Once he had carved the pumpkin, Kevin changed into his costume (a homemade but very presentable Spider-Man) and grabbed the Jack-O'-lantern, which was his contribution to Charlie's Halloween party, and headed out the door.
He passed little groups of ghastly ghouls and horrible goblins, some escorted by parents, others by older siblings. When he reached Charlie's home, he found his friend gathered with about seven of their friends, mostly from the lower echelons of their school's hierarchy.
"Hey, Kev brought a pumpkin!" Charlie exclaimed.
Kevin placed the pumpkin on a table loaded with snacks and sodas. "I've got a candle, too, if you could find me some matches," Kev said.
A moment later, Jared felt a cool draft when Kevin lifted his lid by the green stem and placed a candle inside his hollow interior. Charlie appeared with a lighter. "Try this," he said, handing it off to his friend.
A moment later, Jared felt like someone has set his insides afire. The candle's flame scorched the scooped out interior of his shell, blackening his orange flesh and coating everything with a layer of soot. He had given up the mental torture of constantly screeching thoughts for help that would never be heard by anyone.
He got to be a mute witness to his brother and his friends having fun and enjoying themselves while he remained stuck as a insensate vegetable.
Hours later, the party came to a close. Charlie and Kev lingered for awhile, shooting the breeze, but finally Kev stood and announced he needed to head home.
Jared waited for his brother to pick him up and carry him home, but Kevin didn't even remember the pumpkin. Someone had placed some large soda bottles in front of the pumpkin, which obscured it from view. Jared heard his brother making his goodbyes.
"Wait!" Jared begged in his thoughts. "Don't leave me here!"
Despite his entreaty, he was left behind by his own sibling. Even Charlie disappeared, but not before he noticed the pumpkin. He lifted the lid and glimpsed into the scorched interior before he blew out the candle. On his way out of his family's recreational room, he turned off the lights.
Jared ended his Halloween, in the dark, forgotten.
The next morning...