Trick or Treat

by Amy L. Hull

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Written for the Tumblr Let's Write Sherlock: "Something Wicked This Way Comes" Challenge 16.

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Sherlock flung the door open.

"Trick or treat!"

"Unruly disunison as well as public-nuisance bell-ringing." Clasping his hands behind him, he regarded the masks and fancy dress and face paint. "I choose...trick."

"Mister, that's not how it goes," said a girl with macabre, deathly-pale makeup. "You're to give us sweets."

They held up their bags.

"I think not. You offered a choice, and now I will do a trick." He smiled his biggest smile. "For you." He focused on a red-headed child in a green ball gown. "You should tell your mother you prefer rugby to ballet. She has no right to live through you." He narrowed his eyes. "You. Little Lord Fauntleroy. Even though your father wouldn't let you wear the gas mask with your...costume...you should at least query door to door with the phrase 'Mummy, may I have some candy?' You lot in the capes, you really must tell your parents that dressing alike won't stop them hating each other or filing for divorce-"

"I knew it!" the boy in the black cape elbowed his red-caped brother. "Told you, didn't I, Charlie?"

The red-caped girl with the crown and 50s style black wig started sobbing, "But Mummy can't leave!"

"Oh, shut up, Millie," Charlie said, grabbing the smallest caped child by the arm. "He's obviously not going to give us chocolates. Let's try the next house."

"Hmm. That was one more deduction than I expected." Sherlock shrugged. He tucked a "Do Not Disturb" sign under the door knocker and grabbed a lolly from Mrs. Hudson's bowl of sweets before taking the stairs by threes.

John didn't look up from his paper. "Kids dressed up like little Americans, were they?"

"Indeed. I let them know they should have waited the four days to collect pennies for the Guy."

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~end~

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