Halloween Tricksters

My older cousins lived out the ridge from my grandparents. Every fall, they had a big Halloween party. On the day of the party, traffic was always heavy on the old gravel road. I don't know whose idea it was, but one fall, we decided to egg the vehicles when they left the party.

Late that afternoon, Joseph, Leslie, and I gathered up eggs. First, we hit up the chicken house and the barn. Then we searched for any rogue nests we could find because we didn't need fresh eggs for our plan. We figured the older, the better. Rotten eggs pop like little bombs, and the smell is absolutely horrid, like sulfur.

We gathered all the eggs we could find and then started making mud balls for when the eggs ran out. We set our bucket of eggs and mud balls on the hillside behind the trees in front of Aunt Joyce's house, and we waited for dark.

At dark, we headed to the hillside, and each of us picked a tree to hide behind. Ammunition in hand, we waited. Whenever we heard a vehicle coming, we positioned ourselves, ready to pop out at just the right moment and hammer the unsuspecting vehicle. With three of us throwing, we were bound to hit each vehicle at least once.

When an egg hit the target, the drivers didn't slow down. They didn't let off the gas. Their brake lights never came on. Once they were out of sight, Joseph, Leslie, and I would roll with laughter, knowing they were probably too drunk to notice. Between vehicles, we laughed and made up scenarios.

"Where were you last night?" we'd imagine their wives asking. "Your truck's covered in egg and mud."

The road stayed hot, and our ammunition was dwindling. Our fear of getting caught was dwindling as well. With each passing vehicle, we grew bolder, and our aim improved. Eggs smacked against truck doors with a satisfying thud. Every now and then, a faint sulfur scent drifted back on the wind from the passing vehicles.

We walked back to the house with an empty bucket and tears streaming down our faces from laughter. The traffic continued into the night. Long after we had called it quits, vehicles were still making their way down the old gravel road.