Trick-or-treating | VIVIAN KIRKFIELD

The wait is finally over! It’s time for Susanna Hill’s fabulous Halloweensie Contest.

According to the guidelines, you need to write a story for children that is 100 words or less and uses the words GHOST, SPIDER, and MOON.

I’ve always participated in this challenge…it’s a great writing prompt that helps you come right to the point while trying to entertain kids.

Here is my entry…I hope you enjoy it. Please visit the link up on Susanna’s website so you can read the other stories. Some may be posted in the comment section of her blog for those people who don’t have their own blog. Voting will take place on November 7 and winners will be announced a couple of days after that.

THE TRICK-OR-TREAT BAG (100 words)

Tucked in a box, Trick-or-Treat Bag slept. He dreamed of friendly ghosts, scary spiders, and a tummy full of treats.

One day, Bag’s world shook. Earthquake!

Bag felt a tug. Whoosh! Bag dangled in the air.

“It’s wrinkled,” said Sally.

“Shake it out,” said Sam.

Bag twitched.

“Don’t you want a new bag?” said Sam. “Your costume is new.”

Bag trembled.

Sally held Bag close. “My old costume was too small,” she said. “But this bag will always be just right for me.”

Bouncing to the beat of Sally’s heart, Bag twinkled as they trick-or-treated in the Halloween moonlight.

THE END

I hope you enjoyed the story…I’ve never written one from a bag’s POV…now I can’t wait to read all of the other contest entries!

Have a wonderful weekend, dear friends! And HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

I’ve been looking back at my memories of past Halloweens. As a young child, I lived in an apartment house with 104 units…a Halloween paradise…and you didn’t even have to go outside! Of course, that was over 50 years ago, when there was less of a concern about knocking on a door of someone you didn’t know. My 8-year old sister, Rho, was put in charge of me and my two best friends, Jane and Marilyn. We were all of 5-years old and so excited about the candy we would receive…rainbow dots stuck on the white strip of paper, Bazooka bubblegum, Tootsie rolls…just what you’d find if you went to a vintage candy store. I don’t remember what characters we portrayed, but I know that the costumes were always homemade by our mothers.

My next memories are of Halloweens we celebrated when our children were growing up. In the beginning, we went trick or treating in the neighborhood of the small Connecticut town where we lived…where almost everyone on the street knows your name. However, one year, on the morning of Halloween, there were broadcasts on TV and radio about some tainted candy that had been given to children. I was just finishing tying the ribbons on colorfully wrapped portions of homemade rice krispie treats that were to be given out to the neighborhood trick or treaters. Of course, there was no way I could give those out…I’m sure parents would examine their children’s goodie bags and throw out anything that wasn’t store-bought and factory-sealed. That was the last time our children went trick or treating…from then on, we opted to have Halloween parties at our home…inviting friends of our children to share a safer Halloween.

It’s too bad those Halloween trick or treaters didn’t get to enjoy the rice krispie treats, but you can! Here is the recipe I used:

DEVILISH DELISH KRISPS

You will need: 3TB butter or margarine, 1 package (10 oz) fresh marshmallows, 1/2 cup almond butter, 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal, 1 cup organic mini chocolate chips, large microwave-safe bowl, and a 13x9x2-inch casserole pan.

In microwave-safe bowl, heat butter or margarine and marshmallows on High for 2 minutes. Stir and heat 1 more minute. Stir until smooth.
Add almond butter and stir well.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Add the cereal and stir until well-coated.
Spray the 13x9x2-inch pan with canola oil and press the mixture into the pan with a buttered or oiled spatula.
Cover with plastic wrap. Cool and then cut into squares.
Best eaten within 24 hours…I don’t think they will last that long.