Things that go “boo” in the night

The preparations had today reached their peak in the Presidential mansion.  Everyone was jostling around excited about tonight. It was All Hallows’ eve (or Halloween if you so wish) and everyone knew this was the scariest yet most exciting night of the year. Because tonight you could be anything you want. You could dress up as your greatest fantasy or biggest nightmare. But for one night you could be someone different. Someone just not you.

At least most people thought so.

Because for Humphrey, today he could be exactly himself and not care. And it was liberating.

As the sun set and preparations for “treat-or-tricking” continued in earnest, Humphrey set off to mingle in the corridors of the orange-lighted mansion.

Everyone, no literally everyone was dressed in costume. The chamber maids were dressed as cabaret girls, the chauffer as the Joker, the gardener as the Riddler, the cooks as circus freaks, the waiters as Minions and even the chef was dressed up as Freddy Krueger. Everyone was getting into the mood. The First Lady who had so elegantly dressed up as a Belle Époque woman had even managed to convince the President to dress up – as a clown…and a scary one for that matter…

“Woa! Cool costume dude!”

“Awesome! So real!”

Humphrey continued to walk the halls, among the rising adrenaline, receiving all the more compliments for his “totally like crazy cool” costume.

He smiled and continued. He kept far away from the kitchen though. Chef Jean-Jacque had declared that his center-piece plate for this year’s Presidential Halloween would be a perfectly round pumpkin carved with eyes, mouth, nose and all! It would be priceless and as he said “unmissable”.

But Humphrey did not care.

He enjoyed all this anticipation, the laughter, the fun in dressing up, the rushing to the door every time the bell rang to give out candy from a filled-up basket lest a trick would be played on the host.  And in general he loved the atmosphere it all created. For one night everyone left everything behind, they were all friends, no foes, united in having a good time. Everything else could wait.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!” a scream came from the kitchen, but as it was in the spirit of the night, no one paid particular attention that Chef Jean-Jacque was anxiously searching the kitchen, a large sharpened kitchen knife waving in his right hand. Where on earth had his pumpkin gone? And what would he put now as his centerpiece? His own head? Or another boring vegetable arrangement?  But where did that beautiful pumpkin go?

Humphrey sped up now having reached the wing opposite to the kitchen. He felt safer as far away from there as possible.

“Hiya kid! Great costume!” said the President. Humphrey blushed as he turned around and saw he was in the President’s chambers.

The President buttoned up his clown shirt, straightened his nose and said, “come on, are you ready to go treat-or-tricking?”

Humphrey grabbed his hand and smiled as he looked back in the mirror at his perfectly round pumpkin figure accompanying the President of the US…

Happy Halloween!

 

Also part of Daily Prompt: Trick or Treat?