group with her basket.
“Woohoo! We must have got here just in time,” said
Haley, breathlessly. “We’ve never been invited around the back before, and I’ve heard it’s amazing up close. Last year, the fireworks went off just as we were walking up the hill. They were fantastic, but Amy Jones and her group saw them from the backyard – remember, Laura? She went on and on about them for weeks! Apparently, they only invite a few people each year.”
“I remember!” replied the gypsy wench. “Didn’t she say they were super spooky too?”
“I’m not sure it’ll be possible to make unicorns and fairies spooky,” said Aiden. “Last year, the theme was ghosts and ghouls. This is beautiful, but not scary like then.” He pulled the wrapper off one of his chocolate bars and bit into it. “But the chocolate’s worth the walk, as always.” He sighed blissfully, cheek bulging as he chewed.
“Come on,” said Mason. “Let’s go out the back - I can see the gate.”
Mr. Ackersley was costumed as a centaur, in keeping with the fantasy beast theme. Anna, admiring the way his costume somehow provided him with an extra set of legs and a horse’s body, almost tripped over her own feet as they approached. Haley waltzed up to him. “Mrs. Ackersley told us to say she sent us for the fireworks.”
He nodded his head, and Anna was struck by the length of his beard, and then wondered if it was real or not. It was long and brown, streaked with white on either side, and curled right down to his chest, which was bare, despite the October chill, and surprisingly buff given his apparent age. She shivered involuntarily, grateful for her own cloak all of a sudden, and slightly embarrassed she’d thought about his chest.
“Oh, yes, of course.” His voice was deep. Deep enough that it matched his costume, and his beard, but with a slight inflection in the vowels that that hinted of foreign origins. “Please come through, and make your way right around the back - follow the blue lights. You’ll see a roped off area - make sure you stand inside it. Oh, and help yourself to hot chocolate.”
“Thanks, Mr. Ackersley,” replied Haley, and they filed through the gate one-by-one, with Anna bringing up the rear. She heard the gate close behind her, and then followed the others dutifully down the blue-lit path. Ahead, she could hear the excited chatter of her companions, but before she could stop herself, she looked over her shoulder. There was no-one there, but as she looked back along the path, she thought she saw the silver glint of Mr. Ackersley’s beard turned towards them. A blink, and she assumed she’d been mistaken, as she could clearly see he was opening the gate for another couple of people.
Don’t be stupid, she thought to herself. He was probably just making sure we were going the right way. “Come on, Anna,” called Ella. “We’re nearly there - and we’re the first! We can stand at the front!”
The roped off area Mr. Ackersley had mentioned was defined by another ring of lights - this time green, and Anna wondered absently how much the Ackersley’s electricity bill might be if they did this twice a year. In the darkness, she could see there were vague shapes placed around the backyard, which were probably part of the upcoming display.
“Welcome,” came another voice, and a stocky figure, costumed as a dwarf, bounced forward. “Help yourself to the hot chocolate.” Anna did a double take at the short, middle-aged man, clad in imitation mail so clever it looked like the real thing. He had an axe slung across his back, a hammer at his belt, and he was waving a thermal jug and beckoning them towards a stack of cups on a folding table. “You are the lucky ones, aren’t you? Have any of you seen the display close up before?”
“No, none of us,” said Haley. “And we’re so excited!” Her LED lit dress bounced for emphasis as she took a cup, and held it out towards the dwarf.
“As you should be - we only have a few people out here each year,” he replied. “Perhaps it was your dress that caught the lady’s eye, or your costume, Sir Knight.” He smiled as Haley twirled, caught up in his obvious appreciation of her efforts, and Aiden bowed with a flourish.
“Well, I don’t think it was mine,” said Ella, “I reckon I’ve seen a hundred minions tonight, not to mention all the other pirates, skeletons, and gypsies. Maybe it was yours, Anna.”
Slightly embarrassed, Anna blushed. Her costume was good, but it was clear few people here knew who she was dressed as, and it was full of subdued hues, almost unobtrusive - as it was meant to be - given the character she was modelling. “I doubt it, Ella - not when there’s a costume like Haley’s around!”
The dwarf raised his eyebrows and proffered the jug. “Chocolate, lady scout?”
“You know who I am?” asked Anna, slightly disbelievingly. Of course she knew that Ella had begun to read the books, but a short, fifty-ish gentleman reading ‘Mulga Scouts’ seemed slightly incongruous.
“Of course - you’re Sarai. I can tell by the frill-necked lizard brooch.”
“You’ve read the books?”
“I read everything, young lady, everything. You’d be surprised at what I know.” And suddenly, Anna was uncertain how to read his expression. A shadow flickered across his face. A moment later, she shook her head and held out her cup. The lights from the house at her back were playing tricks. He filled it, and then nodded towards the roped off area. “Make yourselves comfortable. Just ensure you stay inside there once the fireworks begin.” He moved off with his jug, towards the next small group of youngsters.
“He’s a bit odd,” said Anna, uncomfortably.
“It’s Halloween Anna - everyone’s a bit odd tonight,” replied Mason. “I mean, look at us - sixteen years old and costumed up to the eyeballs, wandering the streets and cadging candy.”
“I just thought he was a bit….unusual,” she replied. “I mean, he knew what my costume was.”
“I knew what it was too,” said Ella. “Am I unusual?”
Anna blushed. “No, sorry, of course not, but the books are sort of aimed at our age group, you know? ”
Ella laughed. “Adults read our kind of books too, you know.” She linked her arm with Anna’s. “Don’t be so serious, Anna.”
Over the next few minutes, they were joined by several other small groups, and then both the Ackersleys arrived, and the air of excitement grew exponentially.
“Welcome!” said Mrs. Ackersley. “To our display for a very select few. In a moment, we’ll touch the fireworks off, but before we start, I just want to welcome you all, and thank you for coming to our special night. Each year we invite a few - just a few, whose costumes have caught our eyes - in the hope that we might meet new friends with whom we can share this most hallowed of nights.”
Anna blinked. Hallowed? That was an odd choice of words. She shrugged. It was called Halloween, of course. The woman was probably making a pun, even if it was a fairly bad one. She turned her attention back to Mrs. Ackersley.
“Make sure you watch the set pieces on the ground - they’re very special - much more so than the aerial portion of the display. Once the set pieces light up, keep an eye out for our centrepiece; it’s something extra special this year, and we’d like your impressions afterwards.” She stepped back towards the group. “Now, Darion, if you wouldn’t mind?” She nodded towards the dwarf, who trotted off to one side and vanished into the darkness. A moment later, a ‘thump’ heralded the beginning of the show.
Anna turned her eyes skyward, as the first firework lit up the night sky in a spectacular spray of blue and white. She gasped - if the first shot was anything to go by, the Ackersleys must have spent a small fortune on this display. Mesmerised, she watched the colours sparkle and expand above her, then rain showers of crackling light down towards her. “Amazing!” she whispered to Ella, beside her.
“Isn’t it?” replied Ella, “and the set pieces haven’t even started yet!”
“And they do this every year?”
“Every year,” affirmed Haley. “Fireworks aren’t really a Halloween tradition - except at the Ackersley’s house. Of course, half of town will see the aerial display, but we’re the only ones who’ll see the set pieces.” She sounded very smug.
Ca
ught up in the beauty, the last of Anna’s mild disquiet died away, and she watched each new firework burst above her eagerly, watching spellbound as they glowed and sparkled. There was a brief pause in the aerial display, and she drew a slow breath, hoping that it wasn’t the end. Her attention was drawn by a sudden spark in front of her. She dropped her eyes, just in time to see a series of orange Catherine wheels burst into life in front of them. They spun, slowly at first, and then began to rotate faster and faster.
She nudged Ella to draw her attention to the ground display. “Look, it’s starting!”
The Catherine wheels were only the beginning. Spouts of colour erupted behind them, spraying silver and gold into the air, and then began to march forwards, metre by metre, until the whole backyard was ringed in fountains of glittering fire, with the spectators standing safely inside the roped area at the centre of them.
Fixed pieces on the house’s gutters poured streams of red, blue, and green towards the ground, and Anna wondered absently how they’d managed to protect the house from the heat and sparks. A fixed display of unicorns, fairies and sprites burst into life in front of the now quiescent Catherine wheels. Her hands rose to applaud involuntarily, and she could hear Ella gasping. The fireworks were unlike anything she’d ever seen.
She tucked her cloak around her as two more lines of fountains began to spurt colours. Their angled tubes threw sparks obliquely, so they formed an overlapping arch, framing the fairy creatures. The archway began to move towards them, another pair of fireworks igniting in a kind of marching rhythm, much as if the spectators were driving down a road lined in leaning trees. It was breathtaking, and made Anna feel as if she were moving towards the set pieces.
Slightly dizzied by the illusion, Anna stood stock still, hands spread for balance, until a waft of smoke from the nearest fountain shocked her into the realisation the display had crossed the rope barrier and was marching towards them - and the invited guests were about to become part of the display.