Journal of a Servant

of a Scaredy Cat

November 1 -- 2 'o clock in the morning

Dear Self,

Yes, it's late... or is it early? Either way, I can't sleep anyway. Last night, you know, was all Hallows Eve. I hate it. You hate it too, don't you? The ghosts and goblins, the scary stories and the horrible, horrible haunted party they have at the castle every year. I hope they've banned it by the time you read this.

That aside, though, it's not banned here, and I've found out that "7" is the magic age where everyone decides that they can scare you. I'll tell you something, self, that you may not remember. You peed your pants the first time you were scared on Halloween.

You laugh now, but you were crying then.

____

Sweet green eyes twinkled with laughter at the sloppy handwriting which was mocking his very older self. 

____

I had been dressed up as a monster to frighten the bad spirits away and was holding Nana's hand when it happened. A horrible man with a skeleton face jumped out of the bushes and yelled like a dead man. (I assume he did, though I've never heard a dead man yell). Before I knew it, I was half way to the huge oak tree in front of the castle. I climbed it as quickly as I ever had and held onto the limb I was on for my life. 

There were soon many people gathering beneath me, and some of them were laughing. I was too scared to notice. I just held onto the branch and stared at everyone. I even ignored Nana's pleads for me to come down.

I was in the tree for at least twenty minutes before Nana finally got me to come down by saying that I  and her would be allowed to skip the haunted house part of the castle, around the back way, and just go to the party. Usually, the only way to go to the party is to go through the front of the castle to get to the main ballroom at the south end. They don't let you skip it. 

Unless you pee your pants in a tree. Then they let you skip it.