BOO WHO?
Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is. ~German Proverb
These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.
"Shhhhhh."
Johnny jerked his head around and scowled at the man. "I know to be quiet; you're the one stomping through the leaves."
Chet pretended to tip toe in an exaggerated manner. "Happy?" He asked sarcastically as his co-conspirator rolled his eyes back to him.
"Just shut up will ya?"
"Harrumph!" Chet grunted.
"Look," Johnny whispered. "There it is."
Covered by the dark of night the men hid in the bushes, crouched down with eyes darting up and down the street.
"I'm not so sure of this Johnny," Chet whined.
"Look, we already agreed on this. There's no backing out now." He looked back towards the hidden face. "Right?"
Chet let out a deep sigh. "Right." He turned around quickly. "Is my head on straight?"
Johnny quickly nodded then pushed them both down as a car drove by. When the headlights were gone he jumped up and began slinking across the nicely landscaped lawn.
"Ouch!" Chet barked as tripped over a rock.
"Shhhhhh."
"Well, you're supposed to be telling me where to go. You know I can't see hardly anything in here!"
Another roll of the eyes and Johnny grabbed his arm and started back across the grassy terrain. When they reached the back corner of the house they paused once again.
"Why are the lights out?"
Johnny shrugged. "Don't know. Can't stop now or we'll be late."
Backs pressed against the wall they worked their way around to the edge of the garage and driveway. Staying down low, well as low as 7 foot Chet could crouch they listened and waited.
"Maybe their inside?" Johnny suggested.
"Please tell me you got the night right," Chet scowled. At least the tone was there since he couldn't see Chet's face at all.
Waving his hand, "I got the night right. Now don't go getting all paranoid on me. Keep your head on your shoulders man."
"Funny, very funny."
Johnny laughed at his own joke as he took in the giant Frankenstein crouched beside him, his real head hidden inside a black cloak as the fake one drooled blood and ooze from its eyes and mouth. It was relatively disgusting at best.
He had to resist reaching up and wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead or the massive makeup job would be disrupted. His face was full of horrific rips and tears complete with a fake eyeball hanging down on his cheek.
"Let's go," he whispered and Chet nodded, kinda.
The men stood up and quietly moved into the open garage. All the lights were out which was not expected by the duo and their movements were slow and deliberate. As usual the garage was clean and orderly with only a few older toys stored in some boxes in the corner. There was no car there, but they had been told that was a possibility.
Johnny reached the door first and Chet ran into the back of him making him jump with surprise. "Will you watch…." He stopped there knowing it was an argument he couldn't win anyway.
"Is it locked?"
Jiggling the handle a bit it easily turned in his hand and he cringed as the door squeaked eerily as he slowly opened it. There were no lights on in the kitchen and a single pumpkin left a sinister orange glow giving them just enough light to not run into every cabinet and chair.
As the men tip toed into the living room Johnny stopped and put his hands on his hips. "Where are they?"
"I'm telling ya, you messed up the date. Now here we are looking like idiots breaking into someone's house."
He shook his head. "No, I double checked the dates with him. Something's wrong." He moved forward and looked up the stairs. Wait, there's a light on up there and I hear something."
"Finally," Chet said as he parted the robe to get some fresh air. "These boots are killing my feet."
Working their way up the stairs they could see the light just at the end of the hallway where Chris's room would be. Johnny smiled letting his blackened rotting teeth show. "Ready?"
"Yes, for the last two hours."
Johnny ran into the room with Chet hot on his heels. They were screaming and growling and waving their collective arms around like possessed demons of the night. After a minute Johnny stopped with Chet again slamming into his back.
"What?" Chet hollered.
"There's no one here."
Chet peeked out of his costume. "What do you mean no one is here?" He looked around to find an empty room.
Then suddenly the lights went out in the room and both men froze.
"Uh, Johnny? This is kinda creeping me out man."
Johnny nodded even though he knew no one could see him in the pitch black that now engulfed them. As they stood in silence contemplating what they should do next the only sounds you could hear were their breathing. One was slow and tired, one was quickly and loud in his own ears, one was low and husky.
Wait.
Johnny's heart quickened as he listened closer.
Something was in the room with them.
"Chet?" He whispered.
It growled low and dark like something primeval stood at their heels.
"Chet?" He whispered again. Turning around he couldn't really see the man, but he could hear his quick breaths. He was frozen.
When it let out a spine chilling scream like howl no one had to tell the men to move. Chet ripped off the wire frame on his shoulders that held his head up and pulled the cape off his face. Johnny was hot on his heels as they tore down the hall, stairs, living room, tripped over a couple of kitchen chairs and out into the garage.
Johnny slammed the door shut and pressed his body against it fully ready to hold off the unknown beast. But nothing happened and once again the air was silent.
"What the hell was that about?" Chet screamed as he ripped off the extra clothes.
"How am I supposed to know?" His face was now ringing wet with sweat and the fake blood was running down his neck and all over his tattered shirt. His heart was beating out of his chest and he had to focus on keeping his breathing under control.
"We gotta get out of here." Chet was already heading to the street.
"Wait!"
He turned back to the frantic face. "Wait what? I don't know what that was, but I'm not sticking around to find out."
"We can't just leave!" Suddenly Johnny wasn't frantic about their safety, but the family that lived there. "What if that thing has hurt Roy or the kids?"
Chet paused. "We need to call the police."
Johnny shook his head. "No, let's figure out what it is first."
Chet stood up rigid, his eyes wide. "I'm not going back in there."
His face was dead serious. "This is my family and I'm not leaving that thing in the house with them."
"There not even home. It's probably just a neighbor dog or something."
Johnny's eyes got wide. "Or something."
"Damn it Johnny. Are you trying to get us killed?"
Johnny rifled through a box on the metal shelf by the door and pulled out two flashlights. "Here, come on."
"I can't believe you want to go back in there."
"We know it's in Chris's room. If we can lock it up then we can call for help." His eyes pleaded to his friend. "We gotta make sure their okay."
"How did a "hey, let's dress up and scare Chris at his Halloween Party" become this?" He let out a deep breath. "Okay, fine. Let's get this over with."
Johnny reached over and picked up a crow bar and felt its weight in his hand. The last look he had towards Chet revealed large frightened eyes.
This time they stood in the kitchen and paused, listening very carefully. They knew the sound they were looking for this time. Chet flipped the light switches without success. Their flashlights flickered around the room and discovered it was in disarray and more than the result of them fighting their way out. All the chairs were turned over, a vase was broken on the floor and the rug was in a wad by the couch.
Johnny went first, at the shoving insistence of the entity behind him. His hands were shaking and the flickering light he held didn't keep the secret. The living room was also a mess. The reclining chair was overturned, magazines were all over the floor, and a drink was spilt on the coffee table. Their flashlights kept finding evidence that something very wrong had happened here.
At the bottom of the stairs Johnny paused. "Go ahead."
Chet was debating how much bravery was really called for at this point. "You know this house better than me."
With audible frustration Johnny moved up the steps, one step at a time. Listening and keeping his flashlight close to him for the time being. There were no sounds, no other breathing, and no ticking clocks.
Nothing.
The air seemed thick and Chet felt like the walls were closing in on him in the dark. This was insane. They should have called the police.
The first room was Jenny's. Johnny pushed the partially opened door in, staying back as his flashlight scanned the pink flowery room.
He gasped.
Chet came beside him and his mouth went dry. The sheets were ripped off the bed, her lamp knocked on the floor. Popcorn littered the carpet where it had fallen, but worst of all, the light landed on her torn night gown, ripped to shreds.
"Johnny, we gotta get out of here man. This is crazy; we need to call for help."
His head shook quickly; his breathing was quick and erratic. "There's no time left. I can feel it. We have to find them before it's too late."
Chet's hands were shaking now as he stayed nearly pressed against Johnny as they moved to the next room. The hall bath door was closed and Johnny reached for the knob. A clatter came from the room and they both jumped until their backs were pressed to the wall.
"Roy?" Johnny called out with panic in his voice. "ROY!"
Then the door knob started to shake and rattle. Again they jumped, their hearts were racing. Chet was calculating if he could throw Johnny over his shoulder and just run for it at this point.
"ROYYY!"
They were sliding down the hallway, closer to Chris's room unconsciously, as they attempted to put distance between them and the bathroom door. Johnny's back reached the door frame first and he hollered with the surprise and the fear of what room they were at again.
"WHAT?" Chet screeched as he leapt back a couple of feet.
Johnny looked frantic now. "I don't know what to do."
Chet froze. "You're the one that brought us in here!"
"We have to find them!" He ran to the other side of the hall and pushed open the master bedroom door. The room was dark also and before Chet could move Johnny has disappeared into the blackness.
"Johnny?"
Silence.
"Pally?"
Then he heard a blood curdling scream. His heart was about to beat out of his chest.
"JOHNNY!?"
Then silence engulfed him again.
And Chet was alone in the hall.
With trembling hands he pointed his flashlight into the sinister night. "Johnny?" He whispered.
Suddenly Johnny fell into the floor of the doorway; his face was covered with blood, his shirt ripped off. His hands clawed at the carpet as the screaming howl came from the bedroom.
Terror filled his face. "Get out! GET HELPPP!" He screamed at Chet as he was pulled backwards into the room.
Then he was gone.
Chet couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He wasn't even sure if his heart was still beating.
Then the low growl grew closer and he could swear he could smell its breath.
He ran.
Faster than he though was humanly possible he ran. He jumped the recliner; he missed the fallen kitchen chairs.
He ran.
The kitchen door was open and he stole his escape into the night, down the driveway and into the street. It was dark and not a sole was to be seen.
But when he stopped long enough to listen there were sounds coming from behind him and he headed that way.
A phone. He needed a phone.
He needed help.
There was clinking of glasses and he could smell food cooking on a grill now. The neighbors must be having a party. People.
Yes, they would help him.
Rounding the house he stopped at the large canopy tent that was erected between Roy's house and the neighbor house. There were people in costumes, adults, children, all having a good time.
They were in danger too. He had to warn them.
Frantically he ran up to a man dressed as batman.
"I need help!"
The tall man turned to him and shrugged.
Chet grabbed his arm. "Listen to me! We need to call the police!"
Two more men came up to them. One was dressed as the Incredible Hulk, the other as a masked wrestler.
"What?" One of them said with a muffled voice from the mask.
"My friend, my friends, something horrible has happened to them. I need a phone."
"Would you like a burger?"
Chet turned to see a lady dressed like a zombie in doctors scrubs complete with face makeup. He was incredulous. Were they not listening to him?
HIS. FRIENDS. WERE. DYING!
"I don't want a burger. I need a phone!"
A voice came from behind him. "He's going to have a heart attack."
"I NEED A PHONE!" He turned and headed to the neighbors back door. If they wouldn't help him then he would just find the phone himself.
The he heard the growl. Slowly he turned around knowing those folks had no chance if it was out of the house.
"Burger?"
His eyes grew wide at the sight of Johnny standing there with a big smile on his face holding a plate out for him to eat. Looking past him he saw Roy take off the Hulk mask, Hank removed the batman mask and Chris was standing there holding a portable stereo. A stereo that growled.
"HAPPY HALLOWEEN CHET!"