On Saturday night I was walking home from a long day of ice skating and Christmas marketing and general hijinx with my friends (sorry for the lack of birthday post that I promised, but in my defense, my birthday was a little fuller than I had expected it to be--stupid Real Life, am I right?)--it wasn't terribly late, probably only around 8 pm or so, but with the winter comes the early dark, so it felt really late. Anyway, I'm walking along through the neighborhood, up from the metro, with my headphones on and swinging my packages (including my new Christmas wreath--folks, I hate to say it, but last Thursday my wreath got stolen AGAIN--that makes three stolen in two years).

I notice out of the corner of my eye a little kid skipping up near me. I figure I have nothing to do with kids, so this one will...you know. Do what kids do. Scamper or scurry or something away. I don't do much more than give her a quick look and then go back to my music and my wool-gathering.

But you know how no matter how much you're into your own thoughts, you can tell when someone is staring at you really intently? Yeah, that's what I started to feel. So I turn and look, and there's this little kid staring at me and sort of jogging to keep up with me. I'm short but at least my legs are longer than a little...I don't know--how old are they when they're about three and a half feet tall? Whatever. Munchkin was also wearing vampire teeth. Like so:

Picture used for representational purposes only. Not Munchkin in the story.

Not one to be rude--even to strange little scampering be-teethed munchkins--we had the following exchange:

Munchkin: Hey.

McB: Hey. Those are pretty cool teeth.

Munchkin: Hee! Thanks!

McB: You know what holiday is coming up?

Munchkin: Christmas!

McB: Right. You know what holiday isn't coming up?

Munchkin: *blank look*

McB: Halloween. I think you may have grabbed those teeth by mistake--you needed to get the elf hat.

Munchkin: *squeals of laughter* *garbled Munchkin talk untranslateable by adults*

At this point, having ascertained that she wasn't talking to me so that her friend could come up and stab me from behind when I wasn't paying attention (what? I live in a neighborhood where kids steal Christmas wreaths--being vigilant against stabbing is second nature), I wished her a good night and cut across the street. I had about thirty seconds before I heard little pitter pattering feet behind me. Sure enough, an out of breath Munchkin had caught up to me.

Munchkin: So...where you going?

McB: Home. Where are you going?

Munchkin: To a friend's house. Where did you just come from?

McB: Ice skating. Does your friend think it is Halloween, too?

Munchkin: Do you go ice skating every day? That is so cool!

McB: No, just today--maybe next week, too. You should go sometime--invite your friend, but probably leave the teeth at home.

Munchkin: I've seen you around before. Lots of times.

McB: Uh. Yeah. I live here--*points to door*

Munchkin: That's cool! See ya!

Okay, so what is weirdest here:

1. A kid, wearing vampire teeth, all but chased down a strange woman to chat with.

2. Said strange woman's first thought was to ponder how strange a news article it would be when they wrote up how she got stabbed by a midget vampire.

3. A completely normal conversation with a little person was strange enough an occurrence that it was noteworthy enough to warrant being "a story".

I think I've been in the UK too long. I see a kid, I think I'm about to get stabbed. Also, I wonder how I got covered in kid nip and whether or not it washes off.

Do people not warn their children about talking to strangers anymore? Or is this just a strangely perceptive kid who figured me for a non-Danger Stranger? And seriously...what was up with the teeth?