The Lost Little Girl

It is a tradition in my neighborhood for children to walk around in their Halloween costumes, trick-or-treating freely, without parental guidance. One cold, dark Halloween night, at the age of twelve, my parents sent me off in my Spiderman costume to go trick-or-treating. I raided every candy bucket in every adult’s hand in my neighborhood. Once I had made my rounds I decided to go to some of the outlaying houses around my neighborhood even though my parents had forbid that. The farther away I got away from my neighborhood the fewer houses I encountered giving out candy and the fewer trick-or-treaters that I saw. I began lose my sense of security, but I grudgingly continued on my candy quest and turned down a long, dark street with only a few houses; none of which were lit. Normally I would have skipped this street, but something caught my eye and my ear. As I proceeded down the dark street, I found that it was not something, but someone. It was a little girl dressed in white with long black hair, kneeling in the street crying. As I walked up to her I asked her what was wrong. She turned to me with a grimace on her face and told me that she was lost. “I’ll help you,” I said in a calm voice. I tried to take her hand, but she wouldn’t let me so I ordered her to follow me instead. After we had walked down a few more streets, we came upon a house that she claimed was hers. I walked onto the porch with her right behind me and rang the doorbell. The porch light came on and a middle-aged woman opened the door. “Is this your daughter?” I asked as I turned around. I was shocked to find that the little girl has vanished! “My little girl died five years ago today when she was struck by a car trick-or-treating.” the woman said as her eyes began to water. A cold chill ran through my body. “I’m sorry,” I said as she shut door in my face. As I was walking away from the house something in one of the second story windows caught my eye. It was the little girl staring at me with a smile. Another cold chill ran through my body and I darted for my house.