The Haunted House

                           In Tucker's Perfect Day, Tucker and his friends enjoy Beggars' Night in various spooky ways. Many people have told me about the haunted house they went through one Halloween.

As a child, I never went into such a menagerie of scary rooms. My father didn't permit my sister and me to experience events intended to deliberately frighten us. I didn't see a horror film until I was in college. In the community I grew up in, Beggars' Night was the 30th of September. Halloween was on the 31st. "Good" children didn't venture out on Halloween. That was when pranksters played tricks and destroyed property.

However, the day after Halloween, my friends at school would tell me about the haunted house they inched through. I found their stories fascinating. As readers reminded me of those rooms full of spiderwebs, dripping imitation blood, headless figures, eerie music, and ghosts that jumped out of closets, I wondered if any of you have ever gone through a haunted house. 

If you have a special, unique experience of Halloween, let me know. I'll share it on the blog.

For me, Halloween is a time to enjoy family and community. It's a time to laugh, let your heart pound a little faster, and grab someone's hand for safety. It's clear crisp air, caramel-covered apples, and little Snickers candy bars. 

Join Tucker as he enjoys late October 1947 by reading Tucker's Perfect Day.

Doris Gaines Rapp