The Wicked Witch

Charlie threw himself to the edge of his neighbour's bushes, avoiding a group of unconvincing Avengers and ghouls as they raced by, leaving behind a trail of candy as they bandied across the sidewalk as fast as their legs would carry them. He smiled nostalgically, remembering a time not too long ago when he would have been doing the same with his own friends, but never quite so early in the afternoon.

The brief walk home gave him ample time to look around and take in the look of the neighbourhood, witnessing just how much effort his neighbours had put into crafting their extravagant displays. Not a single home was left untouched, though some were clearly more decked out than others. An army of animtronics lined the sidewalk wherever Charlie looked, ranging from the tallest recreation of Frankenstein's monster to the smallest contraption designed to leap out and frighten anyone who wasn't paying attention.

Not a single home remained untouched by an array of fake cobwebs and endless strings of flickering berry lights, all waiting for the sun to complete its descent to properly allow the intended effect to be properly appreciated. But one home in particular was head and shoulders above the rest, perfectly encapsulating everything Charlie loved about the holiday.

Charlie rounded the final turn at the end of the neighbourhood, smiling when his home came into sight, along with the near blanket of decorations draping almost every space on the property. The bushes were weighed down by three layers of rope lights that criss-crossed over each other, flashing brightly enough to illuminate the surrounding sidewalk. The path leading up to the front porch was flanked by a variety of ghoulish props and haunting figures, each provided with its own spotlight to cast harsher shadows upon them.

The porch itself was much the same, covered with sheets of white webbing with oversized arachnids frozen in mid-leap, pouncing in the direction of those making their way to the front door. Positioned beside the door was a prison inmate sat on a thick wooden seat, howling and writhing in agony when its motion sensor triggered the electrical surge directed towards the metal plate resting on his head. It was a gruesome addition to the range, but one that Charlie had no doubt would be a hit with the kids when night fell.

Charlie unlocked the door and headed inside, dropping his school bag just beside the shoe rack, happy to get the weight off his shoulder. He rolled his numb arm and slipped into the adjoining living room, only finding a few Halloween themed trinkets dotted around, a sign of just how much attention went into the exterior decoration. Watching his step, wary of the rows of electrical cords running from the interior sockets to the outdoor lights, Charlie slowly inched towards the kitchen, forced onto one foot when a loose cable managed to wrap itself around the lip of his sneaker.

Catching his balance, Charlie twisted around and was met by a vast ocean of sugar-laden treats, contained within orange and black bowls covering most of the surface of the large kitchen island. He was tempted to reach out and test the selection for himself, fighting the urge before one piece of candy became a whole bowl's worth.

Towards the end of the island was a large black cauldron, complete with a glowing green light emanating from within and the digitised sound of bubbling liquid, although the effect was undermined when Charlie spotted a thick wire extending out from the base. But what immediately caught Charlie's attention was the sight of a black high heel peaking out from the corner of the island, one that wouldn't have looked out of place in a strip club. It was an unusual thing to see in his home, made even more confusing when he realised that it could only belong to one person.

"Mom? Is that you?" Charlie called, hearing the sound of metallic clattering coming beneath the island.

"Ow! Yes, honey," the voice of Charlotte Meyers answered, laced with a degree of nervousness.

"Are you alright? And why are you hiding down there?" Charlie asked, bemused by his mother's odd behaviour.

"It's a little difficult to explain," Charlotte said, making no attempt to rise from her hiding place, only sliding her heeled-foot out of view.

"Unless you're going to spend the rest of Halloween counting the screws holding the island together, you're gonna have to come out at some point," Charlie laughed, leaning against the marble top. "It can't be that bad. You didn't get a rash or something, did you?"

"No, but I'm beginning to think that would have been a lot easier to deal with," Charlotte answered, letting out a noticeable sigh of resignation. "Are you sure you want me to come out?"

"Whatever you're worried about, I'm sure that it's not anywhere near as bad as you think it is," Charlie assured her.

"Fine, but I don't want to see an ounce of judgment," Charlotte warned him. It took half a minute for her to build the courage she needed, finally raising her blonde head above the edge of the island. She rose up inch by inch until she stood completely upright, moving to the side to show off her outfit fully. Not a second passed by before her son's reaction came, one that brought a deep red blush to her pale cheeks. "What did I say about judgment?"

"Can you blame me? I just wasn't expecting anything... well... nothing close to this," Charlie sputtered, incapable of holding back his reaction.

The otherwise conservative housewife was clad in an outfit that was outrageously scandalous by her usual standards, appearing completely foreign on her lithe body. The pointed hat and flowing black dress were the clear hallmarks of a witch's outfit, but that was where the similarities ended. The vinyl material clung to her body as tightly as a glove, adhering to the contours of her body down to the most subtle curve, even allowing the indentation of her naval to appear. Despite the skirt reaching down to her feet, a substantial slit exposed her legs up to the very top of her milky thighs. Having only ever seen her wearing sensible shoes and office pumps, it came as quite a shock for Charlie to find a pair of black six-inch platform heels strapped to her dainty feet, with a thin strap running across her toes to show off her painstakingly manicured nails.

"It's not that bad," Charlotte huffed, trying to keep the slit closed to cover up her legs. "Your mouth is practically hanging open."

"Sorry. But this isn't like anything you've worn for Halloween before. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you wearing anything close to this before," Charlie exclaimed, consciously keeping his eyes level with his mom's, not trusting himself enough to not explore every divine inch of her. "What happened?"

"Making the mistake of ordering online, that's what happened. I didn't have time this year to visit a costume store, so I had to resort to blindly buying a 'Wicked Witch of the West' outfit," Charlotte looked down and frowned, reluctantly showing off the daring costume. "Instead, I got something called a 'Naughty Witch of the East', I look like a stripper."

"No you don't," Charlotte consoled her, even though she wasn't too far from the truth of it. "Okay, it's not quite what you would normally wear for the occasion, but maybe a change isn't a bad thing."

"There's change and then there's this. God, imagine what the neighbours are going to say when they see me wearing this," Charlotte sighed, brushing her fingers over her stomach, still not quite used to the thinness of the material coating her. "I'll be the subject of stories among the gossip hounds for months."

"Don't you think you may be exaggerating just the teensiest bit? Don't you remember Ms Stevenson's 'Slave Leia' costume from a few years ago?" Charlie spotted a flicker of a smile finally appear on his mom's glossy lips, one he eagerly returned. "That bikini didn't leave anything to the imagination."

"I certainly remember you suddenly paying a lot more attention to Susan Stevenson after that incident. But the key thing to keep in mind is that Susan is a divorcee, I'm still a happily married woman. If I'm seen wearing this people might begin to think I've got a lover on the side. Given that your father is going to spend the rest of the night at work, it would be difficult to justify why I'm wearing such a racy costume."

"Who cares what anyone else thinks? I think you look hot," Charlie felt his body grow numb when the last word somehow slipped from his mouth, coughing nervously when Charlotte raised a brow at the compliment. "Objectively speaking."

"You do? Well, perhaps I can handle being a sexy witch for just one night. Who knows, maybe I'll end up becoming the fantasy of some of the boys around the neighbourhood," Charlotte winked, taking mercy on her blushing son by changing the subject. "So, what's the plan for you tonight? Got any big house parties lined up? Meeting up with any girls?"

"I was planning on going to go to a party at Martin Brendell's house, but his parents came home early from their weekend vacation and busted him just as he was dragging a crate of beer through the garage. So it looks like I'm staying here with you for the night," Charlie laughed at the squeal of delight his mom gave.

"Just like the good old days," Charlotte tottered over to Charlie, dragging him into a tight hug, unaware of the effect of pressing her breasts into his had, especially with the lack of a bra ensuring that only a thin layer of vinyl separated them. "Looks like I'll have my little helper by my side, helping me to keep all those ravenous trick-or-treaters at bay. Did you have a costume of your own picked out? Or did you prefer to rock a more casual style tonight?"

"Hmmm?" Charlie responded, unable to resist the intoxicating embrace he found himself locked in. It took the sensation of his hardening manhood pressing into his mom's thigh for him to wrestle his mind back to reality, praying to whatever god would listen to him that his mother hadn't noticed. "Oh, erm, no. It wasn't really a costume party."

"I see, it was one of those sorts of parties," Charlotte spoke knowingly, giving no indication that she had detected Charlie's arousal. A comforting smile appeared on her face when crimson embarrassment developed on Charlie's cheeks. "Don't worry, I know what sort of things go on when a bunch of soon-to-be college students get together. A house full of drunken boys and barely-dressed girls will always lead to a very obvious conclusion. I should know, I had my fair share of experience when I was your age."

"Really? I always thought you and dad were... y'know... "

"Joyless conservatives? Buttoned up old bores?" Charlotte replied with a playful bump of Charlie's chest.

"You're many things, but old isn't one of them," Charlie stated, again scolding himself for his inability to to keep a lid on his thoughts. "It's just that you two aren't always the most openly affectionate with one another, I never took you for the sort of people who go wild at parties."

"Marriage, a career, and motherly responsibilities have a way of forcing you into a rigid routine. You should have seen me in my prime, I was always one to leap at the chance to experiment with my sexuality. Who knows, maybe I still am," Charlotte's voice took on a throaty quality, one that didn't go unnoticed by Charlie. Breaking the hug, Charlotte grabbed a few unopened tubs of candy and thrust them into Charlie's hands, smiling as she sauntered back to the living room. "Get those ready, I just need to plug in the last of the lights. Think you can handle it?"

"How demanding can sorting candy be?" Charlie joked, trying and failing to prevent his gaze from following his departing mother, intently watching the seductive sway of her hips and the outline of her enticing rear.

~•~•~•~•~•~

Surprisingly, Charlie discovered that the task wasn't as simple as he had initially believed. Following what his mother had done with the bowls she had already prepared, Charlie emptied out the tubs and sorted the different brands of candy, dividing them up based on both type and potential allergies. Instead of dumping the candy packets into their respective bowls, he spent a half hour reading the list of ingredients each one contained, making sure to exclude anything containing nuts.

By the time his task was complete, his vision had become blurred from the strain that the repetitive taks had placed on his eyes, not helped in the least by the incredibly small disclaimers printed on the flap of each wrapper. Flexing his sore fingers, Charlie dropped off the stool and wandered out of the kitchen, looking around for his mom. A metallic clicking brought his attention towards one corner of the room, finding his mom in the process of slotting the last plug into the one remaining socket on the already dangerously occupied extension cord.

"Er, mom? Are you sure that's safe?" Charlie asked, jumping back when a spark leapt from the socket when the connection was made. "That thing looks like it might take the whole grid down."

"Sweetie, I've done this dozens of times over the years. Trust me, it looks worse than it seems... I hope," Charlotte promised him, though the manner in which she cautiously edged away from her haphazard creation did nothing to reassure Charlie. "Besides, what's a little spark compared to some extra pizzazz? Come on, let's see how it looks from outside."

Charlotte tottered towards the front door and opened it, giving Charlie an encouraging wave as she stepped across the threshold. Still wary of the extension cord -- which had started to produce an unsettling buzzing sound -- Charlie followed his mom outside, finding her stood halfway down the pathway running along the front yard. Standing beside her, Charlie examined almost two full days of her handiwork, with the descent of the sun allowing the blinking lights covering along the length of the yard. Each string of lights worked to enhance the decorations littering the lawn, illuminating the horrific statues and figures Charlotte had laid out.

"Wow, I think this might just be your best display yet," Charlie said, enamoured by the sheer range of colour covering the length of the yard. "But I bet the power company's going to have a fit."

"They can charge me all they want, but this is worth every penny," Charlotte with with abundant pride, stifling a small shiver when a freezing breeze rolled over the sections of her body left bare by the provocative costume. "This is going to be your last Halloween at home before you fly the nest, I want it to be our most memorable to date."

"I think that your costume already made that certain," Charlie chuckled, still unable to keep his eyes from wandering when he glanced towards her. Watching her cross her arms in an attempt to warm herself up, Charlie moved in and wrapped an arm around her increasingly cold shoulders, smiling when she snuggled into his embrace. "If this doesn't have the kids lining the block to see it, I don't know what will."

"I'm just glad you like it, that's what matters to me," Charlotte whispered, resting her head on her son's shoulder. But a sudden whistle from afar caused the pair to turn, spotting a group of teens ambling across the sidewalk opposite, brazenly catcalling Charlotte as they passed by. Rather than appearing appalled by the indecent words they aimed at her, Charlie spotted a flicker of a smile tugging at the corners of her bright red lips. "And it seems like this outfit is already building up its own little fan base."

"I think they were more interested in the woman wearing it," Charlie smirked, missing the strange look that his mom gave him when he spotted the first group of trick-or-treaters of the night rushing down the sidewalk. "We'd better get ready, we're in for a long night."

As he had predicted, not a moment went by before a group of candy-seekers rapidly buzzed the doorbell, with each group almost immediately followed by the next. And just as Charlotte had predicted, the parents accompanying each group couldn't help but stare when she appeared in the doorway, with her black vinyl costume practically glowing as the light from the porch cast her in a warm radiance.

The responses of the parents varied, with the mothers in particular giving Charlotte a more critical appraisal. Some kept their interactions with Charlotte polite, others appeared to be on the verge of giving her a verbal scolding, only prevented when their ravenous packs of sugar-addicts dragged them off to the next candy hotspot. It came as no surprise to either Charlie or Charlotte to find that the most receptive of the chaperones happened to be the few fathers escorting their kids for the night, with almost each one doing their best to disguise their ogling, something they shared in common with the few teenagers that appeared on the doorstep in search of candy.

Regardless of the many reactions Charlotte received, the night quickly became one of her most successful ever, as proven by the many kids and parents who took the time to stop and pose for pictures in front of the stunning display. Without needing to check, Charlie knew that his house was by far the most well decorated in comparison to anything his neighbours had put together.

However, every time Charlie returned to the kitchen in search of a fresh bowl of candy, his eyes continued to glance towards the mass of wires tucked away beside the couch. At first, he was sure that the buzzing sound it emitted maintained a steady rhythm, giving him no reason to be concerned. But by the time he made a fifth trip to the kitchen and back, the buzzing had reached a pitch that became far too prominent in his ears. His decision to ignore it only lead to the inevitable outcome, coming when the power finally surged and shorted out the system, bathing the exterior and interior of the home in complete darkness, sending Charlie tumbling to the ground with a painful crunch.

"Charlie! What happened!" Charlotte called out, using the walls of the living room to feel her way around.

"The power went out. I guess we overloaded it," Charlie winced, brushing the candy covering his fallen body away. He rose from his prone position and propped himself up against the counter, rolling his hand to make sure he hadn't done too much damage to his wrist.

"I should have known that would happen, how could I be so foolish!" Charlotte scolded herself, crouching down when she felt her legs bump against Charlie, causing the vinyl dress to stretch around her rear. Motherly instinct kicked in immediately, causing her to wrap her fingers around Charlie's forearm to search for any breaks or fractures. "Are you alright, I could hear the crash all the way from the porch."

"I'm fine, I think I just landed at an awkward angle," Charlie sighed, feeling his mom working her fingers along his arm, just able to make out the outline of her tantalising silhouette as the lights from the neighbouring property flooded through the window. "Probably just a bruise."

"I shouldn't have put so much pressure on the system," Charlotte reached over and cupped Charlie's chin, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "I'm sorry, honey."

"It's not your fault, mom. We should've bought more extension cords when we had the time, something like this was bound to happen," Charlie consoled her, receiving a warm peck on his cheek in the process. Feeling the print of his mother's lipstick on his face, a voice deep in his mind prayed for more than just a caring kiss. He used the knocks on the front door to mask the sound of him inhaling the electrifying scent of her Chanel perfume. "It was an accident, nothing more."

"I'm still sorry, Charlie."

Charlotte again touched her full lips to Charlie's cheek, but ended up inadvertently brushing his lips when a banging on the front door drew her focus away from him. They both knew it was an accident, the result of a split-second moment of distraction, but that didn't stop their lips from connecting with conscious intent, with Charlie planting a hand on her thigh. What began as a moment of confusion slowly developed into a heated clash between mother and son, reaching its peak when Charlotte felt Charlie's bump against her lips, slipping into her mouth with her permission. A banging on the front door sent Charlotte flying back, laughing nervously as she stumbled back to her feet.