Evan looked upon the old man. His face like parchment yellowed and wrinkled, where only the slightest hint of youth was two large blue eyes, child like but full of wisdom. He was 113 years old and was the eldest of the town. Some people believed he was blessed with immortality and great wisdom. Evan thought they were all idiots. Evan watched him rock back and forth in his chair finally clearing his throat and looking down at him.
“Papa?” Said little Margaret. “Is Caroline really real?” Evan looked at her she sat at the feet of their great grandfather her eyes wide with fear clutching her ragged brown teddy bear to her chest
Evan, who was her older brother sat next to her rolling his eyes. He chuckled under his breath. “Of course not Margaret, Caroline is just a myth like Bigfoot or Dracula.” Evan said looking at his frightened little sister. He always thought she was just a drama queen and a baby. He had confidence and bravery, he wasn't afraid of anything.
“Evan you are too young to know that your arrogance and stupidity will be your downfall.” The old man moved in his chair his eyes settling on his grandson. Evan’s smile faded as he watched him. Evan glowered within himself thinking of how pleased it must make his grandfather to call him dumb. He watched his grandfather noticing every detail as he licked his thin chapped lips.
“I will tell you the story of Caroline. I remember her quite clearly. We were friends and she was a sweet young thing, innocent as a flower.” His eyes glazed over and his voice began to change becoming softer and deeper in pitch. Evan watched this metamorphosis wondering if his grandfather was insane and how much time he was going to waste of his with another one of his crackpot stories.
“It will be marked that 100 years ago tomorrow she went missing. I remember it as if it were yesterday. Three boys in our grade decided to play a prank on her. They found some unused chemicals in the lab they poured them all in a bucket and hung it over her door to her house. The idea was that when she walked in the bucket would fall and get her wet; it was a seemingly harmless enough prank.” He paused and Evan noticed him watching him again with his round innocent eyes. Evan squirmed uncomfortable with the way he was being watched. He looked over at Margaret and saw her squeezing her teddy bear so tight its button eyes were popping out. The old man continued speaking but more slowly. Evan knew he was obviously trying to keep his attention. He hoped he would fall asleep like he often did in the middle of his stories. He really seemed to be scaring Margaret.
“But when she opened the door and the bucket fell on her the liquid began burning and eating away at her skin. The boys ran away afraid and ashamed of what they had done. The boys all swore to never tell anyone, but for one boy the guilt was too much. In just hours he admitted to his parents the prank that they had pulled on poor little Caroline. That night the sheriff and some parents went over to her house to see if she was okay. When they walked in they were greeted by a horrific sight. Skin and hair lay in strips scattered across the floor, blood dripped down from the ceilings. They searched for little Caroline but she was gone. They looked everywhere in the house when the finally went into the bathroom they found a message.” Evan watched the old mans eyelids flutter and shut and he began breathing deeply. His grandfather didn't speak for near a minute. Evan coughed trying to get his grandfathers attention and then immediately regretted it when he looked over at his sister and saw her mouth open.
“Grandpapa… what did it say?” Little Margaret squeaked out she was pulling her hair and twisting it into knots nervously. He opened his eyes and frowned at Margaret. Evan couldn't help but give a slight smile. He knew the one thing his grandfather hated (even more than solicitors) was being interrupted when he was in the middle of one of his stories. Evan watched his grandfather raise his fragile hand with pulsing veins and rub his temple slowly with his thumb, he continued where he left off in the story.
“It was the message of death, my dear girl. On the mirror lay a bloody handprint and written in her own blood was the message…Guilty shall be punished. No one knew what to make of the message and when her parents found out she was gone they immediately moved into the house at the end of town. But that same night, Halloween night we all heard a blood curdling scream when the clock struck midnight. It was the mystery of our town. Throughout the next year everyone forgot about Caroline. But when Halloween came that next year one of the boys that had played the prank on her went missing. As the clock struck midnight you could hear him screaming from the way of her house… and so it continued each year she would take someone’s life as those boys took hers. First it was the boys that played the prank on her that were taken, then it became random sometimes an old man sometimes a young child. People claim to have seen her haunting the streets during the witching hour. She is out for revenge and her lost life. All I know is that Caroline has something far greater in mind for her 100th anniversary and you two better keep a good mind to stay off the streets.”
The old mans mouth closed and his eyes became startlingly alert. He pushed himself up off his chair fumbling for his cane and made his way slowly to the door. He craned his neck around to look at them once more. “The story I told you is not a lie. Do no wrong because that is who she punishes.” He limped out the door into the kitchen where Evan could hear his mother hard at work on a Halloween feast. He laughed out loud and turned to Margaret who was beginning to cry.
“Oh my God Margaret, stop being such a baby it’s just an old tale that he’s telling us to scare us into being good. It’s not even slightly true.”
From the kitchen there was a banging of pots and their mother screeched, “Evan, if I here you use the Lord’s name in vain one more time I will smack your bottom so hard it will be glowing like a cherry! Do you understand me young man?”
“Yes mamma.” Evan called back stifling a laugh.
Margaret rubbed her eyes and looked up at Evan. In a softer voice so their mother couldn't hear she asked. “If the story isn't true… then where do the missing people go?”
Evan opened his mouth and shut it. He was stumped, he had no idea. He thought for a second then said “It’s obvious isn't it? They just send the people away because they’re already moving and it makes us all be good and makes the town a good tourist attraction!” Evan nodded pleased with himself thinking this was obviously the answer.
Margaret looked at him and stood up. She grabbed her teddy bears arm and started towards the door.
Evan stared after her then said “Hey Margaret.” She turned around to look at him her forehead creased with worry lines. “I’ll prove to you that it’s all fake. I’ll take Luke and him and I will go catch this supposed ghost tomorrow and you’ll see it’s just one of our teachers or something dressed up.”
Margaret’s eyes grew huge. “No Evan you can’t, Caroline will get you!” She began crying. “Mommy told you that you had to take me trick treating this year too!”
Evan sighed, “Fine Margaret you can come too, and I’ll show you there’s nothing to be scared of.” He paused then said, “And Margaret, it’s trick-or-treating not trick treating. And people say I’m the dumb one.”
The children went to their rooms to go to sleep to prepare for Halloween that next day. When they awoke they found their costumes ready for them. As Evan pulled on his store bought spider man outfit he realized that they were going to be home alone the whole entire day. His mother was at the town meeting where they were deciding on what precautions to take with tonight’s anniversary.

Evan opened his door and walked across the hall to Margaret’s room. He knocked and heard a tiny squeak behind the thick wood. He twisted the doorknob and he heard his sister yelp. He pushed open the door to find Margaret balancing precariously on top of her four-poster bed, holding a glass vase ready to throw.

“Whoa, Margaret, hold your fire I come in peace.” Evan raised his arms in front of his face. He snickered as his sister clambered down from her bed and gently placed the vase on her nightstand.

“Sorry Evan… But two days ago I was bad and grandpapa said if we were bad then Caroline would get us!” Margaret started sobbing she scrunched up her little face, blotches of red spread across her cheeks and her nose started to run.

“Good God Margaret. You took a cookie from the cookie jar without telling anyone. Wow you’re a real sinner.” Evan chuckled and grabbed her hand. He pulled her towards her bedroom door, Margaret dragging her heels into the carpet.
On their way out Margaret grabbed her little wand with its streamers attached. Evan closed the door behind him and Margaret began to calm down she started twirling down the hallway her fairy princess costume flinging glitter all over the floor .One of her wings clipped a jewelry armoire and bent hanging at an odd angle.

Evan followed behind Margaret pulling their pillowcases down, off of the coat rack where his mother had hung them. He grimaced looking at them they were both a shocking pink with white lace stitched into the edges. He turned one of them over and saw a sticky note attached. He peeled it off, crumpled it up and shoved it into one of the pillow cases.

“Come on Evan! Let’s go trick treating!” Margaret’s squeaky little voice bounced down the hall making Evan’s eardrums rattle. Evan made his way down the hallway to the front door to find Margaret jumping up and down in excitement. Evan stared at her imagining her with her tongue hanging out and a tail. He laughed, perfect he thought, he finally had the dog he’d been asking for since he was five.

Margaret flung the door open grabbing her pillowcase from Evan’s hands and ran down the cement stairs dancing across the gravel path. Evan watched annoyed as she started singing and chanting. “We’re going trick treating, we’re going trick treating! Me and Evan-”

“Evan and I!” yelled Evan at Margaret. She turned around and smiled showing her two missing front teeth.

“Come on Evan! Momma says we need to trick treat now before Caroline comes out.” She started skipping down the drive flinging pebbles and wood chips in his direction.

Evan frowned as some of the rocks bounced off of his face. “Margaret, we’re not going in tonight remember? We’re gonna catch us a pretend ghost.”

Margaret turned around eyes wide. “No! Momma said we had to go in by six! I don’t want to! You can’t make me!” Margaret started running down the drive. Evan pushed off of the porch and chased after her. Margaret didn't get that far before she tripped and skidded to a stop.

“Don’t worry about it Margaret.” Evan said pulling her up off of the drive and brushing her off with his hand. “We’ll go get Luke and get some candy. Remember there’s nothing to be afraid of.”