Pumpkin, Skull, Pumpkin, Goblin, Pumpkin, Witch, Bob Hope. Ewww. So many costumes to choose from, so little time. What to wear ran through his mind on this day. October 31 to most people mean't trick-or-treak, work, or just normal day life. To Chris, it was more. His friends annual Halloween bash.
E's Pumpkin and Costume shoppe was bustling with the sights of parents frowning over prices and childeren smiling with trick or treat joy. Chris was on the kid's side. He knew the perfect costume awaited him. Somewhere amongst the kids, the parents, and the pumpkins, lays the greatest costume.
As for the pumpkins, his friends hadn't come to E's Pumpkin and Costume Shoppe to buy light sticks, costumes or funny halloween bags. They'd come for E, or Emily as just about no one knew her. To the town of Seaside Lane, she was E, the pumpkin lady.
Emily ran the pumpkin shoppe year round as a flower and gifts boutique. But her true passion lay in the fall season, amongst falling leaves and scary masks. She had quite a truley amazing talent for carving pumpkins. Along with arranging flowers in ways that could warm the soul of any lover or win the heart of any proposal, the pumpkins were her trade. People had even rumored that she could talk to her creations. Unfornatley Emily's love life was about the same love life of the pumpkins she carved. But then again, it is halloween and magic had it's way of stepping in now and then.
"How much for those three" asked Joey as he pointed to the scary looking pumpkins, that lay on the counter.
Emily, being the master carver, didn't even have to look up from her work. "Five a piece, or Twelve for three" she replied.
"I'll take them" he said as he passed her the money.
Emily nodded in her normal thankful way. Joey and his buddies made their way over to Chris, who was still going through the wide assortment of costumes. "We're on our way out Chris. Coming with us or are ya still searching for your alter ego" chuckled Joey.
Chris hardly gave his friends a look and said "Nah you guys go ahead. I'll catch up at the party."
"Time to face the music buddy" he thought.
It would be the same thing as is every year. He'd find an outfit, come out to party, get wackier than a saturday morning cartoon character, and leave alone.
Just then he peered over his shoulder at Emily's pumpkin arrangments. At the end of the table, by it's lonesome self, was one of the oddest looking design's he'd ever seen. Two funky shaped eyes and a mouth that resembled an old hockey player gave the pumpkin a look of it's own. Chris let out a giggle as he checked out the odd pumpkin.
Emily peered up from her work at Chris with one of those what are you doing looks. Chris cleared his throat and smiled "I'm sorry, that pumpkin gave me a good laugh."
"You're supposed to laugh, his name is Funnybone" replied Emily, as she went back to her trade.
Chris's staring exchanged from the pumpkin to Emily. Suddenly it was like a bright shining light. Chris had been in E's Shoppe many times, yet he never looked at her this way. Letting some vowel and word sounds fly, Chris squirmed to say something
Out of nowhere a voice said "Not one Autmmn sunset is as beautiful as you."
Emily looked up at Chris. Sort of baffled at first, smiled and said "Thanks, no one has ever said that to me, especially not at work."
Chris had an expression of a minister walking into a nudist camp. Chris mumbled out "But I....."
"But I would really like to ask, if you'd be my date to the big Halloween Party" a voice cut in.
Again Emily stopped her carving. She was impressed. Not only was this the first time a guy had actually said anything to her other than how much for this or that, but this one asked her out.
"Sure" she replied with a huge grin.
"How about I meet you by the punch bowl, say 8ish?" asked Chris.
Again Emily replied "Sure."
Chris smiled, and walked in an almost dance out the door. He was in heaven. But how exactly did he ask her out without saying a word? And second, what was he going to wear?
Emily opened the door to the old house. The house which was set on a high hill above the cozy little town, resembled something of an old New England haunted house flick. For normal day life, it was weird, for a halloween party, it was perfect. Inside there was bumping and grinding, the sounds of party music blasting, guys flirting, girls winking. This was something that Emily wasn't used to. The last party she went to was in high school. She took a deep breath, and entered the room in her 60's throw back go-go girl dancer skirt and boots. With one addition. A certain pumpkin which she carried in a basket.
Across the room Chris stood nervously in the corner. About now would be the time he'd start joking around, and dancing to disco duck. But tonight was a new night. He scanned the room, and saw her. He shook his head in amazment to what was staring right back at him. Although he did stick out in a cross between an astronaut and a cowboy, she had the same look that he did.
So he started his walk, across the room. As she smiled and peered toward the floor, he was falling. Not only falling in love, he had slipped on some spilled punch and was literally falling. Chris came crashing onto the floor, starting a chain reaction that made the party look like a game of domino's.
He stood up confidently like nothing had happened and took Emily's hand. "Do you want to go out, get some fresh air?"
"Yea" she whispered out between a laugh.
Chris and Emily made they're way outside of the house. They took a seat outside, under the fresh cool air. Chris was nervous. So nervous he and Emily exchanged smiles and eye contact. Out of nowhere, the voice said "So, are you two going to start getting to know each other, or am I going to have to do all the talking?"
"Whoa!" Chris expelled as he jumped from his seat. "That pumpkin just spoke. Must have been something in that punch."
Emily looked up at Chris with a funny smile and said "He does that now and then. I sometimes have to tell him to watch his mouth."
"Pumpkins don't speak. They're vegatables, no brains, no organs, nothing!" replied Chris.
"No brains?" said the pumpkin. "The only one around here without a brain is you buddy."
Emily grabbed a napkin and put it over the pumpkins face "That's enough Funnybone. This is why I never take you with me when I go out, you scare away all my dates."
As Emily and Funnybone continued to argue, Chris decided to take a seat in the grass. Was he dreaming, a girl and a pumpkin, having an argument.
Chris got up, and walked back over to Emily and Funnybone. "Should I leave you two alone?" he asked.
"No." Funnybone replied. "Listen I'm sorry kid. It's just that she's been staring at you for the past 3 years. Everytime you came in looking for an outfit, she'd stare at you for hours. Wishing you'd be in to buy her flowers. Someone had to say something."
Chris walked over to Emily, and knelt beside her on the grass. He said, "You were looking at me, for real?"
Emily nodded and said, "Yes, I just never could say anything."
Then it happened. The magic started. With some sort of bravery and courage, Chris leaned in and kissed her. He opened his eyes, seeing nothing but her beautiful eyes and smile looking right back.
Chris took her by the hand and said, "Want to go for a walk over to the lake?"
Emily scooped up Funnybone and said to Chris, "Lead the way."
This year was different, not only did Chris and Emily find the loves they had been searching for, they also made a pumpkin smile forever. Chris smiled and put his arm around Emily as the walked off into the moonlit night, and lived happily ever after. Who says pumpkins are just for decoration?
