His blade punctures the pumpkin’s flesh with more force than is necessary, and once he has scalped it, he digs out its innards and tosses them onto a newspaper.

He didn’t realize it would be this easy to carve up something.

He didn’t realize how much he would enjoy it.

Ran Walker is the author of over 30 books, including the microfiction/poetry collection Apollo’s Toy Box. He teaches creative writing at Hampton University and lives in Virginia with his wife and daughter.