I quit reading Celtic books and started calligraphy. The instruction book told me how to clean the pens and stuff, and I began practicing the letters that looked old-fashioned but weren’t too complicated. It wasn’t easy, but I could do it.
I looked at books in the library on calligraphy, and discovered that there were lots of different letterings I could use. One book had color pictures of beautiful old books and scrolls. The borders and some of the letters were illuminated with wonderful knotwork, mythical creatures, and strange symbols, all in bright colors.
My pen box and pad went with me to school each day, and I would practice even while eating lunch with my friends.
“Hey, Ariel. Can you come to my Halloween party?” Nancy asked.
I looked up from my lettering. “That would be neat. What are you gonna do?”
“Play games and stuff. It’s a potluck, and everybody is supposed to bring something to eat. Can you come?”
“I think so. I kind of want to do something, you know, Halloweenish, like go trick-or-treating of something.”
“Nobody does that anymore! Except a few little kids that get driven around by their moms. And no one’s allowed to do it after dark anymore, so it’s no fun.”
“I know! What time is your party?”
“Six. Will you come?”
“Sure.”
I was the kind of kid that everyone seemed to like no matter what I did. I didn’t have to work at having friends. I knew some kids who were always trying to make friends, but never seemed to have any. It didn’t seem quite fair.
I always liked trick-or-treating, especially in the dark. But these days, for two weeks before Halloween, every five minutes on the radio and TV there was some safety council telling people not to go out after dark, only go to people you know, get your candy x-rayed, and everything. Most kids I knew didn’t even try anymore, like Nancy.
I decided I was going, when it was good and dark, about 7:00, alone probably, and then I could bring my candy to the party to share. And I was going to make a new costume — a deep blue hooded cloak like the girl in the oak woods in my daydream.
“I know what I’m bringing, Nancy, but it will be a surprise, and I might come a little late, okay?”
“It goes until 10:00. If you can’t help me set-up, would you help me clean-up after, since you live just down the road?”
“Yeah, that would be fun,” I agreed.
“What are you going to wear?” Anna asked me.
“Something new. Secret! I haven’t made it yet. You’ll see!”
A couple of days later, I took the city bus to the mall after school and went in the yardage store. Blue. A rich, deep blue. I looked at patterns first, and found a good one. It told me I would need four yards of material, so I started looking around. I just wanted the outside — I could line it later if I wanted to.
The most perfect color was the velour, but it would cost me a fortune. I finally found some thick cotton in a good color. That would be better. I didn’t want to look flashy.
When I got home, Mom noticed me with all the sewing stuff out.
“Hi, Honey. Have you done your homework?”
“You know I always do my homework, Mom.”
“What are you making?”
“I didn’t use any of your fabric.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Yeah, but that’s what you wanted to know. I bought it with my birthday money. It’s just a Halloween costume.” I went back to pinning on the pattern.
“I guess I was a little worried about my fabrics. I just wish you and me could talk more, Honey.”
“I can’t think of anything to talk about,” at least that you would approve of.
“Dinner is in half an hour.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll set the table and do the dishes.”
As I cut out the pieces of my cloak, I thought about how much I would love to be able to talk to my mom about things that were important to me. But I couldn’t even say what time it was without some little judgment or worry in her voice. I got all A’s and B’s in school, and she still didn’t trust me to do my homework.
That’s okay. I only knew one girl who could really talk to her parents. It’s just the way the world is, I guess.
I got it all cut out that night, but I didn’t get a chance to sew it together until Saturday. Mom helped me with some of the hard places.
“What exactly is it, anyway?” she asked.
“The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come,” I said so I wouldn’t have to explain too much.
After we hemmed up the bottom and sleeves, it fit well. I had sized it to go over plenty of clothes so I’d stay warm. I kept the hood nice and deep so my face would be in shadows. My mom said the color was too dark and cars would hit me. I didn’t plan to step into the path of any cars, but I kept that fact to myself.
That night after dinner, I made a green belt from a remnant, and dug into my jewelry box. Standing in front of my mirror with my cloak on, I tried on different things until my string of clay beads with a crude brass medallion looked good. I think it looked right because it looked ancient.
I practiced calligraphy all that week in my spare time. After dinner on Halloween, I put on my costume, cleaned off my desk, and got out two tall
candles in holders. By only the glow of the flames, I dipped my pen into the black ink and slowly lettered:
Ariel’s Book
When I was sure it was dry, I changed to a finer pen nib, turned several pages, and wrote:
If you work with the universe, you get power.
If you work against it, you get hurt !
When that had dried, I closed the book and blew out the candles, grabbed my trick-or-treat bag and headed out into the darkness.
Being out in the dark alone didn’t bother me. I had gotten used to doing important things alone. I had almost always had to, except when my Teacher was around.
I lurked through the neighborhood, going anywhere I wanted — I even cut through some dark yards and fields. I felt powerful. In my blue cloak I was working with the night, working with the darkness. If any egg-throwers had come by, they would never have seen me. I was the spook! I considered all the mischief I could do, but I knew that hurting people and their things wasn’t for me.
I think I was just about invisible in my hooded cloak, and I scared a couple of people who were out checking the candles in their pumpkins. My bag filled fast, I think because it was late and people wanted to get rid of their extra candy. Satisfied, I headed for Nancy’s.
I rang the doorbell, and a whole group of kids opened the door. But they were looking at me strangely.
“Who’s
that?”
“Are you trick-or-treating?”
“Are you a spook?”
Then I remembered that my face was deep in the shadow of my hood, and
none of them had seem my new costume. I reached up and pulled my hood back.
“Ariel!”
“We missed you!”
“Come on in!”
I had plenty of candy for everyone, and I ate lots 0f their potato chips and stuff. Some of the kids were surprised I had gone trick-or-treating alone. The ones that knew me rolled their eyes, but weren’t surprised.