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The teenage boys
were gathered at the billboard which was located on the north end of the
bridge that separated the small town. Teenage boys had been gathering at
the end of the bridge since it was first built. This night however would
be different. This was Halloween. These boys watched as small children
in homemade costumes scampered up and down the street looking for the
next house to scream “trick or treat”. These boys were too old to dress
up and go begging for candy, but old enough to plan a good prank to play
on some unsuspected member of the community.
A lot of ideas were bantered about. Some were worn out pranks like
putting a bag of dog dodo on the porch, setting it on fire and then
knocking on the door. When the home owner opened the door and saw the
fire they would automatically try to stomp out the fire thus ruining a
good pair of shoes and having a smelly mess to clean up. Throwing rotten
eggs was considered, but was also dismissed because some had experienced
having to clean up a similar mess the next day.
Finally, they decided on the prank they would pull off tonight. One of
the boys had just broken up with a girl who lived a couple of miles out
of town and volunteered her place as the target. A couple of the boys
did not wish to go along with the prank so it left only four to pull off
the deed. The remaining boys jumped into the Studebaker sedan that was
the family car of one of the boys and out of town they drove.
It was finally getting dark as they drove out of town and turned up the
mountainous road leading to their target. The moon was out but was
moving into its half phase, so the light of the moon would not be in
their favor. They stopped the car about forty yards from the house and
loitered around the car until their eyes got used to the darkness. They
crossed the fence and walked through a cornfield which had been cut and
stocked at equal intervals. Crossing the fence that separated the field
from the farm house one boy felt something furry and panting beside him.
It was the family dog who knew this boy well enough to come up
friendly.
The boys worked their way to the back of the house. Lights were on and
the sound of country music was playing inside. They made the dash to the
little outhouse that was located up from the house and with one huge
push the outhouse toppled over. The boys weren’t the only ones who heard
the thud of the small wooden building as it hit the ground. Almost
immediately the music went silent. The boys froze in their tracks for a
moment then made a mad dash back towards the cornfield.
Suddenly, they realized they were a boy short as they crossed the fence
to the cornfield. Looking back they saw half a person at the location of
the outhouse.
They started back, but just as they did the back door opened and a dark
figure was outlined in the light coming from the house. After what
seemed was a million minutes the figure turned back into the house and
closed the door.
The boys went back across the fence to the location where the little
house had sat. There they saw the boy standing knee deep in human
excrement. He had been at the wrong spot and had fallen into the open
pit. Under their breath I’m sure there was a lot of chuckling, but it
looked as if they had a problem on their hands. Reaching down they
grabbed the boy by the shoulders and pulled him from the mire. The
stench was huge, and immediately the other boys started to distant
themselves from him. Everything went well for a while. Back across the
fence they ran until they arrived back at the car.
Everyone started to pile into the car and a halt was suddenly called to
the process. hey, said the driver, there is no way you’re gettin into
the car. But how was the boy supposed to get back to town? One of the
boys suggested he could ride in the trunk, but anyway you looked at it,
there was no way he could ride and not get that stuff that was pushing
the needle to the top of the stinkaroo meter, in the trunk or on the
car.
It was agreed that the boy would have to walk back to town. The driver
started the car and started back down the mountain toward town. The car,
even at an idle, on the mountain road was going much too fast for the
boy with the aroma challenged condition to keep up. The driver thought
he would burn up his brakes trying to keep the car within a speed that
would keep the boy in sight.
Finally, they reached the main street and the river. Even thought the
temperature was in the forties this chilly Halloween, the boy went
straight into the water to try to wash at least enough of the stuff away
to make it home and get some clean clothes. He would explain to his
parents that the boys were tussling close to the river and he fell in.
Whether it worked or not we never knew.
The boy later made up with that farm girl and married her. By now they
probably have great grandchildren. I wonder if he ever told her he was
with those boys who turned over her families outhouse that Halloween.
Moreover, did he ever tell her of his falling into it as he helped push
it over. It is more than likely that boy will read this little essay of
his escapade. That is why no names have been mentioned. |
