Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! And thanks to all who are reading. :-)

For those who aren't familiar with it, the night before Halloween – October 30th – is often referred to as Mischief Night in the U.S. (and Canada too I think, but I wouldn't swear to it. :p). At least it was back in the 'olden days' when I was a kid. ;-)

The Curse

Chapter 4

Frank began to slow down his pace slightly, nearing the end of his run. Sunday morning runs on the beach were his favorite. He rarely saw another person and loved the solitude. Enjoying the sun playing off the water and the sounds of the ocean, Frank let his mind wander and found himself smiling at Joe and his current "obsession" with the curse they were supposedly under.

There were logical explanations for everything that had happened – his flat tire, Joe's injured hand, Vanessa's sprained ankle – and they all would have happened even if Frank and Joe hadn't crossed paths with Cassandra and her mother. Of course Joe would never believe it. As far as his younger brother was concerned, they were doomed for the next several days.

As he left the beach and approached his neighborhood, Frank slowed to a walk, enjoying the peaceful silence. He was looking forward to the Halloween party Callie and Vanessa had planned for Mischief Night and the chance to spend some time with his friends. Given the legend surrounding the old mansion, it would prove to be a very interesting evening and he wryly wondered if anyone would see the ghosts of the previous owners.

Walking up the driveway to his house, he saw Callie coming out the front door. Meeting him in the driveway, she leaned in for a kiss but declined a hug after giving his sweat soaked t-shirt a once over.

"I'm on my way to the grocery store. Anything special you want?"

"No, thanks," Frank replied kissing her on the nose. "I've already got everything I want."

"And people think you aren't romantic." She smiled as she slid into her car and pulled away.

Frank continued on into the house and up the stairs to the bedroom. After a leisurely shower, he dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he picked up the Sunday paper Callie had left on the table and went into the living room. Relaxing on the couch, he picked up the first section and began to read the latest news.

A while later, just as Frank was folding up the paper the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi, honey."

"Callie? Where are you?" Frank asked a little surprised. A simple trip to the grocery store didn't usually warrant a phone call.

"Seems I've had a little accident."

"What?" Frank exclaimed, getting to his feet. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. But my car needs to be towed. Can you come rescue me and the groceries?"

"Of course. But are you sure you're all right?" Frank continued talking to her as he went upstairs to find his shoes.

"Yes, I'm really alright."

"Where are you?" Frank cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder as he tied his sneakers.

"Carson Avenue just past Grant Street."

"Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks. Bye."

"Bye."

Frank threw down the phone and rushed out the door. Callie said she was unhurt and she sounded fine, but Frank wouldn't be able to relax until he saw it for himself. Driving as fast as the speed limit allowed through the suburban streets, it took Frank less than five minutes to get to his destination. Getting out of his car, Frank saw Callie standing next to her car, the right front wheel sitting at an odd angle on top of the curb.

Quickly walking over to her, he pulled her into his arms. She returned the tight embrace, reassuring him once again that she was fine. Pulling away, Frank scrutinized his wife carefully until he was satisfied that she had not been injured.

With an arm still wrapped around her shoulder, Frank led Callie towards her car for a closer inspection.

"What happened?" he asked, puzzled.

"A dog ran out in front of me and I swerved to avoid him. Ran up on the curb. Unfortunately, I heard something snap. There are some broken pieces of something under the car." Callie waved in the direction of the car.

Frank released her and got down on his knees examining the ground and the underside of the car. It was obvious something had been damaged when the car made contact with the hard cement, but he wasn't sure what. Standing up, he wiped his hands together to shake off the dirt.

"Well, I'm not the mechanic in the family so I have no idea what it is, but something is definitely in need of repair down there," Frank agreed.

"I already called Triple A. They said a tow truck would be here shortly. Can you help me get the groceries into your car before it gets here?" Callie asked, walking towards the trunk of her car.

Obligingly, Frank followed and they had the bags transferred just as a tow truck pulled up. The driver got out and, after speaking with Frank and Callie for a few moments, he hooked the car up to his truck and headed towards the garage Frank had specified. As it pulled away, Frank got out his cell phone and called Joe. As Callie listened to Frank's side of the conversation, she watched his expression change several times and had to stifle a laugh.

"Joe," Frank said with obviously forced patience, "it has nothing to do with the stupid curse, okay? A dog ran out in front of her and she didn't want to hit it."

Frank listened for a moment then rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Enough, Joe! Can you just call your buddy and let him know Callie's car has been towed to his shop? Tell him we'll be down first thing in the morning."

Callie smiled as she watched Frank throw up a hand in defeat. "Fine. Whatever. If you want to tell him it's the curse go ahead. Personally, I think it was the cement curb that did it, okay? I'm saying goodbye now, Joe. Goodbye." Muttering to himself, Frank flipped the phone shut.

No longer able to hide her amusement, Callie finally laughed out loud. Frank looked at her with a sheepish smile.

"He's convinced it was the curse and not the dog," Frank chuckled.

"You have to admit, he keeps life interesting." Callie put an arm around Frank's waist as they walked back to his car.

"Yes, he does," Frank agreed.

As he started the car and pulled away, Frank shook his head and wondered if anyone else in his family would run into some minor misfortune in the next few days, cementing Joe's conviction that the curse was indeed working.