Silence - Adopted By Elizabeth Olsen

19.

(A/N: As requested, a short batcorn chapter :) Thank you for all the support. I absolutely love reading your comments.)

Casey's POV
I just finished putting on my costume for Halloween tonight when mama calls for me downstairs.

I walk down the stairs carefully, afraid to trip over the corn costume underneath my Batman superhero suit.

My father loved superheroes, especially Batman and Ironman. He always told me I wasn't allowed to watch it until I got older, so he send me upstairs.

I once watched half the Batman movie as I pretended to be upstairs and hid in a closet. I didn't understand much except for the fact that Batman hurts people, I don't think I want to hurt people.

"Look at you, ready to fight hunger and crime." Mama smiles widely as she sees me walking into the kitchen. I twirl for her, making her laugh.

I like her laugh. It always wants to make me laugh and it makes me happy. I hope I make her happy too.

"Eat a pancake before we go trick or treating." She says sternly. She's not always the sweet mama you got to know. She can be tough sometimes but granny always told me that it comes from a place of love.

"But what about the kids who want candy? There will be nobody home." I ask between mouths full, wanting to eat this pancake as fast as possible.

"Slow down sweetheart, Halloween won't run away." She chuckles as she places a hand on my shoulder, making me eat a bit slower. "I'll put a bowl with candy at the front door." She answers my question, walking to the kitchen to take out a bowl.

"May I be excused?" I ask her when I finished my plate. "You may be excused." She smiles widely before turning back to the kitchen counter. She loves the kitchen.

I bring her my plate which she cleans while I continue my latest drawing. When she's done with the dishes, she calls out my name and we both get ready.

I'm about to put on my coat when she stops me. "It will be harder for people to recognize your costume." She smiles weakly. I nod in agreement, hanging back the coat.

It's not raining and it isn't cold so my batcorn suit should be enough to keep me warm tonight. And I know that if I get cold, she will keep me warm.

She puts the bowl outside the front door and we make our way to the first stop, our neighbour. I'm not sure if she is my neighbour since I don't live here, but I consider this my home so I call her my neighbour.

She is a sweet old woman with a lot of cats and always hands me sweets even though it isn't Halloween.

"Hello Miss Olsen, hey there Casey." She smiles widely when she opens the door. "Hello Miss Goodman, lovely weather isn't it?" I state while returning her smile.

I've been practising my speech, improving my vocabulary and small talk. Mama has been really helpful, teaching me how to act convincingly instead of dramatically. She's very good at acting, she must be a good liar.

"It is. Here take a handful of candy." She says while shoving a bowl full of candy in front of my nose. I take one and put it in the bag mama is carrying for me.

Miss Goodman shakes the bowl, motioning for me to take more. She is really nice. "Thank you Miss Goodman but it would be a shame if other kids didn't have candy. However, if you have some left at the end of the night, I'll gladly pick them up tomorrow." I smile, turning back around to go to the next house.

"Miss Olsen, please keep raising her the way you are for our country's sake." Miss Goodman says a bit flustered.

Miss Olsen says her goodbye before catching up with me. "I'm proud of you Casey, but maybe try speaking a bit less formally?" She asks with an apologetic grin. I nod my head in agreement.

We get to the next house of Mr Fletcher, who looks very nice but really isn't. I'm about to skip it when Miss Olsen drags me by my shoulders and rings the doorbell.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" Mr Fletcher answers the door with a raised eyebrow. I look up at Miss Olsen, silently telling her that this is the reason I wanted to skip this house.

"I'm batcorn, a very popular superhero among kids these days but you wouldn't know because you're old." I smile with a fake smile. Her furrows his eyebrows at me before breaking out in laughter.

"I like you kid, here take the entire bowl so I don't have to answer the door anymore." He says with a wide smile, still chuckling to himself. I'm about to decline but he already emptied the bowl inside my bag before I could say a word.

"Thank you, Mr Fletcher, have a good evening." I tell him, earning me a genuine smile. "Good luck with crime fighting, if you need a shovel you know where to find me."

I'm not sure what he means by that, but I thank him anyways before turning around. "Mama why would I need a shovel?" I ask the woman next to me as we approach the next house.

"Uh, gardening." She mumbles, ringing the doorbell to cut our conversation short.

The woman opens the door with a kind smile, leaning against the doorpost while looking at me intently. "Good evening." I smile, she greets me back but does nothing in return.

Woman this is the point where you give me candy. I mutter confused inside my head. Mama gently nudges my shoulder as a sign that I should do something. Do what?

She seems to understand my confusion. "You're supposed to say 'trick or treat' before people hand you candy." She explains with a chuckle.

"But what if they choose trick? What am I supposed to do?" I ask confused. The woman looks down at me with a wide smile. "Do you know a humans weak spot?" She asks me. I nod, knowing in how much pain Daniel was in when a girl kicked him between the legs. "Well, you just kick them right there." She winks before handing me some candy and closing the door.

I love Halloween, within minutes the entire bag is full of candy and I can't wait to devour it when we get home.

It turned out to be pretty hot in this costume, so I took off my mask as we approach the last house. I knock on the door and a boy answers. He's much older than me, but not that old since he barely has any facial hair.

"Trick or treat." I smile widely earning me an ignorant chuckle from the boy. "Trick." He says with a smug smile. I drop my mask and make my way over to him, ready to kick his nuts but mama holds me back.

"No no Casey let's not do that." She says trying to hide her smile as she picks me and my mask up. I'm really tired so the moment my head touches her shoulder, I relax in her arms and wrap my arms around her neck.

She gives me a peck on my forehead, carrying me the entire way back home. "Mama I'm tired." I mumble after letting out a big yawn.

"I know sweetie, you did great today. We're almost back at the house and then you can go straight to bed." She reassures me sweetly.

When we arrive at the front door, I notice a boy not much older than me ringing our doorbell. "Can I help you?" Mama asks him kindly, putting me down on the ground and taking my hand in hers.

"Good evening ma'am, your bowl of candy is empty and I was wondering if you had any left." He asks with a genuine smile. Mama looks into the bowl letting out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry I think some kids took more than one, I don't have any more candy left." She says sounding genuinely apologetic.

"That's okay, have a great evening." The boy who goes to my school answers.

Without saying a word, I reach into my bag and hand him one of my candies. I got plenty anyway. He smiles widely, thanking me before walking off.

I notice another group of kids coming our way and mama sees them too. She looks worried, almost sad. I don't want her to be worried or sad and I don't want the kids to not have candy.

So I empty my bag into the bowl before walking inside, getting ready to go to bed. Struggling to walk the stairs, mama picks me up and undresses me, laying me down in her bed.

I would ask her why, but I'm too tired to do so.

I sigh happily. I may have not encountered any crime, but I did almost fight an annoying teenager and I fought Halloween hunger instead of world hunger.

Today was a good day and I don't want her to ever leave me.