The Mercer House
written by: Bernardo Villela
Petey went trick-or-treating alone for the first time last night. Now, he’ll never go again, accompanied or not.
His goal had been to see what he could get at the big, old house at the end of the block. When he first passed it, he saw a sheet-wearing ghost getting candy, tossing in his bag; so Petey figured he’d stop there later.
When he doubled back, he saw what looked like the same ghost getting candy.
Did he come back? Can’t be another kid in an OG costume like that out tonight, Petey thought. Thoroughly unsettled, he figured he’d try one more time at night’s end.
When Petey passed by again a few hours later, he saw the same scene play out again: a kid draped in a bedsheet with cut-out eye-holes watched a hard candy, jawbreaker, and individually wrapped piece of bubble gum being tossed into his pillow case.
He’d seen enough and ran back home. The following morning at breakfast, that ghost kid still bothered him. Petey’s mom could tell something was eating at him.
“What’s wrong?”
He was worried he wouldn’t get away with saying “nothing,” so he opted for something close to the truth.
“It’s just that I didn’t stop at the big house; this same kid was hitting it up all night.”
His mom, thinking he was pulling her leg, chuckled.
“C’mon, Petey, no one’s lived in the Mercer house for years.”
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