Disclaimer: I do not own The Fairly OddParents or any of the canon characters. All I own are this story and any OCs not seen in the series (ex: Jack Oleander, Hocus, Pocus, Des, etc.)
The Hollow Halloween
Chapter One: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
It was a dark and stormy night in the city of Dimmsdale. Loud bursts of thunder rumbled above while streaks of lightning split the sky. A harsh wind blew the bare gnarled branches of trees nearly stripping them clean of their autumn foliage.
One such branch rapped against the pane of twelve-year-old Timmy Turner's bedroom window. The eerie mood created by the weather was perfect for what took place inside.
"How about THIS ONE!" he asked and sprung into view looking more dead than alive in his zombie costume with the decaying skin and sunk in yellow eyes.
The swirly pink haired creature floating above his bed propped her chin in her hand and frowned, "Mmm...I dunno hon. It seems a little dead to me."
"Okay then," Timmy turned to his green haired fairy who immediately poofed him into a caped vampire, "what about this one?"
"It's totally terrifying, plus it comes with optional shape shifting mode!" Cosmo announced as Timmy swirled the black cape around himself which promptly transformed him into a bucktoothed bat. "Cool huh?"
"Almost as cool as when you turned him into a rabbit last Easter and Francis pulverized him for putting rotten eggs in his basket." Wanda reminded Cosmo.
Timmy gulped upon recalling the painful incident of mistaken identity. "Ya know, she does have a point. Let's try something else."
"Well alright then," Cosmo shrugged and poofed him back to normal, "but you could've covered more ground with those wings."
The next twenty minutes was spent by Timmy posing in cliché costumes and Wanda muttering a negative critique for each one.
"How 'bout a werewolf?"
"Too hairy."
"Mummy?"
"That is so two years ago."
"Skeleton?"
"Nah, too boney."
"Alien!"
"Nuh-uh."
"Wizard!"
"Pass."
"ARACHNOKID!"
"It's been done."
"That's it!" Turner had finally had enough, "Cosmo, I wish you'd poof me into the scariest costume you can think of. Something that'll even terrify Wanda!"
Cosmo instantly winced and began fiddling with his wand, "Eh, I dunno Timmy. There's only one thing I can think of that never fails to terrify Wanda and that's-"
"-exactly what I want, now make it so!"
Timmy stood with his hands on his hips awaiting the magic while Cosmo covered his eyes and pointed the wand in his direction. This wasn't going to be pretty.
POOF!
ULTRA SCARY!
"GAH!" Wanda gasped, "It's too terrifying! I can't look!"
"Heh, that's more like it." Pleased with his fairy godmother's reaction Timmy strode confidently over to his mirror and...
"AAAHHH! Cosmo what the heck did you do to me! I look just like your mother!"
"Well, you wanted the scariest costume I could think of to totally terrify Wanda." his fairy godfather shrugged.
"Mama Cosma always does the trick. Now change him back before I wind up with nightmares!" Wanda quivered, still shielding her eyes from the horror of her overbearing, disapproving mother-in-law.
POOF!
"Aw forget it guys," Timmy sighed, "I guess I'll just have to buy my own costume this year."
"What's the scariest, must-have costume this Halloween Timmy?" asked Cosmo.
Timmy raked the side of his shoe across the carpet and sulked, "Probably some overpriced, ultra rare getup I could never afford."
"Cheer up sweetie," a light bulb suddenly appeared over Wanda's head, "Hey, maybe you could MAKE your own costume?"
Cosmo snatched the bulb and held it over his head, it flickered dimly. "Or you could ask the spirit of Halloween to lend you one of his!"
"Cosmo no!" Wanda objected.
Too late, Timmy's interest had already been peaked. "Awesome! There's a spirit of Halloween?"
"Ahahaha, of course there is!" Cosmo waved him off, "You didn't think Halloweenie Dog was the genuine article did ya?"
"But Timmy," Wanda interjected, "it's said that he's very reclusive and only comes out of his spooky realm one time a year, for Halloween. He probably doesn't like to be disturbed."
"Ah he can rest in peace AFTER he helps me find a cool costume." Timmy shrugged, "C'mon Wanda, it's only once a year."
"Well..." Wanda bit her bottom lip, a clear sign that she was relenting, "I guess it couldn't hurt to ask?"
"Great!" Timmy shouted, "Let's go! I wish we were in the realm of the spirit of Halloween!"
"Yay!" Cosmo cheered as he raised his wand, "One wacky, holiday themed, misadventure coming right up!"
And POOF they were gone.
Seconds later they appeared in a small cemetery at the base of a winding hill, atop it stood a spooky old castle shrouded in shadow and surrounded by thick ominous fog. Occasionally a sudden flash of lightning would illuminate the fearful structure and reveal menacing stone gargoyles staring them down from the turrets. Above them bats hung upside down from the scraggly branches of a crooked dead tree while crows cawed at them from the shadows cast upon nearby tombstones.
"Wow, this looks like the right place."
"Just be careful Timmy." Wanda cautioned.
Cosmo was nervously wringing his wand again, "Yeah, all the classic horror movies start out this way."
The three poofed up to the front door where Cosmo nudged Timmy to use to the knocker in the form an ebony skull's lower jaw bone. They shivered as the echoes of the knock sent shivers running down their spines. Seconds later the door creaked open of its own accord and they hesitantly stepped inside. The entire castle was dark and gave off an unnerving chill which seemed to warn of unspoken terrors lurking within.
Timmy finally mustered up the courage to speak, "H-Hello, we're l-looking for the sp-spirit of Halloween."
"Anybody home?" Cosmo called.
"Well the place looks deserted, we'd better go." Wanda spun round on her heal and headed for the exit, trying hard to hide her growing nervousness.
The door slammed shut sending a gust of deathly cold air whisking around them. Flames sprung up from the wicks of the dust covered candles and illuminated the large room. Cobwebs hung from the rafters, sides of furniture, and light fixtures. A thick coat of dust covered everything and the strong smell of mildew filled the air. Bats swooped down from their perches on the chandelier overhead and caused the trio to dunk and scream in fright.
"WANDA! I WANNA GO HOME!" Cosmo cried as he and his wife clung to each other.
Timmy's blue eyes widened when a shadow fell over his trembling godparents, "Uh...guys?"
They looked up to see a tall, headless figure standing behind their godchild holding a glowing jack-o-lantern in his right hand. "AAAHH! IT'S THE SPIRIT OF HALLOWEEN!" And with that—they fainted.
Timmy turned, saw the creature, and dropped to his knees, "Gulp, please don't eat me Mr. Spirit of Halloween! I-I was just trying to come up with a cool costume!"
Meanwhile, back at the Turners' residence...
Vicky sat at the kitchen table munching on chocolate chip cookies and studying for her upcoming midterms. Headlights shown through the window as the Turners' pulled into the driveway.
"Ugh finally," she sighed snapping the book shut, "the twerp's parents are here."
She plastered on her 'adoring babysitter' face before answering the door, "Oh Mr. and Mrs. Turner, I thought you'd never get back—I mean—did you have a good time at the Crafts Festival?"
"You bet we did!" Mr. Turner exclaimed, "While we were there I even got to whittle myself a new pair of underpants!" He cringed in pain, "YAH! SPLINTER!"
"Thank you so much for babysitting Timmy again on such short notice," Mrs. Turner stated and whipped out her purse, "We know you're busy studying for college."
"No problem Mrs. Turner, any time. I just love spending quality time with Timmy!" Vicky responded in her sugary sweet tone. His misery is music to my ears.
"Speaking of Timmy," Mr. Turner glanced around, "where is he?"
"Oh I sent the little darling up to his room to finish his homework. Tomorrow is Halloween you know? I want him to have the rest of the weekend free for harmless pranks and sorting his candy." Vicky lied.
"How thoughtful," Mrs. Turner bought it, "here's a little extra for showing such consideration. Will you still be available to take Timmy and his friends trick-or-treating tomorrow night?"
Vicky was busy counting her cash, "Huh? Oh of course Mrs. Turner, I wouldn't miss it for the world. In fact, I'm gonna go get ready for it right now."
As usual when the ill tempered redhead grabbed her stuff and bolted out the door laughing evilly the Turners' mistook it all for enthusiasm. Adults can be such nitwits.
"Huh? What?" the green haired fairy slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on a musty antique sofa.
"Oohhh...what happened?" his wife regained consciousness on the other end of the sofa, "Where are we?"
An anonymous voice replied, "You are in the haunted castle of the most frightening guy in magic biz! Heh, I put the boo in...uh...well...boo."
The fairies sat up and stared across the study where a tall, skinny figure stood in front of the roaring fireplace with his arms crossed and dark shadows playing on his wide orange face. Naturally, they screamed.
"Hey, hey whoa cool it you two." the stranger gestured for them to calm down, "What? Does the head scare ya? Here look, I can take it off."
He removed his head and the fairies screamed again, Cosmo even blanched white.
"Knock it off guys, there's nothing to be scared of." a smaller figure walked into view. Timmy lowered his black and red sucker and began to explain, "This is the spirit of Halloween. He helped me get you off the floor and in here so you'd warm up. Heh, talk about bein' chicken, you guys both fainted!"
"I seem to recall a certain somebody dropping down to his knees and beggin' for his life." the spirit of Halloween chuckled, "By the way, the name's Jack, Jack Oleander."
He offered his hand which Wanda elbowed Cosmo into shaking before she inquired, "Oleander? But I thought your name was Jack O'Lantern?"
"Common misunderstanding," Jack sighed, "must be this head. You should've heard the tales the last guy I introduced myself to started spinning. Had the whole town calling me 'Headless Horseman' or some other such nonsense. And do you think I got one penny in royalties from the book sells? Ha, not a chance!"
There was a small popping sound as the hand Cosmo was shaking came detached. "AAAHHH!"
"Oh sorry about that," Jack apologized, "that hand yeah, sometimes has a mind of its own. Don't worry about it though," he took it in his other hand and started twisting it back on, "it's completely reattachable. Now uh, Timmy was it? I think you said something about needing help with finding a 'really cool costume' right?"
"Yeah," Timmy exclaimed, "I need something unique and scary. Something that no other kid would think of!"
Jack laughed and pointed over to Wanda, "Did ya try her mother-in-law?" He slung an arm around Cosmo and patted his shoulder, "I'm just kiddin' pal, I'm sure she's a lovely lady. But seriously kid, I've got plenty of costumes lyin' around in here. Take your pick. But whatever you do...stay clear of the coffin in my basement."
"There's a c-coffin in your basement?" Wanda stammered.
"Huh!" Jack spun around looking alarmed, "Who said anything about there being a coffin in my basement?"
"Uh...you did. Just now." Timmy reminded him. This guy's a little batty.
"Oh, well don't go near it okay?" Jack walked over to the high, narrow windows along the far wall.
"Where are you going?" Cosmo asked.
"Me? It's what, the night before Halloween? I've got errands to run, plans to make, places to go, people to spook. I'll be back late so eh, don't wait up for me. You can let yourselves out alright?"
"Uh...sure." Wanda nodded and held up her wand.
"Good." Jack spread his arms out wide and disappeared in a flurry of black and crimson fog.
"Creepy." Cosmo shivered.
"Okay guys," Timmy sprang onto the back of the sofa wearing a mischievous grin, "let's get terrifying!"
To be continued...