ALL HALLOW'S EVE

This is a true story. About my scariest Halloween. Ever.

I was 11. I had a bud like Scott and Mike from yesterday's blog. Our friendship lasted until our freshman year of high school when he moved to McCook, Nebraska.

We wet paraffining one night around Halloween. Not soaping. Oh, we had done that. So much that Autumn that we became bored by it. He had an older brother, so I'll blame it (probably incorrectly on Mike McGannon).

We bought our Gulf Wax from Harlow's Grocery. Kenny, the owner asked us what we wanted Gulf Wax for. I froze. Tommy, my bud, said,"My Mom wanted me to get some for her." Quick on his feet. I didn't know what it was used for other than, you know, vandalism.

And that's what we did. We paraffined a few car windows. It wasn't much more fun than soaping. When we spotted it. A 1952 Chevy parked in the middle of the block away from streetlights. I don't know who, but one of us decided to paraffin the windows and the body of the car. I don't write this to glamorize what we did. It's more of a confession about two stupid 11 year olds.

When we got to the corner streetlights, two teenagers were waiting for us. "What'd 'ya do to that car?"

"Nothing, man," as we started to walk backwards to separate us. Then it was a sprint. I've never run harder. I stopped after one block and hid under a car parked in gravel driveway. I lay there quietly while my chaser walked slowly around the car. Thankfully, he didn't look under the car. I waited there for another small eternity.

I slid out. I was safe. Still desiring the blackness of the night to compliment the blackness of the deed, I headed up the alley for home. About two houses from my house, a cat jumped out of the old incinerator at the Vaught's house. It shrieked at me. And scared me to death. I think I ran even faster then back to the security of home.

I called Tommy. He had completely out run his attacker (well, that's what they were prepared to do to us) and had made it home long before me.

It's funny. We never saw those guys or that car again. And where that cat came from and why he screetched at me, I'll never know. But I do know that I never paraffined another car. I'm not even sure I soaped another window. But I know I've never had a scarier Halloween season .