Note: This was done in the spirit of Halloween, started and finished in one day because I don't have anything to do until tonight.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.
Pranked
Every year seemed to go by the same old, boring pattern. Even the holidays.
In the past I never let these facts bother me, but the more I thought about it the more I was desperate for change.
All the other Halloweens, we had a very simple schedule. Just go around trick-or-treating all day long, then once night time creeped upon us... I would come to the dinner table, alone, and munch down on the candy as Rick and Mom stepped up those creaky stairs and went to bad. Once I had finished and gotten over my sugar buzz, I would go upstairs and sleep with half of my candy still there.
No matter how much I begged and whined, no one but May and Stu would come trick-or-treating with me. All of the adults would have to stay home to hand out candy, while Rick, Karen, Mary, Elli, Ann, Doctor- everyone I could think of asking, shrugged it off as an immature holiday in one way or another. Or a pathetic one, knocking on doors begging for candy. Either way, they were all clearly too 'mature' for such childish times.
As ecstatic as May and Stu were, it just wasn't quite the same as going with the friends that were around my age.
This year, things would be different. I spent enough nights watching the TV to figure out in the city and plenty of other more populated places, Halloween along with every other holiday was celebrated religiously. They went all out, too. Houses with phony tombstones and some machine that produced fog added to the eery scenery. It didn't end there either. There was fake spiders, spiderwebs, pumpkins with some sort of device that made them make noises, and everyone got a hoot out of creeping everyone else out.
It was rare for anyone here to even put out carved pumpkins.
Sure, now it was too late to set out such creative decorations, but I had tried a few days ago. Everything I put up was taken down by a puzzled Rick. He saw no point in them, but I did atleast get to keep the carved pumpkins out though. Unfortunately since I had to that on my own, it was carved horribly. The icky insides of the orange plant were gross at the touch, but I'm still proud I accomplished that much.
Before me were the necessities to make tonight great and enjoyable. A bag of eggs- unfertilized ones of course, how would I ever live with the knowledge that I destroyed unborn chickies?!-, silly string, chicken feathers, and whipped cream.
Earlier today I had already gone trick-or-treating, but thanks to the gift of running I finished early with May and Stu.
"Rick, I'm going to the Inn now!" I called out, already getting the arrangements of going with Ann out of the way. All of my needed supplies were tucked away in an orange bag. I would not be sleeping tonight.
"Be careful on the way there!" He shouted back from upstairs. Throughout my life living here, there was no so much as a minor theft. Our town was too safe to have anything worth worrying about.
"Will do!" I called back, grinning mischeviously to myself. Tonight would be the best Halloween, I would make sure of it! I was already turning 18 next year, there wasn't much time before I was a dull, boring adult. I needed to make use of my prime years!
Just like that I was leaving the house, grinning at the chicken pens and then heading off to Ann's house.
During the walk, I couldn't help but pause in my steps at the sound of an owl howling that sent chills down my spine. I couldn't help but be afraid easily with Rick's constant paranoia. However, tonight I was going to be brave. With that reassuring though, I proceeded to the Inn.
I had finally reached the Inn and knocked on the door.
There was a shuffling sound behind the door, before it opened to reveal a grinning Ann. I arrived at the perfect time, night time was just setting in leaving me excited rather than tired like the norm.
"Nice to see you, Popuri." Ann greeted me, moving out of the way toward the others who had came- which wasn't much. Besides Ann and myself, only Mary and Karen had come. Mary looked a bit nervous, finding the situation awkward with having no idea what was to come unlike the rest of us. So maybe I left out a few details when inviting her, but... who could really blame me? I needed a group to properly do everything!
"So you finally made it." Karen said in her usual tone. I rubbed the back of my neck, having been the one to come up with the idea but last to arrive. Would fashionably late count in this situation?
"Did everyone bring something?" I questioned, trying to get the subject off of my late arrival and sat down at the table the rest of them were seated out. I pulled out my bag, as did the rest of them pull out their bags, about to open it before I turned to Ann.
"They're asleep right?" I whispered, may as well have been mouthing it. Ann nodded, easily knowing what I was talking about.
"Good." I sighed with relief, pulling out my bag and removing it's contents onto the table. Karen and Mary followed suit- Ann's supplies were already here considering this was where she lived. Karen had brought flour and chocolate- the chocolate actually for us to eat I assumed. Mary furrowed her eyebrows, before narrowing them down onto the rest of us. Maybe not telling her the details was a bad idea after all. She was smart after all, I should've known she would find out.
"I-I don't think this is a good idea." She stated, seeming less shy than normal.
"It's just some good fun!" I insisted, despite previously having a nervous conscienece about this myself. I decided to explain myself to Mary. "We just pull a few innocent pranks, it's not like we'll be burning down the village." I said, not doing the best job of explaining myself.
"What exactly do you have planned?" Mary questioned, not buying into my words so easily.
"Just pulling a few pranks on the boys upstairs and maybe a few other villagers." Karen said nonchalatantly. It was hard not to admire how she could say the truth so simply.
Mary scowled for a moment, but her expression softened.
"I'll go get drinks!" Ann said, trying to get the tense atmosphere off as she headed to the back.
Karen's eyes followed Ann to the back, but she remained still. "Should we start with the boys or the village?"
Mary flushed a bit, I guessed she was just realizing exactly who stayed at the Inn. Cliff and Gray. I couldn't resist a giggle watching her.
Ann come out through the doors, having a drink for each of us. An alcholic one for Karen.
"I want one." I stated, staring down the beer in Karen's grasp as she chugged it. Now might've not been the best time for this, but it was plain unfair that no one ever allowed me a drink. I would be able to hold it if they let me try it more often I bet! No one ever tries stopping Karen until she goes crazy drunk.
"Ricky wouldn't like that." Karen stated before Ann could speak, placing her drink back down on the table.
"He wouldn't like us pranking people either, but we're doing that." I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Now's not the time to be a baby about it Popuri, let's just get on with the pranks and think about it later." Karen said, grabbing the syrup and chicken feathers. Ann was heading to the back once more, but none of us questioned it.
"Fine. But I'm having one later." I declared.
"Whatever." She responded, handing me the bag of chicken feathers.
Mary wasn't getting up yet, but instead heading for the back as well.
"I think we can get started without them!" I said in a hushed whisper, slowly going towards the creaky stairs hoping Karen would actually follow. To my surprise, she did.
Upstairs the hallway light was on, but it didn't take a genius to know their bedroom light would be off for the sake of getting a good night's sleep.
Karen was the one to grab the doorknob, then began to suspensefully turn it. With a click the door opened, causing me to flinch as if that noise would somehow awaken the boys.
Yet when we peeked in, they were peacefully snoring. Karen tip-toed in and I followed in suit.
I was already shaking in my feet, scared beyong belief. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I should just turn around and run out of here, all the way back home and curl up in my bed.
But it was too late for that. Karen was peeling back Gray's covers, before oozing the sticky syrup out of it's bottle and onto him. I was suddenly grateful for the darkness, Gray was shirtless with just his pajama pants and probably boxers on. I was praying to the Harvest Goddess right about now for him not to wake up leaving me embarassed.
A creak from the floor caused me to turn my head towards the door, but I was relieved to see it was only Ann with two cups of water in her hands. What was the water for?
Karen was already turning towards Cliff, leaving my to nervously pour the feathers that easily stuck to the area of Gray covered in syrup. I was surprised that they hardly stirred in his sleep, but the feel of the feathers must've done some to Gray's dream because he suddenly grinned in his sleep and rolled onto his other side.
Ann was moving in closer to Gray, putting the glass of water onto his nightstand as I nearly giggled with understanding. Hands in warm water trick. Perfect.
Karen was lifting the covers off of Cliff, and although I couldn't visually see Ann's expression I could feel a glare coming from her in the direction of Karen and Cliff. I pulled my free hand to my lips, putting one finger to them in a 'shhh' gesture. If only it wasn't as dark in here, Ann might've seen me but she was already marching toward Cliff with the free glass of water.
"Oof!"
Crash.
My eyes widened in fear. The worst had just happened. The boys were stirred awake from their sleep, sitting up in their bed with puzzled expressions on their face.
To the side of Cliff's bed were shattered glass and splattered warm water, with Ann on top of Karen.
Ann had tripped and knocked over Karen, dropping everything in the process. I didn't know what to do, and so I did the typical thing any scared person would. I ran.
"What the fuck?!" I could hear Gray shouting.
My run for the exit was stopped by Mary just now entering the room with eyes wide and her face flushed.
On my way trying to get past her I had opened the door all the way allowing the hallway light in.
Cliff was flushed and pulling the blanket up to his waist to hide his boxers, Ann was fumbling off of Karen with her face turning red out of embarassment. It was funny when Ann blushed. Her entire face turned the shade of her hair, sometimes a darker shade of red than that even.
"Uh- heh, woops! It's not morning, is it? Here I was thinking it was time to wake you up!" Ann tried saving us but we all knew it was too late. We were caught.
Mary was flushed too, refusing to look at Gray out of embarassment and stepped out of the room.
"What were you doing?!" Gray exclaimed. Gray always seemed scary with his constant scowling, broody demeanor. When he was angry, his previous expression could make him look like a teddy bear. It was scary.
"We- we were just having some innocent fun!" I tried saving us, since my presence was already discovered there was no point in leaving now. Maybe we could make this all one secret...
And then Ann's Dad came in.
"What is going on in here?!" He exclaimed, before catching sight of Gray and fighting not to stifle a laugh.
"We... we were just leaving!" Ann said, refusing to look any of the males in the eye before rushing past me out of the room. Karen was turning to exit and I followed suite.
Atleast I can say no one would forget this halloween.
End Note: So this oneshot didn't exactly turn out how I planned, but I sort of just write things how they come to me. xD;; Happy Halloween!