Will sat on the couch watching ABCs 13 nights of Halloween. He was trying to get into the spirit of the night of horrors but it wasn’t working to well. If anything would scare him that night it would be the little monsters that came to the door asking for candy. Then there crying about his lack of candy giving would aggravate him further.

That ignorance of those kids always annoyed him. He was bachelor that had a hard time paying off college loans. He didn’t have the money to hand out king size candy bar to every little whining kid in the neighbor hood. In fact the only reason he gave candy on Halloween was so the neighbors saw him as a decent man. Ding Dong. The doorbell rang. He and stood up. This was going to be a long night.






Will watched the clock. Tick, Tick, Tick. He was waiting for the night to finally end. Tick. Eight o’ clock. The dreaded night of trick or treating was over. He had dropped three and a half bags worth of candy into the sacks of ungrateful children.

Will slumped onto the couch and grabbed the last half of bag that the evil dwarfs had left him. He would enjoy this bag of candy. He needed too. He was exhausted after a day of work and a night of charity. He was settled in and cozy when the door bell rang. He rolled his eyes. You’ve got to be kidding me. He thought to himself. He walked over to his door and pulled it open.

Jimmy (or Tick as the neighbor hood kids called him for the ticking sound he made with his teeth) was standing at the door. The right side of Jimmies face was bulging like there was a giant watermelon under his face waiting to burst out like a zit. He was a deformed 6 year old, that arched his back like Quasimodo was his hero. Some thought the arch was out of shame, some thought it was because his muscles didn’t fully cooperate with him. Will’s first thought was loser. It was no wonder that kids had picked on him and called him names. But Will shook the mean thoughts away. Come on it’s not his fault he looks like that.

“Tick or teet.” He slurred his words. He never could say the R sound right. Will looked around. He didn’t have a parent with him. Strange with how dark it was. Most of the lights on the block had gone off and night was almost pitch black. But yet there was a 7 year old ticker treating in an ugly vampire costume on his porch.

Will looked over at the bag of candy. There was but one piece left, a mini milky way that he was deeply anticipating eating. He looked back at the boy. His eyes were hopeful, and his bag was empty. But that didn’t bother Will. He had had a long night. Besides, the boy had no parent and an empty bag. The most reasonable explanation is that he couldn’t have sweets and that he just came to Will’s house guessing Will wouldn’t know it. Yeah, that was it. Will thought.

“Sorry kid I’m all out.” The boy stared at him for a moment. His face turned to a frown. An eriee frown.

“You lie!” He accused waging his finger at Will. William was stunned by the sudden accusation. It was then followed by a slight amount of irritation.

“I’m don’t have any candy kid, try someone else.”

“You liea! Tick or teet! Tick or Teet!” The irritation started swell into anger.

“Shut up kid, I’m out of candy! It’s just how life works sometimes.”

“It’s because I ugly, it’s because you hate me!”

“Look Jimmy I’m not a stupid charity, now go home.” Will’s shouts echoed through the streets.

“Tick or teet! Tick or teet!” Jimmy chanted. Will lost his patience. He slammed the door in the kids face. That’ll teach him.

Will walked back over to the couch and pick up the Milky Way. He stared at it for a moment. His fingers started to rip the packaging when he imagined the little boy walking limply through the dark streets in search of candy. His conscience got to him. He walked briskly to the door. He was ready to throw the milky way in the kid’s face.

But as he opened his door, the boy was in the street staring at him, eyes wide open, as if in a trance. A big red truck came almost out of nowhere a hit Jimmy in his side sending him flying.

Will stood there in awe, as the breaks on the truck squealed. The driver got out to examine what happened. They were soon on the phone calling 911. Neighbors rushed to the scene. But will stood in his doorway in shock.

He then closed the door and went back to his couch. He sat down and turned on the TV. Milky Way wrapping paper fell to the floor. And the taste of cameral and chocolate hit Will’s mouth. He was almost happy to enjoy it, after all the kid was in a better place. Everyone had won.






Time past and the memory of Jimmy faded in Will’s conscious mind. But in the self conscious mind it was different. Will would sometimes have a dream every now and then. A dream where a tick would be attached to his right hand sucking away and getting fat, savoring the flavor of his blood. However he would awake with no memory of the dream. It was like the boy, in his conscious mind he dined that he played a part in his death, although his dreams liked to tell him otherwise.

Halloween eventually came around again at the turn of the season. This time he had made great strides in his job and he was becoming successful.

He now saw the children as almost beggars. They went from house to house asking for sweet treats from the neighbors once a year so they could finally fill there bellies with the sugar and fats that would soon make them throw up.

That year he bought large bags of candy and was ready to load the kids with all they could handle. Make them slave over carrying there bags. Will felt a hint of the goodness of a saint and the pride of a demon. The feelings seem to grow as the clock ticked closer to the designated trick or treat time. But as the clock tick on his door bell did not ring. He checked his clock often, each times in-between checks got shorter. An hour had gone by and no tricker treater had knocked or rang his doorbell. A hint of lonliness fromed in him for a second. He was alone on Halloween night and no one was coming to his door. He shook it off.

They’re probably just mad at me from last year for giving out such horrible candy. He thought to himself. As soon as the first kid comes up to his door and gets the goodies he would brag to the neighborhood and there would be a stream of kids lining up at his door. Yeah that was it.




Tick, Tick, Tick. Will glanced at the clock. Tricker treating would be over in 15 minutes. Not one child had come to his doorstep. The feeling of loneliness and neglect had come back. 6 large bags of candy were now going to go to waste. His feeling soon turned to the same irritation he had for kids a year ago and it bubbled to anger. Screw kids, you don’t give them exactly what they want one year and you’re considered a villain for the rest of your life.

He grabbed a bag and flumped onto the couch. He shredded the bag open, and poured half the bag onto the couch. Not all of it was going to waste this year. He grabbed a couple smartees and pop them in his mouth. Punk kids. He grab a snickers bar and tour it open. He attacked it and ripped it in half. What’s the point in other people anyways all they do is disappoint. He grabbed a miniature Milky Way and tore through the rapper. He popped the Carmel delight in his mouth and began to chew. I’m never celebrating Halloween again.

He then felt a strange sensation on the side of his cheek. Something was sucking away at the inside of his cheek. He reached into his mouth feeling the caramel and chocolate mush and felt something that seemed to be an insect. He pulled it from its place and gave it a gaze.

Sitting in the middle of chocolate and caramel was a fat happy bloodsucking tick, who had all ready began to suck at his finger.

He was in awe for a second. Was it inside the Milky Way? No it must have jump into his mouth, but how? He pinched it in-between his fingers splashing the green guts in his hand. The guts oozed into his palm so he got up and headed to the kitchen to wash his hands.

He made is way to the sink and turned on the tap. The water began to spray down in a steady stream. He put his hand under it. The goo and gunk started to slide of his hand. But then his hand was suddenly taped by a small object then another, and other. He pulled his hand out from under the water. 3 fat ticks sat sucking on his index finger.

He stumbled back and hit his back against the a cabinet .He slap at his hands and the ticks went flying across the room. What the Heck?

He looked at his hand and blood was starting to pop its way on to the surface of his hand. He grabbed a napkin and wipe of the blood. How did they get in the tap? Is this… a dream? He started to toy with the idea. How could he find out if it was a dream?

He walked to his front door. If this was dream and he walked out of his house he may not find his home street, the door may lead somewhere else. Proving this was dream. But would the self conscious now be sure to make it his home street. Doesn’t matter it can’t hurt to try.

He reached for the handle of the door when a sound started to ring in his ears. It was the clock. The pendulum swung to the right. Tick. Then back. Teeeeeet. It screeched silently. Tick, Teeet. Tick, Teeet, Tick, Teeet.

Was it broken? Will thought. He gave it a more thorough look then decide it could all be a part of a dream. He griped the doorknob and twisted. The door swung open and there was little Jimmy. Zombified. His face was covered in blood and bruises covered his body.

Will was frozen, his hand still on the doorknob. Jimmy was smiling. His grin sent ice down Will’s spine.

“You’re…You’re de-ad.” The boys smile only got larger. He took a step forward. Will stepped back. This is a dream, it has to be a dream. He glanced past the boy and saw that door did ,in fact, lead to his home street. He then had the overwhelming feeling that this was no dream. Jimmy was taking more steps towards him. Will continued to back up.

“Jimmy what-“

“No teat, no teat.” He said as his eyes began to fill with black. He came closer, his hands started to appear as claws. He was now a monster. “Then tick, then tick.” Jimmy leaped at Will. Jimmy struck him with powerful force that knocked him to the floor. Jimmy head surged to Will’s left shoulder and bit into it. Will screamed, as Jimmy began to suck. Will balled his fist, and club Jimmy on the side of the face. Jimmy rolled to the left. His eyes were still black but dripping from his mouth was Will’s blood. He was now on all fours and he began to charge Will.

Will pulled himself up and ran to the kitchen, hoping to find a knife, but Jimmy had caught him and was now on his back, sucking away. Will fell to the floor. He broke his fall with his hands but he still ate the floor a bit.

He started to feel the life force drain from him. He tired to pull himself up but he now felt very weak. He pushed as if doing a pushup, but he could not pull himself up. He rolled to try to get Jimmy off of him but it was useless and Jimmy continued to suck. Will started to loose continuances, when he had an idea. He started to weakly craw across the room, until he reached a tall metal lamp. He reached for it. He grabbed the long poll and pulled with all his might. His continuances now was on the brink. Finally the lamp tipped and came down. The heavy metal came down on Jimmy, striking him on the head. Jimmy was dumbstuck for a second. Will then used all of his strength to shove Jimmy aside. He succeeded, and without the weight of Jimmy on his back he struggled using the top of the counter as support to get to his feet. Jimmy charged him again.

Will reached for the knife case and pulled a knife out. Jimmy tackled him to the ground. Will clutched the knife hard and swung it.

It penetrated deep into Jimmy’s neck. He then started to chock in agony and fell over. Blood squirted from his neck like a hose.

Will let out a sigh of relief. What the crap just happened? He shook his head. God, I just survived a horror movie.

Then a black speck came Jimmy’s neck surfing down on Jimmy’s blood. It then came to life and began to craw towards Will. It was tick.

Will smashed it with a fist. “Take that you little demon.” But more black specks started to appear out of Jimmy’s neck. First 2, then 4 then a dozen then a hundred. The numbers swelled and Will eyes widened. He was to weak to run, and the ticks charged him. He began to smashed them with his hand, but they crawled onto his hand and up his arm. He tired to shake them off but they relentlessly started to consume his bodies blood. He screamed, as a million ticks simultaneously sucked his blood, and there in his kitchen he would die.


The following day an article in the newspaper would state that there was body found dead in the owners kitchen. A knife was found next to him, but there was no trace of anything else. The death was ruled a suicide.