The Masks: A Halloween Mini Scene

Black and orange streamers hung from the ceiling, both sparkly and not, alongside cobwebs in the corners, and carved pumpkins in the windows. Each pumpkin had a different design, either the silhouette of a witch riding a broom, flickering with a dim flame, or spooky faces, smiling or frowning, with circular or triangular eyes.

Linda and her cook decorated the diner every year for Halloween.

Alice loved the decor. She loved Halloween. She loved seeing everyone’s costumes and all the kids running around, passing the windows, laughing, trick or treating, as their parents followed, some of whom were dressed up too. One woman dressed as Pocahontas walked by the window, hurrying after her two kids, a boy and a girl, a brother and sister, dressed as a firefighter and a vampire princess, laughing, carrying two orange buckets shaped like pumpkins.

Alice sat in a booth, legs crossed like a pretzel, enjoying the night’s excitement without actually taking part in it. As much as she enjoyed Halloween, it wasn’t the same without her mom. Susan used to love it, all of it, the costumes, the decorations, and handing out candy to little kids. 

Alice’s dad, Mason, used to love it too before he started drinking. He liked pranking the older kids, scaring them into running away from the house. 

“What? No mask?” Cece stood beside the booth, wearing her black leather jacket, ripped jeans, and a T-shirt with the word Costume written across the chest. She sat in the booth, across from Alice, smiling as if she too felt the Halloween spirit. 

“I haven’t dressed up for Halloween since my mom died,” Alice said. It was weird to speak that sentence out loud, to say her mom passed away rather than left in the middle of the night. Every time she talked about her mom, she had to lie and say Susan abandoned her family. Telling the truth felt like an odd relief, both sad and freeing.

“Hello, darlings,” Linda smiled, wearing her usual uniform, a yellow, knee-length dress with a white collar and adorable red buttons. Her apron held a notepad and a couple of pens. “What can I get you on this spooky night?”

“Cake,” Cece paused, glancing at Alice. She didn’t approve of Alice’s preferred dessert. “And pie for Al over here.”

“You say that so judgmentally.” Alice wasn’t really offended. She didn’t care if it seemed odd; pie was her favorite dessert. Cherry, or apple, but mostly custard.

“Hm, alright. Or I can offer you something else, maybe a couple of All Hallows Eve cookies,” Linda said. “Another customer brought them in. If you’re interested.”

“All Hallows Eve?” Cece asked.

“We’ll take the cookies,” Alice said. She could have custard pie any day. Why not try a Halloween-themed treat tonight?

“Coming up.” Linda walked away.

Cece bent her elbow on the back of the booth, leaning against it, facing Alice. She clicked her tongue. “So, you really don’t have any plans tonight? You’re just gonna be miserable and think about your mom?”

Alice spent most days feeling miserable, mourning her mother, missing her family. Her dad was alive, but he wasn’t really there, not anymore. “No, actually. Jess and I have plans. We’re gonna go to a midnight movie or something. She’s at a party right now.”

“A Honeycomber party,” Cece’s tone was laced with judgment. “You guys gonna go to a horror movie?”

“Jess hates horror movies.” Alice didn’t like horror movies either. She and her best friend were probably going to watch a comedy or a romcom, something light-hearted, not terrifying.

“Has she been paying attention to where she lives? ‘Cause this whole city is basically a horror movie.”

“I would’ve gone with action film.”

“That too,” Cece shrugged. She folded her arms on the edge of the table. “When are you meeting the Honeycomber?”

“You can call her Jess, you know,” Alice said.

“Noted.”

Alice rolled her eyes. She understood there was a rivalry between Burrowers and Honeycombers, but the way Cece said ‘Honeycomber,' like she was insulting Jess, didn’t sit well with Alice. Even if Alice and Jess weren’t spending much time together, growing further and further apart, Alice loved Jess. She’d always love Jess.

“What are you and your, uh-”

“Crew,” Cece smiled at the mention of her friends. But her smile faded as if she were remembering something, someone she missed dearly. “B is still giving me the silent treatment, so this year, it’s just gonna be me and T, unless his besties are joining the party.”

“What are you guys gonna do?”

“Movies. What else?”

Alice chuckled. “Sounds fun.”

“Okay! Darlings, here we go,” Linda slid two plates onto the table, each with a Halloween-themed cookie. Alice’s was a frosted sugar cookie decorated like a witch with a green face, orange hair, and a black hat with a purple stripe.

Cece’s was a peanut butter cookie made to look like a howling ghost, all white with black eyes and a black mouth. 

“Thanks, Linda,” Alice and Cece said together.

“Enjoy,” Linda left them to enjoy their cookies.

“So,” Cece lifted her cookie. “Happy Halloween, Al.”

“Happy Halloween, Cece,” Alice smiled. She bit her sugar cookie and turned to the window again. 

The whole city was alive with laughter and mystery, decorated with twinkling, orange and white lights, as the stars spiraled above in the ink-black sky and the moon shone brightly, beautifully, over all the brick and stone buildings.

It was a fantastic night. A night of fun, and hopefully, someday, maybe, it would be fun for Alice again, even without her mom or her dad, but she couldn’t imagine when that would be.