The surprise started off with a scream. Literally.
"OHMYGOD, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"
"D-Dina, I'm fine!" Lucy brushed it off. "My demon teachers decided that today of ALL days would be another great opportunity to beat the everloving crap out of me. Don't worry, I've been through worse."
(It would be a bit too gruesome to describe here. Let's just say that Lucy's swear jar ended up filling all the way.)
"You poor thing…"
Lucy had to hide a blush. She was always told she was special. Still, this was a say to just forget about all her troubles and future problems.
All of Lucy's friends and family had arrived. Her mothers, Ellie and Lynne, her brother, Randy, along with Hannah Fairchild, Sonny and Sarah Quinn, Zach Cooper, Champ, Mirpo, Erin and Merty Wright, the Deeps, the Morgans, Billy Harlan, Mark Tyler, even the monster pets! Truly, this felt like home.
Shadow House looked even spookier than ever with the Halloween decorations. This reminded Lucy of how incredibly unique she was, to be born on a holiday of all days (Someone in the world would consider it bad luck). After all, since he took the form of a werewolf, Randy always joked about how he was born on Christmas. In truth, he was born two years after Lucy.
"Looking as creepy and abandoned as always, Dylan." Lucy noted. "Thanks."
"I had some inspiration from my grandpa's books." Dylan replied. "Don't worry, no killer clowns."
"Yeah, I'm too old for them anyway." That's when she noticed something. "Hey, where's Cory and Lisa?"
"Ugh. Fashionably late as always." Dylan groaned. "Knowing them, they might be scrambling to get you something at the last minute."
"Heh. College can do that to ya."
Presents came first. The first one Lucy opened was the one from Wraith, Wargon's human form…which just so happened to be a sharp yet bloodied demon blade.
"Uhhhh….thanks?"
"Now you can bathe more easily in the blood of your enemies!" He laughed heartily.
"Well, I guess I brought it on myself." Dylan groans. "I did tell him to get you SOMETHING."
Honestly, she was expecting something a bit more gruesome. Like a severed zombie head.
She opened Billy Harlan's gift next. It was…uh…some kind of weird alien thing…
"I call it the Internet Enhancer. Say you're in another realm altogether. With this thing attached to your phone, you'll never need to worry about connection or wi-fi issues again!"
"Did you…MAKE this? Yourself?"
"Only because I didn't want to waste money."
Woah. That WAS smart.
Next was Lynne's gift: A blank book that could be written in. Like a journal or diary.
"You always loved telling monster tales when you were young." Lynne only said. "Now I think you've had some inspiration. And you always wanted to be a writer growing up."
"Well…that was BEFORE I learned of the whole…er…thing. Besides, I wouldn't even come CLOSE to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Gloomy there."
Eric Affabee only stood in the shadowy corner, simply watching.
"He always dresses up like that around Halloween." Dylan says. "And he stays in character SO good that it's creepy."
Still, it was true. Lucy DID have a big imagination.
Hannah's gift was a rather unique one: A special charm from the Shadow Realm.
"For any future ghost problems. It wards off any evil spirits. Like an unbreakable barrier, and you're always surrounded by a salt circle. Shadow Demons won't be able to touch you."
"Oh. Yeah, thanks. Getting possessed ONCE is one too many times."
Ellie's gift seemed to match Hannah's. But instead, it was some kind of enchanted necklace. The Ward Charm seemed to fit right inside.
"This is to guard against all dark forces, both within and without. And a reminder of my love for you, my sweet Lucille."
"Thanks, Mom…" Lucy enforced that statement with a hug.
When she opened Randy's gift, it was rather a bit…surprising: Halestorm's latest album, Back From The Dead.
"I never told you about my music!" It was more of a private thing.
"Of course you didn't. But you DID forget to put a CD case away."
Oh…so THAT'S how he knew…
"Okay, this isn't mine, per se, but it's Grandpa's." Dylan said. "I think you might like it, Reading Ranger."
She was taken aback by that. That was the summer reading program she used to attend at the library back in Timberland Falls! How did he…?
Maybe opening it would explain everything. Once she did…she was taken aback.
The black hardcover book had a green campfire in front of Dead House with lightning striking for a cover. That green campfire, with a green G emerging from the flames, was the logo of the Midnight Society!
The title read Goosebumps: The World Of Horror.
She read the back blurb. No way…!
"He…he made a story of every single one of our adventures?!"
"Yep. Starting with Cory and Lisa arriving and finding Dead House. And ending with our battle with The Haunter."
"Across both timelines?!"
Through his disguise, R.L. Stine said nothing, as he lowered his fedora hat.
"He says that imagination works in mysterious ways." Tina answers.
Lucy opened more and more gifts. Some were for her monster life, such as Zach Cooper giving her a Mystic Manuscript able to seal multiple monsters and Lucy Del Rio giving her a book copy of the Many Mysteries Club's Monster Database, some were for her demon life, such as Jack Black getting her custom made battle armor and Sue getting her a Netherian artifact.
But others were for her human life. Sonny got her a vampire poster, and Mark had gotten her a glitch and virus-free video game of his.
Kruu got her a few tickets to a vacation at New Transylvania. Mirpo had gotten her a high-tech camera that looked like a toy spaceship (which thankfully wasn't haunted). Freddy got her a book on monster lore. And Grady got her the entire Twilight saga.
Finally, all that was left was Dina. But how she was smiling left Lucy suspicious.
"You didn't get me anything, did you?" Lucy asks.
"Why should I? Am I not enough?"
"I-! Uh…w-well…"
Dina laughed. "Of COURSE I got you something…"
When she opened this one, Lucy's eyes went wide. A pair of roller blades. They looked exactly like the kind she forgot at the library that fateful day. It was because of them that she went back. And discovered Mr. Mortman's true identity…
"I know it's your favorite past-time." Dina smiled. "Besides…love can't be wrapped."
Lucy was taken aback by the quick peck on the lips that followed.
"I…uh…t…thanks…"
"I love you too, Lucy."
It was then that the front doors opened. Cory and Lisa only look dumbfounded at the sight.
"WHAT?! We MISSED it?!" Lisa groans. "ARGH! I knew I shouldn't have wasted my time TPing the university statue!"
"Oh CRAP I completely forgot to get something! The town decorations were too distracting!" Cory added.
"Maybe I should've gotten myself one of those watches." Amaz-O chuckled. "That way I'd nag you non-stop."
"Relax, at least you're just in time for cake!" Dylan said. "Don't worry, no cockroaches or worms or mice or ANY of that creepy crawler stuff."
"Speaking from experience, kiddo?" Lisa asked.
"Uh…yeah."
Lisa, as her dragon altar ego, had no problem lighting the candles (shockingly not ruining the cake). And Lucy didn't need to unleash that bat cry to put them out. And since it wasn't chocolate, that meant even Trigger, Larry, and Wolf could enjoy it as well.
The celebration was grand, and Cory felt as if attending a Halloween party of his very own. As for Lucy, she never felt more proud of herself. She had gone from the Girl Who Cried Monster to the Woman Who Hunted Monsters. As the very first half-Monster, half-Demon hybrid, no less!
Little did Lucille realize that this would get a lot more exciting.
…
The night had only just begun, with the sun having set completely mere seconds ago. The trick-or-treater kids were out in the town that Lucy sat on the rooftop in her Monster form, overlooking the town below and seeing the beautiful moon above.
With her enhanced sight, she could see how happy and peaceful the people were. Some kids even faked being scared from the decorations. One man was dressed in black with a pumpkin head and skeleton heads. A house had eyes that moved thanks to computers. Even some jack-o'-lantern pumpkins were singing Thriller.
It was like the world didn't even NEED magic for super weird stuff to be happening all the time. Lucy only smiled as she looked down upon her people…yet almost saddened…
"Enjoying the view?"
She yelped and jumped upwards. Dina had emerged from the attic window. Her blue reptilian lizard scales shone and reflected off the moonlight, no longer an eerie green. Much like Hannah's ghost form. Only more beautifuler.
"I…I am now…"
She sat back down with Dina joining her.
"But…I think I have to let something off my chest here." Lucy began. "Once every year…I feel like I really do belong. Everyone would think I'm a freak if they saw me on any other night. But I was…RAISED like a human. Even though…I'm not. Despite looking like one."
Dina turned to Lucy.
"Sometimes I wish that…I could CHANGE things. So that we could live among them without fear or hatred OR the need to scare. But still…do you think there's a place where…we wouldn't need to worry about them?"
"Like…New Transylvania?"
"Bigger. MUCH bigger. Like a whole separate world." Lucy sighed. "But…I shouldn't be stressed like this. Not tonight. I feel like I really am the queen of the world. Well…I'm GONNA be, but…not of THIS world. And…I don't really think your kind's allowed."
"You think…you're a freak among freaks?"
Lucy took a deep breath. "Sometimes…maybe even freakier."
Dina only took her hand.
"I don't care if you really are part monster and part demon. You've never been more human. And you…you're the most human person that I've ever met…"
Lucy smiled and blushed. "So…I'm not exactly sure how demon politics work, but…would you…like to rule alongside me?"
Dina smiled back. "Even after our happy ending, Lulu…"
The girls leaned in. Lucy could almost feel it. The warm heat, the incredible feeling, not to mention how that only scratched the SURFACE of how her kiss felt.
And when they got close…reality kicked her in the backside.
"ALERT. MONSTER THREAT DETECTED."
"GYAH!"
Lucy nearly went tumbling off the roof, but caught herself AND her phone. Great. She thought. Leave it to an A.I. who never felt love to interrupt ONE moment.
"MASSIVE AMOUNT OF DARK MAGIC DETECTED. THREAT LEVEL: GODSLAYER."
GODSLAYER?!
"God damnit, are you on my side or NOT, Lady Luck?!" Lucy screamed so loud Dina feared the whole town heard her. "This is NOT my day, I swear, I am CURSED…"
She pulled herself back up as E.M.M.I. continued.
"CALCULATING LOCATION. TARGET DESTINATION CONFIRMED: HOLLOWVILLE GRAVEYARD."
She migrated out of the phone to inform the others.
"Oh, screw it." She was NOT going to let the moment get interrupted! Lucy grabbed Dina by the waist and gave her a sweet tender kiss. The younger and bubbly lizard girl was shocked at first, but immediately returned it.
The kiss lasted about 10 seconds before Lucy pulled away.
"There. I feel SO much better now."
"I…Me too…" Dina blushed.
Cory only knocked on the wall. "Let's GO!"
"Ugh. What a killjoy." Lucy joked. "Well, gotta relieve SOME stress."
"Yeah. An epic scare AND a good hunt. I'd say this is a win-win." Dina giggled. "Happy birthday, baby."
She pecked her on the cheek before rushing in. Lucy only rubbed the spot with a nervous chuckle.
"Happy Halloween, Dee-Dee…"
She followed shortly after. It was FINALLY time for some action…