A/N - I wrote this one a few years ago to celebrate Bonfire Night, and I wanted to re-post. It's a little belated, just over a day, but I don't suppose it matters. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. Sorry I didn't get around to posting the Halloween specials we wrote, but there are several, and I didn't have time to sit down and re-edit them. Maybe some other time. For now, hope this will suffice. - Laura
Bonfire Night
November 5th
The day was November 5th. A slight chill nipped the air, and the sky was beginning to dim with the later evening setting in. Yet, instead of locking up the club for the night, as what they'd usually do, the gang were all heavily engrossed in a big job on a day that's usually not of big significance to some of them.
Mostly all male members of the club were wrapped up heavily in thick coats, scarfs, hats and gloves whilst busily working away in the back yard over a central growing mound, whilst the ladies all kept themselves amused by watching the guys breaking their backs by hauling in heavy wood by the truck load.
But...what exactly were they building? And why? What was the special occasion?
"Um, remind me again why we're building a fort, Elly?"
It was Freddy Krueger's bored sounding tone that broke the monotony of endless building with planks of used wood, busted wardrobes and other bits of tired old household oddities in the back yard of the club. The mound itself was almost as tall as the building.
"It is not a fort we're building, dear chap," Elliot Spencer answered cheerfully as he threw a ton of rotted chair legs onto the ever-growing pile before the gang. "We're building a bonfire."
"Why?" Freddy asked nonchalantly without even looking at Elliot, whilst scooping up Chucky with a load of splintery ply wood and tossing that along with the disgruntled doll toward the giant pile that was supposed to be the makings of a bonfire.
It was hard to tell whether the Dream Demon did that deliberately, or he was simply being careless in his actions whilst attempting to scoop up an armful of wood. Me personally would bet on the former than the latter.
"Fuck you, Krueger!" Chucky sneered as he struggled to haul himself out of the sea of wood. Freddy appeared pleased with himself and chuckled as Chucky seemed to sink further into the mound the more he struggled, like it was quick sand.
If it were not for Pinhead's quick thinking by grasping his plastic hand and dragging him to the surface, then the doll would have disappeared without a trace.
"Aw, damn it, Pinny, why d'ya do that?! I bet the Chuckster would have gotten the whole damn fire going in a second!" the burnt former serial killer cackled.
"Not funny!" Chucky shot back before toddling off in a huff to sulk somewhere.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the bonfire, Elliot gave Freddy a frustrated sigh. "As I was saying, the reason we're making a bonfire tonight is because-"
"...It's Burn the Chucky Doll Night?" Freddy wise cracked back at the former World War One Soldier, and ignorant to Chucky's indignant groans and a plastic whack-off gesture being shot his way in the background.
Then everyone involved in building the bonfire all groaned and facepalmed. Obviously, Freddy was in some kind of hyper, tormenting mood.
"No, Frederick!" Elliot grumbled. "Today is November the fifth..."
"Yeah, so?" Freddy interrupted again and tossing a random clock into the hulking pile.
It was Pinhead this time who decided to sigh frustrated at Freddy's annoying antics. "So...it may not be known to you, Krueger, but today is-"
"Guy Fawkes Night...I know!" Freddy piped up.
Both Pinhead and Elliot gawked perplexed at the Dream Demon before turning to look at the other and shrugging.
"Then why did yo-"
"Cuz I just wanted ta screw with ya." Freddy cut off Elliot mid-sentence, cackling and throwing another half a dozen clocks into the mound.
"Would you stop throwing clocks into the bonfire, Krueger!" Candyman shouted exasperated.
Freddy just shrugged. "Whatever. Hey, what's so special about Guy Fawkes Night anyways?" Freddy suddenly piped up, changing the subject and turning to face Elliot and Pinhead. "Why a big fancy shcmancy bonfire?"
"Do you not know your history, Krueger?" Pinhead asked, shaking his head.
"Nah, kinda flunked history because it was a snore fest. But whatever." Freddy chuckled, throwing more clocks into the bonfire.
"Stop that!" Pinhead shouted in frustration at the Dream Demon's clock throwing antics. The ex-Springwood Slasher then turned and huffed at the Cenobite, thus giving Pinhead and Elliot the go ahead to a brief history lesson.
"Well," Elliot began. "Guy Fawkes Night originates from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed conspiracy by a group of provincial English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I and replace him with a Catholic head of state..."
Much Later On...
Well, I say a brief history lesson...but the whole story into the Gunpowder Plot and the legend concerning Guy Fawkes' death and the celebration the whole escapade soon became over the centuries turned into an hour long lecture.
Most of the gang had nodded off, and with Freddy fighting to stay awake.
"...And that's the story of Guy Fawkes and the story surrounding the British event that is Bonfire Night." Elliot finished off.
Freddy merely gawked at the good Captain, his mouth hanging wide open as if catching flies. "You Brits are sick bastards." he scoffed. "I mean, you're celebrating the fact some poor bastard got burnt to the stake."
"Not necessarily," Pinhead spoke up. "Bonfire night's sectarian significance has generally been lost over time. It is now usually just a night of revelry with a bonfire and fireworks and mischief."
While most of the gang were now alert and continuing on with the building of the bonfire, Freddy was still full of questions.
"And why's tonight any different?" Freddy said after a long silence. "I mean, we've been at this dump for as long as I can remember. And we've never once decided to have a Bonfire party. Why start now?"
Elliot and Pinhead fell into silence. It was true; not once in all the years they'd been attending the club had they ever celebrated this very British tradition come November 5th.
"Well..." Elliot's English tones were soft and quiet as he spoke. "I thought that for once we'd celebrate an English custom. I believe we've celebrated Thanksgiving more than enough times-"
"Hey, don't diss Thanksgiving, man!" Freddy shouted.
Elliot held up his hands in a 'calm down' gesture. "No, I'm not insulting your holiday tradition at all, dear chap. I'm merely stating that we should all celebrate one British tradition at least, especially when my demon friend and I are willing enough to celebrate your wonderful Thanksgiving custom." he smiled.
Freddy just shrugged. "Fair enough."
There was a sudden high pitched giggle that broke the deathly silence and sounds of wood clanking together...a child's high pitched giggle.
"HIYA DADDY! UNCLE ELLY! UNCLE FREDDY! UNCLE CHUCKY! LOOK! I'M KING OF THE WORLD!"
The very familiar voice came from the top of the humongous pile of wood which Elliot called a bonfire, and it directed everyone's eyes upwards.
And there, just at the tip top of the bonfire...stood a frightfully brave little PJ Cotton-Totec, his arms wide like he was mimicking Leonardo DiCaprio's pose from the Titanic movie...and he wasn't alone.
Along with him was his little sister, Ashley.
"Oh my Leviathan! My precious babies!" Pinhead screamed rather uncharacteristically, especially when he saw how his little daughter had joined her big brother in all of this. Since the birth of his children, he'd gone softer, especially where it concerned his twin daughters. Not that he didn't love PJ any less, but you see what I mean.
"YOUNG MAN, YOU COME DOWN FROM THERE THIS INSTANT AND BRING YOUR LITTLE SISTER WITH YOU!"
As one could imagine, Pinhead looked set to keel over from heart failure. But hey, luckily...he's a Cenobite, and Cenobites have strong hearts.
But...PJ and Ashley's mother does not. Oh dear. Pinhead would have to get them down and soon, before Kirsty saw this.
"Daddy mad?" Ashley sweetly cooed to her father.
Pinhead's eyes softened toward the sweet curly haired and brown eyed little girl. "No, precious, daddy isn't angered. But daddy is very scared of this very moment, and doesn't want his little Princess to-"
"What's going on out there?" shouted out a familiar voice from inside the club.
It was Kirsty...and she was coming!
"Well your little piggies are on top o-" Freddy began, but his mouth got covered by Pinhead's hand.
"Nothing, Kirsty. Nothing at all." Pinhead answered as honestly as he could sound. If his wife found out two of her children had climbed to the top of the Bonfire, then he'd be horribly castrated for 'not watching them'.
"Hey daddy, watch!"
They heard PJ shout out, and they saw the boy plummet as he jumped off the top of the wood pile, with little Ashley following suit.
"Weeeeeeeee!" Ashley squealed.
"Bombs away!" PJ shouted out.
"Noooooo!" Pinhead screamed in super slo-mo, diving forwards like Superman in attempt to break the kids' fall.
Luckily, both children landed safely and softly across their father's body...with Pinhead's tenderness taking a painful hit from his daughter's direct landing.
"Again! Again!" Ashley bounced up and down, looking into her dad's face and tugging at his jacket as she sat across him.
"Having fun, are we?" said Kirsty as she came closer, followed by Tiffany, Joey and the rest of the other women. Her arms were folded and she gazed questioningly to her husband, who gulped.
"Um, Kirsty, my sweet, I-"
"Daddy pwayed Supaman when he catched me mommy!" Ashley squealed excitedly as she run up toward her mother, who scooped her up.
"Oh did he now?" Kirsty said, making Pinhead quiver with fright. "That's wonderful, honey." she then cooed to her daughter, not noticing her hubby wiping his sweaty brow and breathing a sigh of relief. "Now how's about we set off those fireworks. I see the bonfire is near enough ready." Kirsty then said as she rubbed her huge baby belly.
"Good idea." Elliot said.
"Should be fun." Candyman said, with the others agreeing.
"Are we sure we don't wanna throw Chucky on there?" Freddy cackled.
"Shut the fuck up Krueger!" Chucky shouted, flipping him the bird.
Pinhead shook his head briefly before walking off in the direction of where a huge box was placed; in the corner near the playhouse. "I'll fetch the fireworks, my love." he told Kirsty.
In the meantime Kirsty set Ashley down on the ground, and the little girl, her twin sister Aeryn and PJ huddled round along with the other kids watching as Pinhead set up the fireworks in a neat row ready to be set off. Of course, no where near the bonfire itself.
"I'll do the honours, shall I?" Pinhead called out as he finished setting up the long row of fireworks of all kinds.
Freddy just shrugged. "Knock yaself out."
Everyone all began to gather round now, all sheathed in huge coats and hats to keep warm from the bitter cold November weather. All watched as the pinned Cenobite lit the bonfire after dousing it with gasoline, a feat which he managed to achieve with the simple notion of his mind.
Hey, it's assumed he has pyrokinesis too, you know.
The three Cotton-Totec kids watched the bonfire become consumed with bright orange flames, with little Ashley clapping excitedly, and little Aeryn gazing in awe, and PJ just begging at his father's feet for the fireworks to be set off.
When the time came for them, the kids could barely contain their excitement watching as Pinhead lit the first one.
"Alright now, everyone stand well back." Pinhead called out.
WOOOOOSHHHH!
Somehow, something had gone wrong...somehow the firework ended up bouncing off the wall, flying backwards and attacking Pinhead, setting the back of his pants and his hat on fire.
"GAH!" he screamed, running back and forth trying to put the fire out.
I think it's safe to say Freddy and Chucky almost died from hysterical laughter. But poor little Ashley burst into tears thinking her daddy was hurt.
Whilst Kirsty worked to comforting her daughter, Pinhead finally managed to put out the fire engulfing him, and he'd gotten the hang of setting off the fireworks too.
SCREEEEEEEEECH!
As half a dozen rockets and big bangers shot up into the dark sky, turning the blackness into a canvas of shimmering multitude of colours, the whole gang quietened down to witness the scene before them.
It was a spectacular show, and awe-inspiring. Fireworks always were. But there was something very special about this British event, Bonfire Night. Something very fun, despite its gruesome beginnings.
Well, Freddy and co were definitely sold on this.
"Heh, guess we'll have to celebrate this again next year, huh Pinny?" Freddy said as he stared straight up into the sky.
"Indeed so, Frederick." Pinhead agreed.
"Couldn't agree more, dear chaps." Elliot nodded.
It was a simply wonderful moment, a moment of calm and peace as everyone all agreed on this one thing while they huddled around their great flaming bonfire. Silence fell among the group, and everything was great; until Freddy shrugged his shoulders and decided to toss something else into the flaming mound...
...Another clock.
"WILL YOU STOP THROWING CLOCKS INTO THE BONFIRE!" everyone screamed at the cackling Dream Demon.
The End...