Halloween terror much too real for one teen

Sheridan — this is not his real name, for reasons which will become apparent — was hanging out in an east- end park on Halloween. He and his friends had finished trick- or- treating, and now they were sitting by the swings, talking about skateboards and school and this and that. Sheridan is 15 years old. He was planning to bring his bag of candy home for his younger brothers. And then four older boys came into the park. One of the older boys wore a horror film mask, and the others wore bandanas to cover their faces. The boy with the camouflage bandana had a switchblade in his hand.

Sheridan said, “ They came up to us and started searching us. They said to one of my friends, ‘ You get on the ground, and you two get over there.’ My friend who was on the ground, they took his New York Yankees baseball cap. “Then they came over and searched me and my other friend. They took my friend’s jewellery, a necklace and his candy.” What happened next?

“ The guy with the camouflage bandana pressed the tip of his knife against my neck.”

Sheridan paused and touched a slender finger against the soft side of his neck, just under the long line of his jaw. “It was pressed right up here.” How did it feel?

“ It felt weird.” The thief with the knife took Sheridan’s money — he had $80 in his pocket — and also his bag of candy. What else, apart from weird, was he feeling at that moment, with the tip of a cold sharp knife pressed against his throat, knowing that he was a swift flick away from red wet death?

“ I was just hoping he wouldn’t see my backpack with my iPod. It was over by the benches with my skateboard.

“ And I was hoping he wouldn’t cut me.” The kid with the knife saw the backpack, and so he stole Sheridan’s iPod; in it were stored some 200 tunes — a little rap, a little Mötley Crüe, a little Hendrix.

Sheridan said, “ They were going to take my skateboard, but one of the guys said to the others, ‘ No, don’t. I was a skateboarder, I know how it feels.’” Oh, good grief. An honourable thief. As they left, the masked boys warned Sheridan and his friends not to move, not to leave the park, and not to call the cops. When the thieves were gone, Sheridan and his friends went their separate ways home. Sheridan said, “ I didn’t think of calling the cops. I just wanted to get home.”

Sheridan’s mother works in the arts. She, her son and I were talking about the robbery in their living room, along with a handsome old dog with a bad leg, and a brassy little cat. I asked her what happened when her son came home.

“ His brother and I were watching a movie. He just walked in. He didn’t say a word. He went up to his room. That was unusual. I thought something was wrong. I thought he might be hungry so I called up to him. ‘ Do you want something to eat?’ He said he wasn’t hungry. I could tell something was wrong. I went up. He was really upset. He told me he’d been robbed.” She said, “ I told him we were calling the police. He didn’t want me to call. He said, ‘ No, they’ll kill me and my family.’ I said, ‘ That’s what bullies say. They wouldn’t dare do anything.’ I called the police.” And it was only then, as her son was talking to the police, that she first heard about the knife at her son’s throat. Her reaction? “ I wanted to cry but he didn’t need me crying. I think I just hugged him. I was so angry. I said if I ever catch them, I’ll tear them limb from limb.” She paused. “ I’m usually all peace, love and grooviness.” The police said they’d be over, but they said it might take a while because it was a busy night, and they’d rather use their resources to look for the thieves. They came a couple of hours later. Carolyn said, “ They were great. They apologized for not coming earlier.”

Carolyn sent an email to the mayor right after all this happened. She said, “ I blame the little buggers who did this, but I also blame the mayor. He’s in a position of responsibility.” What can the mayor do?

“ I want him to call here. I want him to say he’s sorry. My son lost his iPod and his money. I want the mayor to send me those things. And I want him to put more cops on the street.” As of this writing, the thieves have not been caught.

Sheridan is out of pocket for the money. His brothers did not get the candy he collected. And he has not replaced the iPod because he can’t afford another one. He also stayed home from school for a week after the incident because, “ I’m not sure what school these guys go to.” He was planning to return to school this morning. The mayor has not called. Joe Fiorito usually appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email: jfiorito@thestar.ca