Several years ago I got dressed as one of my favorite characters, The Shadow. He was one of the original ‘mystery men’ crime fighters of the pulp fiction era in the 30’s. He was an inspiration for Batman, and preceded that character by nine years.
I didn’t expect anyone would recognize who I was (and no one did) but that didn’t really matter to me.
I had candy duty for Hallowe’en so I got a small table, put a bowl of candy on it, and hung a sign beneath it saying ‘Please take only one piece of candy.’ Then I just stood there waiting for the little trick-or-treaters to come panhandling.
What I didn’t expect was that no one wanted to come to the door. Now picture this – I’m dressed in a black suit, with a black trenchcoat, and a black hat, black gloves, and a red scarf around the lower half of my face. I wasn’t doing anything, just standing there.
Apparently that is enough to creep everyone out. The first group of kids all stood by the curb, looking at me standing on the front porch next to the bowl of candy. I wasn’t moving, wasn’t doing anything menacing.
“Is that real?”
“Is it going to move?”
“Is it going to scare us?”
“WHAT IS THAT THING?”
Finally one kid and his dad approached. The kid looked at me as he came to the door, but didn’t seem too concerned. He read the sign and reached to get a piece of candy.
I leaned over to him and in a low voice said, “Hey, kid. Since you’re the first, you can have two pieces of candy.”
He smiled, took his two pieces of candy and went back to the rest of the kids waiting at the curb. Then they all rushed up, wanting two pieces of candy. I told them they weren’t brave enough to come sooner, so they could only have one. I got a lot of grumbles but they only took one piece each.
The whole night went like that. People would gather at the curb, then tentatively make their way to the door and get candy. And I just stood there. Actually after an hour or so I got a chair and sat. I don’t have the standing stamina I once had in my youth.
So, that is my plan for tonight. I’m getting dressed in my knight’s outfit I wear to the Renaissance Festival, but I plan to just stand (or sit after a while) and see if the kids all freak out.
Happy Hallowe’een all!
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