CHAPTER 8

[Just when I thought I could have a fun night out with Roxie, I find out there are people in the bathroom planning my death. As I thought about what might be lurking around State U, I wished it was something as simple as the excuse I told her. I had a bad feeling about this.]

Tommy pushed through the crowd looking around frantically, scanning each person he passed. He got to the entrance and looked out into the hallways – empty. He turned around to face Merton, "So?"

"So, what?" Merton asked.

"What's going on?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Because you're Merton and you just always know what's going on with this kind of stuff."

"Tommy, I don't specialize in translating conversations from bathroom stalls! Besides you made such a good cover up, I thought you had everything all figured out."

"I'm going to go check outside. You stay here and guard the door."

"Wait, what am I guarding against?"

"I don't know, anyone that looks suspicious."

"Tommy, it's Halloween! Everyone is in costume! How am I supposed to pick out suspicious looking people?"

"Just do it!" Tommy said and walked away.

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Tommy exited the main hallway that connected to the lounge and stepped outside. There was no sound, no movement. As he scanned the area, he heard a click. He turned around and saw someone running in the halls in the opposite direction from him. He ran over to the doors and discovered that they were locked. He ran around the school only to find out that all doors leading to the lounge were locked. Tommy went into panic mode and realized that this could be about more than killing him. Everyone inside could be in danger.

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Merton stood by the door, dancing as much as his pathetic rhythm would allow. The boy with the Jason mask entered the lounge and before Merton could greet him, the boy pushed him to the ground. He locked the door Merton was supposedly guarding as well. He ran through the crowd and met the woman near where the DJ was.

"It's all done, Morgan," he said, flinging the Jason mask to the ground, "We're ready."

"Excellent," she said and smiled in an evil manner.

"So does that mean you can finally give me Alpha powers?" The young boy asked, excitedly.

"We'll see," she said, answering him just to keep him quiet, never letting the evil smile leave her face.

"But, you said-"

"I said nothing, David. Now shut up! It's time." David folded his arms and pouted while Morgan began to unleash her evil plan. She lifted her hands as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and said, "On this night Hallows Eve we ask of thee, to turn these mortals into the creatures they pretend to be." Lightning struck the middle of the dance floor and a purple light illuminated the room and then quickly faded.

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As Tommy ran around the perimeter of the building looking for a way in, he heard screams erupt from inside. He didn't want to damage the school but, as soon as he heard the screams, he knew he had no choice. He tightened his jaw and wolfed out. He backed up a couple of steps and ran into the door pushing it open with his supernatural strength. As soon as the lounge was in his sight, he knew something extremely bad was happening. Through the windows on the door, he could see everyone running mad. He grabbed the handle to open the door and pulled it towards him, ripping the door off its hinges.

He felt as if he had just stepped into a circus. He saw vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and other monsters that he wasn't familiar with. As Tommy looked around the room trying to take everything in that he was seeing, someone pushed him against the wall. A grandmother, with her hair in curlers and horribly messy lipstick, was pinned against him as a zombie closed in on her.

"Excuse me," Tommy said, trying to squeeze out from between the wall and grandma. "Miss, excuse me." She only screamed and squeezed him against the wall more, due to the zombie getting closer. Tommy put his hand on her shoulder. She looked down at her shoulder and noticed his hairy hand and fainted. He laid her down as gently as he could as the zombie, that was dressed like Hannah Montana, crept closer towards him. The zombie grabbed his head and pulled him towards her.

"Hannah, huge fan," Tommy said, struggling to break her grip on his skull. She only continued to attempt to bring his skull towards her dry, hungry lips. Something clicked and Tommy remembered that he had seen a girl in a Hannah zombie costume earlier. He knew that it was a possibility that there was some sort of spell that made everyone actually become their costume. This only made his job harder, realizing that if he hurt any of these monsters, he was actually hurting the people underneath the costume.

"Why are you so angry? I thought you had the best of both worlds! What went wrong?" Tommy asked as he struggled with the zombie. His instinct told him to rip her arm off but, he knew he couldn't do that. He finally broke her grip and ran off as she ran into the wall, not realizing that he had run off.

Tommy scanned the room for Merton. He only saw chaos and people running in every direction. He ran over to the DJ stand, to look for the microphone, which he spotted in a gorilla's hand that ran past him. He walked down from the platform that the DJ stand was set up on and looked at the crowd, having no idea what to do.

He heard a wicked laugh, turned to his left, and saw a woman in a long dress standing next to him. "What do you propose to do, Mr. Dawkins?"

"How do you know my name?"

"You would be surprised to know how much I know about you, Tommy," she said with another wicked laugh.

He stood in front of her and asked, "You did this?"

"Yes, and I will ask again, what do you propose to do about it?" She stared at him with vicious eyes, daring him to answer her.

"Change them back!"

"Or what?" She asked, devilishly. Tommy growled and he felt a hand on his arm. He turned around to see the boy with the Jason mask from earlier.

"You're in on this too?" Tommy asked.

"You bet," he answered and wolfed out.

Before Tommy could begin to fight, someone kicked him in the side. He was caught off guard and fell to the floor. He looked up to see Roxie standing above him holding an axe. He jumped up and asked her, "What's the matter with you?"

"I've got a score to settle with you, wolfy!" Roxie yelled, pointing the small but, sharp axe towards him.

"I did not see this coming! This is going to be great!" Morgan exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"What are you talking about? What did you put her up to?" Tommy asked as he avoided swings of the axe.

"I didn't put her up to anything. She's only under a spell that causes her to become her costume, which just so happens to be Little Red Riding Hood. As far as I remember, Little Red isn't too fond of the big bad wolf." Morgan smiled and watched as Tommy fought Roxie.

"Roxie, put the axe down!" Tommy screamed as Roxie held it over her shoulder.

"I don't know who Roxie is but, if this is another one of your tricks, I just want to let you know, I'm not falling for it!" Roxie swung the axe towards Tommy's neck. He knocked the axe out of her hand, grabbed her arms, and held them behind her back.

Morgan continued her evil laugh, enjoying every minute. "Turn her back, witch!" Tommy yelled as Roxie struggled.

"I'd love to, really I would. However, I have things to do. Have fun!" She waved her hand as she ran out into the chaotic crowd with David running behind her.

As Tommy watched Morgan, Roxie seized the moment and slipped one arm out from his grip and hit him hard in the ribs. Tommy buckled over for a second and let out a deep growl.

"Didn't like that did you, wolfy?"

"Roxie, please stop! I don't want to hurt you!" Roxie picked up her axe and walked slowly towards him. "Is that you, Grandma?" Tommy looked behind her, pretending to see Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother. Roxie turned around quickly and Tommy ran off to find Morgan and David.

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Tommy pushed through the crowd as fast as he could. He made it to the hallway, closed his eyes, and tried to track Morgan's scent. He opened his eyes to find Merton right in front of his face. Tommy jumped back and Merton laughed maniacally.

"Not you too!" Tommy thought he would be relieved to see Merton at a time like this, however, he realized he wasn't looking at Merton right now. He was looking at the Joker.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," he said licking his lips, which were covered in bright red lipstick, "I take that back. I see no gentlemen here, just a mangy little dog."

"What do you want from me?"

"What do I want from you? Why do people always assume that I want something from them?" Merton circled Tommy as he spoke to him. "Maybe I just want to help put a smile on that face," he said with a crazy laugh.

"I don't have the time for this," Tommy said and began to walk into the hallway. Merton put a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Maybe you didn't hear me correctly," he said, getting right in his face, "I want to put a smile on your face! Want to see a magic trick?"

Tommy tightened his fists, "I don't like magic tricks."

"That's the problem with little doggies like you. You don't train very well. However, if you're a good boy and do what you're told, I'll give you a treat!"

"I said I don't like magic tricks. I'm going to say this once and only once. Get out of my way," Tommy said and let out a growl.

"The big bad puppy wants me to get out of his way, does he? However, I never put a smile on that furry face!" Merton dug in his pocket to take out a pencil.

"What if I show you a magic trick instead?" Tommy said as the Joker watched him attentively.

"Watch my hand and I'll make stars appear," Tommy waved his hand in front of Merton's face until he balled it into a fist and punched him. Merton fell to the floor and Tommy propped him up against the wall. He patted his friend's head. "Sorry, little buddy."