I could feel my heart beating like a jack-hammer as I followed closely behind Heather as she guided me through the front door and down the brick paved walkway. The bricks that paved the walkway cooled my feet. A large crowd had also gathered in front of our house, the cobblestone street seemed to be filled with costumed clad people who gathered around the tank that seemed a grander version of the tank used in the yearly “Hostage Exchange”.

“Quite a sight to see?” She said smiling as she pushed open the small, black iron gate. That marked the boundary between our front yard and the street. The street was paved in brown cobblestone’s and the iron rails of the trolley that zoomed all over Benton was bedded deep down in them. The trolley still ran around thrice a day.

I nodded my head. As I followed her through the gate. A stagehand gave me a small smile as he reached down and took my hand into his own.

“Are lovely stand hand here will help you into the tank dear,” Heather said smiling as she opened the plastic door. “Though I will say, it’s a shame your not dressed up. I would have so loved to gunge a princess or a popular anime character tonight.” She said winking at the crowd pressed in to get a better view.

A deep blush colored my face as I started to climb up the steel steps that lead into the tank. Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside and eased my bottom down upon the stool that sat in the center of the tank. Above the stool was a spout, and above the spout there appeared to a large reservoir of creamy orange gunge. Fitting since it was almost Halloween. Once I have seated the door was closed and a brass latch was brought down, trapping me inside.

“Before I pull the leveler and cover you in forty gallons of ice cold, creamy and I think smelly gunge that sits above your head. I need to ask you a few questions.” She said pulling up a seat. She gently sat down and smoothed out the helm of her dress as she eased down in the chair.

I blushed and folded my hands over my face to cover the smirk appearing on my face. All around the booth, people were gathering around and pressing in. I could see there smiling faces. Among the crowd, I could easily recognize the faces of a number of classmates who had gathered around to see what all the noise was about.

“Wow. And it seems your quite popular here too.” She said smiling a little as she folded her hands in her lap and she focused her full attention on me.

I blushed and offered the gathered crowd a little wave as I settled my bottom squarely on the stool. Taking a deep breath and peered toward Heather who was smiling like a fox.

“You could say that,” I said forcing a laugh.

“So Jamie, Halloween is a time for dressing up, checking out haunted locations and going to parties. But going on what my inside source tells me or has been telling me all day, you’ve been doing but staying inside, watching horror movies and snacking.” Her tone seemed almost concerned and dripped with motherly concern.

I nodded my head and blushed a little as I peered toward Heather and then back at the ground.

“Because I’m shy. And I’m a little scared.” I said as I peered up at the gunge.

Heather smiled and peered toward me.

“We’ll Jamie, in a preshow interview with your sister. Lily. I asked for your favorite types of candies. She told me you love Reese Peanut Butter Cups, Mar’s Bars, M&M’s and KitKat’s.” She said counting out each named candy on her finger as she rattled off the list.
“Yes, those are my favorites,” I said blushing as I kicked my feet on the stool. The whole population of Benton seemed to be here. And not only the elite and the wealthy but people from the other areas. There must have been at least forty to fifty people gathering around the tank.

“Wonderful,” Heather said as she motioned for a stagehand to bring out something. A guy around Lily’s age soon appeared on the scene. In his hand, he was holding an orange bucket Okay it was more like a pail than a bucket. And was like those plastic Jack-O-Lantern buckets you see around Halloween. This one stood around eight inches tall and had a five inch opening at the top. The bucket was also filled to the brim was candy! And I mean filled to the bring with Reese Peanut Butter Cups, snack size bags of M&M’s, signal KitKat chocolate bars and a few other choices treats to match!

“Since it is Halloween. And Trick or Treating is a cherished Halloween tradition, I thought, it would be only right for me to give you a nice ‘Treat’ since I’m playing this trick on you. Now, dear..” Heather paused and looked up at me sitting on the stool. “Now, I think its time to get on with the main event. But I do have one more question for you, why are you not wearing a costume? Don’t you think she’ll look cute wearing a costume?” The question was directed toward the gathered crowd.

“Jamie would look totally adorable in one!” Cried a vampire nurse.

Heather blinked and blinked again as she peered toward vampire nurse. The costume was a vintage nurse dress, you know one of those white dresses, with a white apron worn over the front, white stocking and black dress shoes. Her long blonde hair had been pulled back into a ponytail and sitting upon her head was a nurses cap. The name tag pinned to the left side of her dress read “Joan RN” Fake blood had been smeared from one corner of her mouth to the other and some even splattered the front of her blouse.

“Oh! One of the ghouls has spoken! Come up here dear and tell me a little about yourself.

Joan smiled and started to make her way toward the seated Heather, who stood up and gave her a one arm hug. She then looked Joan up and down before giving her a nod of approval. “I gotta say, you look stunning dear heart. I take it you know Jamie?” She said as she nodded for a stagehand to pull a seat up. She patted the seat, inviting Joan to take a seat. Before returning to her own.

“Know here? She like my step-little sister! Like she dating my little brother, who’s totally head over heels in love with her.” She paused and looked up at me and smirked. “Jamie is too cute too like she always packs these Japanese style lunches, I think they're called Benton Boxes, okay its more like a mix of Japanese and Southern American you know. Like the meat dish would be some pulled pork and the side dishes would be steamed white rice and maybe a large bowl of Miso Soup. And she always brings two sweet teas! It's super cute to see him feeding her and she feeding him.”

The whole crowd gushed and made loud sounds of approval that caused me to blush deeply. Heather and Joan noticed me blushing and seemed to just laugh and giggle as I wiggled around in my seat. Getting a public gunging was one thing. But having to be interviewed like this was another deal altogether.

Heather then turned toward the camera and winked.

“Alright.” She paused and looked down at Joan nameplate and shrugged her shoulders “Joan thank you for your time and before we go, we have a little going away treat for you.” She nodded toward one of the stagehands who quickly produced a thick, custard pie. She balanced the custard pie in the palm of her hand and reached over and placed her hand on the back of Joan’s head and then smirking, she pushed the pie into her Joan's face!

The whole crowd busted into a loud round of applause filled the chilly October night. As crust, cream and custard exploded, coating Joan face. Joan could be heard giggling as she cleaned away some of the crust from her face and some cream as well. She took a deep breath and flicked the stuff on the paving stones.

“Thanks for the pie..” She said smirking as she used her fingers to clean remaining goo from her eyes so she could at least see!

“Your welcome dear.” Heather then turned her full attention toward me. Smiling she reached and a pulled a remote control and grinning she pressed the big red button that was located on the center. The Klaxon above the tanked sounded its dreaded alarm and from above a waterfall of ice cold, freezing gunge fell down above me. I screamed as the cold, thick, almost mud-like liquid rolled down on me.

I could not help but giggle as the gunge rolled down on my head. Soaking me to the bone. The thin fabric of my nightdress was no match for the massive onslaught that poured down from above, It felt like my whole body had been encased in ice, The gunge then became thicker and thicker and rolled down me, pooling in my lap and rolling down my back and soaking me through and through. My hair rollers were a soggy mess and somewhere coming to undone as the gunge flooded down to my side.

The bottom of the tank was filled with bright, pastel-colored orange gunk that smelled like. Oh dear God, Mother Mary and Father Joseph, it smelled like rotten fruit! I pouted and looked up and got a face full of the dredges of the slime.

“Oh dear.. You should have kept your head down? But how does it taste dear?” Heather teased as she peered toward me. She gave me a smirk a mile wide.

“Like death!”

“I expected as much, I think that left over from last Halloween!” She said smiling as the crowd that gathered around the tank started to laugh.

“Anyway, I want to thank you, Jamie! You have been a wonderful sport letting me do this to you! Also, thank you, Joan, for letting use that pie! And now folks, I think its time we bring this show to a close.”

And with that. I exited the tank and offered everybody a wave as I pondered what tomorrow will hold.