Here Comes the Knock by Paula R. C. Readman

Streetlights darken.

Laughter fills the air.

Eager fresh faces dart everywhere.

“Trick or Treat,” echoes in porches.

I drop the grubby net curtain. Anticipation races through me. Ghosts from my past gather.

I wait in the shadows. The razor in my hand gleams.

Here comes the knock.

Laughter bubbles in my throat. Haven’t their parents warned them about stranger danger?

“Trick or Treat, Mister?”

The blade bites as it finds its mark.

How sweet and warm is the spray of blood as it runs down my face. Young flesh is far sweeter than their sugary sweets.

“My treat, I think!”