Halloween Memories

Written by Mary-Jac O'Daniel

One of my favorite holidays is Halloween. As a child, every year the older teenagers made a scary cornfield maze for the middle school kids to walk through. This, along with the movie “Children of the Corn,” probably contributed to my fear of cornfields. We scared ourselves silly running through this one- mile corn maze and then sat outside amongst a bonfire to tell ghost stories while roasting marshmallows. The older teens would bring their

guitars and the evening ended with a hayride and everyone singing familiar country and pop songs. As a suburban child that loved wide-open spaces, this was my idea of bliss. 

I still love Halloween, and I still love haunted houses—even though I’m a big wimp. The new Halloween tradition is to go to Busch Gardens for the Hallow Eve with my husband. Last year, we went alone, this year; we have friends going with us. It is something I look forward to every year, along with dressing up, and of course, candy. 

About the author: Mary Jac O'Daniel is the author of "Zinneas Always Bloom" in By the Bay: East Beach Stories. Her story "Forays into Sailing" will be in Volume II, to be published in 2017.