A group of five teenage boys walk up the stone path to the front door of the house. As they get closer, one of them points to a scarecrow, sitting ominously in a chair on the porch.
“Oh no, screw that…” the boy says, turning away from the home.
His friends all laugh. “Oh, come on, Isaac. Don’t be such a baby!” One of them teases.
“Mr. Taylor finds a new way to scare the crap out of us every year!” Isaac insists. “And I’m not falling for that one, Adam.”
Adam, dressed as a zombie, rolls his eyes. “You really think he would sit out all night on his porch dressed like that, just to scare us? It’s freezing outside!”
Far from convinced, Isaac lets his friends peer pressure him into stepping onto the porch, though his eyes never leave the creepy-looking prop.
One of them rings the bell, and a moment later, the front door opens.
A haggard-looking old man stands in the entryway, gazing down at the group of boys with an annoyed expression.
“What?” He croaks, rubbing his grey, leathery chin.
“Uh…trick or treat?” Adam falters, holding out his bag.
The man grunts, and shifts his feet.
“Where’s Mr. Taylor?” Isaac asks, in a quiet, hesitant voice.
“Moved” the man scoffs, clearly not one for words. He glances around behind him, then adds “All right, wait here.”
He disappears for a few moments, and the boys chat nervously amongst themselves.
“He moved?”
“Who is this creepy dude?”
“We should bail.”
Finally, the man returns, and starts begrudgingly dropping different items into their bags. A pencil. Some pennies. A few cough drops. An old magazine. A used candle.
The boys begin quietly grumbling. One of them, possessed by a sudden courage from the disappointment, asks “So…no candy?”
The man grunts again. “Kids these days…” he mutters to himself, running a hand over his long, wispy hair. “Hang on, I might have some firecrackers or somethin’.”
“Guys, we should leave” Isaac urges, clutching his bag tightly.
“Dude, he said firecrackers. And he’s old as shit, so they’re probably the good ones” Adam replies.
After another wait, the door opens, but the man doesn’t appear. While Isaac takes a step back, Adam leans forward towards the opening.
“Uh…mister?” He says, starting to feel a little afraid himself.
Suddenly, the old man’s hollow, sagging face is jerked around the corner, held up by an unknown hand. His drooping eye sockets gaze at them vacantly, and his withered lips gape grotesquely.
“BOO!” Another male voice calls from just inside the doorway, and the disturbing husk begins to shake side-to-side.
The boys all scream, and as Adam turns to flee, he sees that Isaac is already halfway down the stone path.
Then, they all hear the sound of laughter coming from inside the house, and another man’s face appears in the doorway.
“Gotcha!” he jeers, holding up the old man’s empty face next to his.
“Oh, we should have known!” Adam exclaims, feeling his heart hammer in his chest.
“Damn it, Mr. Taylor!” Another boy yelps. “You scared the crap out of us!”
The man, appearing to be somewhere in his late thirties, laughs again. “You guys are all so gullible, it’s almost too easy!” He jokes. He lets the mask fall to his side, and picks up a red plastic bowl with his other hand, holding it out for them. “You’d better call Isaac back, or he’s going to miss the good stuff.”
They all reach into the bowl and grab a handful of candy, stuffing it into their pillowcases.
“That mask is super real-looking” Adam comments, glancing down at the quivering face.
Mr. Taylor grins. “Yeah, they’re new this year. And I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
After Isaac returns and takes some candy - taking a long route around the scarecrow, just in case - the boys make their way back down the pathway.
“Have fun and be safe!” Mr. Taylor calls after them, holding up the old man mask and waving it.
“Yeah, yeah!” Adam replies, promising himself to be more prepared next year.
Mr. Taylor - Jason - closes the door and turns back into the house. He walks into the adjacent living room to find his wife Emily, sitting on the couch with a glass of wine.
“Those poor boys…” she says with, a reproachful smile and shake of her head.
He laughs. “Hey, it’s all in good fun.”
He drops the mask on the coffee table, where it joins a variety of others. He’d evidently gone a little crazy at the costume shop, something for which Emily had mildly scolded him the day before.
Through the window, he can see a group of costumed girls walking up the sidewalk towards their house.
“Oh shit, that’s Abby and her friends” Jason says. “Can you hand me that cloak?”
He reaches to the table and picks up another mask, stretching it open wide and pulling it down over his head.
A minute later, the bell rings again.
The excited girls all look up when the door opens, but their eager expressions turn to unease when they see who answers it.
A middle-aged woman with sickly pale skin and long, black hair gazes down at them with a thin-lipped sneer. She clutches her tattered garment in front of her with gloved hands, and a circular necklace with a big, green jewel hangs around her neck.
“Yesssss?” She hisses, in a caustic, nasally voice.
“U-uh…hi…trick or treat?” A girl in a genie costume asks.
“Ah, of course” the woman groans. “It is All Hallows’ Eve…”
She appears to appraise the group in front of her, looking at each one in turn.
“Um, this is normally when you give us some candy” another girl says, with a sarcastic expression on her face.
The woman’s eyes narrow. “And what is your name, child?”
The girl folds her arms across her chest impatiently. “Abby” she replies. “Can we get some candy now, please? If you don’t have any, I’d take that necklace…”
The woman grasps the pendant around her neck. “This has been in my family for a thousand years” she croaks, rubbing the shiny metal. “I would never part with it.”
Abby rolls her eyes. “Whatever. It’s kinda ugly, anyway”
Another girl leans toward her and whispers “What are you doing? Are you trying to piss her off?”
The woman glares down at Abby and snarls. “You need to learn some manners, little girl.”
Abby opens her mouth to make another snide comment, but suddenly the jewel around the woman’s neck begins to glow. She holds her open, gloved hand out, and then snaps her thumb and fingers together in a quick motion.
“Silentium!” The woman shouts.
Instantly, Abby’s mouth slams shut, and she begins pawing at her face in panic.
“Mmm! Mmmmm!” She wails, apparently unable to speak.
Her friends scream as the woman tosses her head back, letting out a loud, menacing laugh. The girls all run, unashamedly leaving Abby behind to fend for herself.
Slowly, the woman’s threatening cackles fade into small chuckles, and Abby’s terrified expression turns into a wicked smile.
“Good one, Mr. T” she jokes, holding out her fist.
The phony woman bumps it with hers, grinning widely. “Too scary?” She wheezes, still using her husky tones. She reaches to the pendant around her neck and flicks a switch on the back, cutting off the bright green glow.
“Nah, it was pretty funny” Abby replies. “You should probably give me a lot of candy for them, though.”
She laughs, and holds out the bowl. “Sure thing.”
The girl begins grabbing handfuls. “Still can’t believe it’s really you under that thing. Super realistic” Abby comments.
The woman touches her pasty white cheek. “I know, right? And it’s actually pretty comfortable.”
“You’re also not as ugly with it on, so that’s a plus” Abby teases.
“Ha, ha” the masked Jason retorts.
With a grin, the girl asks “So, can I come back later to try it on myself? It looks cool.”
The phony woman shakes her head. “Nah, I don’t think it would fit. Your head is too small. Probably that tiny brain of yours.”
Abby rolls her eyes and sticks out her tongue, then turns to rejoin her frightened friends.
“Well, later, Mr. T!” She chirps.
“Later, squirt” the woman replies, waving her goodbye. Closing the door, she turns back into the house, and begins pawing at the base of her neck.
Emily looks up from the television just in time to see the woman’s face stretch and crumple up into her forehead, as the entire mask comes off with a rubbery SCHLORP.
She smiles up at her revealed husband, who holds it up by its greasy-looking black hair.
“Did you really recruit an accomplice?” She asks, shaking her head in mocked disapproval.
Jason laughs. “She’s a good kid. And she asked me, after last year.”
He drops the floppy mask onto the table, just as his phone buzzes. He looks down to read the text, and grins.
“Sucker…” he whispers to himself, typing a response.
“Who’s that?” His wife asks.
“It’s Kyle” Jason replies, referring to his oldest friend. “He says he and his nephew are a few houses away.”
“Wonderful. And what do you have in store for them?”
He grins mischievously, then grabs a few items of clothing and heads for their bathroom. “You’ll see!”
“Oh, brother…” Emily mutters.
A minute later, Jason steps back into the room and holds his arms out wide. “Ta-da!” He chirps, with a big smile.
His wife bursts out laughing when she sees that he’s now wearing clearly a woman’s outfit, consisting of a casual grey sweatshirt and a pair of black leggings. But the leggings must have some kind of padding inside them, because his lower body has been radically transformed into a strikingly female shape.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Emily laughs, appraising her husband’s altered body. She rolls her eyes when she sees his newly rounded backside, and simulated “thigh gap”.
He just grins, then leans over to grab another mask from the table. Unlike the “scary” ones, this one appears to be of a young woman, with wavy brunette hair and smooth, pale skin. It’s also more elaborate than the others; featuring a full, attached chest, and hollow arms that extend all the way into hands with painted fingernails.
“Meet the Girl Next Door” Jason says, poking the mask’s flimsy cheek.
“You’re ridiculous” his wife replies, gazing up at the fake, hollow girl.
She watches as he lifts the jiggling husk up over his head, and ducks himself inside it. It’s clearly a bit more difficult to put on than the others, as he struggles to slide his arms into their empty counterparts. Eventually, like a pair of gloves, his hands snap into place and he flexes his new, pink-tipped fingers. With some additional effort, he stuffs the mask’s busty chest into the sweatshirt, while the mask’s face remains crumpled and misaligned over his. He then grabs it by its chin and the top of its head, tugging it down into place.
Emily watches, mildly transfixed, as the new “woman” comes to life right in front of her.
The phony brunette turns to the hall mirror and prods her cheeks, working her mouth and making small adjustments to the fit of her face. Emily can even see that this mask even has its own eyelids, as Jason presses them firmly to his own.
Then, surprisingly, the new girl reaches into her small pocket and pulls out a contact lens case, quickly slipping them into her eyes.
After a moment, she turns to Emily with a big, charming smile and a bright, blue-eyed gaze.
“Hey, girlfriend!” She chirps in a bubbly, girlish voice, placing her hands on her wide hips.
Emily covers her mouth with her hand, shaking her head incredulously. If she didn’t witness the process herself, she’d have no clue that the woman in front of her was really her husband in an elaborate, remarkably lifelike disguise. Who makes these fucking things? She wonders.
“That’s so wild…” she replies, standing up from the couch. Looking closer, she can see that the mask even has makeup pre-applied, giving the girl a very pretty, stylish appearance.
With a wicked look, the phony girl cups her swollen chest in her hands, and glances down. “Wow, how do you live with these things?”
Emily scoffs and swats the “girl’s” hands. “Oh, please.”
Then, she looks back at the table, and lifts another mask up into her hands. This one is of a pale, freckled girl with curly, crimson hair and bright red lips.
“Which one is this, again?”
The fake girl smiles. “It’s called Little Red. You know, like the fairy tale, but an adult version.”
Emily nods her head, then looks back up at her disguised husband mischievously. “Well, I’ll be with her in the bedroom. Don’t keep me waiting, or maybe I’ll swap this one out for the old woman…”
She recognizes the surprised, eager look her husband gives her, but it’s so strange to see it on such a different face. Walking past the imposter, she leans in and plants a kiss on the fake girl’s warm cheek, surprised to find that it doesn’t feel or taste at all like rubber.
A minute later, the bell chimes again.
Kyle appears surprised when a very pretty brunette answers the door. She looks dressed for a cozy night in, and she has a wide, friendly smile on her face.
“Trick or treat!” A young boy standing in front of him cheers, holding out a half-full pillowcase.
“Aw, who are you supposed to be?” The young woman hums, kneeling down in front of him.
“I’m Hawkeye!” The boy proudly states.
The girl laughs. “Of course you are! Here, have some candy…”
While the boy eagerly stuffs his bag, Kyle asks “Hi there, is Jason home?”
She smiles and shakes her head. “He actually just went to go run some errands. I’m Julia, Emily’s cousin. I’m staying with them for the weekend.”
“Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Kyle. I’ve been friends with Jason since we were kids.”
“Nice to meet you, too!” Julia chirps, holding out her hand. The two shake, and Kyle finds himself drawn to her stunning blue eyes. “Jason didn’t mention he had such cute neighbours…”
“Ha…uh, well, thank you” Kyle responds, a bit awkwardly. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, and looks at him with an unmistakably inviting expression.
He places a hand on his nephew’s shoulder and says “Hey bud, why don’t I meet up with you at the next house?”
“Okay, Uncle Kyle!” The boy agrees. He turns to the woman and adds “Thanks for the candy!”
“You are very welcome” she replies.
When his nephew departs, Kyle turns to her and asks “So, you’re just in town for the weekend?”
Julia nods. “Uh huh. Do you have any recommendations for things to do while I’m here?” She asks, fluttering her long, dark eyelashes.
Kyle leans casually against the doorframe. “Oh, yeah, I have plenty. Why don’t you let me show you around? I promise I’m way more fun than Jason” he says, with a grin.
She looks at him happily, and clasps her hands in front of her chest. “Oh, that sounds amazing! You really wouldn’t mind?”
He shakes his head. “Not at all! It would be my pleasure.”
Julia lets out a happy squeal and shakes her hips, and Kyle is too enamoured to see how exaggerated her reaction is.
“Let me just get a pen, so I can give you my number…” she says, disappearing briefly into the house.
Having stopped around the corner to witness her husband’s performance, Emily hears a soft sucking noise, followed by what sounds like someone peeling off a pair of rubber gloves.
She peeks her head, and catches a glimpse of Julia’s deflated face being held up in her husbands hands. Her eyelids are half-closed, and her hollow cheeks flap lifelessly as her fluffy, pink lips scrunch together.
He thrusts the discarded disguise into the open doorway, yelling “Gotcha!”
Stifling a laugh, she hears Kyle let out a frightened yelp before exclaiming “Oh, you asshole!”
“Wanna give her a kiss?” Jason taunts, jiggling the empty husk.
Emily turns down the hall and hears the unmistakable sound of Kyle punching her husband in the shoulder.
“Ow!” He howls, but the blow does nothing to stop his laughter.
Well, he probably deserves that, Emily thinks, with a grin. She walks into their bedroom, while inspecting the pretty, hollow face in her hands. Her thumb prods its squishy, lifelike flesh as it gazes up at her blankly, and she pictures herself bringing Little Red to life, just as her husband did with the phony Julia.
Maybe these weren’t such a waste of money, after all, she muses. Turning the mask over, she stretches open the neck, and ducks her head inside.