Girgai3an

The raucous children skipped from door to door, gorging on their sweet treats and bland nuts. They knew which houses had the best candy and which ones had none at all. Some homes would send elderly housekeepers to the door to scoop out chunky portions of sugary delights.

Others had an older sibling shovel small yet appreciated amounts of bonbons. Some households cheerily escorted their entire family, especially the young ones, to the front door as they commanded the eager crowd to sing a song in a newborn’s name.

However, there was always that one house that was saved to end the darkening night. The front door was usually clouded with overgrown vines that blinded the blinking lampposts. The only sound that escaped the walls was the busy crickets. Its keeper was never seen; mothers scolded their children for buzzing the mythical being’s bell, “You have the entire block before you, why do you have to disturb his old soul!”

But the curious children never listen.
“I wonder how he looks like.”
“He never comes out. He usually ignores us.”
“Yes, but remember once, last year, he sent out his housekeeper to send us away.”
“Well, that’s only his housekeeper…”

And the small army continued their deep conversation as the younger ones in the bunch remained silent and listened attentively to the plan.

“I say we all line up next to the door and ring the bell until he comes out!”
The cluster of heads raised their sweaty, sticky fists in the air and charged toward the mysterious grounds.
They rang the bell once, twice, and thrice!

Yet nothing happened.
“Let me try,” the eldest member planted an impatient finger on the bell and never ceased to stop ringing it.


Suddenly, they heard a loud bang followed by steps that thudded against the ceramic tiles.


“YA KLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB!”


The children screamed in horror! He had come out of his hole!
They clutched their heavy bags of candy and ran back home in terror.
Yet alas, they never cast a glance behind them at the feeble, white-haired man who ran barefoot to his door to shoo away the rascals once and for all.

at 7:13 AM