Long-time readers will remember a time several years ago when I promised "The Count's World: Scary Stories Edition" and never delivered it, because of a computer problem. I finally found a thumb drive with part of the story on it, enough to finish it. So here it is, at last, the lost Count's World episode! Since this story is from a few years ago, it takes place before Episode 17. That is, Mr. L still lives in the castle

This is an attempt at an anthology episode, mostly similar to the famous Treehouse of Horror series in The Simpsons. During the following stories, the roles will be played by different characters. Usually in these kinds of cartoons, the characters look the same but have different names (for example, if an episode of some show has the main character telling the story of Hansel and Gretel, the cartoon shows the storyteller, and it shows the story where she looks the same but is referred to as Gretel, and her brother Dan is Hansel, and Principal Jerkwad is the witch. You know. Like that.) Since this is text-only, the characters in the scary story have the same names as the characters in The Count's World so you can tell who's playing whom. But you can rest assured that the storytellers aren't actually telling stories about themselves. They're talking about "a young widow" or "a teenage girl," who just happen to be played by Timpani or Mimi.


The first guests began arriving for Count Bleck's Halloween party at seven o' clock on the dot. Nastasia was at the castle gates to greet the arrivals and direct them to the meeting room. The Count had been preparing for this party for months, the invitations had been sent out and RSVP'd, and it was all about to pay off. Finally, people wouldn't fear him for what he had done; they would have a playful, fun sort of fear that came around with the atmosphere of Halloween. He was throwing a party.

Plus, there'd be a lot of candy to boot.

The first to arrive was Mario, dressed as a Tanuki. He arrived with Princess Peach, dressed as the Shadow Queen.

"Yeah, good evening," said Nastasia (dressed as a vampire.) "So, the party's just down the hall. You can just go ahead and follow the jack-o-lanterns until you see the banner."

"Thanks," said Princess Peach. "Happy Halloween."

Mario wished her a happy Halloween, too, and they were off.

Bowser came behind them. "Hey, don't forget about me!"

Nastasia stepped in front of him. "Didn't anybody tell you? Yeah, this is a costume party. You're supposed to dress as the scariest thing you can think of." She paused. "Never mind. Yeah, go ahead in. Follow the pumpkins."

"That's right," Bowser growled. "If there's anything scarier than me, I haven't found it yet!"

"You've never stood downwind of yourself, either." Behind Boswer was the surprisingly bold X-Naut Sherwood and his autistic pal, Gary. Sherwood was dressed as Luigi and Gary was Mario (because, of course, Mario doesn't talk.)

"Yeah, follow the stench," said Nastasia. "Happy Halloween."

The next guest to arrive was Old Man Watchitt, dressed as a Shayde. "Dagnabbit," he said, "All this dimension hopping hooplah, getting' grit in my grunders and I-don't-know-what. Why, in my day, youngsters never asked an old man to come all this way just for—"

"Yeah, I'm gonna cut you off right there," said Nastasia. "I really don't care. Just follow the pumpkins to the party."

Watchitt narrowed his eyes. "You better watch it, missy" he told her seriously.

She straightened her glasses. "Oh, I do."

Squirps came next, dressed up like a Toad. "Squirps came all the way from the Whoa Zone to enjoy delicious chocolate! Chocolate is Squirps's most favorite food in the world, squee-wonk!"

"Well, there's plenty of chocolate in the party room, just follow the pumpkins."

"Ner her her her her!" Francis came next, dressed as Anime Pink Princess. "This party is gonna be sooooo hi-technical!"

Nastasia looked him in the eye. "Yeah, so, I'm pretty sure you never actually got an invitation. I'm gonna have to go ahead and ask you to go away and not come into our party."

"But—"

Nastasia slammed the door in his face. He whimpered for a while, but then the sound died off and it was safe on the porch once again.


Count Bleck called his minions to the Meeting Room just minutes before the party began. "Minions! All Hallows Eve is upon us. In moments, we will be surrounded by friends and guests alike! Now, assemble in the meeting room!"

Mimi appeared in the room, dressed in a very realistic Dimentio costume. "Hiya, Count!" she said happily. "It's time for the party?"

"It is," he said. "May I ask why you're dressed as the Master of Dimensions?"

"Well, you said you were supposed to dress as the scariest thing you could think of for Halloween, right?"

Count Bleck laughed. "I certainly did. Well, to your own interpretation."

Mr. L peeked around the corner. "Am I late?" he asked.

"On time," said Count Bleck. "Are you ready for the event?"

"Yeah. Hey, Mimi, are you dressed as Dimentio?"

"Yep! How could you tell?"

Mr. L stepped around the corner, dressed in a costume nearly identical to Mimis. "Well, one of us is gonna have to go change."

Then O'Chunks walked straight into the room, dressed in a third Dimentio costume. He went straight to the middle of the room before seeing Mimi. Then he looked at Mr. L, back at her, and down at himself. "Ah, blarggit."

Count Bleck pulled his hat down. "Minions…"

"Yeah, Count?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Just… Minions…" He sighed, and then looked back up. "Did either of you stop to consider what may happen when Dimentio discovers all three of you in crude imitations of his attire?"

They looked at each other for a beat, then back at the Count. Then all three of them scrambled over each other in a desperate effort to get out of there and get into different costumes before Dimentio could unleash any of his possible wrath.

Tippi appeared beside Count Bleck. "Happy Halloween," she said.

"And to you, mon amour."

"But where's your costume?"

"I am in my costume."

"It looks like your everyday outfit."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong." He tugged on his cape. "Notice, that while the same basic outfit is as always, yet the little differences in style suggest that it comes from a different era. Not too long ago, as our influences today are still greatly reflected of it, but put side to side the dissimilarity is astonishing."

"All right, all right, so it's not your regular outfit. But who are you dressed as?"

"My father."

"Now that is scary."

"And, may I ask, who are you dressed as?"

"Francine," she replied.

"That's not really a costume."

"Well, it was the scariest thing I could think of. No, that's not entirely true, but a Dark Prognosticus costume is too heavy to fly around in, and I can't make a costume out of the abstract concept of separation."

"Not for lack of trying, I presume. You are quite ambitious with your projects."


Soon, the party was in full swing. Mimi, O'Chunks, and Mr. L had all come back in with different costumes. Mimi was now Merlee, O'Chunks was a Clubba, and Mr. L was Waluigi. The guests were enjoying Halloween treats and playing fall-related games such as traditional bobbing-for-apples and scarecrow-stuffing races.

After a bit, Count Bleck suddenly turned the lights out.

"Hey!"

"What's that?"

"Who turned out the lights?"

"It was Count Bleck, announced Count Bleck in an eerie voice. It is now time for… the Halloween Story-telling."

He turned on a flashlight and shined it under his face. With the shadows and glowing, he looked more like a jack-o-lantern than ever. "I've asked some of my minions to prepare a terrifying tale of ghosts, madmen, the supernatural… anything that sends chills up your spine."

Squirps ducked behind Peach's skirt. "Squawk! That's too scary for Squirps! Squirps is frightened!"

Peach picked him up in her arms. "Don't be scared," she cooed. "Nothing's going to get you. It's Halloween- all the ghosts are too busy having fun, and in the morning they'll be gone for a year."

"Yeah," said Watchitt. "'Cept for when you go to sleep. That's when they getchya! You'd better watch it!"

Bowser punched him on the arm. "Cut it out."

"Now you'd better watch it!" Watchitt pointed his finger around the room. "In fact, you'd all better watch it!"

Count Bleck shined his light in Watchitt's face.

"Ah! My eyes!"

"It seems you should have watched it."

He shined the flashlight to Nastasia, who was standing off to the side. She straightened her glasses and took the flashlight. "Yeah," she said. "So I'm gonna go ahead and tell you my story, 'K?"