My furry Halloween III
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"Hey Rachel!" I said running into my high school friend at the TF University tryouts. "Huh?" she turned around "Oh, hey Chase!" She was there for the cheerleader tryouts, and boy did she have the body for it! She skipped/walked to me and asked "Is your race coming up soon?" knowing that I was here for the track race. "Yeah, and it's going to be hard to get first!" I smiled "But I know I'm gonna win it!"The coaches said that today is the most crucial and that whoever gets first in this race gets the full scholarship for TFU. Second and third place rewards where nice but I was only after the first place trophy.
I had owned all the other races, accomplished so much, and was fully prepared for this victory. I stretched my muscles, took my ice bath, and was on the starting track. I waited impatiently for the starting gun. I heard the pop and immediately began my mile sprint. I hardly felt my feet touch the pavement as my mind was only set on victory. We all ran and kept up with each other until I saw some of my competitors slowly fall behind me. The others soon fell back as well. It was only me and two others. Their names or numbers didn't matter. I knew that I didn't need to look behind me to find out. I was less than a quarter mile away and I soon saw one of them within my sight. I smiled once more and put it in second gear. He soon fell behind as I enjoyed my last seconds of running. I crossed the finish line with a smile and time to spare. I won.
I was congratulated by Rachel with the news that she had also made it to the cheer team. I learned my time was four minutes thirty seconds flat. My fastest yet, and he said that both me and the other kid was going to get scholarships for the times that we had gotten. I left the field with a smile on my face. It was a good day for me and time for me to go to my new apartment.
I invited Rachel over and she was glad to come. We had both liked to hang out, but we usually stayed for a short time unless it was for a party. I got a soda from the fridge and got Rachel one as well. I sat down and began the conversation "How was your cheerleader tryouts Rachel? I know you won and all, but what really wowed them over?"
"I was really athletic and had done multiple tricks in the air. I did back flips, cheers, and advanced moves that some of the others couldn't try to pull off." She drank her soda "So what are you going to do next? We both just got done with school a few months ago and are already planning to go to college next semester."
"I don't really have too many plans for now, and I guess I'll just keep running and working out for TFU." I finished my soda and threw it into the trash can. "Other than that I have nothing to do."
"Why not go the Halloween party?" Rachel asked still sipping at her soda "People from each of the four schools are invited even if they graduated last year" she put her soda down and stretched "It could be fun to go to the last school function that we can attend"
I smiled "Maybe I could go, but you know what they say" I looked over and out the window "That one person that would attend that party would disappear forever" I said looking back at Rachel with an eerie smile on my face.
"The first kid went to New York and that second one got a job at Google. Plus I don't think that would be something to be superstitious over." She finished her soda as well "Plus I know of a great place to go and to get our costumes at. Its five days before Halloween and the party, so all the costumes couldn't have gotten taken yet."
"If you think we should go, then sure why not?" I smiled again "Just text me or tell me where we should go to get the costumes"
"I'll go now and get that done" Rachel said as she got up and out the door.
"Bye" I said knowing that she couldn't hear me
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That night I couldn't sleep well. It was like my mind was racing faster and faster. So fast that I couldn't tell what it was. I only could make out blue flashes when I tried to think. I then saw the blue flash turn red and my mind was then more at ease. I couldn't sleep after that so I had to pull an all nighter by watching old movies and playing video games. I hardly get to do this anymore with all my track and field training. I thought of how I spent most of my high school years at the track and how I didn't have too much time for friends because of it. I soon saw the sun peak over the window and watched one more movie before I got up and got ready for my day.
It was lunch time and I couldn't eat too well. I thought of how I was always into running. I first did it to get rid of all the bullies at my school. It soon progressed into having fun and to just feel the wind in my hair. Just to feel free from everything that troubled me. Now it is only for personal gain and to rub it into other people's faces. I felt horrible for realizing that about myself. I used to be free, but now I'm trapped in my own pride and competitiveness. I skipped lunch today.
I hadn't slept but I didn't feel tired. I hadn't eaten but I wasn't hungry. It felt numb and I called Rachel. She was the only person I had talked to in a while. I didn't have many other friends besides her. The phone rang. It rang some more. Rachel picked up.
"Hello? Rachel here!" she said in her usual peppiness
"Hey Rachel what's up?" I said smiling "doing anything?"
"Actually I was thinking of going to get those costumes, wanna come?" she said
"That sounds fun, but where is it?"
"Just put 600 straw-hat St. in your GPS." She said as I heard a car engine start on the other end "I'll meet ya there OK?"
"Sure thing, bye"
"Bye" she said hanging up the phone.
I immediately went to my car and typed up 600 Straw-hat St. into my GPS. It was less than a mile away from me and the traffic was low. There were a few red lights here and there, but I was a short five minute drive. I pulled up into the parking lot and saw an old hand made sign that read "HENRY HALLOWS HALLOWEEN". I saw Rachel pull up and we both went into the store together.
It was pretty empty except for the back wall with many boxes and costumes hanging around there. I walked up and saw many varieties. I saw a silver fox, an Umbreon, Tony Tony Chopper, Pikachu, and many others. I felt a cold hand on my shoulder as a creepy old voice said "Can I help you?"
"Whatzahaa!" I freaked as I jumped at least five feet up and away from the voice. I looked over to see a short old man standing there. "Oh! You scared me." I sighed. Rachel started giggling at me. "No thanks I'm just looking around." I said to the old man. He walked away to the cash register, sat down, and started reading an old book.
"Wow, Halloween is in four days, don't get scared yet!" Rachel laughed. "Why don't we try on some costumes?" she said.
"Sure, what do you got in mind?" I said looking around the store. "I can't decide with this much stuff here."
"Why don't you try on this one?" she said handing me a box with a familiar blue face on it "I think it suits you"
I looked at it for a second before deciding that I should put on the costume. "Sure it looks fun." I walked to the changing room.
I opened the box and pulled out the topmost layer of clothing. It was a blue pair of pants with a small blue tail on the back. It was the correct shade of blue and the tail wasn't stapled on and actually looked good. I put them on to see it fit pretty well. I pulled out the top and it was a blue long-sleeved shirt with a tan belly and tan arms. I pulled out some white gloves and set them aside for after I put the rest on. I took the red shoes with the white stripe going through them and was surprised to see that they fit comfortably. I took the last item out of the box. It was a well made Sonic the Hedgehog mask. It had a smile across the face with big green eyes. It had two realistic looking ears at the top with five big spikes protruding from the back. It was really well made and looked like the real character. I pulled the mask on, pushed the blue neck skin under the shirt and tied the strings in the back. I pulled on the gloves to finish it and walked out of the room.
"How do I look?" I said from under the mask
Rachel looked over "Wow! That looks really good on you!" She looked me over from top to bottom. "We are so getting that!" She said "Take it off and I'll go pay for it, I already got my costume!"
I walked back into the dressing room and pulled off the gloves. I undid the strings in the back of the mask, got the neck skin out from the shirt and pulled… I pulled again. It's stuck! I pulled extra hard and it came off with a snap. I looked at it and it didn't seem out of the ordinary. I put it in the box and took the rest of the costume off. I was soon out of the dressing room and met with Rachel.
"You pay for it?" I asked
"Yep, and I got mine as well" she said with a smirk "and don't worry, you don't have to pay me back."
"Thanks Rachel" I said walking out of the store and into the car. I turned the key and backed out of the parking lot. I went home.
At the apartment I put the box in my closet and regained my appetite. After eating my usual healthy meal and Gatorade, I had gone for a quick run. I usually ran for a few miles and came back to the apartment, but I ran a little farther today than I usually did. I easily ran for thirty minutes strait and had jogged for another forty. I felt that freedom that I did so long ago. That wind through my hair and that energy that my body felt with each bounding step. I loved it and smiled.
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It was the day of the party and I had my sonic suit on. Rachel and I agreed to video tape me running to the party in the suit and show it on the big screen. It was an easy jog and I got many laughs from it. The party was great and I had fun more than anything. There was a band from west high that wasn't too bad and I remember the guitarist was also a runner and would be a senior this year. He was pretty good.
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The jog home was actually tiring for me. It was night and it was cool, but I weirdly got tired fast. Rachel pulled alongside me and picked me up. She said she was going to drive me home. But something seamed off. She wasn't in her normal peppiness and looked like she was speeding to get somewhere in a hurry. She stopped in a parking lot and we got out. She hardly said anything except for me to go into the store with her. It was the Henry Hallows Halloween store.
I saw that most of the costumes where still there but it looked rather empty inside. I still wore the costume but thought it was too hot. I tried to pull off the mask, but it was stuck. I tried to take off the gloves to find them firmly held to my hand. The same had happened for the shoes as well. I tugged at the mask as hard as I could before I felt a painful surge through my body! I immediately stopped tugging and fell to my knees panting. Rachel came over and started laughing. I looked up to see her and the old man in the store next to each other.
"Look Chase." She said "I don't have much time to explain, but just except this for now. You'll understand everything in a while." I soon felt another surge as the costume seemed to melt into my skin. I felt it all over my body like being completely covered wax and it hardening into your skin. I soon felt an extreme dizziness as I fell to the ground completely. I opened my eyes to see Rachel with a red colored orb the size of a walnut in her hands. She touched it to my nose and I saw a light envelope and cascade all around me. It was like being surrounded by a laser light show from every direction and with enough lasers to fill a football stadium. I saw everything turn blurry and green before I shut my eyes to go to sleep.
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I woke up a few days ago to find myself in a new body. I woke up as the new sonic the hedgehog. It's not entirely bad in this new body and I know I can beat my previous mile record. I was shorter than normal, but I was wicked fast and I felt less fatigue than ever. I had new friends with me and I have a lot of fun with my new hobby. Tails, Knuckles, and Grant are fun to hang out with and the only real drawback was that I couldn't swim. None of that matter thou. Because no matter what happened here on out. I was and will always be free.
The End
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This is number III of my furry Halloween and this usually starts my writing for the year. Happy Halloween!