My mother-in-law, Elaine, lived right next door. She had won the competition four years in a row, and her garden was already filled with outrageously expensive decorations.
Elaine had come by on Friday.
« Those won’t last a single rainy night, » she said.
« They just have to hold out until Halloween, » I replied.
I expected Owen to be upset.
On Saturday, Elaine came over for coffee. Owen and I went to buy some candy, and she said she would wait at home.
Forty minutes later, we parked in the driveway. The porch was empty.
The bats, the ghosts, the pumpkins, even the lights… everything had disappeared.
I expected Owen to be upset, but he just stared at the steps, still clutching the bag of candy. Then he went inside.
« Why did you do that? »
Elaine was in the kitchen.
« Where are his decorations? »
« In the garage. Everything is in a box. »
