Halloween Pumpkins

 

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            Katie patted down the spot of dirt where she’d deposited the last pumpkin seed. A cold wind blew across her neck and she shivered. “Why did we wait so long to plant these? Halloween is tomorrow, and it’s cold. Won’t this look a little suspicious?”

            Chandler shrugged as he set aside his spade. “The backyard’s enclosed. No one’s going to even notice.”

            She lifted an eyebrow. “No one will notice? Are you sure about that?”

            Chandler’s eyes met his wife’s and he gave her a mischievous smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve been bragging about how large our Halloween pumpkins are going to be. When people notice them on our front porch tomorrow, they’ll have been expecting it.”

            A loud sigh escaped Katie as she stood up and brushed the dirt off her hands. “Nothing like leaving things until the last minute. I suppose you want your pumpkins by midnight tonight?”

            Chandler strode over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “If you’re feeling up to it, of course.”

            Grateful for her husband’s warmth, Katie nodded. “All right. I’ll provide the pumpkins. Does that give you enough time to turn them into jack-o-lanterns?”

            Katie felt Chandler’s chuckle start as a deep rumble in his chest before bubbling out over her head. “Piece of cake.” He leaned back to look in her eyes. “Or maybe pie. Are you still planning to make your pumpkin pie this year?”

            “You take care of the jack-o-lanterns, and we’ll have pumpkin pie on the first of November.”

            A grin broke out over Chandler’s face. Pumpkin pie was his favorite. “Perfect.” He stepped back and rubbed Katie’s arms. “Are you warm enough now?”

            With another nod, Katie knelt on the ground and put her hands on top of the freshly turned dirt. Closing her eyes, she focused on the tiny seeds hidden in the soil. She sent tendrils of her magic into the hearts of each seed and immediately felt them grow and expand. Chandler watched with eager anticipation as young green shoots popped out of the ground and immediately sent out vines and leaves as they thickened and darkened. Flowers bloomed, and small green pumpkins appeared and grew bigger and bigger. When the pumpkins were as large as picnic tables, they turned a beautiful shade of orange.

            Wiping her hands, Katie stood up and surveyed her handiwork. “Are they big enough for you, Chandler?”

            Chandler turned his attention from the dozen massive pumpkins to his wife, who wore a smug smile on her face. After a low whistle, he said, “That was even quicker than I expected. We probably could have waited until tomorrow to grow our pumpkins.”

            Katie shook her head. “I’m not going to wait until the trick-or-treaters are at our door and risk them seeing our magic.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Now it’s your turn. Each of these pumpkins has to weigh 500 pounds. How are we getting these to the front yard?”

            With a grin, Chandler drew his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the nearest pumpkin. After mumbling a few words under his breath, the pumpkin disappeared and a feral yowl sounded from the front yard.

            Sighing with exasperation, Katie started toward the gate. “You just scared Martin again.”

            Chandler ran up to her, saying, “You’d think your familiar would be used to magical things happening by now.”

            When they reached the front yard, Katie couldn’t help gaping in amazement at the magnificently carved pumpkin now sitting on their front lawn. Her cat, Martin, jumped into the safety of her arms and she cuddled him close. She stroked his back comfortingly as she took in the intricate scene carved into the face of the pumpkin. A grand castle stood in the center, surrounded by a miniature medieval city. In the sky above the castle hung a brilliant moon, and a huge dragon floated over everything. A magical fire gleamed within the pumpkin, and its flickering light made the scene look alive. She swore she saw the dragon flap his wings as fire issued out of his mouth. “Wow. This is definitely the coolest one you’ve ever done.”

            “Yeah, well, I’ve had a year to plan things, you know. Wait until you see what I do with the rest of the pumpkins.”

            Katie looked around at the thick hedge that hid them from view. “All right, Mr. Wizard, let’s see it, then.” Her eyes danced with anticipation. Life was never dull when you were a witch or a wizard.