The Party Across The Street: A Short Story. Your Mother's Nightmares

When the house across the street swallows up a visitor dressed for a party at 1 a.m., three-year-old Dorian is curious to know more. Excited at the prospect of an entertaining departure from the monotony of parenting, his sleep-deprived mother accompanies him out the door and across the street to the house where a party is indeed in full swing. Guests with painted faces and elaborate costumes heartily welcome the mother-son duo, luring them in with the promise of free babysitting and loads of tasty treats. But no one mentions the presence of a magician in their midst, a magician who knows how to make little children disappear.