Some Treats Are Nasty Tricks

by Larry M. Keeton

About the Author: Larry M Keeton has received honorable mentions in various contests, to include the Black Orchid Novella Award, his first published story has been in Mystery Magazine.

Excerpt

Our pitiful finances meant the kid’s Jack-o’-lantern was a carved yellow squash lit by a half-burned birthday candle. A black plastic bag I snagged heading out of the printing shop served as his costume.

“G-g-ghosts are white,” he whined.

“You ain’t no common spirit,” Marie shot back. “You’ve got invisibility.”

Damn close, given he’s mixed and lives in the child poverty zone. Part of the marrying Marie package. He’s an infectious-canned-laughter machine for my stand-up comedy routine. One that fails to fill our dwindling coffers. In our house of woe, he disrupts the tension.

Marie and he went trolling for treats. I did the same. Only mine would be more substantial than candy or popcorn balls or saltine crackers slathered with peanut butter, if anyone doled those out anymore.

The bus dropped me off near my work. Located at the edge of the city’s decaying industrial zone, the printing plant produced bank checks, business cards, stationery, monogrammed letterheads, and keeping up with the time, a line of computer 3-D products.

Given the boodle the boss stuffed into his ancient safe, it’s a bustling operation. “Don’t trust banks,” he’d said, “nor security companies.” After tonight, he might reconsider.

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