Could true love be considered a curse? Rebecca Loughlin believed so. Sure, love made the world go round, and all that baloney, but a thirteen-year-old didn't want to be saddled with "until the end of time" type of love. That was what the old witch had cursed her with so many years ago. Ever since that fateful Halloween night, Rebecca's heart had been held captive by a boy, a boy she barely even knew, and no one--man or boy--could wrestle Frank Palmer's memory from deep within her breast.
Every Halloween, for nine years now, Rebecca would reflect upon what the witch had whispered to her in the darkness of the apartment corridor, and this year was no different. In fact, the recollection burned within her stronger, more intently than before. And that was because she was back--back at her aunt's apartment, getting ready to go trick or treating--only this time as escort to her two young cousins.
Closing her eyes as she waited for the children to dress in their costumes, she recalled the witch's words and Frank Palmer's dark-as-midnight eyes....
"Becky! Becky, c'mon! You're a witch, not a beauty queen." Valerie, one of Rebecca's new friends, stomped her foot and bared her fake vampire teeth.
Sylvia, also a seventh grader at the nearby middle school, grunted her agreement. Her heavy Star Wars mask of the Wookie Chewbacca muffled whatever other comments that came out of her mouth.
Rebecca made a face at them, then carefully applied another coat of lipstick. "Cool your jets a moment, okay? Who says a witch has to look ugly?" Her friends were typical twelve-year-olds, but she just turned thirteen and had the budding body to prove it. Everyone always thought she looked older, too. Besides, they were going trick or treating at the apartment building where Frank Palmer lived. Maybe she would be lucky, and he would answer the door.
Frank Palmer. Rebecca's heart beat faster thinking about him. When she moved into her aunt's apartment two months ago, he was the first person she noticed. Who wouldn't have noticed him? Tall, athletic build, and dark, wavy hair to die for! Immediately, she pumped her aunt for information.
Her aunt had cast an amused glance at Mom, then reported, "Oh, that's Frank Palmer. He's too old for you, honey. He's a freshman in college."
Well, she could dream, couldn't she? Anyway, she and Mom were just staying here until Dad sent for them from his new job overseas. Mooning about Frank Palmer would keep her mind off the big trip ahead until they actually had to leave.
Valerie yanked on Rebecca's arm, dragging her away from the mirror. "C'mon, c'mon! All the best candy will be given away by the time we get there."
An obvious exaggeration, but Rebecca had tried her friends' patience long enough. Settling her black pointed hat on her head, she waved goodbye to her mom and aunt, then headed out to ring as many apartment doorbells as they could find.
Halloween was a little different in the city as compared with her home town. Instead of walking outside to individual houses for candy loot, they traveled indoors in apartment buildings with lots of doors to knock on. It wasn't long before their sacks were heavy with booty. But the evening couldn't be complete until they headed to Frank Palmer's place. When they entered the building's stately foyer, Rebecca got a bad case of the jitters.
"How's my lipstick? Is it still on?"
"Honestly, Becky, your lips are as red as... blood!" Valerie covered the bottom half of her face with her black cape and made a smacking sound.
Sylvia also said something, but whether she agreed or not was a mystery.
Rebecca already knew Frank Palmer lived on the third floor, so when the elevator opened on number three, her stomach bubbled with "double, double toil and trouble." The dimly lit corridor had the perfect Halloween atmosphere: dark, dank, and with plenty of eerie sounds coming from other trick or treaters. So on edge was she that she actually jumped when Sylvia pulled on her tattered sleeve. "Shouldn't be here, Becky... Let's go... witch... nasty..."
"What?"
Valerie interpreted. "There's an honest-to-goodness witch that lives on this floor. They say she does spells and curses and all sorts of nasty--"
"And eats stupid kids for breakfast! Get real. Look, those trick or treaters down the hall weren't turned into mice, so I think we're pretty safe." No one was going to deprive Rebecca of the chance to knock on Frank Palmer's door. "Tell you what, let's just skip the witch's apartment, okay?"
"'K." Valerie pointed to the left. "It's number 319."
As long as they knocked on Frank Palmer's 317, Rebecca didn't care if they skipped every apartment after that.
Nervousness built inside her as they proceeded down the corridor. Please let Frank Palmer be home. Please let him open the door. When they finally stood in front of 317, her courage almost fled. First she knocked, and when there was no answer, she rang the doorbell.
Footsteps thudded near the door and then it opened. It was him--Frank Palmer, and suddenly the dark corridor didn't seem quite so black. But she noticed that in addition to his baggy sweats, he wore a frown.
"Geez, why don't you kids all come at once? I'm studying for my exams and this is the fourth time I've had to get up in five minutes."
That wasn't exactly the greeting Rebecca had imagined, and maybe their shock showed on their faces. On hers and Valerie's, anyway.
"Well, never mind that--have some of my favorite treat." He picked up a bowl filled with tiny bags of candy corn. "So who do we have here? Countess Dracula, eh? Nice to meet you." He dropped two into Valerie's sack. "And Chewy, say hi to Han Solo for me."
Then he turned to Rebecca and the most surprised expression covered his handsome face as he looked at her up and down. "Hmmn, aren't you too old for trick or treating?"
"I'm thirteen." oo bad she couldn't add on a few years. His deep, dark eyes melted her insides like milk chocolate held in her hand! Yummy!
"Thirteen," he repeated as he ran his hand through that mop of wavy hair. "Well, you're a pretty witch. Best I've seen all day." Scooping his hand into the bowl, he grabbed bags of yellow and orange candy corn and let them fall into her sack. "Er, what's your name?"
"Beck--, um, Rebecca."Becky made her sound too young. She pointed to her friends. "And this is Valerie and Sylvia."
He inclined his head. "Pleased to meet you, Beck-um-Rebecca, Valerie, and Sylvia. I'm--"
"Frank Palmer." Rebecca grinned at this opportunity to show off. "You go to college."
"That I do. Only I might not be able to continue if I keep getting interrupted from my studying."
The elevator door opened, emitting laughter and shouts from more trick or treaters.
Frank Palmer sighed. "I might as well stay by the door since I'm being deluged by kids." He gestured to the left of him in the direction of 319. "You girls be sure to visit my next door neighbor. She complains she never gets any Halloween visitors."
Bending down, he leaned toward Rebecca. "You and she have something in common."
Being this close to him made her almost shriek with delight. His mesmerizing eyes, the white of his teeth, the stubble on his jaw.... Then his words hit her. "What do you mean?"
"Witches," he whispered with a smile on his face.
Both Sylvia and Valerie did shriek... with anything but delight. They tugged on Rebecca's arm, but she was determined not to let Frank Palmer know she felt any fear. After all, witches, for goodness sake. There were no such things.
Against her better judgment, and her friends' ardent pleadings, Rebecca walked over to the next apartment. Both Valerie and Sylvia took off toward the elevator while the next batch of treaters held out their sacks for Frank Palmer to fill.
A sixth sense told her that he watched her, even as he talked with that group of kids. She'd show him she wasn't afraid. Almost defiantly, she lifted her hand and firmly knocked on the door.
The next second, the door opened. For a moment, Rebecca was blinded by the light coming from within. Rows of candles--all white--blazed brilliantly from shelves against the wall. On the floor were pots of flowers--again all white--giving the apartment the blessed atmosphere of a church... or the somber air of a funeral home. The flowery scent combined with something mysterious--smoky and musky--drifted out of the apartment, causing her knees to weaken. She started to sway.
"Hello, my child." A shriveled up old woman with long grey hair smiled at her. The smile was brightened by a gold tooth on the upper right side of her mouth and another one underneath it, on the bottom row of teeth. "I've been waiting for you."
Panic poured through Rebecca's veins, urging her to take flight, but instead, she stood rooted to the floor--paralyzed.
"You're here for a treat, am I right?" The woman--the witch--flashed her smile again.
Help. Rebecca hopelessly screamed within the privacy of her mind. Help me!
"Here you go, my child." The witch effortlessly opened Rebecca's clenched hand and placed an object inside. "This crystal will signal you when your true love is near, young Becky."
How does she know my name?
"This beautiful quartz crystal will burn your skin with the heat of a hundred fires. It is impossible to ignore. When this happens, Becky, you will know you are looking at the man who will hold the key to your heart until the end of time."
The woman glanced down the hall, then back at Rebecca and strangely enough, winked. She closed her door, shutting out the burning candles and the fresh aroma of the flowers.
Rebecca's heart beat so frantically, it almost escaped her chest. Stepping away from the door, she gazed down at her hand and saw a clear, prism-shaped crystal with a delicate image of the moon etched upon it. Instead of heat, a puzzling coolness radiated out from the palm of her hand.
She gripped the crystal and quickly walked down the corridor. How could anything so tiny and beautiful burn with the heat of a hundred fires? Not that she wanted to learn the answer to that question. The thought of loving someone until the end of time scared her silly. And why not? She was only thirteen.
So disturbed was she by her encounter with the witch, she started to pass by Frank Palmer's door without looking.
"Happy Halloween, Beck-um-Rebecca. Want more candy corn?" His dark eyes mocked her, holding her captive, burning her hotter and hotter and--
"Oh my gosh!" She flung open her hand. Under the clear crystal, the palm of her hand glowed fiery red--and that meant, according to the witch, Frank Palmer was to be her true love!
Thoroughly spooked, Rebecca gazed at him, loving and fearing him at the same time. She then ran down the hall, avoiding the costumed trick or treaters blocking her path. Catching up with her friends, she never looked back. And when her father called the next day for Mom and her to join him overseas, Rebecca gladly packed up and left everything that she knew behind.
What she couldn't leave behind were her memories of Frank Palmer... Frank... and the curse of true love.
Rebecca opened her eyes and exhaled deeply. Just returned to the States, she had never forgotten about Frank Palmer. Nor had she ever been tempted to give any man more than a kiss in all her twenty-two years.
"Becky, Becky, we're ready!" Mara, the older child by two years, awkwardly hopped from one foot to the other, her stuffed pumpkin costume disturbing her balance. "Get up, let's go, let's go!"
"Trick o'treat! Trick o'treat," shouted her brother, Timmy, an active four-year-old now dressed like a triangular candy corn.
Rebecca stood. Candy corn. Frank's favorite treat.
Stop it! It's way past time to bury the curse so I can go on with my life. I can't have Frank haunting me any longer.
She smiled down at her young cousins. "Okay, all set? Then let's get some candy!"
"Candy, candy, candy," little Timmy shouted as a mantra. After they said good-bye to their mother, Rebecca led the pair out for an evening of trick or treating.
Door after door, apartment after apartment, the children took their trick or treating seriously. Rebecca had just as much fun they did, even though she wasn't getting candy. Seeing the absolute joy on their faces as they proudly held out their sacks was treat enough. She wasn't even that anxious when they entered Frank's apartment building. After all it was a sure bet he didn't live there anymore.
The majestic entryway looked just as impressive, but not as huge as she remembered. Being an adult somehow downsized memories. She could admit to butterflies when they reached the third floor, but she squelched her nervousness by staying a few steps behind the children as they enthusiastically knocked on doors. Only when they reached number 317 did she start nibbling on her fingernails.
"Trick or treat!" Mara and Timmy yelled after their assault on the door.
The door opened slowly to reveal a little girl about Timmy's age. She had the largest and darkest eyes, which reminded Rebecca of Frank.
"Hullo," the girl said tentatively.
From behind the door, a male voice called, "Claire! I told you to wait for me." He sounded frantic, and Rebecca grinned. Maybe all four year olds led adults on a merry chase.
Out of breath, the man reached the door and stood protectively by Claire's side. He held a gurgling baby who captured everyone's attention. But as Rebecca's gaze drifted up to the man's face, she gasped. There could be no mistake: this was Frank, still tall and muscular with his dark hair cut shorter as if to tame the waves.
And he was married... with two kids.
Her heart constricted and she sighed. So much for true love.
As Frank was busy juggling the baby and directing the little girl to give a couple of treats to Mara and Timmy, he didn't notice Rebecca. Not that he would remember her anyway. She took a step back to remain in the shadows of the hallway.
"Candy corns!" Timmy shouted at his booty. "I love candy corns!"
"I can tell." Frank looked at the boy and laughed. "They're my favorite, too--"
His gaze met hers and he froze. "Wait a minute. I know you." Not losing a beat, he added, "You're Beck-um-Rebecca."
Oh, how she died right then and there. How could he remember her? How could he remember her name? He looked as scrumptious as her memory of him, and if she'd held that crystal in her hand, she knew without a doubt it would've burned with the heat of a hundred fires.
But he was married... with two kids.
She smiled sadly and held his gaze. "Yes, and you're Frank Palmer." She then turned to the little girl. "And you must be Claire... Palmer. Claire, meet Mara and Timmy."
While the children talked about candy, Frank shifted the baby to his left arm and smiled as charmingly as she remembered. "Claire, yes. Palmer, no. These aren't my children, Rebecca."
Happiness burst inside her. Was it possible to be so ecstatically happy that a person then lost the ability to speak?
"He's my Uncle Frank," Claire piped up. "Can we go trick or treating, too, Uncle Frank?"
"Can Claire come with us?" Mara ran over to Rebecca to beg. "Please, Becky? Pretty please?"
Who could withstand the pleadings of children? Rebecca grinned and explained, "My cousins. You're welcome to join us, Frank." More than welcome. She crossed her fingers.
He glanced at her hands, perhaps noticing she wore no rings. "C'mon in. My sister's in the kitchen. I'll drop this tyke off with her."
She watched as he disappeared through a door. His back was just as appealing as the front of him!
Sticking out her lower lip, Claire pulled on Rebecca's sleeve. "Don't have a costume."
Timmy came to the rescue. "I'll let ya wear my candy corn hat. But ya gotta give it back. Promise?"
"Promise!"
Frank returned to find Mara and two candy cane kids impatiently waiting to continue the quest for treats. He ruffled Timmy's hair as if in thanks. "Now these two will be friends until the end of time."
Rebecca shivered at his words. Was she looking at the man who would hold the key to her heart until the very end of time?
"Ready?" he asked.
She couldn't resist. "Aren't you too old for trick or treating?"
He held the door open and laughed. "Touché. I guess I've learned you're never too old for Halloween."
Once outside the apartment, the children clamored down the hall to the next door, which was, unfortunately, 319. Rebecca hesitated. Although she still didn't believe in witches, a superstitious thought crossed her mind. What if that woman still lived there? And if she did, could she somehow jinx Rebecca's unexpected good fortune?
Maybe Frank knew what she was thinking for he leaned over to her and whispered, "You're remembering your encounter with the witch, aren't you? No need to worry. I'm told there's a new tenant now. A young woman."
"Good. I, um, put away my witch's costume a long time ago."
She had an uneasy moment when the kids knocked on 319, but thankfully, no one answered.
Allowing Claire, Mara, and Timmy to run ahead, Rebecca and Frank had a chance to talk.
"So Beck-um-Rebecca, what have you been doing all these years?"
Getting acquainted was surely the most pleasurable thing that had happened to her in, say, nine years. By the time they trick or treated the rest of the floors, she felt as if she'd known Frank since forever. Maybe, just maybe, the old woman had been right. And maybe true love wasn't a curse after all.
The five of them took the elevator down to the first floor to head for another building. When the door opened, a young woman waited for them to exit before she entered the elevator.
"Happy Halloween,"she greeted the children. "I'm sorry I wasn't home to give you your treats. "She reached into a shopping bag. "Here, let me do it now. Here's some of my favorite candy."
When Rebecca saw the bright colors of candy corn, a funny feeling zipped up and down her spine. She stared at the young woman, but didn't recognize her until...
Just before the elevator door closed, the woman smiled. Two gold teeth--one on the top and the other on the bottom, glistened in the florescent light. "Good to see you again, Becky and Frank. Don't forget to invite me to your wedding!" she called out.
Both Frank and Rebecca stared at the door, then at each other. True love and candy corn--a very potent and magical combination!
