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Frank was bound to like that pumpkin His favorite movies were The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and all the Friday the 13th sagas of the mad, murderous Jason When Tommy and Frank watched a movie of that kind on the VCR, Tommy always pulled for the victieist, Frank was disappointed that the whole fa that the little boy would be eaten by some creepazoid in the closet and that his stripped bones would be spit out like watermelon seeds "Hell," Frank had said, "they could’ve at least ripped the guts out of the stupid dog"

Now, Frank held the black pu as he studied its ’s slitted pupils as if the jack-o’-lantern’s eyes were real, as if there were thoughts to be read in those depths--and for a aze

Put it down, Toently For God’s sake, Frank, put it down and let’s get out of here

The carver watched Frank intently The oldto pounce

Cloudsthe staring contest with the jack-o’-lantern, Frank said to the carver, "I give you whatever I like?"

"You get what you give"

"But no et the jack-o’-lantern?"

"Yes, but you get what you give," the old man said cryptically

Frank put the black pu, he approached the olda nickel

The carver reached for the coin

"No!" Toarded him with surprise

To Don’t buy it Don’t bring it home, Frank"

For a hed "You’ve always been a wi me now you’re scared of a pu," Toh places, seared of what’s in your bedrooht, scared of half the other kids you meet--and now scared of a stupid dah was rich with scorn and disgust as well as with amusement

The carver took his cue froh contained no amusement at all

Tommy was pierced by an icy needle of fear that he could not explain, and he wondered if he ht be a wimp after all, afraid of his shadow, maybe even unbalanced The counselor at school said he was "too sensitive" His inative," and his father said he was "impractical, a dreas, and perhaps he would wind up in a sanitariuinary people, eating flies But, daramps," Frank said, "here’s a nickel Will you really sell it for that?"

"I’ll take a nickel for , but you still have to pay the usual price of the pumpkin to the fella who operates the lot"

"Deal," Frank said

The carver plucked the nickel out of Frank’s hand

Tommy shuddered

Frank turned froain

Just then, the sun broke through the clouds A shaft of light fell on their corner of the lot

Only Tohtened the orange of the puleamed on the metal fraht parted around hi hih the sunshine shunned the carver, as though he were coht

Toasped

The old h he were not a h he would at any second erupt into tornadoes of wind, furies of rain, crashes of thunder, lightning His aloith promises of pain and terror

Abruptly the clouds covered the sun again

The old ht ain, Frank looked craftily at the oldto be told that the nickel sale was a joke "I can really just take it away?"

"I keep telling you," the carver said

"How long did you work on this?" Frank asked

"About an hour"

"And you’re willing to settle for a nickel an hour?"

"I work for the love of it For the sheer love of it" The carver winked at Toain

"What are you, senile?" Frank asked in his usual char manner

"Maybe Maybe"