Hello, everyone! I decided to have some fun for the season. Happy Halloween!
Please enjoy!
"Come on, guys, it'll be fun!" I egg, cheering for the haunted house behind me.
"I swear, don't you ever get tired of these?" Raph looks at me in disbelief, and I feel a similar expression on my own face.
"Are you crazy?" I ask. "This is the best part of Halloween! Haunted houses are the biggest hit since pizza!"
"Actually, haunted houses came before pizza. Many civilizations were superstitious and placed the title of "haunted" on any place that caused feelings of anxiety or fear, such as graveyards, old creepy houses, or a person's house or place of residence whom they didn't like or—"
"Oh my—stop!" Raph ordered.
"Seriously," I agreed, plugging my ears. "We don't need a history lesson, that'll kill the fun!"
"I still don't see how you think these are fun. Don't we deal with enough terror and fear without these?" Leo huffed, and Donnie nodded in agreement beside him.
"Well, yeah. But these are different." Raph nods and the others sigh but followed us to the front door step of the house.
Before Leo even touched the door, it opened with an ominous creak, and an old woman stepped to the doorframe. Her long, stringy grey hair fell over her ears before being pulled back into a loose ponytail. She wore a long black and grey robe that brushed against the floor.
"Beware all ye that enter here, with all consent ye must tread. Do not ye mention kin not near, if rules be broken, ye be dead." Well. A little more…ominous than usual. But, hey, they must have gone through some great effort to be original.
"Uh…" Leo looked at us doubtfully before turning to her again. "What do we owe you?"
"A simple penny for a room, a might more for the night. Be weary of others' doom, they may cause ye great fright."
"I'm not sure this is such a good idea," Donnie hissed to me uneasily. "She seems to have a screw loose."
"Dude, it's a haunted house. It's meant to be creepy. You heard her." I nudged his shoulder with mine playfully while Raph and a reluctant Leo paid what we owed. I chuckled with Raph at the other's apparent lack of enthusiasm as we allowed them to enter first.
I trailed behind Raph, but my leg tingled and almost froze at the threshold. I blinked down at my foot, hesitating just outside the doorway. I felt extreme dread at the thought of proceeding. Just trying to force my foot forward caused my heart to race with fear and sweat to drip down my shell. I glanced up at the woman-playing-witch, who was gazing at me with a fierce, almost angry intensity. I could feel my bros staring at me as I hesitated. Suddenly, I remembered her instructions.
"Um…May I enter?" She appraised me for a moment before nodding slightly, a small smile barely gracing her lips before it was gone again. Suddenly, the dread weighing down my leg disappeared, and I was able to enter normally. I stared in confusion at the door and my foot, trying to figure out what happened and why.
"Get a little paranoid, bro?" Raph whispered as I got closer to them. I chuckled, hiding my nerves and confusion.
"You heard her instructions, bro. She said, 'with all consent', meaning we have to ask for everything." Raph rolled his eyes.
"Like it matters."
"I wanna see what their game is here. Let's play along and see what they do." I couldn't tell them the extreme fear I had back at the door. As if a snake would bite me if I came in. Or worse. It was a fear as great as if the Shredder was coming by. I shuddered slightly.
"Yeah, right," Raph scoffed. "Like I ask for anything. What's she gonna do? Curse us?"
"She might," I huffed, remembering the look she gave me before I gained her permission. Raph scoffed again, and we continued on into the house, the woman leading the way down the hall. There were lots of animal heads adorning the walls, their glassy eyes seeming to follow us down. I smiled a little in appreciation of their technology, but an unease in my stomach prevented me from enjoying it as much as Raph was. He elbowed his way past Donnie to Leo.
"Hey, Fearless. What d'ya think Casey and April would think of this place?"
"Jones might like it fine," Donnie scoffed from behind him. "But I doubt April would enjoy it that much." I snickered. Clearly, he wasn't remembering her fiery temperament moments. She could be just like Raph in many ways.
"Please. With all the trainin' Master Splinter is giving her, what could she possibly be afraid of?" A sudden bout of intense fear filled my stomach and I felt my eyes widen.
"Guys," I hiss. "Shut up." They turned to blink at me in surprise.
"Come on, Mikey. It can't be that bad. I mean, it hasn't scared me once." I shook my head. This place was making me feel worse and worse.
"Please, guys," I beg. "I don't know what, I don't understand why, but please, trust me on this one? Please, just follow her rules, okay?" Three concerned sets of eyes met mine, but I couldn't bring myself to care. The feeling I had at the doorway was back, and worse than I've ever felt. It wasn't stopping my movements like before, but it was begging me to make them follow her directions. Leo stepped forward and rubbed my head.
"Okay, Mikey. Relax. We'll follow her rules, get out of this silly house, and head home. Okay?" I nod, but the feeling didn't go away. If anything, it settled down into my bones, filling my every motion. I had the feeling that whatever it was, I was too late to stop it.
"…That was supposed to be a haunted house? She literally took us on a tour of her place and offered us a room for the night." Donnie sounded incredulous.
"Right!? Maybe it was actually an inn, and she was just dressed for the holiday," Raph snorted.
"Well, whatever it was, we can move on now. I say we hit a couple more houses and go home."
"Are you kidding?" Raph looked at Leo like he said they were humans in disguise. "We got plenty of time! Why just a couple more houses? We can easily hit another block, right Mikey?" I nod my head silently, forcing a small grin on my face. I still had a feeling of impending doom lingering over me. The entire time in that house, she would shoot me sly looks that sent shivers down my spine. My bros had kept their promise, following her instructions through the rest of the trip, but I couldn't help feeling the damage had been done. Something about the way she looked at us just as we were leaving, as if we were a snack for her raging appetite. Her parting words still echoed in my head:
"A warning unheeded is a danger ignored, an unguarded gate an open door. When ye see what your pride did hoard, perhaps then ye'll see ye should have listened more." I shuddered again.
"Mikey? Are you okay?" Donnie asked, placing his hand on my forehead. I looked up into his face, startled at the sudden contact.
"Y-yeah. I'm okay. Sorry."
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Leo commented wryly. I rolled my eyes at the irony, pointedly ignoring a ghost costume drifting along in my peripheral.
"I'm good. That last lady just creeped me out. Nothing some fresh air away from her and her house won't cure," I smirk, forcefully putting some sarcasm in my voice in the hopes of driving off the impending worry that would drag us all home.
"Well…" Leo hedged, clearly wanting to do just that. "We can hit a couple more houses…"
"And waste this wonderful night?" I gasp, grasping my heart as if he had wounded me. Inwardly, I smiled. The feeling was dissipating. Maybe it was just the nerves from being around such a creeptastic lady.
"We do still have training in the morning," Leo stated bluntly.
"Say it ain't so! Leo has finally turned into a robot!" I cried to the sky, howling in mock agony. Even Raph was joining in, pretending to check my pulse.
"Leo! What have you done!? You've killed off Mikey in your never-ending quest for perfection!"
"Raphie! Raphie!" I call weakly. "Tell Leo, I will haunt him to his last days for killing off the handsome prankster of the family."
"Welp, never mind, Leo. Ya did us a favor." Raph suddenly stood and dropped me on my shell.
"Ow! What was that for?" I whine, rubbing my shell. The others snickered as I got back to my feet, pouting.
"It is still pretty early, Leo," Donnie stated, nudging me softly. "I have a couple projects I want to finish up before long, but that's no reason to make the others come home if they aren't ready to. It is just one day out of the year." I beam at him and he chuckles.
"Well…" Leo hesitates. "Alright. We'll go to a few more houses, then me and Donnie will head home. You two can stay out until the curfew time. Sound good?" Me and Raph nod enthusiastically.
"Okay, then," he grins. "Let's go!"
"Remember, two hours!" Leo called again as he and Donnie disappeared down the alley. Me and Raph continue waving, smiles on our faces, until we no longer see their shadows.
"Finally! I thought he'd never leave," Raph huffs and I laugh, loud and hard. Together, we run down the street, determined to hit as many houses as we could before curfew.
An hour later, we were walking along the street, rounding a bend to an old children's park, reveling in the hoots and hollers over our "rad costumes".
"Ya know, I love this holiday," Raph muses and I hum in agreement.
"Nice not to have to hide. Though I'm surprised they aren't still running screaming from your ugly face."
"Hardy-har, Chucklehead. I'd be more worried about your stench."
"What, you don't like 'Ode-de-Turtle'? It's your trademark!" I laugh as Raph swipes at my head and misses. "Too slow, Raphie!" I sing, and he growls. I brace myself to dodge, waiting for the swing I know is coming, but am thrown off when a strangled gasp comes out of my hothead brother.
"What in the shell—" he cuts off, and I turn to look, only for my jaw to drop in horror.
There, where his feet were supposed to be, were feet of stone. I blinked, uncomprehending, as the stone seemed to grow up to his knees.
"W-what…?" Even as I asked, the stone crept its way up towards his hips, completely immobilizing his lower half.
"M-Mikey! What's goin' on!?" Raph shouts, anger not quite masking his fear. He struggles against the stone, and I hear bones popping from the effort.
"I-I don't…" I gape at him, then shake myself. I grab his wrist and pull, hoping for a miracle. "Come on, Raphie! You gotta move." I pull hard, and I feel him tensing, but his lower half is stuck in place. The most we did was shift his "feet" by a couple inches. After a couple more pulls, I stop, gasping. I felt my heart constrict with fear and panic, and I remember the lady from several hours ago.
"Sh-she warned us, Raphie. 'If rules be broken, ye be dead'. R-Raph! Don't die on me!"
"I ain't dyin'!" Raph snaps, and the stone moves up to his chest. He gasps, as if it's harder to breathe, and I wrap him in a hug. I force myself to calm down. I can't help him unless I'm calm.
"I know. You won't die. I'm gonna go find Donnie, Raphie. Okay? I'm gonna find Donnie, and he's gonna go all science geek, and everything is gonna be okay. I swear, Raph, I'm gonna make sure you get home. Okay?" Raph only nods, the stone preventing him from doing much else as it had now crept up to his neck. I clutch his hands, holding them in front of me, unwilling to leave just yet. Unwilling for him to be alone. My heart hurt to think that the last thing he would see before being frozen was me running or me terrified, so I smile a bright and hopeful grin for him. He smirks back, but it's strained. Soon, his arms are frozen, and he lets go of me just before his hands are as well.
"Go," he whispers harshly, just as the stone covers the last of him, his eyes still shining with hope and trust. I choke back a sob, turn, and sprint to the nearest manhole cover.
"It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay," I chant to myself as I run through the sewers. Donnie can fix everything! He'll be able to fix this, too. Because he's Donnie.
I sprint the last half mile to home, bursting into the living room in minutes. However, the scene before me makes me stumble to a halt.
"F-Father?" I whimper, collapsing to my knees. There, sitting in his favorite spot, was Master Splinter, frozen in stone. His face was a mask of surprise and worry and fear as he looked off to his right. I crawl towards him, hoping against hope that this was some elaborate prank. But I knew in my heart of hearts that it wasn't. Master Splinter would never participate in something like this. I'm stuck, looking at his eyes filled with concern and despair, before following his frozen gaze, where I'm hit with another heavy blow.
There, half turned towards Sensei, is Leo. He's slightly turned, as if he was facing slightly away from our father when his feet were frozen and turned in an attempt to see him. His arm was outstretched, reaching for our father as if he could in some way help him. His face was full of such despair and anguish I almost couldn't look. I sob and turn away from him when I suddenly remember Donnie. He has to be able to fix this!
I sprint to the lab, because where else could he be in a crisis? I throw open the door and give a shout of agony at what I see.
He's next to his desk, partially risen from his chair, as he's turned towards the lab door. The way his feet are positioned, I swear he was on his way out the door before it hit him. However, what surprised me the most was his eyes—they weren't stone yet. I rush to him, grabbing his face, hoping for something, anything, that could help me fix this. He looks at me, eyes of intense sadness and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.
"Don't be sorry, Donnie," I sob. "I'll find April, she should know what to do." His eyes soften into a look I know well. It's the look they give me when I state a hope that is just too good to be true. The look that says If only it were true. I shake my head, denying what his eyes are telling me, but they're gone, replaced with a cold, lifeless picture of what they were.
"No! Donnie!" I shake him, but he barely shifts. I sob and wrap him in a hug, but quickly compose myself.
"It's too soon to be depressed," I scold myself. "I still gotta find April and Casey!" I knew where they were. They were at April's apartment. They were waiting there for us before the party that would start in a half hour. It was also where we'd be able to tell them if we could go as well. Master Splinter didn't like us attending parties, but we were hoping to convince him tonight.
I trudged at a slow-but-swift pace towards her apartment, my heart weighing down my steps.
April can fix this. She's super smart, smarter than me. She can help us. I tried to keep myself positive, but I couldn't escape the thought that I was alone. Helplessly, hopelessly alone. I remember Raph, alone in that park, and find the energy to quicken my steps. No matter what, I had to get him home. I promised him.
Several minutes later, I arrived at April's. I climb the fire escape and enter the window that's always unlocked for us. I slip through the first room, the bedroom, searching for our friends.
"April? Casey?" I call out, but I don't receive an answer. The dread and fear I'd been fighting the whole way here exploded in my chest and I ran to the living room. I scream in anguish. There, on the couch, holding each other's hands desperately as fear and confusion mar their faces, April and Casey sit, solid stone.
"NO!" I shout, angrily pounding the floor. "No! Please! Guys! I…I can't to this on my own." My anger turns to sorrow, and tears flood my vision. "I can't fix this on my own."
I glance up at their immobile forms, and I come to a decision. They shouldn't be left here.
Besides…I had a promise to keep.
"There ya go, Raphie. Nice and safe, right?" I shift the heavy stone a little more, so he's close to Leo. After getting April and Casey to the sewers, I moved on to Raph. It took several hours, but I finally got them all in the living room. Don't ask me why, but it was important to me that it was done. Like…none of them should be alone. I shift Donnie a little, so he was sitting next to Sensei. His position when he was frozen was just so, I could have him sitting fairly easily.
"Sorry I can't get you two to sit, too," I say to Leo and Raph. Or, what used to be Leo and Raph. "You guys didn't have your knees bent, so you're stuck standing." I don't know why I was talking to them. But I couldn't stop myself. I choked back yet another sob as I looked at the sad picture before me.
April and Casey, in the same position as in the apartment, on the couch next to Splinter. Donnie, on his other side, staring off into space. Leo and Raph, arranged so it looked like Leo was comforting Raph, whose hands were still frozen in front of him as if seeking something. Just looking at them, it could be seen as a heart-warming scene, if you didn't notice their expressions of despair, grief, horror, confusion, and fear. I shiver, feeling more alone than ever, as I try desperately to think of some way to fix them.
"The witch!" I shout suddenly, brightening at the idea. "I mean, I don't know if she's a witch, she never said she was, but she has to be, right? She put a curse on you guys because you kept breaking her rules! Which is kinda funny, since you all don't think I can listen worth anything, but here we are with me the only one listening to her and—" I cut myself off and shake my head. "Anyway. She caused this, I'll bet she can fix it. Don't worry, guys. I've got you covered!"
I run swiftly from the Lair, heading to the creepy place. I felt my heart speed up, though from fear or anticipation I didn't know. I guess it could be both. But I knew without a doubt that this was my last hope. I'm not smart like the rest of them. If this didn't work, I was going to be alone. My heart gave a lurch and my feet stumbled at the thought.
It's okay, Mikey. It's okay. You aren't alone right now. The others are just, uh…on another mission! Yeah. Um…Purple Dragons are on a robbing spree all down main street, and I'm the only one who can do this important mission. Yeah. I'm not alone. …Yet. I shake my head, blinking back tears. Just the thought of being all alone makes my heart shudder in my chest, but I stubbornly turn my thoughts to what we'll be doing after this awful Halloween night is over.
I sneak out of the manhole just a block away from my target. I hear a clock chime 11. By now, we would have been at the party, or having a monster movie marathon, depending on what Master Splinter allowed. Personally, I think we would have gotten to go to the party. Or that could be wishful thinking. I shake my head again and focus on my goal. I hop up the stairs and rap quickly on the door. Several minutes felt like an eternity when the same creepy lady finally opened the door, eyes shining mischievously as she looked at me.
"The respectful one returns, the defiant others gone. Pray tell, what makes it so your fire burns, perhaps the misfortune the others don?" I twitch angrily at the playful tone in her voice.
"You know what's happened to my family." She cackled.
"A danger ignored is my words, the open gate is for my curse. Now, their freedom has taken flight by the birds, and their bodies are taken by the hearse."
"No!" I shout, lurching forward to grab her, but am stopped by a barrier between me and the she-demon.
"You have honored my home, I repay your trust. Go back to your stone, before an hour they turn to dust." I gape in horror and try to slam my full body weight into the barrier, but with an evil grin she snaps her fingers and the house is completely gone, a graveyard in its place. I blink, astounded, and my eyes find six freshly dug holes waiting for the next burial. My family. I brace myself against a tree, emptying my stomach, before I run off as fast as I can. I glance at a clock as I slip down the alley. If the witch's words are right, I barely have forty-five minutes left with my family.
"Leo! Raph! Donnie! April! Casey! Father!" I call out, a half hour past infinity later, as I stumble once again into the living area. It took too long to get there. Only a half hour. Thirty whole minutes. I gaze at my family before me, my only solace, my sanity, my entire world, crammed into one room, about to disappear before my eyes. I look at each of them individually, tears welling.
"Casey. You've always been a bone-head. But you've been incredibly loyal and a constant in our family. I'm so glad that you found us, and that we found you. I'm sure I speak for us all when I say thank you for being our friend." I choke on my words, but I didn't want to regret not saying them.
"April. You've been like a sister to us. A best friend. Our first friend. This family is better having met you. I'm honored that you stayed with this crazy bunch of teenagers. I know my entire family is grateful for your constant care and compassion towards us. We have been amazingly blessed since that first fateful day we stumbled across each other." I felt tears roll down my cheeks, but I ignored them. I couldn't stop the sob, though, as I turned to my brothers and father.
"Sensei. You've taught us so much. Me especially. I can't believe you managed to teach me anything, since I can't seem to sit still long enough to listen. Still, you were always there for us. I'm forever grateful that you chose to take in four baby turtles that day. Father, thank you."
"Leo," I choked on a sob and took a few minutes to regain my breath. "My oldest brother. You've always looked out for us but seemed to have an eye on me specifically in most situations. Though Raph always had a portion of it too. We always worried you, what with Raphie's anger and my short attention span. I'm sorry we've always been hard on you. But we were always trying to get you to share the load, you know? It's not healthy for one turtle to carry that much by himself." I chuckle. "Guess it's my turn to lecture now that you can't talk back, huh? But seriously, thank you for always being my big brother, and protecting us and leading us well. I never could have been a leader like you." I wipe my tears and turn to my immediate older brother.
"Donnie. You're my best friend. We could talk about anything, even though we'd barely understand each other. With your techno speak and my hyper brain, it's amazing we ever had an understandable conversation. But we managed. Thank you for always taking care of us, for taking the time to learn medicine and mechanics and programming. I know you probably would have done it anyway, you're too curious, but I know the biggest reason is because you wanted to make sure we'd be okay. We'd have electricity, security, and be healthy. You always did an amazing job. You're so selfless and amazing. I wish I was like you. Thank you."
"Raphie." I was sobbing hard now. The tears were streaming non-stop and I felt snot running out my nose. "Most wouldn't think we had a good relationship, but sometimes I had trouble knowing if it was you or Don who was my best friend. Sorry, but Don wins that hand down. But you were always a close second. Protecting me from anything—nightmares, bad guys, Leo's drama, Don's occasional mishap—you were always there. Your anger made it hard to get through to you sometimes, but I always knew how to get around it. You were such a softy, I just had to throw you off guard and that would be it. 'Course, you'd get mad right after and I'd have to run, but that was most of the fun anyway. I know you liked it too. It was our way of showing love." I almost expected him to hit me for saying that, and the tears doubled when he didn't. I stood and placed my hand on his shoulder.
"I…I know it wasn't how we expected, or even wanted, Raphie, but I kept my promise. I-I got you home, Raphie. I got you home to our family." I gasped when I felt the hard stone start to crumble beneath my hand and I jerked away, watching as my family's cold-stone features began to turn grainy and shift. I sob.
"I'm sorry I failed you guys! I'm not smart like Donnie and April, spiritual like Leo or Sensei, and I wasn't strong like Raph or Casey to break her barrier! I'm sorry!" I sob, sinking to my knees as my family seemed to shrink and distort before me, but I knew it wasn't from my tears. I gasp in shallow breaths and rub my eyes. Sensei's ears were drooping, Casey and April were practically leaning into each other, and my brothers seemed to have shrunk down a third of their size. I gasp and lurch forward as the stone that they once were seemed to turn to hardened sand and I knew they were almost gone.
"Please…don't leave me alone." The clock struck midnight, and the fragile sand they were simply fell to the forces of gravity, leaving six piles of fine-grain sand where my family used to be. I was breathing shallowly. I knew I was breathing way to quickly. My heart pounded painfully in my ears, and I wondered briefly why it was still going. My family is gone. Why am I still here? My vision starts to fade in and out.
The last thing I hear is my head-splitting scream that didn't even express the pain within that came from knowing I was all. Alone.
Forever.
Surprise, surprise! This was a nightmare I had. Formatted to fit your favorite turtles. It was truly awful. But anything bad can have good come from it, right? Let me know what you thought!
Thank you for reading!
Happy Halloween!