Rat Poison by Maria Masington

1975 Halloween working class neighborhood Hobos, gypsies, and Indians with flashlights and flowered pillow cases Trick or treat Mother dumps candy onto a Formica tabletop Checks apples for razor blades and candy bars for rat poison Yet never looks twice at the haunted house next-door where the daughters ran away and the father offered kindergarten girls cash to don swimsuits and wash his car

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