Mia woke to music.
“Ding-ding! Toot-toot! Tap-tap-tap!”
The sounds floated through her room. They danced across her blankets. They tickled her ears and made her toes wiggle beneath the covers. Mia opened her large hazel eyes and smiled.
Morning had arrived in Orange Spook City.
Mia sat up quickly. Her curly dark-brown hair bounced in two small puff ponytails. Orange ribbons bobbed beside her cheeks. Her tiny crescent-moon hair clip sparkled near her temple.
She hurried to the window.
Outside, the sky glowed soft golden yellow. Orange-and-black balloons bobbed above the street. Some balloons wore tiny paper hats. Some had curly ribbons. One balloon had two round stickers for eyes.
It blinked in the morning breeze.
Mia pressed her hands against the glass.
Below, a parade was already rolling by.
A row of golden lanterns swung from a candy-striped wagon. The lanterns glowed like little suns. Behind them came musicians in friendly costumes, tapping drums and ringing bells.
“Ding-ding!” sang the bells.
“Boom-boom!” answered the drums.
“Tap-tap!” danced the little shoes.
Mia giggled. The whole town sounded awake.
Orange Spook City was not a quiet place.
Its streets curved like ribbons around candy-colored shops. One shop was plum purple with cream-colored windows. Another was pumpkin orange with black stripes. A third had a roof shaped like a giant cupcake.
Every doorway wore a friendly paper spider.
Every window held a smiling pumpkin.
Every corner sparkled with confetti.
Mia loved every bit of it.
She opened her window.
Warm air rushed inside. It smelled like cinnamon, toasted sugar, and fresh orange peel. A few golden musical notes floated upward from the street.
One note twirled past Mia’s nose.
Another landed on her pillow.
The third slipped under her bed.
“Wait for me!” Mia called.
The musical note gave a tiny shimmer and vanished.
Mia jumped from bed.
Today was the Spooky-Sweet Parade.
The town had been preparing for days. Neighbors had hung orange ribbons from balconies. Shopkeepers had painted stars on their awnings. Lantern makers had filled the streets with warm lights.
Everyone would sing.
Everyone would dance.
And after the parade, everyone would share candy.
Mia loved that part most of all.
She opened her wardrobe.
There was her favorite Halloween outfit.
Mia slipped into her bright pumpkin-orange dress with black polka dots. Then she pulled on her soft black cardigan. Her orange-and-black striped tights came next.
Finally, she stepped into her shiny purple sneakers.
“Shine, shine, purple shoes,” she sang. “Ready for parade-time news!”
Her crescent-moon hair clip twinkled.
Mia twirled once.
Then twice.
Then three times.
Her mother appeared at the bedroom door.
Mia stopped spinning just before bumping into the bed.
“Good morning,” her mother said warmly.
“Good morning!” Mia replied. “The parade is awake!”
Her mother laughed softly. “Then perhaps we should wake up, too.”
Mia reached for her hand. Together, they walked toward the kitchen. The music grew louder with every step.
“Ding-ding!”
“Boom-boom!”
“Tap-tap!”
Mia tapped her purple sneakers along with the beat.
In the kitchen, a warm tray waited on the table.
It held pumpkin-shaped toast, cinnamon stars, and round orange slices. A little dish of cream-colored butter sat beside the toast. Tiny black sprinkles made the cinnamon stars look extra festive.
Mia counted them.
“One, two, three, four, five!”
She touched each star carefully.
“Five cinnamon stars,” she announced.
Her mother nodded. “Five stars for five happy parade steps.”
Mia took five steps across the kitchen.
Step one.
Step two.
Step three.
Step four.
Step five.
At step five, she struck a grand parade pose.
Mia ate her breakfast quickly, but not too quickly. She remembered to chew. She remembered to sip her warm milk.
Outside, the town kept singing.
A bright voice called from the street, “Orange balloons!”
Another voice answered, “Black balloons!”
Then many voices sang together.
“Orange and black, side by side, Kind hearts make the sweetest ride!”
Mia clapped along. She knew the colors well.
Orange pumpkins.
Black bats.
Golden lanterns.
Purple shoes.
Creamy clouds.
Halloween had room for every color.
After breakfast, Mia tucked a small paper bag into her cardigan pocket. It held three candy buttons for later.
One orange.
One black.
One purple.
She looked at the buttons and thought about sharing.
Three candy buttons could become one for Mia, one for her mother, and one for a new friend.
Or they could become three tiny smiles.
That sounded even better.
Mia and her mother stepped outside.
The street shone with morning light. Orange-and-black balloons floated above the rooftops. Striped awnings stretched from shop to shop. Golden lanterns glowed, even though the sun was already up.
A candy shop window displayed rows of treats. There were round pumpkin drops, purple swirls, black licorice loops, and cream-colored marshmallow clouds.
The window smelled sweet enough to make Mia’s nose wiggle.
A shopkeeper leaned from a plum-purple doorway.
“Good morning!” the shopkeeper called.
“Good morning!” Mia called back.
“Are you ready to march?”
“I am ready to march, sing, dance, count, and share!”
The shopkeeper smiled. “That is a very big list.”
Mia nodded seriously. “I have very big parade feet.”
She lifted one purple sneaker.
Then the other.
Both feet looked ready.
A little bell rang near the candy shop.
“Jingle!”
Mia turned.
A friendly small cat stepped from beneath a striped awning.
The cat had a glossy black coat. One vivid orange patch covered an eye. Its tail ended in a bright orange tip. Around its neck was a purple collar with a golden bell.
“Jingle!” went the bell again.
The cat sat neatly beside a basket of candy wrappers.
Mia crouched down.
“Hello,” she said. “Are you joining the parade?”
The cat blinked.
Then it lifted one paw.
“Meow,” said the cat.