A Swift Halloween Story

Picture this:

It’s Halloween. October 31st. You’re walking home from a costume party. The wind is sharp and rings around your ears, the sky is black and the only thing lighting your way are the street-lamps. Well, at least they were lighting your way until you got yourself lost, in perhaps the middle of nowhere. You could’ve sworn you knew the way home and maybe you’d have had better luck in the day. For now, you’re lost.

However, a swift turn to your left changes things.

At first, it’s simply a silhouette. You think you can make out… that it’s a house? Maybe? But the closer you get to it you think you recognise it for what it is. Is it your garden room? Your cosy, but not yet lit-up garden room. You’re still somewhat unsure. After all, while it does look like your own building, you need further clarification. You walk a little closer, allowing the moon to shine through the trees and onto the building. Now you know you recognise it. You had decorated it for Halloween, huge pumpkins with the faces of Jack Skeleton carved into them are around the front door. Others as yet uncarved, piled from big, medium to small, like snowmen. You had strung LED lights in the shapes of bats along the windows. And for added effect, you fixed Crime Scene tape along the door, to keep out any possible trick or treaters. This is proof. This is your garden room.

And just like that, you feel your shoulders relax. Your mind stops racing. You sigh. Exhale. You’re safe.

But the cold hasn’t yet gone away. You might be calmer than you were, but you’re certainly not any warmer. Maybe it’s best you go inside. You know what’s in there. The furnace with its inviting orange glow and the knitted throws you had placed over the sofas and used to wrap around your body when it got colder. And you knew that’s the first thing you’d do once you got in.

You quickly fumble for the key in your pocket and rush to the door. Upon opening, entering and closing it behind you, you immediately feel the warmth embrace you. Your fingers and toes tingling as they adapt to the new temperature.

You turn back to the door and flick on the various light switches, which allows your décor to become more apparent. The bat lights you had spotted earlier are now turned on, lighting up every dim ceiling corner. The furnace turned on immediately, you had set this to do so with the lights. Just how you remember it, the marmalade glaze of the flames reflecting onto the brown leather of the sofa and the black and white wool of the cosy shawl throw. You relax a bit more. You sigh, again. Not in relief this time, but in happiness. You’re warm, you’re safe and your garden room is looking as splendid as ever.

Now that you’ve pictured it.

Doesn’t it sound perfect?