A Night With A Living Pumpkin
Matthew and Jessica rushed down the hallway and stopped right before the front door. The children were full of energy and excitement when they saw their parents walking towards them. Halloween is finally here, and trick-or-treating is all they think about. When their front door was opened, they ran out and disappeared.
Jessica wanted to be Little Red Riding Hood that year, so she dressed up as the character with a red hood and a basket. She also brought her Scooby Doo stuffed toy to replace the big bad wolf. Meanwhile, Matthew dresses up as the fastest man alive. The Flash has been one of his favourites since he saw the animated Justice League on television.
The neighbourhood streets are filled with children in colourful costumes carrying baskets and plastic bags. There are older children, too. Most of them are chaperones for their children. Jessica and Matthew even ran into a few of their friends. They showed off their outfits and gave each other many well-deserved compliments.
As the evening passed, Jessica and Matthew visited more houses until they reached more secluded neighbourhood areas. None of them had been able to walk far from home the night before. As they were walking, Jessica saw something that made her suddenly stop. The sweet delicacies rustled inside as the basket shook, and the movement stopped. She grabbed Matthew’s arm to get his attention. When she caught his attention, she pointed to a seemingly empty house and said:
“Is there always a house here?”
Matthew saw the house and wondered if he had ever seen a place. They passed that road to school so he would recognize it. But that night, he was curious if that was the case.
The house in front of them looked old and run down. Instead of the grass being cut cleanly, weeds grew in that spot. The lack of light inside makes the house seem empty. Both felt curious but equally scared. They both shared a look that showed they were thinking about the same thing without saying a word. They nodded to each other and walked towards the house together.
The wooden floor creaked as they stepped onto the front porch. The door was full of cobwebs, and Matthew had to pull some off the doorknob. He turned the doorknob and realized it was unlocked. The door creaked as it slowly opened. Before they could enter the house, something appeared and said “Hello”.
They immediately ran out of the house screaming!
The two stopped when they were far enough away from the house to catch their breath. Jessica felt her heart beating so fast that she thought it would jump out of her chest. Matthew looked at his sister and asked if she was okay. She nodded and told him they needed to go home. He noticed something was missing and asked Jessica where Scooby was. Jessica gasped in horror when she realized she had dropped Scooby back in the creepy old house. They both knew they would have to go back there and get it.
They tiptoed across the front lawn, ensuring they didn’t make any noise that would alert anyone in the house. They looked around the front porch for the toy but couldn’t find it. Then someone behind them said:
“Are you looking for this?”
They turned around and were speechless when they saw him. He is a small boy. He was wearing a striped shirt and suspenders. He seems normal, except that he has a pumpkin on his head.
Matthew grabbed a chair on the front porch and readied it as a weapon while Jessica hid behind her brother.
“G-Give us back, Scooby, or I’ll hit you with this chair. I’m not kidding,” he said shakily. Despite his apparent belief in his threat, he could not hide his fear.
“No, no. I mean, you mean no harm. Here, I’ll give you back the toy,” the boy said. He stretched his arms out in front to assure them that he didn’t. He walked closer to them and left the toy on the porch steps.
The pumpkin-haired boy slowly backed away. Matthew took that opportunity and carried Scooby up from the steps. He gave it to Jessica. She hugged it tightly and then lifted the chair to protect it.
Now that they have Scooby back, Matthew and Jessica are ready to leave. They slowly moved forward, with Matthew still holding the chair for protection. He stopped when he almost reached the sidewalk. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, but curiosity took hold of him, and he couldn’t help but ask.
“What’s wrong with your head?” he asks.
The pumpkin-haired boy looked at him, confused as if he didn’t understand the question.
There was a moment of silence before Matthew said,
“Why is your head a pumpkin?”
“Oh yes. I guess my head is a bit strange to some people. Why don’t you come inside and I’ll tell you everything. We can have some cookies and chocolate milk,” the boy said. He calmly walked to the door. He looked back and said, “By the way, my name is Carlson.”
Matthew wanted to ignore his invitation, but Jessica had the same curiosity as him. She was already at the door. Matthew tried to call her back, but it was too late. He sighed and followed her inside.
The house, despite how it looked from the outside, was surprisingly clean on the inside. The light illuminates the cosy living room. They sat on the soft and comfortable couch. It has a fireplace, which helps keep the room warm.
Carlson, who disappeared into the kitchen, reappeared with a tray filled with a plate of cookies and two glasses of chocolate milk. He placed the tray on the table in front of Jessica and Matthew. He told them to eat as much as they wanted.
While Jessica and Matthew ate, Carlson began the fascinating story of how he came to be.
Carlson was revived thanks to the wishes of a boy named Jack. He and his family lived in the house they were in a long time ago. Jack has no friends and is very lonely. On Halloween night, he wanted to go Trick or Treat but needed someone to go with. So he took a pumpkin that was supposed to be made into a Jack o’ Lantern and made a wish to the stars above. The stars heard his pleas and resurrected a boy with a pumpkin head, whom he named Carlson.
That night, both of them had a good joke. Carlson had so much fun with Jack that he made Halloween his favourite day. However, the next morning, when he woke up, Jack and his parents were gone, and the house was empty. Carlson has been waiting for Jack to return ever since.
Matthew and Jessica feel sorry for Carlson. Matthew felt especially bad when he threatened to hit Carlson with a chair. He is not a scary threat. I’m just sad and lonely.
Carlson saw the gloomy looks on both of their faces and decided that it wasn’t in the Halloween spirit. He stood up from his seat and walked over to the radio. “Why don’t we have fun on Halloween?” he says.
Carlson turned on the radio and started dancing. He urges Jessica and Matthew to join him. They were initially hesitant, but seeing Carlson dance made them seem interested. So they got up and participated. They danced until they couldn’t dance anymore.
Time passed quickly, leaving Jessica and Matthew disappointed because it was late, and they had to go home. Their parents may worry about them if they stay out too late. Carlson walked them out the door, and they said their goodbyes. Before leaving, they shared some candy with Carlson, which he happily accepted. They waved goodbye to Carlson one last time before heading home.
The following day, Jessica and Matthew returned to Carlson’s house. They knocked on the door, but no one came to answer. They called Carlson, but he still wasn’t there. They tried turning the door handle and found that it was open. They entered the house and found a single pumpkin on the table. On it was a note. Matthew picked up the paper. On the piece of paper were the words “Until next Halloween!” written on it.
Jessica and Matthew left the house feeling sad because they couldn’t see Carlson again. They kept Carlson’s message and took it as a promise. That day, they returned home and looked forward to the next Halloween, when they could spend another night with Carlson, the living pumpkin.
