A SPLAT! HALLOWEEN

"I can't believe its HALLOWEEN!"

"Best day of the year!"

"What about Christmas?!"

"Oh…. That too!"

"And November the 12th!"

"What about it?"

"It's my BIRTHDAY, Harv – Harv!"

"Oh YEAH! I knew that, Ing – Ing!"

"Sure, sure. September the 3rd is great as well."

"I know, my birthday is awesome. What you wearing tonight?"

"I'm not telling!"

Harvey pouted and sidled over to Ingrid. Taking hold of her hand, he purred: "Come on baby, you can tell me." He leant forwards and brushed his lips against hers, murmuring:

"You can tell Harv - Harv."

There was an abrupt cough, which caused Harvey to pull away, him and Ingrid turning their heads to gaze at the producer of the cough. The rest of SPLAT stared back at them. Ian cleared his throat, then drawled:

"We are still here, you know."

Harvey chewed his lip. "Sorry guys, I'm just so EXCITED!"

Lloyd chuckled at his little brother's wide grin as he flung his arms out, declaring proudly:

"RIGHT! Tonight is Halloween! And it's going to be the best SPLAT Halloween yet! Ian, Mandy and Ingrid will stay over at ours so we'll be able to watch scary movies and tell stories!"

Seeing that his new sister looked like she was about to speak, evidently to make her excuses, Lloyd snapped:

"No, Di. You're not getting out of it. You're part of SPLAT. And SPLAT stick together! I know you're not a fan of stuff like this, but it won't be the same without you!"

Dinah blinked, shocked that Lloyd was practically pleading for her not to forgo the event. He really did want her to be part of his life. She blinked again, then murmured, a wry smile tugging at her lips:

"I guess I could stick around for a while."

The rest of SPLAT cheered in delight, then partook in slapping each other's palms in a high five. Out of all of them, Harvey and Ingrid were the most hyped for tonight. The older members, barring Dinah, were excited that it was Halloween but masked it slightly, Lloyd in particular, wanting to be seen as 'mature.' If tonight's events did not go ahead as planned, Dinah would not be fazed at all, but she was anticipating the joy that would take hold of her, if all of them were in a house together in the middle of the night.

Mandy jerked slightly as her phone buzzed. Withdrawing it from her jacket pocket, she read the message.

'Got your costume sorted, lil sis. I'll do your hair and make-up. Rach x'

Mandy sent back: 'Thanks xx'

She pocketed her phone, then beamed at her friends. "Rachel's helping me out with my costume…. So, I guess I better head home. I need to pack for tonight as well."

Ian sighed as he climbed to his feet. "Same here. What time should we come round?"

"Mum said six o'clock." Replied Dinah.

Ingrid pouted. "I don't want to go home just yet! But I do need to get everything sorted."

She kissed Harvey before getting up from the box she had been perching on and following Ian and Mandy out of the shed, the three of them hollering good – byes at the Hunter children.

When the shed door swung shut, Lloyd, Dinah and Harvey jumped to their feet, all beginning to chatter excitedly.

"I'm not a fan of Halloween, but I need to put some research into my costume-"

"Any excuse to study, Di! I'm gonna blow everyone's costume ideas out of the water! I've had this planned for weeks!"

"Alright H, calm down! I bet yours will be brilliant. Now, let's go and have some lunch."

The three children grinned as they left the shed, beginning their stroll home.

Ian, Mandy and Ingrid ambled along the pavement, admiring the decorations adorned on most of the houses. The sky was grey, a fine drizzle of rain peppering down onto their hair and clothes, but the three of them simply dismissed it.

Ian shoved his hands into his jean pockets, murmuring:

"I should go as the Demon Headmaster."

He whistled for a few seconds, coming to a halt when he realised that he was now on his own. Ian turned back, only to see Mandy and Ingrid a few feet away, their mouths gaping, having halted in shock.

He laughed uneasily. "What?"

Recovering before Ingrid, Mandy sputtered out in an incredulous tone.

"The D-Demon Headmaster?! Ian, are you INSANE?! You want to parade around as the monster that ordered us to be killed?! Who made our school lives, a living hell?!"

Ian held his hands up in an attempt to placate Mandy.

"Hey! It was a joke. You know… HAHA?"

Mandy lost the incredulous tone from her voice, but muttered snidely: "Wasn't funny though."

Ingrid's green eyes darted back and forth between her taller friends, as she summed up a sentence in her mind to relieve the tension of the situation.

"Oi! My costume is going to be the BEST!"

Small smiles slipped onto Ian and Mandy's faces as they piped up simultaneously:

"Yeah right, Ingrid!"

The pair fell about laughing, their giggles ascending in pitch at the sight of Ingrid pouting, her short arms crossed. She mumbled under her breath:

"Will be. Just you wait and see."

Suddenly, a loud rumble of thunder made itself known, causing Ian, Mandy and Ingrid to jump. The heavens opened up, allowing the fine drizzle to morph into torrential rain.

The two girls squealed and started to run, careful to not slip over. "BYE IAN!" They called over their shoulders as they headed down the street their houses were allocated in.

Ian stood there for a few moments, mindful of the wet droplets splattering onto his hair and dribbling down to blur his vision. Yet, none of this mattered. He had the perfect costume in mind. As another rumble of thunder made itself known, Ian snapped out of his thoughts and sprinted down the narrow alley – way towards his house.

Two minutes later, Ian burst into his house. Panting and shivering slightly, he peeled off his hoodie and t – shirt and kicked off his trainers, leaving them on the door mat. The wind rattled the closed door, which made Ian hope that the weather would be suitable for the trick or treating tonight.

'If not, we won't be allowed out and I won't be able to survive with Harvey and Ingrid whingeing in my ear all night.'

Taking the stairs two at a time, Ian hopped along the landing, in the process of tugging his damp socks off. As he passed the master bedroom, Ian poked his head in and grinned.

"Hey Dad."

Mr Robinson glanced up from his mobile phone, snorting when he saw the state of his son.

"God Ian, you look like a drowned rat! Get in the shower before I have to call your Mum, saying that her son has contracted pneumonia!"

"Love you too, Dad." Ian drawled, padding into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, he emerged, clad in his fluffy dressing gown. He sprawled across his father's bed, gazing at the owner who was rifling through the wardrobe.

Mr Robinson spoke up. "Son, you're staring at me…."

Ian blinked. "Oh, sorry. I'm going to the Hunter's tonight."

"Do you want me to drop you off?"

"I don't mind really, I can always walk."

Mr Robinson turned away from the wardrobe to gaze at his only son, asking reluctantly:

"What are you going as? I still remember last year…."

Ian grinned cheekily. "Granny from the Looney Tunes."

His father raised his eyebrows. "Ok…. You want to go as a woman?"

Ian nodded, smirking. "You know I look good in drag. Drama performances… last year…"

Mr Robinson chuckled. "I know you do. Alright, I'll drop you off, what time?"

"I have to be there for six."

"Well, chop chop Granny!"

Ian launched himself onto his feet, racing into his bedroom. "Cheers Dad!" Closing his door, Ian went over to his wardrobe and opened it, tugging off the costume for tonight.

He had held this particular costume in mind, alongside several others, for a week, and was thankful that he had already purchased it. After packing his sleep - over bag, Ian got ready for Halloween.

An hour later, he was admiring himself in the mirror. Atop his head, sat a white wig styled into a bun. The dress he had on was similar to Granny's, but with a few slight differences. The skirt was bigger, ballooning out over the floor and the top was splattered with blood, a huge tear in the left sleeve. Instead of her trademark necklace, Ian had on a spiked choker instead, and a pair of spectacles perched on the end of his nose. His face was a mass of realistic wrinkles and heavy make – up, Ian also having dabbed splotches of blood onto his cheeks and forehead.

Ian grinned at himself, the inflatable Sylvester cradled against his padded chest with his right arm and the left hand gripping a cage containing a toy Tweedy.

There was a shout of his name from downstairs. Ian slung his bag over his shoulder, shot a wink at the mirror, then left his room and descended the stairs.

"Rachel! I'm home!"

Mandy grimaced as she chucked off her shoes and jacket, pounding up the stairs in the intention of sinking into a hot bath. She growled when she saw that the bathroom door was shut. That meant that someone was in there. Banging on the door, she cried:

"I need to get in there! I got caught by the rain!"

Mandy stepped back when the door opened, her mother frowning down at her.

"Mandy, there was no need to shout."

The girl in question hastily replied. "I know, I'm sorry. Could I please get in there after you've finished?"

Mrs Fletcher hurried out, pushing her daughter gently into the bathroom. "Honey, you go in there now. You're shivering. Never mind my make up, I can do it downstairs."

Mandy thanked her mother as she shut and locked the door. She drew a bath, then flung her soaked clothes off and into the laundry basket. Mandy released a satisfied sigh as she sunk into the heated water.

"Ah, heaven!"

Mandy liked taking baths. During them, she would soak in the usually hot water and think about her life. And now, was no different.

She was basing the costume around the theme of 'Superheroes.' When she was a little girl, Mandy had been obsessed with comic book heroes, particularly of the female calibre. And even though now, she wasn't as much of a hard-core fan, she wanted to be nostalgic.

Once Mandy had finished soaking in the bath and was clad in a pair of shorts and a t – shirt, she settled herself on the stool in her older sister's bedroom. Rachel smiled at her as she began combing Mandy's curls.

"Have you decided on your costume yet, sis?"

"Yes. I'm going as Batgirl."

Rachel smirked. "I knew you were still in love with comic book characters."

Mandy blushed slightly, picking up a bottle of base coat and shaking it. She unscrewed the lid and began to coat her nails with the liquid, mumbling:

"Well… I decided to be nostalgic. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

Rachel shook her head in amusement. "Of course not! It's Halloween, go all out! You want to go as Batgirl, go as her!"

She snorted. "I bet your mate Ian has decided on something embarrassing."

Mandy giggled, now painting her nails the colour black. "He probably has done. I still can't get over what he wore last year…"

When the clock hand crept to half five, Mandy was ready. She double checked her sleepover bag before hugging her sister tightly. She left the house, glad that the rain had stopped, and clambered into the back seat of the car.

Mr and Mrs Fletcher beamed at her in the rear – view mirror. Mandy had on a thigh length black dress made up of latex material, the Bat symbol emblazoned on the chest, and a yellow utility belt secured around her waist.

A pair of black gloves covered her forearms, her hands bare apart from the nail polish. A black latex cape was shawled around her exposed shoulders and her legs up to the knee were wearing sturdy, black boots. The iconic Bat mask concealed half of her face, her curls flowing freely for once.

Mandy smiled back, declaring: "Batgirl is ready for action!"

The three of them laughed as their car started its journey to the Hunter house.

Ingrid slammed open the front door, gritting her teeth as the wind picked up outside. She hurled herself forwards, pushing the door shut behind her. Ingrid slumped against it and waited till she had re-gained her breath. When she had, she sloped off to the bathroom.

A short while later, Ingrid was staring at her costume with glee in her eyes. She couldn't WAIT to put it on!

She had chosen her costume last month when she had gone to the mall with her mother. Mrs Smith had commented how it would suit her, resulting in Ingrid pleading for her mother to buy it. Knowing that her daughter would simply whinge if she didn't buy it, Mrs Smith relented and did as Ingrid had wished.

The youngest member of SPLAT grinned as she began to put on her costume. Even though there was still two hours till she had to leave, Ingrid was too excited to care.

After dressing in the costume, Ingrid instilled the help of her mother to apply the make – up onto her chubby face. Mrs Smith backed away and smiled brightly.

"Oh Ing, you look horrific….in a good way!"

Ingrid was clad in a blood red baby doll dress, which had large dark buttons on the bodice. The dress had a black 'Peter Pan' collar and black trim on the puff sleeves and skirt hem. The centre of the waistband depicted a screaming skull.

Striped socks over skin coloured tights and a pair of strappy shoes completed the outfit. Her dark hair was tied up in bunches on either side of her head by red ribbons. A streak of white shot through her fringe. Her make-up was Gothic, heavy eyeliner and lipstick. Ingrid's face was matted in very pale foundation, with fake blood spread across her features and on parts of her outfit.

Her face also seemed cracked, adding to the gruesome effect. On the right and left side of her mouth, there was a line. They ran down to her chin, similar to the character Jigsaw from Saw.

Ingrid giggled and twirled round. "Can we go now, Mum?"

Mrs Smith nodded. "If you've got everything then I'll drop you off, my dead doll."

Her daughter jumped up and down in excitement. "I just need to sort my bag out, then I'll be ready! Whoo! I can't wait for tonight!"

An hour before the rest of SPLAT were meant to come, Dinah had her head buried in a book. Even after some research, she had no idea what to wear for tonight, so had decided to do as Lloyd and the others had feared: forgo the event. She knew SPLAT would be disappointed and annoyed, but couldn't help it.

For, she had never celebrated Halloween before.

At the children's home, everyone except her normally watched a couple of scary movies and scoffed their faces with sweets, whilst she stayed in her room and read her books.

Dinah started when there was a knock on her door. "Come in." She murmured, hoping it wasn't one of her brothers or worse…. BOTH of them. She relaxed her face into an easy smile upon seeing her mother.

"Hi Mum. Do you need help with putting up the decorations?"

Mrs Hunter shook her head. "No, your father's helping me with them." She frowned as she gazed around the room.

"Dinah… where's your costume?"

The girl in question sighed and set aside her book. She mumbled: "I… I don't know what to go as so, I decided to not… create one."

Mrs Hunter smiled sadly as she sat down next to her new daughter. "Oh Di, why didn't you say? I can help you, darling."

A small smile crept onto her face as she muttered: "Thanks, Mum."

Mrs Hunter hugged Dinah to her. "No problem! Now, any ideas?"

Waiting for her mother to withdraw, Dinah shrugged her shoulders. "Not really… though, I would like to implement something historic into it."

Mrs Hunter made an 'mmh' sound as she pondered. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. "I know!"

Dinah watched her, eyebrows raised as her mother bustled out of the room, slinging a "Wait here!" over her shoulder. Dinah chewed on her lip, hand reaching out for the book she had been immersed in. Once she had it in hand, she picked up where she had been interrupted, wondering what her mother had in store for her.

"Oh Mum, I love it!"

Dinah gazed into the mirror, her lips crafted into a wide grin. She was wearing an ivory, sleeveless, maxi dress that had a gold and blue belt cinched around her waist, some of the material hanging down the middle of the dress. Around her neck was a gold collar, encrusted with blue jewels and on her head sat a gold headband, which was elasticated.

Along her arms and wrists were a set of gold bands that were attached to a sheer blue cape, which Dinah wafted around. A pair of gold sandals were on her feet and keeping in with the Halloween spirit, Mrs Hunter had flicked some fake blood onto the outfit and Dinah's face, which was au naturel.

Mrs Hunter smiled as Dinah wafted the cape from side to side, startled when the girl leapt on her and embraced her tightly. She hugged her back, whispering: "Knock them dead, Cleopatra."

Dinah pulled away and grinned. "Thank you so much! You managed to incorporate an historical figure into it!"

Mrs Hunter chuckled, then shepherded Dinah downstairs. "The others will be here soon."

In his room, Harvey was putting his finishing touches to his costume. He grinned, rocking his head to the beat of the music that was blaring out loud. Like his girlfriend, he had chosen his costume a month ago on a trip to the mall, where he had splurged some of his birthday money. He LOVED Halloween and always vied with Ingrid in terms of achieving the best costume. When he was completely ready, he switched the music off. Harvey grinned at himself in the mirror, feeling a bit frightened at how he looked when he did so.

He was clad in a harlequin – style jumpsuit. One half had red and black stripes, the other was a solid black colour with blood splatter printed across the material. A foam collar chafed against Harvey's neck but he didn't care, it was in the shape of a serrated blade! A bloody one, of course!

His face was truly terrifying. It was coated in white paint, the rims of his eyes black and his lips blood red. Fake scratches were spread across his skin and when he grinned, his lips tugged back, revealing sharpened teeth, courtesy of a product from a joke shop.

Harvey's fair hair was more a rainbow of dark colours, the style of it all over the place. Leather gloves held a rubber knife which he pretended to stab the mirror with. Harvey ceased playing and squealed in glee. It was nearing six pm. Charging out of his room, he raced down to the living room.

Lloyd smirked as he held up his costume. Ever since seeing the film, he had wanted to be the protagonist, even dreaming up of becoming the character and dishing out justice in the school, when the Headmaster had been ruling it. Alas, he had never been brave enough to live out that particular fantasy.

'But now I can be Zorro!'

It took Lloyd only five minutes to get ready. The loose black shirt hung off of his lithe frame, the black trousers and belt emblazoned 'Z' alongside the knee high boots, making him feel like a ninja of sorts. A cape that hung to the back of his thighs, was attached by sturdy string across his collarbone. Clutched in his right hand was a bloody sword and covering his forehead and hair, was a bandana and an eye mask.

Lloyd manipulated his wrist so that the sword swung high and low in an arc. Hearing the sound of the doorbell, he sheathed his sword in the holder then strode out of his room, his cape bouncing out behind him as he descended the stairs.

At six thirty, all of SPLAT congregated together in the living room of the Hunter house, armed with currently empty bags. The six of them were grinning, having been awe – struck by the amount of effort each other had put into their outfits. Mrs Hunter bustled in with a camera.

"Alright kids, just a few snaps before you go!"

Lloyd moaned, declaring: "Zorro never poses for a picture!"

Ian chuckled sweetly and murmured in a high pitched voice. "Make sure you get my best side, dearie."

Mandy rested her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out in pride. Dinah smiled slightly, turning so that she was in a side profile, casting her sheer cape out.

Regardless of the fact that they had the most gruesome outfits there, Harvey and Ingrid cuddled up to one another, smiling brightly for the camera. Mrs Hunter waited for her eldest son to pull a pose, before snapping away.

She scanned the photos with a warm smile, then angled the camera so that the children could have a view of the pictures. Lloyd grinned. The photos really showed the bond they shared and that SPLAT would always stick together, no matter what the crisis.

As soon as Mrs Hunter had placed the camera away, Harvey and Ingrid bounded towards the door, exclaiming:

"Can we go now?! Can we go now?! Can we go NOW?!"

The rest of SPLAT rolled their eyes, whilst Mrs Hunter chuckled. "Alright you two, you can go. Have fun!"

"YAY!"

"TIME TO GET SWEETS!"

The pair rushed out of the house. Mrs Hunter raised an eyebrow before shuffling over to the open front door. She smiled at the four children as they filed out of the house.

"Enjoy yourselves and look out for Harvey and Ingrid. Make sure they behave themselves!"

Skipping down the street, Harvey and Ingrid gazed in wonderment at the lit decorations on the houses in the neighbourhood. Nearing the first house that they intended to 'pillage' sweets from, the couple slowed to a halt, rolling their eyes when they heard Lloyd shout for them to wait up.

Lloyd stormed up to them, cape swishing behind him, bag banging against his legs. He glowered down at the pair.

"Don't run off! It's dark, you could get lost or abducted! Stick together!"

Harvey and Ingrid scowled, the latter going to retort when the others caught up, Mandy clapping a hand onto Lloyd's shoulder, chuckling quietly.

"L, loosen up! It's Halloween! Now we're together again, we can get some sweets!"

Harvey and Ingrid cheered, flashing Mandy grateful smiles. Lloyd simmered, but lost his anger when Ian cracked a joke using the Granny voice. Dinah smiled slightly, deciding to lead the group. She strode up to the door and knocked.

A middle aged man answered the door, smiling warmly at SPLAT. He picked up a bowl full of treats and offered them out.

"Take as many as you want, kids! Your costumes look great by the way! Especially yours, young lady. Cleopatra, is it not?"

Dinah blushed and nodded. No one had ever really complimented her on her outfit choices before.

'I owe Mum a lot for making me this.'

SPLAT all took a handful, Harvey and Ingrid more than the others, and put them into their bags. They thanked the man, before moving on to the next house. SPLAT continued this routine for the next couple of houses, but their routine was thrown out of shape when they approached the last house on the street adjoining the road that housed the Hunters.

This dilapidated terrace had no decorations to speak of and seemed threatening. Mandy nibbled on her lip nervously, murmuring:

"Maybe we shouldn't go to this one. Head back to yours instead, we already have enough sweets in our bags."

Harvey scoffed. "Nonsense, there can never be enough sweets!"

Lloyd and Dinah rolled their eyes at their little brother's statement. Ingrid grinned and grabbed Harvey's hand, tugging him towards the front door. Ian cried out:

"Ingrid! Come on, let's just go!"

The girl in question smirked at the tall boy, murmuring: "We know what we're doing."

The couple stopped by the door, Harvey reaching up to ring the bell. They waited for a few seconds, sharing an apprehensive look when they heard the thudding of footsteps.

The door swung open in an outwards fashion. If Harvey and Ingrid had been any taller, they would have been knocked out cold by it. A brute of a woman leered down at them. Her hair shorn short was a putrid green colour, her clothes a t – shirt that clung to her muscles alongside a pair of army trousers and military style Doc Martens. Dog tags draped around her neck, which swung whenever she shifted her weight.

The woman snapped: "What do you brats, want?"

The four older members of SPLAT were close to panicking. This brute could hurt their friends, even crush them (well that's what Ian thought.) Mandy swallowed down her gasp, tears springing to her eyes. Lloyd gritted his teeth, thinking:

'Get out now, H. Get out now, Ing.'

Meanwhile, Harvey and Ingrid were playing it cool. Both had the same idea and decided to play it to fruition. Detangling hands with his girlfriend, Harvey forced his face into a sinister grin, causing the make – up to light his face up into one chubby horror. For Ingrid, it was the opposite.

She manipulated her face into a stoic expression, living up to the name 'dead doll.' She tilted her head slightly, slumping her posture, seemingly haunted eyes gazing at the mass of muscle in front of them.

Holding up the rubber knife, Harvey giggled insanely, speaking in a high pitched voice which was oozing creepiness.

"We want sweets….. LOTS of sweets… I did not kill hundreds of children only to be shouted at and potentially apprehended, from obtaining the sweets I crave…"

The woman snorted. "Get out of here, kid. You too, missy."

Ingrid spoke up, her voice utterly toneless. "Oh, you do not want to threaten us… we can make your lives a LIVING HELL…"

The so-called 'brute' balled her fists, grounding out: "If you do not leave, then I will call the cops on you!"

Harvey giggled again, eyes lighting up in glee as the grin widened, his voice turning sinister.

"Oh but if you do THAT… then I'll have to kill you…"

"Sharon."

The woman gasped, her macho attitude fading. Her eyes darted round as she sputtered:

"H-How do you know my name, you f-freak?!"

Ingrid allowed a smile to come onto her face, one that looked gruesome, due to the cracks painted onto her face.

"We know everything. Now, give us the sweets! Otherwise…."

Harvey's grin dropped as he lunged forwards, grabbing hold of Sharon's shirt. Twisting the material in his gloved hand, he hissed:

"We'll burn your house to the ground..."

Shrieking, Sharon wrenched herself free of the firm grip and into the kitchen. She emerged a few moments later, with dozens of chocolate bars. Hurling them at the freaks, she cried:

"Get out of here! Take them and GO!"

When the door slammed shut, Harvey and Ingrid reverted back to normal. Sweeping the sweets into their bags, they high fived one another and sauntered back to four open mouthed members of SPLAT.

The couple piped up: "Mission accomplished!"

Mandy released a choked sob, drawing them into a hug. Dinah mumbled: "That poor woman. I think you went a bit far. And, how did you know her name?"

After Mandy had let them go, Harvey murmured: "She had a name tag on her shirt."

Ingrid shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, it's Halloween! People are meant to be scared!"

Dinah didn't look convinced and Lloyd seemed to be preparing to tear into his younger brother and his girlfriend, but Ian denied him the chance to do so.

"Come on! Let's go back to yours, I'm STARVING!"

SPLAT entered the Hunter house, heading for the den. Once in there, Harvey and Ingrid sat on the floor, tipping their sweets out and chattering in an excited manner. Ian lounged on one end of the sofa, Lloyd the other, both checking the football results. Dinah perched on one of the chairs, running her hands along the cape. Mandy was in the process of drawing the curtains when an idea struck her.

Turning round, she beamed and said brightly: "Hey, why don't we carve pumpkins?"

Lloyd tore his vision from the television to the dark skinned girl. He smiled and climbed to his feet. "I'll ask Mum if she has any."

An hour later, all of SPLAT were seated in a circle on the floor, the television on in the background. Six pumpkins were in the centre, different facial expressions carved into them. As everyone admired the pumpkins, Ian questioned Dinah.

"Where did you get the idea for your costume, Di?"

"Well… Mum came up with it and designed the outfit for me. I wanted to be a historical figure, but I didn't know exactly which one."

"What about you, Ingrid?"

"I dunno. Saw it at the mall. Originally Harv – Harv and I were going to go as a 'couple's costume.' I would have been Harley Quinn and my boy as the Joker."

"Hah, my boy…. I like it!"

"Who's Harley Quinn?"

"DINAH! You don't know who she is?! She's one of the most awesome comic book characters EVER! She is in an abusive relationship with the Joker, but some people pair her up with Poison Ivy in terms of Fanfiction, but the point is she kicks butt!"

There was a pause, then Dinah smiled slightly. "Nice to know. I never read comic books when I was living at the children's home. Actually, Harvey provided me with my first one."

Mandy adjusted her mask, smiling warmly. "Glad that he did."

Lloyd gestured to the television. "Oh look, it's Nightmare on Elm Street."

"AGH I LOVE THIS MOVIE!"

"SAMEEEEEEEEE!"

In the blink of an eye, Harvey and Ingrid were now facing the screen, both lying on their stomachs. Their small hands dived into their individual bags of sweets and they popped the treats into their tugged up mouths, grinning as Freddy killed yet again.

Dinah sighed, wanting to read. She frowned when she couldn't locate any books. Noticing this, Mandy opened her bag and withdrew a comic book. She handed it over to Dinah, who thanked her. Dinah smiled in amusement as she realised that the comic book was Batman and that Harley Quinn was on the cover.

As the film continued, Dinah ploughed through the comic book, finding it much more intriguing then Nightmare On Elm Street. Three hours later, the clock struck midnight. By now, all of the sweets had been consumed, Harvey having eaten his sister's as well as his own, after hearing that she didn't want them and offering Dinah his best puppy dog eyes.

There was a knock on the door, Mrs Hunter peering round a moment afterwards. She smiled and muttered:

"Think it's time to get ready for bed. Harvey, Ian, Ingrid, I'll help you wash the make – up off."

When SPLAT were ready for bed, they all sat on their sleeping bags and began telling scary stories. However, half – way through Ian's one about a haunted house, a hyper Harvey and Ingrid hauled their pillows up and started whacking the other members.

Lloyd winced as his brother smacked him around the head, jumping to his feet and lifting his own one.

"SPLAT PILLOW FIGHT!"

Everyone laughed as a war broke out, feathers bursting free and scattering all over the floor of the den. When the six pillows were limp and feather free, SPLAT threw them aside. Ian and Lloyd mock wrestled, Dinah and Mandy sat on the sofa discussing the comic book that the former had read, whilst Harvey and Ingrid used the pumpkins in order to test their ventriloquism skills.

Once the pairs had finished their activities, the six of them grinned at one another then stood up. They high fived each other, declaring:

"SPLAT FOREVER!"

A few seconds later, another declaration was voiced: "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"

Then another, shouted by Harvey, which had everyone agreeing and chanting as well.

"THIS IS THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVER!"