Ryan tugged the plastic chest piece into place, connecting the straps over his shoulders. He picked up the bronze helmet and held it in the crook of his arm, straightening up as he inspected himself in the mirror, frowning at the ridiculous sight that met him. Of all the outfits that his mother could have selected for him to wear, she settled for a somewhat cheap imitation of ancient Roman Centurion armor, complete with the distinctive red bristles that ran across the dome of the helmet.
Her reasoning for picking the costume remained a mystery to him, but judging by the sly smile on her face when she first presented him with with it, he could only assume she had something devious planned. He turned on the spot, wincing as the hard plastic stomach plate dug into his skin. Given how long he was going to be dressed in Roman armor, he wished his mother had selected a version that was a few sizes larger.
Ryan lived with his parents, Richard and Elizabeth Lichen, residing in a modest neighborhood that rarely went beyond the parameters of the mundane. He had already received his letter confirming his place at his desired college on the opposite side of the country, farther away than his mother would have preferred. Though he tried to rationalise his choice by highlighting the highly regarded facilities of the college campus, as well as the endless success stories of its former alumni, Ryan knew deep down he was looking for a certain amount of independence, to fully experience the college lifestyle without fear of his parents turning up unannounced, something that he believed his mom would certainly do if it was convenient.
His father was in his early forties, the owner of a small but reasonably successful construction company, working in conjunction with the local government authority on small projects across the city. It took a number of grueling years to build up the company, working back breaking hours at a time when Richard and just a handful of employees were all that the business consisted of. But the work had eventually paid off, allowing the family to purchase one of the larger homes in the suburbs, but modest enough for the needs of his family.
Elizabeth worked as a corporate accountant from the moment she finished college, working for a modest firm in the city. Regardless of the occasion, Elizabeth was always at the peak of glamour, always leaving the house for work dressed in designer clothing, her make-up done to perfection. She possessed a shoe collection which could have given Imelda Marcos a run for her money, one she enjoyed showing off to her friends whenever she played hostess. Her shoulder-length red hair never failed to appear luxuriant, beautifully complimenting her vivid green eyes and luscious red lips. The gym had become a home away from home of sorts for her, with the mother and housewife spending hours working to maintain her athletic figure, something that served to help her sustain a youthful appearance.
From the outside, Ryan's parents seemed to be total opposites. His father drove a practical, dirt splattered pick-up truck back and forth from the work sites, whilst his mother drove a much trendier Mercedes. Neither quite managed to fit in with in each other's social circles, with Richard in particular never feeling comfortable attending work parties hosted by Elizabeth's company, stemming from his deep dislike of the high-flying executives. But despite their differences, they seemed to fit. Elizabeth was bubbly and outgoing and Richard knew how to make her laugh in a way few others could.
But if there was one event on Elizabeth's calendar that Richard refused to take part in, it was the annual Halloween Ball held at the mansion belonging to the owner of Elizabeth's company. Every subsequent event managed to outdo the previous year's bash, with increasingly elaborate staging and even more elaborate costumes the attendees were expected to wear. Unlike her husband, Elizabeth always looked forward to the bash, she was a social butterfly that adored the bustle and life of the parties.
Ryan knew his father to be a jovial man, but he was not one to bother with playing dress up for a corporate get together. The first ball he ever attended, simply to humor his wife's prodding that he would enjoy it, happened to be his last, though Ryan never discovered what had caused his father to swear off making a return in future. Instead, he usually chose to remain home, either to watch whatever game was on the television, or to help the kids with homework. But it was the first year where all three of the Lichen children transitioned into adulthood, with Ryan already picking out items he would pack and bring with him to college.
As such, Elizabeth viewed it as an opportunity to spend as much time with him as possible before he departed. Usually, he would have spent Halloween night with his friends, meandering from whichever classmate was hosting a party whilst their parents were away for the night. But for the first time since he was a kid, he expected to spend the night at home, with his friends preferring to finish off their own college application forms.
His mother launched a campaign to get him out of the house and join her at the bash as her plus one, using every trick she picked up at her workplace to poke away at his resistance. It took some time, but her persistence paid off, and Ryan agreed to accompany her, earning gratitude from his father for sparing him another year of Elizabeth's coaxing.
With his costume about as ready as he could get it, Ryan carefully jogged downstairs, wincing as the shin plates chafed his skin with each step. Entering the living area, he found his father sat by himself in his recliner, flanked by an array of snacks and six-packs, prepared for the upcoming basketball game. His mother, however, was nowhere to be seen.
"Mom isn't ready yet?" Ryan asked his father. "I thought we were meant to be leaving by now?"
Richard placed a platter of food on the ornate glass table just in front of the recliner. "You know how she can be during Halloween. She won't come down until everything is 'beyond excellent.'"
Ryan smirked, recalling the previous years where putting the final touches on her costumes caused her to constantly be 'fashionably late' to the Halloween bashes. Sometimes her own family wouldn't have even seen her outfits until she returned home well into the early hours of the morning, rushing from her bedroom to her car made her appear almost like a blur.
Deciding that standing around for too long would prove too uncomfortable, Ryan sat down on the wide beige couch just across from his father, removing his plastic dagger before it caused an unfortunate accident.
"Any idea what mom is going dressed as?" Ryan inquired, idly watching the commercials.
His father turned to him with an amused gleam in his eyes. "She kicked me out of the bedroom before I could see it, she wants to keep it as a surprise. Though, I can see what she's got you going as, Mr Caligula."
Ryan chuckled, adjusting the fake armor to stop it from twisting out of place. "I'm just hoping the weather doesn't drop tonight. This stuff isn't exactly made to keep someone warm during a frosty night."
As the pair sat and waited for the game to come on, Ryan heard the creaking of the stairs in the hall. Ryan stood up as he heard the clicking sound of heels draw nearer, until his mother emerged from the hallway. Both father and son were stunned by the sight.
In typical fashion, Elizabeth knew she wanted her costume to be as eye catching as possible, besting what she had worn the previous year. She wore a gold lamé gown that fell above her feet, with a wide slit that ran down from the middle of her thighs. A sparkling necklace filled with faux diamonds of varying colors traveled down to the valley of her breasts, finishing into a triangular point. Her red hair was hidden beneath a glossy black wig, a gold, sequined head piece sat on top. The costume was completed by a pair of silver, five-inch gladiator heels with ties that ran up to her knees. Fittingly, kohl had been coated around her eyes, along with traces of gold that ran down the bridge of her nose.
She posed on the spot for the pair, holding her palms out flat. "So? What do you think?"
"I think if I knew you were going to wear that I might have changed my mind about going," Richard answered, suddenly uninterested by the television.
Ryan watched his mother's expression turn into one of playful indigent. "Well you should have thought of that before turning me down constantly. Ryan?"
Ryan couldn't help but take in the sight. He always knew his mother was an attractive woman, his friends had made that very clear over the years, constantly commenting on what they would do given the opportunity, but Ryan knew it was all in good nature. But their jokes only resulted in Ryan taking more notice in Elizabeth, especially in recent years.
