Everybody in the street was scared of Mr Withershins, although this was weird because hardly anybody had ever seen him.
He lived at number thirty-nine in an old house which crouched behind a high fence with a high wooden gate which was never opened. Above the fence you could see bits of Mr Withershins’ garden, and it was all spikes and pointy things like flax spears and lancewood trees, and while a lot of people in our street had cats and dogs Mr Withershins kept strange animals which made odd howls and squeals like the sound you get when you let the air slowly out of a balloon by stretching its neck.
“Banshees,” said Sam knowingly.
“What are banshees?” I asked.
Sam was my older brother and knew a lot of odd words.
“Banshees are what old Withershins has in his garden.”
“Yeah, but what are they?” I asked.
“Banshees,” said Sam and that was the end of it.
When November came around with Halloween Sam and Amy Leith dressed up as witches with black pointy hats and black cloaks and ghastly lilac make-up. They looked very scary. Sam held an old pillowcase which he hoped to fill with sweets and goodies. They said I could go with them if I didn’t get in the way, but that I couldn’t expect to get many of the sweets because I had a pathetic costume. I did too. Just an old black jersey of Mum’s which hung to my ankles and her old straw gardening hat.
On the night though, I had to do all the dirty work because Sam and Amy were such wimps and wusses. I had to bang on the door and do all the talking while they stood behind looking scary and Amy holding out her hands and Sam holding out the pillowcase.
When we came to old man Withershins’ place I was sick of it. All the spears and spikes in the garden were black in the gloomy light and from somewhere behind the tall fence I could hear the weird squealing cry.
“Not going in there,” I said.
“Wimp!” said Sam.
“Wuss!” said Amy.
“I am not!” I said. “You two are the wimps and wusses. Who had to bang on the doors? Who had to do the talking?”
They had the decency to look ashamed and they hung their ghastly lilac faces.
But I was angry. “Dare you!” I said.
Sam and Amy looked at each other and went even more lilac. But there was nothing for it. I had dared them.
The gate creaked open and they crept around its edge. I followed. I was already sorry I’d made them do it.
The path to the front door bent around an old tree. Standing right on the bend was a big bird and even in the gloom its blue was brilliant and it had a great fanned tail with a hundred eyes. It squealed when it saw us and ran off with big awkward steps.
“Peacock!” said Sam.
“I thought you said it was a banshee?”
“No, a peacock,” said Sam and he sounded braver.
When Mr Withershins opened the door he looked almost normal apart from his white hair and white beard.
“Trick or treat!” cried Sam nervously.
Mr Withershins looked thoughtful.
“I think I’ll have a treat,” he said.
Sam shook his head. “No, that’s wrong. You’re supposed to give us the treat or we play a trick on you.”
Mr Withershins shook his head. “Uh uh. You give me the treat or I’ll play a trick on you.”
That seemed so funny to Sam, he laughed. Big mistake.
“Trick, then,” said Mr Withershins. He pointed and there was a blue flash like a hundred flashbulbs and there instead of Sam stood a very surprised looking peacock.
“Aagh!” screamed Amy Leith and turned to run away.
“Trick?” cried Mr Withershins.
He pointed at her disappearing back and there was another flash and all at once instead of Amy there was a peahen scampering around the bend by the twisty tree.
I was really scared but on the ground near the surprised peacock I saw the pillowcase full of sweets. Sam had dropped them when his arms had turned into wings. I snatched them up and before Mr Withershins could point to me I quickly asked, “Treat?”
“Why, thank you,” said Mr Withershins, taking the whole bagful. “I’m much obliged …”
He gave me a friendly smile and I felt braver. “Would you do a trick for me?” I asked. It was a big risk but I had to try.
“I might,” he said, stroking his white beard and smiling.
“Would you turn my brother and Amy back?” I asked. “Please?”
Mr Withershins didn’t reply. Instead he pointed at me and the two big birds and there was another blue flash like a hundred flashbulbs. All at once we were standing on the footpath outside number thirty-nine again. From somewhere behind the tall fence I could hear the weird squealing cry.
“Not going in there,” I said.
“Wimp!” said Sam.
“Wuss!” said Amy.
I looked at them. It was as though nothing had happened. They couldn’t remember.
“I am too,” I said. “I’m going home.”
“Hey!” cried Sam. “Where’s the pillowcase and all the sweets?”
“I gave them to Mr Withershins,” I said.
“Don’t be such a smartypants,” said Sam. “Where are they?”
“I told you,” I said.
And I ran home as fast as I could.
‘Trick or Treat’ was first published by Random House New Zealand in 30 Weird & Wonderful New Zealand Stories in October 2003.