I carefully pulled back the curtain to risk a peek outside. The setting sun lit the October evening sky in a blaze of oranges and mauves. From our front yard, the bare tree branches etched lines through the splendor. But my gaze fell not upon nature’s beauty; instead I focused on the house across the street. Decked in festive lights of orange and purple, our pesky neighbor Bob even now continued to add gaudy Halloween decorations to his front yard.

“Honey,” I called over my shoulder, “come look what that miscreant neighbor of ours is doing.”

He had just finished the final touches to a giant spider and its web. Bob’s miscreant wife, Sharon, came out and handed him a beer.

I heard what sounded like a cabinet door squeaking open in the back parlor. Then my wife replied, “What did you say sweetlips, I couldn’t hear you.”

“Ohh, it’s Bob our goofy neighbor,” I returned. “He’s at it again this year with his Halloween crap.”

“He doesn’t have a clue, does he,” she now called from the kitchen. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Sounds good,” I watched the neighbor go into his garage. The door stayed up. As garbage night wasn’t for two nights, I clenched my teeth in irritation. I just knew he was going to bring out more decorations. “I’m getting hungry. I sure could feast on one of your fine meals.”

“Can’t you wait,” she snapped, “I just got up. You know I’m good for nothing when I first get up.”

Both of us were musicians of a sort and we did our best work at night.

The sun had slipped under the horizon, and the sky lit up in one last fiery blaze

“Sure,” I smiled faintly. Knowing what buttons of hers to push, and when, made the night sweeter. But then, she knew how to push mine and did so with importunity. It’s a game we both enjoyed. I heard her in the kitchen preparing the java.

“Will you look at that,” I yelled as our neighbor came back out of his garage. “He’s got one of those fake witches crashing into a tree.”

“He shouldn’t make fun of other people’s religion,” my wife said as she poked her head out of the kitchen. Her hair was a rat’s nest, as usual upon waking. But on her I found it irresistible, those dark eyes peering from behind her black wavy locks. She smiled seductively, those luscious lips waiting to be kissed. “Coffee’s ready. You want our normal creamer?”

“Sounds great,” I said, opening the curtain a tad further. The sun shining through the window couldn’t bother me anymore.

The room behind me started to brighten as my wife went around the room lighting the candles. Electricity was easier, but candles lend a certain—what’s the word—ambience, a soft glow as it were.

I had not heard my wife slip up behind me, but I smelt the coffee. She nibbled on my ear.

“Coffee’s ready,” she whispered in a husky voice.

I took the cup from her and took a sip, relishing the heavy bean flavor and the slight twist of coppery taste.

“You make the best,” I said and turned around and gave her the long kiss her lips wanted.

“I’m going to take a shower,” she said afterwards, “after last night’s gig I feel like I’m the walking dead.”

We both laughed at her joke.

One last kiss and she headed upstairs. I watched the beautiful sway of her body, the night lust rising inside me. Just as her butt passed from view on the stairs, she let her robe slip and I watched her naked legs make the last few stairs.

“I saw that, dear,” I called out.

“Good. I wanted you to,” came her muffled reply from the bathroom.

Seconds later, I heard the shower water running. I thought of joining her, but I saw movement from across the street as Bob struggled to attach the fake witch to a tree. I shook my head. Pathetic human, I thought.

For the next half hour, I watched Bob haul out and set up a fake graveyard complete with fake skeletons, a fake werewolf doll and then a couple of smoke machines. But when he brought out the fake coffin with the fake vampire, I just about lost it.

“Why you stupid—”

Just then my wife’s arms slipped around my waist from behind. She began nibbling on my ear and whispered in her seductive voice, “You’re letting Bob get to you, sweetlips.”

“But look--”

She cut me off.

“I’ve came up with a solution.” She paused and I could feel that triumphant smile of hers boring through my head. The gloat oozed from her words.

“Well,” I prompted, knowing she waited for me to respond. It’s her way to get me to acquiesce.

Finally, I turned around in her arms to face her. “Go on, dear. Tell me your ingenious plan.”

A broad grin grew on her lips and lit her eyes. As her lips parted, I saw those gorgeous oversized canine teeth and her eyes began to turn a feral yellow. “Why, we’ll just invite Bob and Sharon over for dinner. And they’ll be the main course, of course.”

She pulled away and her figure started to transmorph. “Are you coming dear? We have to get to the club. Our brothers and sisters await us.” By now, she had nearly converted to her bat form.

I turned for one last glance out the window. Bob was still at it. “That is an excellent idea dear. Why, by Halloween, they’ll be just like us.”