Disclaimer: Okay, so obviously I don't own CCS, CLAMP does. As for who owns 'The Viper', I'm not terribly sure, but it might be Alvin Scwartz. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
Author's Note: I was intentionally going to post this up last Halloween, but didn't have time. Enjoy reading, folks.
…
The Viper Is Coming
…
"…so you see, that's why I can't come, Meiling-chan." said Sakura over the phone, lying in bed. "This cold I have has really gotten the better of me. And besides, with that storm outside, I'm not sure if going out to trick-or-treat tonight is such a good idea."
"Aw, c'mon!" Meiling argued. "That'll mean MORE candy for us, think about it!"
"Well," Sakura yawned, "you can still go if you want. But as for me…I think I'll sleep in. I'm awfully tired."
She heard Meiling sigh. "Fine, then. But we'll save some candy for you once we're done, okay? Have a good rest, Sakura!"
Meiling hung up. Sakura put the phone back onto the charger and pulled up her blankets, going back to sleep.
One hour later…
RING-RING-RING! RING-RING-RING!
Sakura woke up to pick up the phone.
"Hello…?" she moaned.
"This is the viper." A deep raspy voice spoke over the line. "I have your address, and those of all your beloved friends. First, I shall come for the Daidoujis. Second, I shall come for the Lis. And then finally, I shall come for you, the Kinomotos."
The phone hung up before Sakura could respond.
"It must be some silly Halloween prank from one of her school mates." she thought.
She went back to sleep.
One hour later…
RING-RING-RING! RING-RING-RING!
Sakura rolled over her bed to pick up the phone again.
"Um, hello?" she whispered.
"This is the viper." It was the same raspy voice from not long ago. "I shall be here in one hour."
The phone hung up abruptly again. Sakura was feeling uncomfortable. She left her bed and went knocking on her brother's door.
"Toya…onii-chan…?" Sakura entered, finding Toya dressed in a punkish KISS outfit with heavy makeup.
"What is it, monster?" Toya asked.
"Some weirdo called the viper keeps phoning, saying he's coming here."
"I don't have time for this." Toya grumbled in disbelief, departing from his room and making his way downstairs to the front door. "I have to meet my friends at a party in half an hour, you know."
"But onii-chan, I'm serious!" Sakura cried nervously. "What if some stranger comes into our house?"
"Why?" Toya shrugged, before stepping outside. "I don't see why any stranger would do that when there's a monster inside." he teased.
Sakura frowned as her unhelpful brother shut the door behind him.
A short while later…
RING-RING-RING! RING-RING-RING!
Sakura picked up the phone, still awake.
"Hello…?" she asked apprehensively.
"This is the viper. I shall be here in thirty minutes."
Sakura hung up the phone and frantically dialled Tomoyo's house to check if she was okay. There was no answer. Then she dialled Syaoran's home to check if he and Meiling were okay. Again, no answer.
Something was horribly wrong.
A short while later…
Sakura checked every window of the house to see if anybody or anything suspicious was standing outside. She saw nothing but the storm clouds closing in towards her neighborhood.
RING-RING-RING! RING-RING-RING!
She picked up the phone in the living room.
"This is the viper. I shall be here in ten minutes."
Sakura was shaking with fear.
A short while later…
RING-RING-RING! RING-RING-RING!
Sakura picked up the phone in the kitchen, armed with a spatula.
"This is the viper. I shall be here in one minute."
At that moment, lightning struck. The lights in the house turned off. The phone went dead. There was utter silence.
Sakura panicked. This was the worst time to suffer a blackout. She locked the back door, then hurried over to lock the front one. But before she reached it, she heard a thunderous knocking.
Frozen stiff, Sakura dropped her spatula, afraid of what might be standing at her doorstep.
The knocking came again, only it was louder.
"HOOOEEE! It's the viper!" Sakura waved her arms uncontrollably.
She scrambled up the stairs, back into her bedroom, and underneath her blankets. She peaked her head out for a second, praying that the viper had left. But then it knocked again for the third time, and she dived back into bed.
She heard the front door slam. Then it was followed by heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, growing louder and louder as they reached the upper hallway. And soon they were right at her door.
Sakura clenched her blankets as she saw the door slowly creak open, revealing a short but ominous figure.
Suddenly, the power returned to the house and the lights flickered back on. A harmless old man, dressed in white overalls, greeted the frightened girl in bed, holding a sponge and a bucket of water.
"Good evening." he smiled, bowing politely. "I am the viper. I am here to vipe your vindows!"
A confused Sakura emerged from her blankets with a crooked grin. "Heh-heh…eh-heh-heh…viper…vindows…? Heh-heh-heh…heh-heh-heh-AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
She burst out laughing at her own stupidity.
Just then, the doorbell rang. She continued laughing downstairs to answer the next caller at the door, now relieved from her 'viper' scare.
"Heh-heh-heh…h-hello?"
"GYAAAAAAR!"
A giant viper hissed on her doorstep, revealing its beastly eyes, wicked fangs and reptilian tongue.
"HOOOOOEEEEE!"
Scared out of her wits, Sakura fell back and passed out from sheer fright.
"Oops." Meiling's head popped out from the viper's throat. "I think we overdid it, Syaoran."
Syaoran was acting as the rear of the viper costume that he and Meiling had made in preparation for Halloween. Tomoyo was there with her camera to film Sakura's reaction, but she never expected her to be THAT scared.
"I warned you this would be a bad idea." grunted Syaoran.
