Rows of chocolate bats, cats and pumpkins fill the curved glass counter of a small shop. In the nearest tray, thin bat wings have softened and folded over the metal edge. Pumpkin shapes settle into small puddles, while their simple faces remain visible. Cocoa bloom and tiny casting marks keep the sweets tangible even as they begin to lose their carefully made forms.

Beyond the display, a woman in a white dress stands motionless at the window with a spatula lowered at her side. The street outside is empty and flooded with hard white light, yet the plain wall clock points to twelve. A fan sits idle among copper pots and pale marble counters. The bright window leaves the shop’s interior in softer shade, drawing attention to the drooping shapes in the foreground. This Halloween photograph finds its mystery in a familiar confectionery display, where the warm season’s impossible return is told through softened chocolate and a still, watchful figure.