MicroHorror

“Did you hear about the Wilson boy?” Jenny Blane asked, just to keep from being bored while waiting in line outside the hospital.

Norma MacTailor, Jenny’s friend, said, “I heard he found one of those egg things and thought it was candy. I heard he put one into his mouth.”

A woman in line behind them leaned in. She wore an apron dusted with flour. “I saw the poor boy when they took him away. I saw a bloody bandage wrapped around his mouth. He moved like it hurt like hell, you know, flailed his arms about. Too bad he couldn’t scream.”

Norma held up a sack of candy. The bag had a jack-o’-lantern on it. The name Gail was written on it in permanent marker. “I got this away from my youngest daughter before she could eat any. I heard about the egg things on the radio and drove to find her. I tell you, I feel real lucky.”

The line moved a few steps.

Jenny held up her bag of candy. “My Johnny ate a few pieces. But, thank the Lord, there were none in ones he ate. I’m sure glad the hospital agreed to X-ray all the candy.”

“Yeah, thank the Lord,” the woman behind said.

The man in front of them turned. He had a big bandage on his cheek. “One of them got me,” he said. “That’s why I’m here, to see a doctor.” He pointed at his cheek, a large spot of blood in the center of the bandage. “And I swear they do hurt like hell. I mean really like hell. My wife burned it out of my cheek with one of those little torches. You know, the ones used to make that fancy custard.”

“Ouch,” Norma said.

“Yes, ouch,” Jenny agreed. “Your kid bring one home in Halloween candy?”

“No kids. I’m okay. It’s my wife, you know. She can’t have kids. It was in a box of Cheerios we bought at Walmart.”

Jenny thought about that. She looked at Norma. “You know,” she said, “maybe we should head back home. You know, just to check.”

“Wouldn’t hurt,” the man said. He rubbed the bandage on his cheek. He winced. “Them egg things might have gotten into more than just candy.”

“Yeah,” Norma agreed with a nod. She had already pulled her car keys from her purse. “Just to check.”