Halloween 2021: Choose Your Spooky Outcome: Chapter 1
Welcome to Drew's Annual Choose Your Spooky Outcome Novel, done over the 13 nights leading up to Halloween. First and foremost, this is a running story, so you'll want to read prior years' entries to know the whole tale.
THIS IS A SEQUEL, SO IF YOU WANT THE STORY TO MAKE SENSE YOU SHOULD GO READ THE FIRST ONE HERE, SECOND ONE HERE, THE THIRD ONE HERE, THE FOURTH ONE HERE, THE FIFTH ONE HERE, THE SIXTH ONE HERE, THE SEVENTH HERE, THE EIGHTH HERE.
If you're reading one of these as it's happening, then be sure to vote for the choices you want made. If not, simply enjoy reading the finished story! Here's how it works:
The novel will run from October 19th – October 31st (13 days of Halloween). Every night I put up the newest chapter, along with a poll for you to make your decisions. Polls close at Noon CST on the following day, so I can write the next installment. Post goes up at night, rinse, lather, repeat.
There will be Dead Ends, choices you make that get your character killed. If people pick one, I’ll give you the Dead End, then redirect you to the other choice that didn’t kill you, because I think we all cheated at those books as kids and I see no reason to change that. Make it to the end without hitting one, however, and there just might be something special in store.
There will also be choices with the power to change, or End, the story itself. Previous examples include additions to the cast that I won’t spoil here for new readers. You’ll be able to distinguish each type of choice by the style used.
Lastly, there will once again be a Discord channel setup for discussing the story, votes, and theories. I’ve setup a free channel on my Patreon Discord, hope you can come join the fun!
Happy Haunting!
The EverKey rests heavy on your coffee table, next to Jim’s newest bong in the shape of a duck and Wilbur’s most recent quarterly report. Dark, foreboding, and with an unmistakable blade worked into its design, one you’ve seen wielded with powerful efficiency by the woman sitting in front of the EverKey. She’s the person who brought it, dragged over from another version of existence during her travels, all so it could be used on you.
Over the past year, you’ve gotten to know Pumpkin, your daughter from an erased timeline… Wow shit has gotten complicated, remember hitting magic Halloween parties? Anyway, Pumpkin is a time-line jumping anomaly with the same gift as her Uncle Thad, and you have spent the last year getting to re-know one another. Through those adventures you’ve learned that she’s brave, resourceful, and worryingly determined, at least when it comes to one topic in particular.
“Surely there’s another way.”
“We’ve been over this a dozen times since September, there isn’t. I have to stab you with the EverKey,” Pumpkin reiterates.
“Also, her name’s not Shirley,” Jim chimes in, yelling to be heard over the kitchen smoke alarm that he set off. This year Jim is working on some sort of special edible creation that will almost certainly be unfit for human consumption while also capable of getting a mountain high off its ass.
Pumpkin leans forward and taps the EverKey, the streak of orange in her otherwise dark mane of hair tumbling forward across her youthful face, one that hides the number of years she’s actually been alive. “To reach some destinations, there are no easy paths. I’ll be quick, the blade will pierce your heart before you ever know it.”
For all the talents Pumpkin possesses, her sales pitch could use a bit of polish. Mercifully, Wilbur stepping out into the living room offers you a momentary reprieve. Dressed in an elegantly tailored tuxedo, the enormous animated skeleton who is your third roommate gives a nervous spin. “How do I look?”
“Terrifyingly handsome,” Pumpkin says, adding a thumbs up to ensure her meaning comes across.
“Fucking shazzle-dazzling bud!” Jim stop stirring his current simmering pot to admire Wilbur, resulting in a near-immediate plume of fresh smoke.
Nodding along with the others, you assure Wilbur. “You’re the only one of us who even could pull off a tux, let alone do it well. You’ll have those investors begging to help Dem Bones Coffee launch its next expansion phase.”
Nerves, which he doesn’t technically have anymore than skin or muscle, successfully soothed, Wilbur fixes his sleeves, sets his spine, and heads for the door. As he opens it, another huge shape comes striding through. Your brother Thad, costume covered by a voluminous coat that his shoulders still fill out, walks into the apartment. No sooner have his eye landed on the table than they go wide, flashing between you and Pumpkin.
“Did you decide to go for it?”
“Yes,” Pumpkin responds.
“We’re actually still going over options,” you disagree. “Jim had something he wanted to pitch, but was waiting for everyone to arrive.”
A familiar voice pipes up from behind Thad, Victoria stepping into view after apparently sneaking in behind him. “Then speak and let it be known. I, for one, am intrigued by the idea of mystery. It has been many an All Hallows Eve since I was not steering our direction.”
Draped over Victoria’s shoulder are several bags, and if history is any indicator hiding inside are several costumes to choose from. She doesn’t offer them to you, however, instead setting the parcels on the kitchen table before making her greetings. Saddling up to the kitchen island, she watches Jim frantically rush around, throwing a multitude of ingredients into his aggressively smoking pot before finally yanking it off the stove and throwing everything into the oven. “Though even I sit in wonder at what sort of adventure Jim is proposing.”
“You should wonder at how fucking awesome I am for pulling this off.” Wiping the sweat from his face, Jim digs into his “Offer The Cook Shrooms” apron and produces a handful of laminated rectangles. Victoria leans in close, but it’s Thad who reads the wording on them first.
“Hauntacular Night of Screams VIP Pass? Isn’t that the Halloween stuff they do at ShoddyLand?”
“It is the culmination of their Halloween season,” Jim corrects. “All the themed rides, special food, and limited time drinks, plus they have a huge parade to close out the night. And we have passes for free shit and line-cutting, all thanks to yours truly.”
Someone has to ask it, and as Jim’s oldest friend present, the duty falls upon you. “About that... how exactly did you manage to get those? They couldn’t have been cheap.”
“Won them on a local radio call-in contest.”
Victoria tilts her head back. “Who still listens to local radio?”
“Literally nobody, that’s how I won. They wanted caller thirteen, so I just called in thirteen times.” New smoke, magenta in color, is rising out of the oven. Jim dashes to it and begins to fan the oven while sucking down as much of the smoke as he can breathe in.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Thad steps forward. “Fun as that sounds, I’ve got a commitment tonight. Agreed to help out with throwing this year’s high school reunion, and ours are always held on Halloween. If you use the key, then of course I’ll be with you, but if it’s just fun I should stick to my word and be there.”
“Why are you helping with a reunion? Your ten year was a while back, and it’s too soon for the twenty. The class having it’s reunion tonight is… oh no.”
Oh yes. Of course Thad volunteered to help with this one, it was his only way into a reunion for a class below his. And since you were a college sophomore on the first Halloween adventure, that means this marks ten years since you stepped free from high school.
“I was wondering if you would ever realize the event was drawing nigh,” Victoria notes. “Out of precaution, I took the liberty of registering both of us, along with Jim and Pumpkin as our guests, should you decide it is a worthy use of a night.”
The heavy thud from the coffee table draws everyone’s attention to Pumpkin. She has lifted the EverKey up, resting it on the sharp base. Taking a breath, she seems to bite back her initial words and choose something different, presumably less expletive-filled.
“I understand that this is scary. Change is terrifying, and the potential for an ending all the more so. But each decision you make carries consequences. If you choose to put off what must be done for another year, so be it. This can only be undertaken at your behest, the desire has to flow from you. I can tag along with whatever antics you’ve got in mind. Just know that every time you choose to deny the key, you strengthen the cage.”
Seems like you’ve got your options laid out before you, two great ways to spend a night and one total bummer. Luckily, you’re the one who decides where the evening will lead, so time to set that course!
Edit: Hey all, Drew here. We’ve got some questions about the poll this time since it’s currently showing a tie. Due to an error with the new polling system, it allowed in votes after the Noon CST cutoff. To settle which path was selected I’ve gone back and checked the totals as of cutoff, and The Reunion was willing at that time.
Join the Discord to discuss the story with other readers: https://discord.com/invite/3QGPvdzaFw