The daylight had dwindled to a barely perceptible lightening of the gloom as Shawn stepped outside his front door with Mr. Clayton. The trees were silhouettes against a newly silver sky, its blue and orange hue almost gone. Their branches swayed in the wind, creaking into the gusting air. The first sound of the nocturnal animals came, a hoot of an owl, a rabbit taking cover in the bushes against Shawn's house.

Shawn saw the silhouette of Micheal there. He had been waiting all of this time.

The skinny boy spoke up from a distance with a deep voice

"Have you seen my sister?"

For Shawn, that was an incredibly fraught question. But rather than get into it, he simply shook his head. "No, Michael, I haven't." He adjusted his fake tuxedo slightly. "I got my costume, do you want to come with me trick or treating now? I'm going to get a couple more of my friends and we'll go together."

Michael didn't answer right away. He stood there. A brown leaf from one of the nearby trees fell on his shoulder.

"OK." He affirmed.

"All right, Junior's house is closest, so we'll go there next." Assuming Michael was following him, Shawn started heading for Junior's. He wondered what sort of costume his friend was wearing.

It was certainly dusk now. Michael's face was just a hollow shadow as he followed Shawn. His feet were crunching on the leaves next to Shawn and the boy was holding a mask in one hand and a pillow case in the other. Everything was silent save for the sound of the leaves and the rustling of the chill breeze and night settled over the neighborhood.

Pulling up to Junior's house, there was a single light on in the bay window. The house had a large, yellow candy bowl outside with a sign that read "Take One."

Shawn happily took a piece of candy, picking out whatever was closest to his favorite - sour gummy worms. Then he rang the doorbell - hopefully Junior hadn't set off without him.

Junior answered the door with an annoyed look on his face. Then, upon seeing Shawn, the face became a wide grin of excitement.

"It's you! My best friend!" Junior said. Then he turned back to hallway behind him and said over his shoulder.

"Moooooooom! I'm going trick or treating!"

Shawn smiled back at Junior, like he was excited to see a friend. Which he was, of course, but the important thing was Junior could see it. "We're gonna have fun tonight!" He looked at Junior to see if he was wearing a Halloween costume yet. He remembered Mr. Clayton had said something about bringing Junior in to help tonight, but he wasn't sure what that would involve.

Junior stepped outside, he was wearing a large, boxy costume that was clearly home made. Even in the setting dusk, Shawn could see that Junior was wearing some kind of poorly made Halloween costume that had 'Transformers' written across the front of the cardboard. His legs were also outfitted with cardboard. His arms had cardboard and he moved awkwardly.

"READY!"

Shawn manipulated Mr. Clayton’s arm so it looked like the dummy was giving Junior a friendly wave. “I like your costume!” Well, it wasn’t great, but Junior had clearly worked hard on it, so he wasn’t going to insult him. “Do you know Michael? He’s gonna trick or treat with us.”

"Thanks! Wow! Wow! Wow! I'm so excited to have my best friend tell me that about my costume. It's every time I see you I think you're so famous and fun!" Junior said, jumping and making the cardboard ruffle a bit, the front of the cheap homemade costume sagging to one side.

"Hi Michael!!!"

Michael nodded with a vapid stare at Junior

After the two had introduced themselves - well, more or less - Shawn spoke up again. "Okay, there's one more place we gotta go to. There's a boy named Leonard, we're gonna see if he wants to come along too." Assuming neither of them take issue with that, he starts heading for Leonard's house.

And so they were off to Leonard's house. Michael silently walked alongside Shawn, dragging his feet and disturbing the many leaves and acorns that had fallen during the last few days in the street. Junior on the other hand was giddy with excitement.

"Oh! Do you think they'll give out starbursts? I heard that Twix!!!!.... Someone on the block had full Twix candy bars!"

Despite everything else going on, Shawn was very much looking forward to at least getting the chance to get some candy. “Aww man, I hope so! I love Starburst We gotta get them before they run out!”

Suddenly there was shouting from Junior's driveway and what looked like Junior's Mom came running down the block.

"What did I tell you, Huh!? WHAT DID I TELL YOU!!!" She screamed, a look of anger in her eyes and rage on her face.

Junior staggered backwards as his Mom approached, like a kid trying to avoid a Mac Truck coming down the highway.

"Mom...I, I just wanted to go out to...trick or treat." He offered, weakly.

"What the hell is wrong with you!??" Junior's Mom yelled. Then she seized Junior's wrist with one hand and with the other slapped his backside.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

It looked more like an assualt than a spanking.

"I TOLD YOU NO! I TOLD YOU KIDS WERE DISAPPEARING!!!! NO TRICK OR TREATING!!!"

And she slapped him harder, this time with an audible slapping followed by Junior crying out tears coming to his eyes and running down his cheeks.