Halloween 2019: Choose Your Spooky Outcome: Chapter 2
You shift in your seat, still getting comfortable in your costume. Since you elected to pick up your own this year, it means you’re dealing with retail store level quality, rather than the high-tier outfits Victoria provides. A scratchy collar isn’t so bad, you just wish the material would quit bunching up everytime you sit.
Oh well, at least you feel suitably equipped for the night ahead. Between the long robes, various colored bottles, and arcane tomes lining your pockets, you went all out to make sure if the costume does become real, you’d be sure to end up as an actual Alchemist, not just a dude in cheap robes with an out of control bottle collection.
Whispering up to the curb, you reach for the door handle, only to be abruptly halted. That’s chiefly because Jim has just finished making what he calls a “Here Comes the Neighborhood”, a concoction that involves shoving many of his various pills and powders into a half-drunk champagne bottle, shaking it all up, and letting the carbonation blast the whole thing down into one’s stomach. The force of the chug sends him spiraling back through the limo Victoria arranged, landing him in a heap directly in front of the door. Only after the champagne bottle has landed and Jim finished spinning do you notice Victoria also had a hand up, as if to stop you.
“Before we venture forth, Merlin, perhaps it is time you knew what to expect this evening. Tonight will truly be one of our most hideous destinations in all our years together. What you see may haunt you, carve itself into the deepest core of your soul. Take heart, and brace for the dangers ahead.”
Someone is certainly feeling ominous tonight. It definitely works on you though, the heavy gulp in your throat feels dense as it sinks. If you’re going somewhere that bothers even Victoria, you may have to ask Jim to make another one of those cocktails. Steeling your nerves, you reach over the slowly rising Jim, popping open the door to reveal what horrors await.
Staring back at you is a huge inflatable ghost, one with a goofy grin and cheerful eyes. Once you step from the limo, barely clearing Jim’s shifting form, more of the scene comes into view. A mural of witches laughing happily over tea, rather than cackling. Mummies giving out hugs. Bats dropping candy. Every decoration takes the classic trappings of Halloween and reimagines them in a sweeter, more kid-friendly and wholesome version. At last, you spot the wide banner hanging over the crowd streaming into an entrance.
“Welcome to Happy-Ween!” Then, in smaller letters on the same banner, you can make out “Sponsored by Scrubles Cleaning Line. Scrubles, wipe it all away.”
After so many years, it doesn’t actually take you that long to put the pieces together. For someone who serves (and maybe worships) Halloween in its darker forms, obviously this would be an abomination in Victoria’s eyes. To you, it just looks like a large Halloween event being put on for local families. Which, now that you think about it, actually does make this pretty terrifying. If this goes the same way as previous years, those are the worse kinds of innocent bystanders.
“Ooooh, I’m going to kicked out of this place fast.” Jim is self-aware, if nothing else, or perhaps just drawing on his vast history of experience. There are two entire kid-friendly pizza chains Jim is banned for life from. In all fairness to him, one of those times he had to kill the singing rat robot or it would have sung the final lines to summon Gelfnorc, eater of air, but it was still traumatizing for the kids who saw him swing the axe.
“Nah, it’s all about staying covert. We’ll create enough distractions to make sure you don’t draw too much attention.” Striding onto the scene, Thad arrives looking like a literal superhero. It’s only after you clock the hat, beer belt, and sunglasses that it actually clicks.
“Duffman?” You can’t say Thad doesn’t fill it out, his mighty frame matches the cartoonishly buff character to an impressive degree.
“And a Happy Halloween to you too, my spooky bro.” Thad gives you a big hug, then makes the rounds greeting Jim and Victoria. “I come bearing treats, too. After Victoria sent the raven with an address of where to meet you, I came a little early to get the lay of the land. Looks like this is a big Halloween themed faire kind of thing. Lots of little events and sights, plus a few competitions sprinkled throughout. Winners get something called Pristine Points, but I haven’t been able to figure out what they’re good for yet.”
He might trigger some deep insecurities, but Thad definitely shows up ready to help. As he’s been talking, Jim wandered around, and you’re soon treated to the all-too-familiar sound of something breaking. Wood, in this case, as Jim drags over a smaller piece of bulletin board, complete with papers still attached. You’re tempted to scold him, though from the way he’s swaying you’re not fully sure he even understands what “destruction of property” or “words” are.
“Thad-man’s right, lots of this stuff tonight, and a few are cracking off soon.” Hey look at that, he does still comprehend words, for now anyway. Jim holds up the board, and you gingerly accept it, looking over the list of activities.
According to the schedule, there are three contests starting soon that you could reach. Halloween Trivia, bobbing for apples, and pumpkin carving. A half-snort from behind you draws your focus to Victoria, who is glaring down at the competitions. “These humans think to test their knowledge of this great day while defiling it’s glory? I should take great joy in stamping out their illusions of knowledge.”
Not the cheeriest of volunteering, but given that Victoria is currently staring daggers at a cartoon candy corn, probably as sociable as she’s going to manage for this crowd. Jim, on the other hand, is now drooling, a few strands glistening down, nearly hitting the board before you notice.
“Apples sound really good right now. Like, I could fuck up a bushel. Maybe a peck as well, have to see, but for sure a bushel.” Jim has that look in his eyes like the last time he took on a local restaurant’s eating challenge. You’d never seen a chef’s pride break so quickly. In this state, he can definitely put down some food. Getting his mouth on it from a pool of water, that might be another story.
“If you need a carving partner, I think I’ve still got the touch.” Thad winks, and honestly, you’re not even sure what award or contest he’s talking about. The guy has won so much shit throughout your lives, it’s impossible to keep up with. He’s got an artsy side, so presumably he’s some sort of carving expert, because of course he is. Thankfully, tonight that might work in your favor.
Time is ticking, and you don’t want to be late for whatever selection you make. What contest do you select?