The carved pumpkin sitting on the front porch steps of the house was actually a hologram. The image flickered intermittently and quickly disappeared.
"Dammit!" Michael Plant stood just outside the doorway and continued to press the red power button on the pumpkin's remote control. "It must have some kind of short in the digital box."
"Could be, sweetheart," his wife, Rachel agreed from inside their home. She stuck her head outside the window. "You need me to help you troubleshoot it?"
"Well, I really think the kids look forward to seeing it every year. I don't want to disappoint them." Michael sighed and slapped the remote against his palm. "You think we got enough candy?"
"I don't think we'll ever run out of it." Rachel popped her head back inside, walked through the kitchen and into the hallway. She pressed her face against the screen door. "The kids won't be home for a few more minutes, so you may have some time."
"Okay, I'll do my best."
Rachel watched her husband struggle with the holographic component that had been installed above the old porch swing. The sky was slowly turning black, and the wind was pushing brown leaves against the trash cans. The paper witch she had hung with masking tape on the glass pane of the window suddenly tore free and took flight over the trees.
"What time did you say Jason and Gwen will be home?" Michael called.
Rachel pulled back her sleeve and stared at the numbers programmed on her remote unit. "Exactly two minutes, hon."
A decade ago, the doctors had told Rachel she would never be able to bear children. She was devastated, but Michael had been incredibly supportive, assuring her that one day a miracle would provide a way. And he'd been right. He'd found the perfect solution offered by a small experimental lab near Atlanta. Rachel owed her entire existence to the good people out there at Family Spatial Environment for making it all possible. The day her beautiful twins, Jason and Gwen entered this world was the happiest day of her life.
Michael grunted and shook his head. "No luck, darling. I hate to say it, but there won't be a pumpkin for this year's Halloween night."
"Don't worry, sweetie. It's going to be okay." Rachel stepped outside the screen door and it snapped shut behind her. She reached out to touch her husband's face, but her hand passed right through his simulated presence. "I know you tried your best."
A soft rain began to fall, filling the yard with shallow puddles.
Rachel pushed the button on her wrist remote that controlled the pumpkin. The triangular eyes materialized two seconds before the orange body appeared.
"Well, how do you like that?" Michael was pleased with himself. "It seems like I was able to fix it after all." He placed his hands on his hips and smiled.
"Great job, sweetie. I never doubted you for a minute." Rachel spun around and pointed a thin red beam onto the white picket fence surrounding the house. "Here come the kids," she whispered quietly, beginning to cry. "Aren't they the cutest things?" The twins flickered to life, powered by an interchanging series of revolutionary, microscopic lasers. They were both dressed like ghosts.
Michael stretched out his arms and waited for the children to make their way across the wet yard.
Rachel couldn't help but notice there were no footprints to be found in the slowly forming mud.
Article ID : 10