Happy Halloween. Enjoy this spooky chapter.
Halloween had finally arrived and Wendy was both excited and nervous about the party. She hoped that everything would go well and that nothing too scary would happen. An hour before the guests would arrive, Wendy changed into her costume and did a last minute check list. She was going as a witch and her check list including making sure that the food was ready, the entertainment was set up, and that she knew exactly what each of her ghoul friends were planning to do tonight.
"Oh Wendy you look absolutely adorable." Juvia said, seeing her dress up in her black and orange witch dress with the matching hat.
"Really? Do you think Romeo will think so?"
"Of course."
"And is everything all ready? We're not forgetting anything are we?"
"No babe we've got it all covered." Natsu said. "You just have fun and leave the rest to us."
"Okay." She said.
There was a knock at the door.
"Oh there here! Alright everyone be ready!"
The little girl then quickly scurried downstairs to answer the door. As soon as she was gone the four ghouls instantly got into their positions.
"It's show time." Natsu said with a mischievous grin.
Wendy opened the front door and behind it was the group of her classmates, all dressed in costumes.
"Hi everyone." She greeted. "Happy Halloween. Come on in."
She escorted them all inside and led them to the middle of the first room. The room started to darken, fog surrounded them, and a shadow rose from the floor which took the form of Gray.
"Welcome foolish mortals." He said with a sinister voice that matched his equally sinister smile. "When hinges creek in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candle lights flicker where the air is deathly still. That is the time when ghosts are present. Practicing their terror with ghoulish delight."
Just his voice alone was enough to give everyone shivers but his overall appearance and trick with the shadows was even more haunting.
"Take it boys!" He snapped his gloved fingers and skeleton like ghosts and ghouls appeared with instruments. Gray moved himself over to the organ he made appear and as soon as he started playing it, the skeletons joined in. Creepy yet exciting music filled the room and after the intro Gray began to sing the spooky song he prepared with his fellow dead musicians singing back up.
"When the crypt doors creak
And the tombstones quake
Spooks come out for a singing wake
Happy haunts materialize
And begin to vocalize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize."
Wendy was impressed. Gray had said that he was good with music but she didn't think he would be this good and the way her performed was perfect. He was able to appear as scary and exciting. Not only that but he was able to make all the shadows in the room including the ones of her guests start dancing to the music.
"Now don't close your eyes
And don't try to hide
Or a silly spook may sit by your side
Shrouded in a daft disguise
They pretend to terrorize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize
As the moon climbs high o'er dead oak tree
Spooks arrive for the midnight spree
Creepy creeps with eerie eyes
Start to shriek and harmonize
Grim grinning ghosts come out socialize."
Her guests had faces of shock and awe. They weren't sure what captured their attention more the performance by the ghoul and skeletons or the dancing shadows.
"When you hear the knell of a requiem bell
Weird glows gleam where spirits dwell
Restles bones etherealize
Rise as spooks of every size
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize
Grim grinning ghosts come out
Grim grinning ghosts come out
To socialize."
With that final verse sung, Gray brought a gloved finger to his lips and made a hush noise which made him and the skeletons disappear, the shadows go back to being inanimate, and all the candles being lit.
"Wow! That was awesome!" Said Romeo who was dressed as a vampire. He along with the rest of the guests clapped excitedly. "Wendy that was literally one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Especially that shadow bit. How do you pull that off?"
"Uh...Trade secret." She giggled. "So shall we moved on to the next room?"
Everyone nodded and followed her into the next room. They went down a long corridor that had paintings on hanging on the walls and during the walk the kids couldn't help but notice how the paintings were changing. Stretching, moving, and turning into something frightening.
At the end of the hallway was a door. Wendy opened it and they went inside a room which resembled an attic. In the room center there was a table where Lucy sat in front of a crystal ball. A green mist was all around her and the crystal ball started glowing as she moved her hands around it.
"Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween, awaken the spirits with your tambourine." She spoke in mystic voice. "Dark spirits from the grave, come forth. Lift us from the black and show us. Show us the way back."
The very moment those words were spoken ghosts and spirits started to rise up and appear from all around. These spirits were friends of Lucy's who owed her a few favors so when she summoned them up to help out they agreed and even enjoyed it a little. As for Wendy's guests, they were sure that the ghosts they were looking at were all holograms or something though they never thought that a hologram could be so convincing.
"Lift us. Lift us up to the light." Lucy spoke again. "And lead us through this dark night."
Wendy and all the children suddenly found themselves being lifted off the ground and moved through the air but an unseen force. The unseen force was Juvia using her powers of telekinesis and even though the kids were startled by this at first they quickly found it to be very fun.
"This is way better than what they have at the usual party." One kid said.
"Yeah but I'm getting a little sick." Another kid said. "Could I get down now please?"
Juvia quickly and gently lowered them all back down. The kids then gathered around Lucy.
"What are you going to do now?" Asked a girl who was dressed as a mummy.
"I shall now tell you a tragic tale." Lucy spoke again in her mysterious voice. "Of a broken hearted bride and groom who were denied their wedding day. They planned to elope and begin a life anew but deception and treachery tore them apart. She died as did he but their souls still yearn for each other so they haunt this house, desperately seeking each other. Listen carefully and you can hear the beating of their broken hearts."
The room echoed with bone chilling sound of two hearts beating. Now Wendy was a little confused. How were they making that noise? They were dead. They didn't have a pulse.
"Goblins and Ghoulies, creatures of fright." Lucy spoke again in her mysterious voice."We summon you now…To dance through the night."
Lucy vanished in puff of green smoke and and the room seemed to be getting bigger and bigger until it's entire appearance changed entirely. It went from an attic to a form of ballroom and all the ghostly ladies and gentlemen partnered up to share a waltz in mid air. The room was becoming dim and the music changed. It was still creepy and mysterious but now it was less exciting and more sweet and alluring. The sound of heart beats increased and Juvia made herself visible, standing in the middle of all the ghostly dancers. A bright red was coming from her chest and it was moving, like she actually had a beating heart in her chest. She placed one hand over her chest and held out her other hand. Gray appeared from the shadows and he too had what appeared to be a heart beating in his chest. He took hold of Juvia's hand, leading her into a dance along with all the others. The two of them danced in perfect sync and when their dance ended, she turned toward the children and began to sing.
"Come little children, I'll take thee away,
Into a land of enchantment.
Come little children, the time's come to play,
Here in my garden of magic."
Her gentle voice very much like a siren's. It drew them in yet at the same time made them very frightened. The ghosts and Gray soon disappeared leaving only Juvia and the children. She held her arms out to them, as if to usher them to follow her.
"Come little children, the time's drawing near,
Halloween night is waning.
Come little children, ride with me tonight,
It's not a night for abstaining.
Come little children, now follow me home,
Not a one of you need worry.
Come little children, the time's come to roam,
Come follow me now please hurry."
Ensnared by both her voice and desire to see more, they allowed her to lead them into the next room. She was gone after that while they stood in the darkness of the next room, waiting for the next surprise.
