or in the liquorice night
the road will break open and swallow

those gone missing or silently hiding
inside small, bejewelled boxes

inside stuffed or real animals
or when you open the door

the children will be ghosts

or pumpkins will rot to slime
you’ll slip down the cement steps

or the sweet will get stuck
between her tiny, pointed teeth

and blood will come
from her pink gums like a vampire

or nothing will ever be clean again
even with bleach

or next year she will want to be
a sexy vampire

and someone will offer
the whole bowl of sweets

or after she empties the bowl into her plastic pumpkin
he will invite her in

once inside
she removes her long black cape

in odd socks she walks across the carpet

and in the mirror on the mantel
she vanishes