Halloween 2022: Choose Your Spooky Outcome: Chapter 5
With no other true choice, you make a run for it. Out the back patio door, through the gate, and onto another street of repeating homes, this time viewed from the rear. Pumpkin, Thad, and Victoria are all close on your heels, however the steady booms shaking the air tell you that Jim is holding the line, beating back the hordes of ghouls attempting to give chase.
Sneaking a look behind, you see his illuminated form outlined against the mass of bodies, a beer bottle tipped back as he smashes his hammer through a ghoul’s skull. Catching your eye, he gives you a smile and a tip of the drink, one last toast to send you on your way.
Between the continued screeching of the ghouls and the steady blasts coming from Jim’s hammer, there’s no chance for conversation as you all run. Street after street flies by as you race to put distance between yourself, the ghouls, and most of all the approaching wave. Between the adrenaline and panic, you have no idea how long you run for.
Only that you stop because of the silence. The collective ghoul screech and thunderous claps have been fading as you made progress, but suddenly they’re just gone. The world around you is silent, save for your own heavy panting contrasted with the more measured breathing from the other three. More importantly, however, the scenery has finally changed.
Looking around, you recognize what appears to be a beat up old roller-coaster. There’s a few dozen iterations of the same carousel, rows of snack tents, and a five stages, one of which you recognize from your Halloween spent at the Happy-Ween carnival. They didn’t have nearly this selection of rides, some of which are dilapidated while others appear fresh and new.
“Victoria, what’s your theory?” Hurrying over, you rush the words out, as if afraid something will cut them off. “Before more monsters show up out of nowhere.”
At your words, Victoria sweeps her eyes over the area, hunting for potential threats. “I’ve narrowed it down to one core hypothesis with two interpretations. The more pleasant scenario is that we are walking amidst the remains of worlds left behind.” Victoria motions to your daughter from another timeline, one that collapsed when you died of old age.
“Pumpkin told us about her world starting to collapse when your life ended, and while she was able to save hers, what of all the worlds you died in without a Pumpkin? Where does it all go? Here, I suspect.”
Looking up, you examine the world with fresh, horrified eyes. There were so many houses, and you’ve only examined a small section of what seems like an entire world. Just how many deaths would it take to build something on this scale?
“Wait, why is that the more pleasant scenario?”
Victoria shifts slightly, making it harder to meet her eyes. “Merlin… I wonder how many times-”
The hunk of metal whizzes through the air toward Victoria’s head, but Thad kicks it away effortlessly, sending what turns out to be a hunk of old carousel horse smashing to the ground. Landing gracefully, he looks toward the throw’s point of origin. “Had a hunch that was coming. Surprises don’t work as well once they get predictable.”
Standing in the road are three figures, one in a lab coat, one painted green, and a third leaning on a cane. You can already hear the introduction in your head, and sure enough, seconds later familiar words hit the air.
“Hey there everybody! I’m Frankie!” The woman in a lab coat and glasses, clearly a mad scientist type, pulls a steampunk-meets-sci-fi-gun from her pocket.
“And I’m Styne!” The green woman with a pink bow does a standing leap into a somersault, landing perfectly. “Welcome to your own death and dismemberment.”
“Brought to you by the Scrubles Company,” adds Cort Scruples, the old man with the cane and an enemy of Victoria’s family, along with Halloween spookiness in general.
After a brief pause, Victoria takes you by surprise with a mild chuckle. “A small comfort, but the real Cort would absolutely detest that his image is being used in such supernatural shenanigans.”
Styne starts sprinting in your group’s direction while Frankie fiddles with knobs on her ray-gun. Pumpkin, meanwhile, calmly walks to your side. “So what’s the deal with these three? You all piss off a street performance group?”
“His name is Cort Scruples, an agent of absolute order that works against the interests of the more magically inclined, especially those associated with things like Halloween.” Softly, Victoria’s hand tightens, ever-so-sharp-nails pressing dangerously against her own flesh. “And it is why I may be vulnerable to him, even here. The Talbot we met commanded the same army, this shadow may possess it’s caster’s protections.”
“Then leave it to us,” Thad declares. “Whatever my deal is, it’s never been particularly associated with Halloween.”
Pumpkin however, appears somewhat uncertain. “Not sure how true that is for me. I started off like Thad, but along the way I sort of… let’s say specialized.” Reaching up, she brushes the orange streak running through her dark hair.
Styne leaps into a flying kick, aimed for Thad’s head, which he easily avoids by sliding slightly to the side, letting her fly uselessly past your group. The ray-gun in Frankie’s hands has more success, though, firing off a searing purple beam that melts the road where it strikes.
“Damn! This just got a lot more interesting, now I kind of want to give it a shot,” Pumpkin says.
“I wouldn’t mind a team-up,” Thad agrees.
Looking back up the road, you confirm that Cort Scruples has yet to move. Just like when you fought at Happy-Ween, he’s leaning on his goons to handle the dirty work.
Then again, who are you to talk on that front?
Styne has gotten back up and started running once more, while Frankie is visibly lining up her aim. At this rate, you’ll all be picked off before there’s a chance to fight back. Victoria might be vulnerable to these jerks, but the rest of you should have a shot.
Yet you can’t help looking up to the horizon past Cort, always moving constantly closer, questions filling your mind. Can you really afford the time this will take? Will the ravenous wave finally reach you?
And what happens to those that were in its path?
Unless you want to find out, best to make a choice and get moving. Leave it to Thad, let Pumpkin take a shot, or go in as a team.
Which Will It Be?