DISCLAIMER: The characters of Rex Buckland and Hannah Webster are the property of Spelling Productions and were created by Constance M. Burge. The characters of Randolph Carter and all Cthulhu Mythos characters are the property of the estate of H.P. Lovecraft.
THE PLACE: ARKHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
THE TIME: OCTOBER 28th, 2017
Hannah Webster was seated in the usual booth that she and her husband, Rex Buckland, usually sat in when they visited the Burger Bar, talking to their friend, Staci Clarke. "Well, Staci, how do you like being in the Inner Circle so far?" Hannah asked.
"It's different, I'll give it that," Staci replied. "All that weird stuff that went on here in Arkham, and in Innsmouth and Dunwich. It's amazing that it all happened, but not many know about them." Staci was new to the Inner Circle, having been inducted into the group, at the recommendation of Rex and Hannah, just a couple of months before.
"That's one of the reasons the Circle exists, Staci," Hannah replied. "We keep those events quiet, so we don't start a mass panic."
"I can understand that," Staci said. "Still, I'm glad you got me in, Hannah."
"Well, you did insist, after what Matthew Tate did to you," Hannah replied, recalling the incident of the previous August, in which the Warlock, Matthew Tate, that she and Rex had used against the Charmed Ones, nearly twenty years earlier, had returned somehow. Matthew had claimed that he had been working for the Source, seemingly unaware that the Source was long vanquished. After a couple of unsuccessful attacks against Rex and Hannah, Matthew had resorted to kidnapping Staci. Hannah and Rex had managed to rescue Staci, and were able to convince Matthew that the "Source" that he had been reporting to was an imposter. However, before they could talk to him further, Matthew had left to confront this "Source" and had not been seen since.
At the end of that adventure, Staci had confronted Rex and Hannah and demanded to know just what was going on. In the end, the two former Warlocks had told Staci about the Inner Circle, and Staci had then asked if she could be admitted to the Circle. Rex and Hannah had then arranged for Staci's induction into the group.
"Hannah? You still with me?" Staci asked, waving a hand in Hannah's face.
"Oh, sorry, Staci, I must have drifted off for a second there."
"Well, I was just saying that I'm glad to be part of the Circle," Staci said. "Still, we are the only two women members. We kind of stand out."
"Well, perhaps more women will join as time goes on. It is 2017, after all," Hannah replied as she took a bite of her hamburger. "So, are you coming to the Halloween party that Rex and I are throwing?"
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it," Staci said. "I enjoyed the one you two threw last year. I'm glad you're doing it again."
"Me too," Hannah said. "Oh, and Happy Birthday 27th Birthday, Staci." Hannah reached into her purse and pulled out a birthday card, which she then gave to Staci.
"Thanks, Hannah," Staci replied, smiling. She opened the card and saw that both Hannah and Rex had signed it. "It's a nice card, thank you."
"Any big birthday plans?" Hannah asked.
"No, not really. Just spending the evening with my family," Staci replied.
"Well, speaking of birthdays, I have something to ask you, Staci."
"What is it, Hannah?" Staci asked.
"Listen..." Hannah began.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
At that same time, Rex Buckland was meeting with Randolph Carter in the study of his and Hannah's house, a few miles outside of Arkham. "Well, Mister Carter, any luck on tracking down Matthew Tate?" Rex asked.
"No, sorry, we're still working on that," Randolph replied. "You haven't seen any sign of him since he came after you in August?"
"Not a trace," Rex said. "I want to find out what happened to him. I need to find out just who this "Source", that he said he was reporting to, was. Mind you, Hannah and I suspect that Johanna Martense and Herbert West were involved somehow, but they seem to have gone off the grid as well."
"Well, Rex, the Inner Circle is doing all it can."
"I'm aware of that, Mister Carter," Rex replied. "Anyway, moving on to a more cheerful subject, can you make it to our Halloween party this year?"
"You and Hannah are throwing another one?" Randolph asked.
"We are," Rex said. "After what we've been through this year so far, Hannah and I feel we deserve a break. And since Halloween is special to us, it couldn't be a better time to just relax and kick up our heels for a bit."
"I agree," Randolph said. "Count me in."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Halloween is in the air, Hannah thought as she walked down the streets of Arkham. After leaving the Burger Bar, Hannah had decided to take a stroll to take in the Halloween sights. All around the town, Halloween decorations could be seen.
"This town sure knows how to celebrate Halloween," a new voice said.
"Wha..." Hannah said and turned to see a familiar figure standing next to her. "Samhain! You're back."
"I am," the teenaged spirit said. "It's good to see you again, Hannah."
"Good to see you too," Hannah replied. It had been the previous year, October of 2016, when the two former Warlocks had first encountered the teenaged spirit, who had claimed to be the spirit of Halloween. When she introduced herself to Rex and Hannah, the spirit had called herself "Samhain", the ancient name for Halloween. However, Rex and Hannah had noted that the spirit continually mispronounced the name. She was saying it the way it was spelled, and not the correct pronunciation of "Sow-in". Samhain had said that all she wanted was to celebrate Halloween, as she had done so, every year. This particular year, she had chosen to visit Arkham, and was delighted to run into Rex and Hannah, who could see and hear her. Despite suspecting that Samhain was holding something back, Rex and Hannah had accepted her story.
Rex and Hannah then decided to throw a Halloween party and invited all the friends they had made in Arkham. They hoped that this would accommodate Samhain in her desire to celebrate Halloween. The party had taken place at Rex and Hannah's house.
During the party, Samhain had made a cryptic statement about Halloween candies. This prompted Hannah to use her journalistic instincts to launch her own personal investigation of Samhain. After an Internet search, Hannah had uncovered the truth. Samhain's real name had been Samantha Hainsworth, who had once lived in Chicago. On Halloween of 1986, seventeen-year-old Samantha Hainsworth had been attending a Halloween party with friends, when she had bitten into a piece of candy. Unfortunately, she had been unaware that said candy was full of walnuts, which Samantha had been severely allergic to. The teenager then collapsed as the allergic reaction had overwhelmed her. Paramedics had been quickly summoned to the scene. However, Samantha was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
When Hannah had confronted Samhain with these facts, Samhain admitted that she had let her love of Halloween cause her drop her guard when she had bitten into the candy. However, Samantha had decided not to let her death ruin her love for Halloween (hence the reason she took the name Samhain, from the first part of her first and last names, and why she kept mispronouncing it). When Samantha had discovered that the barriers between Earth and the Spirit World weakened every year around Halloween, she had started crossing over to enjoy the holiday she loved so much. Before returning to the Spirit World, Samhain had said that she might return to visit Rex and Hannah again, the following Halloween. And now it seemed that Samhain had fulfilled that promise.
"Nice to see you too, Hannah," Samhain said. "How are things with you and Rex?"
"We're fine, more or less."
"What do you mean?" Samhain asked.
"Nothing, never mind," Hannah replied. "Come on, Samhain, let me take you back to our house. I'm sure Rex will be happy to see you again."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
After seeing Randolph Carter out, Rex had returned to his study. Things have been quiet since our run-in with Matthew in August, he thought. However, it's not going to last. This is just a lull. To complicate matters still further, with the academic year once again in progress, Hannah and I are busy at Miskatonic University, me with my job as Head Of The Ancient Languages department and Hannah with her journalism classes. We don't have as much free time as we'd like. What if... Rex's thoughts broke off as Hannah entered his study. "Hannah, I see you're back."
"I am, and I'm not alone," Hannah replied as she stood aside to reveal that Samhain was with her.
"Samhain, welcome back," Rex said with delight. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you both as well," Samhain said. "Although it seems that both of you are a little tense."
"Let's just say that life has gotten a bit more complicated, since your last visit, and leave it at that," Rex said. "So, are you here for the whole Halloween holiday again?"
"I am," Samhain replied. "Are you two going to throw another Halloween party, like you did last year?"
"As a matter of fact, we are," Hannah said. "Everyone liked the party we gave last year, so we're doing it again."
"That's good, I'm looking forward to it," Samhain said. "Only a few days to go now."
"I know," Hannah said. "I can't wait. Halloween has always been our the favourite holiday of Rex and myself. Of course, we got married on Halloween, two years ago."
"That we did, Hannah. Another thing that makes Halloween special to us," Rex said and fell silent.
"Rex, what is it?" Hannah asked.
"I was just thinking of something we can do to take our minds off of recent events. Do you two feel like a road trip?"
"A road trip?" Samhain asked.
"Where are we going?" Hannah asked.
"Maine," Rex replied. "We're going to do something that we haven't done in a while. I'll explain as we go."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
MAINE
"This should be the right road," Rex said as the car moved along the country road. "Both of you keep your eyes open."
"I will," Hannah said.
"So, do you two do this all the time?" Samhain asked from the back seat.
"Not as often as we'd like to," Rex said. "However, we do like to help these poor lost souls when we can."
"Lost souls. I can relate," Samhain said. "I mean dying so young."
"Except, unlike you, Samhain, these people don't know that they're ghosts. They think they're still alive," Hannah explained. "So they don't notice the passage of time."
"So they still think they're living in the year that they died."
"That is correct," Rex said. "And here we are." He pulled the car over to the side of the road, where a teenage girl, with dark hair, brown eyes, and dressed in 1970's clothing, stood.
"Need a lift?" Hannah asked the girl.
"Thank you very much," the girl replied as she got into the car, sitting in the back seat next to Samhain. "I've been trying to get a ride home for ages. My name is Janet Sutton."
"I'm Rex Buckland," Rex said and indicated Hannah. "This is my wife, Hannah Webster. The young women sitting next to you is Samantha Hainsworth."
"Pleased to meet you all," Janet said.
At that point, Hannah opened her laptop and consulted the webpage that her browser was open to. Janet Sutton, killed by a drunk driver, while hitchhiking home on July 10th, 1975. Another so-called Vanishing Hitchhiker.
"What is that thing?" Janet asked, pointing at Hannah's laptop.
"It's a computer, Janet," Hannah replied. "They've come a long way since your time."
"My time?" Janet asked. "What do you mean by that?"
"What she means is that you're a ghost, like I am," Samhain said.
"Okay, you three are starting to scare me," Janet said, looking like she was getting ready to bolt.
"Janet, do you have any memories of what happened to you?" Rex asked.
"Well, yes," Janet replied. "I was trying to hitch a ride home, after my car broke down. I remember these headlights coming right at me. Then..." Janet trailed off.
"You don't remember anything more?" Hannah asked in a soothing voice.
"No, I don't. Why?"
"Because you were hit and killed by a drunk driver," Rex said. "In 1975, more than forty years ago."
"What are you saying?" Janet asked.
"It's 2017, Janet," Hannah said. "You've been trying to get home all these decades, without realizing that you had died."
"This... I..." Janet said, unable to find the words. "I mean that I've suspected that something was wrong. However, I never..." she trailed off.
"I know how you must feel," Samhain said. "You see, Janet, I'm a ghost, like you are."
"What happened to you?" Janet asked Samhain.
"I died eleven years after you did," Samhain said. "On Halloween of 1986. I bit into a candy, without realizing that the candy was full of walnuts, which I was allergic to. I died before they could get me to the hospital."
"And you've been stuck here, like I have?"
"No, I realized what had happened to me and crossed over," Samhain explained. "However, I come back to Earth every Halloween. I still love Halloween, despite what happened to me. In fact that is where I got my nickname, Samhain from."
"The first parts of your first and last names," Janet said.
"And Samhain is the ancient name for Halloween," Rex said. "Even if that's not the correct pronunciation of it. It's actually pronounced Sow-in."
"Still, it is fitting for me," Samhain said and turned back to Janet. "Janet, look around. Do you see a bright light."
"Yes, it's right in front of me," Janet replied. "Am I supposed to go into it?"
"Yes, you are," Hannah said. "It's where you should have gone, decades ago."
"It's not bad over there, believe me," Samhain said.
"Well, I guess I'll soon find out. Thank you all for helping me find my way home at last." With those words, Janet vanished, finally crossing over.
"Another Vanishing Hitchhiker finally goes home," Hannah said softly.
"She was very much like me," Samhain said. "Her death was fast and unexpected. As I said, I could relate to her."
"Yes, I guess you can," Rex said. "Perhaps having you along this time might help us a little bit."
"I would like to help," Samhain replied. "No one deserves to be left by the side of the road like that."
"Then let's get busy," Rex said and turned to Hannah. "Where's our next stop?"
"A country road in New Hampshire," Hannah replied as she consulted her laptop. "There have been scattered reports, over the last fifty years, of a young boy trying to find his family. Basically, whenever someone picks him up, he vanishes. It fits the pattern."
"Well, let's go help him cross over," Rex said as he put the car in gear. "That poor boy has been lost and alone long enough."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Over the next day, Rex and Hannah tracked down several Vanishing Hitchhiker ghosts throughout the New England area. With the help of Samhain, they were able to cross all of them over to the Spirit World. Souls that had been lost for decades, finally were able to find the peace that had so long eluded them.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ARKHAM
OCTOBER 31st
"That was a good thing we did," Samhain said to Rex and Hannah. The three of them were currently in Rex's study.
"Something you can talk about when you return to the Spirit World." Hannah said.
"Actually, no, I'm not going back to the Spirit World. In fact, I won't be going back there for quite some time." Samhain replied.
"Where are you going then?" Rex asked.
"On a road trip, like we did just now," Samhain said. "There are hundreds, if not thousands of spirits, like Janet and those others, out there. Spirits that are lost and alone, with no one to help them. They need to find their way to the Spirit World, and I'm going to help them do just that."
"Samhain, do you realize the task you'll be taking on?" Rex asked. "It could take you years, decades even, to find and cross over all those spirits."
"Well, it's not like I have a job, or school, or anything else as such to worry about," Samhain replied. "Nor do I have to worry about eating or sleeping."
She's got a point, Hannah thought.
"I have all the time in the world," Samhain went on. "I may as well put it to good use. This task will be hard, but I believe it will also be exciting and fulfilling as well."
"Well, then, let me be the first one to wish you good luck," Rex said.
"Me too," Hannah added. "And if you ever need help, you know where to come. Rex and I will be happy to help you if we can.
"Thank you both," Samhain said.
"Still, you will stay for our party, I hope," Hannah said. "It starts in a few hours."
"Of course, I will," Samhain replied. "One last night of fun, before the real work starts."
I think a lot of Vanishing Hitchhikers will be finding their way home before long, Hannah thought.
"Okay, you two, we have a party to prepare for," Rex said. "Our guests will be arriving before very long."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A couple of hours later, Rex and Hannah's Halloween party was in full swing. The house had been fully adorned with Halloween decorations and Halloween snacks were laid out on the dining room table. The guests were having a good time, and Samhain mingled among them. Although they could not see or hear her, that did not stop the teenage spirit from having fun.
She's really enjoying it, Hannah thought, watching Samhain. She can't interact with anyone, aside from Rex and myself, but she's still enjoying the party.
"Nice to see Samhain having fun," Rex said.
"I couldn't agree more," Hannah replied.
"Great party, you two," Staci said as she walked up to the two former Warlocks. This year she'd come dressed as Wonder Woman.
"Thanks, Staci," Hannah replied. She was dressed as Garfield the cat, and Rex was dressed as Odie the dog. "I hope you're having fun."
"I am," Staci said. "Oh, and it's ready." She and Hannah then slipped away.
"Well, time to unveil the surprise then," Rex said and raised his voice. "Attention everyone, this is more than just a Halloween party, it's also a surprise party. Isn't that right, Mister Carter?"
"I beg your pardon?" Randolph asked.
"Have a look, Mister Carter," Rex said and made a gesture with his hands. Hannah and Staci then returned with a birthday cake with the words HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY, RANDOLPH on it.
"Rex, Hannah... I don't know what to say," Randolph said as he looked at the cake. "Did my parents put you two up to this?"
"Your parents might have suggested the idea to us," Rex said. "They're on their way over here, even as we speak."
"We'll have the cake when they arrive," Hannah added and then turned to Staci. "Thanks for making the cake for us."
"No problem," Staci replied. "A Halloween/birthday party sounded like a fun idea."
"I agree," Rex said and looked around at the happy guests, including Samhain. "Happy Halloween, Hannah."
"Happy Halloween, Rex," Hannah replied, smiling.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL!
REX AND HANNAH WILL RETURN IN THE NEW YEAR!