In Los Angeles, California, best friends Carrie Raven and Alyson Johnski were walking home from school. But it wasn't just the two of them. Walking with them was a skinny boy named Buster Winston, their new friend. He had light brown hair that was cut short, brown eyes, and freckles dusted his face. He wore a backwards red baseball cap, a white t-shirt, baggy green pants, and black sneakers.
"So, you guys doing anything for Halloween?" asked Buster.
"Actually, Alyson and I have a family wedding to attend." Carrie answered.
"It's gonna be a Halloween-themed wedding!" Alyson added.
Buster's eyes doubled in size. "Whoa! That sounds awesome! Any chance I can come?"
Carrie and Alyson flinched in unison. They would love to invite Buster, but they can't. Because it was no ordinary Halloween-themed wedding. It was going to be the wedding of Sheila Pennington, their school science teacher, and Dr. Henry Davenport, the Invisible Man!
And it wasn't just Dr. Davenport that was a concern, but the rest of Carrie's found-family of monsters that lived with her; Wolf-Mon, a werewolf, Mummy, an actual undead mummy, and Big Ed, a real Frankenstein-monster! And they invited tons of other ghosts and monsters to the wedding too!
So, it wasn't an option. Buster was NOT coming to this wedding.
"Uh, sorry, Buster. We can't." Alyson said sadly. "We already have all the uh, seating arrangements set up. So...if you came, you'd be sitting on the floor and all that junk."
"Yeah, we're sorry, dude." said Carrie. "But we can still do something Halloweeny before the wedding!"
Buster smiled. "That sounds good! Maybe we can stay up all night in a graveyard or something!"
Suddenly, a loud, horrified scream was heard. A woman came running around the corner holding her dachshund in her arms. She nearly trampled the three ten year olds as she ran for her life.
"Whoa! What the heck, man?!" Alyson exclaimed. The kids went around the corner and saw nothing but a fire hydrant. They continued to walk, but cautiously.
"Huh. That's weird." Carrie looked around as she looked around. "There's nothing here..."
Buster suddenly gagged. "Yeesh! Except for that!" He pointed to a rather large pile of dog poo next to the hydrant.
"Oh, gross!" Carrie covered her nose as Alyson tried not to throw up. They ran as fast as they could until they reached Carrie's house, which was oddly not too far from the fire hydrant.
"No wonder that lady ran! Did you see the size of that dung?!" said Alyson.
"Whatever dog left that behind had to be the size of Cleveland!" Buster said.
Carrie paused. Then a sour look came upon her face. "Yeah, you're right."
Buster noticed. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing I just..." Carrie took a deep breath. "can't believe someone would just leave that behind."
"I know, right?" Buster shook his head. "Some people are just as nasty as dog doo. Anyway, let me know what you guys want to do for Halloween. Later!" Buster said as he waved goodbye.
Once he was completely gone, Anyson turned to Carrie. "I think I know who left that poo pile..."
"Oh, yeah." Carrie growled, her hands balled into fists. Nodding to each other, the girls marched right over to Carrie's house and went inside. Carrie's house was always spooky looking. But what did you expect when your father was a famous horror writer? Sadly, Carrie's father, Edgar Raven, was always away on business. But Carrie didn't mind. She was used to it.
"WOLF-MON!" Carrie yelled. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"Dere's no need to shout, Carrie!" said a women's German-accented voice. In walked Helga, the housekeeper. In one hand was her feather duster and in the other hand was Wolf-Mon being pulled by his pointed ear. The werewolf was whimpering in shame.
Carrie went straight to her monster friend. "Wolf-Mon! You did your business outside again, didn't you?! We almost got ran over by a terrified dog-walker! She saw you taking a dump, didn't she?!"
"I'm sorry, Carrie! I truly am!" Wolf-Mon sincerly. "I had to go! I needed a walk!"
Carrie groaned. "Dude! We've been over this! We have a toilet! There's no need for you to go for a walk! You're a monster and you need to stay hidden!"
Wolf-Mon frowned. "I told you; I don't trust toilets."
The invisible Dr. Henry Davenport walked in, heaving an annoyed sigh. He only had on his monocle, gloves, and a black leather bag in his hand. "Don't worry. I'll go out and clean up the mess before people grow suspicious." He removed his monocle and gloves before taking his bag and walking out the door.
"Good thing Doc is invisible. Otherwise, we'd have all kinds of monster messes impossible to cover up!" said Alyson.
"Wolf-Mon! Dis is unacceptable! I'm suspending you from some of your priviliges." Helga scolded. "From now on, no more sleeping in Mummy's sarcophagus! No more beef jerky for dessert! And you'll be helping me clean the gutters!"
"Yes, mon. I mean, Ma'am." Wolf-Mon said, his ears drooping. He knew all too well not to argue with Helga. She maybe human, but she was a force of nature when it came to keeping the monsters in line.
"That reminds me, I better go before my parents chew me out." said Alyson. "See you, guys!" She waved goodbye and left.
Carrie rolled her eyes. "Just another average night at the Raven house."
Later that night, Carrie decided to visit Sheila in her and Henry's bedroom. Carrie had to hand it to her father, he bought the perfect house for Carrie's extended family. It had plenty of rooms for the monsters and Sheila. "So, you excited for the wedding?" asked Carrie, wearing a black tank top and powder blue pajama pants.
"More than excited!" Sheila said, beaming. "Never in my life did I think I would be marrying a monster, but Henry is just wonderful!" But her smile fell when she saw a depressed look on Carrie's face. "What's wrong, angel?"
Carrie looked at her teacher. "Well, Sheila, I know you're not my mom. But...it's just..." She started to fidget. "well, it's about Buster."
"What about him?"
"Well, I..." Carrie took a deep breath and looked at Sheila squarely in the eye. "I want to tell Buster the truth!"
Sheila gasped. She looked at her door to make sure no monsters were eavesdropping. "Carrie! I know Buster's your friend. But you can't tell him the truth about our family! We're already taking too many risks with the monsters! Like the time when Mummy was mistaken for an accident victim and we had to save him from the hospital! Or when Big Ed tried to fix the air conditioner and shocked himself so badly, he caused that city-wide blackout! And don't get me started on Wolf-Mon." She crossed her arms. "Why do you even want to tell Buster anyway? I thought we all agreed that only Alyson should know and nobody else! The more people know the truth, the more complicated things will get!"
Carrie hesitated. "Well, it's just..." She looked away. "I...I..."
"Carrie, what is it? Just get it off your chest!"
"IthinkIlikeBuster." Carrie muttered under her breath.
Sheila froze. "What?"
Carrie's face turned red as fake vampire blood. "I think I like Buster, okay?!"
Sheila nearly fell over. "Really?!"
"Yes! That's why I wanted to tell him the truth!" Carrie threw her face into the nearest pillow.
Now feeling more sympathetic, Sheila rubbed Carrie's back. "I'm sorry, honey. I had no idea you had feelings for Buster." She frowned, however. "But it's just too dangerous. Some people can't handle certain truths."
Carrie looked back at Sheila. "But Sheila! This is the 21st century! People aren't scared of monsters like Doc, Wolf-Mon, Mummy, and Big Ed! They're not scary at all!"
Sheila frowned at Carrie. "I didn't feel the same way. Remember?"
Her words struck a chord in Carrie. She remembered when Sheila first met Henry. She actually fainted. Fainted.
"Carrie, it's just not worth it. Not everyone is used to monsters like you. Besides, you're only ten years old. It's too soon for you to be in a relationship. Relationships can be very complicated sometimes and you're too young to make your life difficult now. Besides, you're already surrounded with love. You have all of us, the people who love you more than anything." Sheila smiled.
Carrie smiled too. "Yeah, you're right." She gave Sheila a hug. "Thanks, Sheila."
"Anytime. Now, off to bed with you. It is a school night." Sheila said with a wink.
Carrie chuckled. "Yes, Ma'am." She got up and left. As she walked down the hall, Carrie thought about what Sheila said very carefully. Carrie could understand that she was too young to date. But deep down, she still wanted to tell Buster the truth since they were good friends. But how would he react? All kinds of possibilities filled the girl's mind.
"Carrie."
The girl nearly jumped a foot in the air. She looked around but saw no one.
"Carrie! It's me!" It was a familiar British voice.
"Doc?! Were you-!?"
"Yes, I heard the whole thing, my dear." said Henry's voice. "And I think I know a way to help you."
"Really?!"
"Yes, meet me in my lab after school tomorrow!"
Carrie jumped with joy. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Doc!" She opened her arms, ready for a hug.
"Uh, Carrie. I can't hug you. I'm..." He cleared his throat. "naked."
Carrie gasped and put her arms down. "Sorry!"
The next day after school, Carrie returned home and went down into the basement, where Henry had his laboratory set up. The invisible doctor tipped his hat. "Ah, welcome home, Carrie!"
"Hey, Doc. So, what have ya got?" asked Carrie.
Henry held up a small corked bottle containing a yellow gas inside. "I call it; Forgetful Fog! One whiff of this will induce short-term memory loss!" He cackled like a mad scientist, but quickly composed himself. "Uh, forgive me. Old habits die hard..." he said shamefully.
"Don't apologize! That was a sweet evil laugh!" Carrie grinned. "Maybe you can use it to scare the trick-or-treaters! They'll love it!"
If the doctor's face was visible, Carrie would see him frown. "Carrie! I refuse to be some frightful stereotype for some cheap Halloween scares!" he replied harply.
"Whatever you say, Doc." Carrie rolled her eyes. "Anyway, what's the fog for?"
"Simple. You tell Buster the truth about us. Then, if he reacts in the way you did not expect. Just uncork this bottle and aim it directly at him. The fog will have his memory erased and all is well!"
"Doc! That's perfect!" Carrie took the bottle and put it in her pocket. "How can I make it up to you?"
Henry shook her head. "No need to repay me. You know how much I love experimenting! This was a fun one!"
Ecstatic, Carrie couldn't wait to finally tell Buster the truth. "Alright! I'll text Buster right now and have him come over! Tell the others to get ready for the big reveal!" She rushed up the stairs and texted Buster to come over while the rest of the monsters gathered in the basement.
As Carrie waited on the couch, eager for Buster to arrive, she checked her pocket to have the Forgetful Fog ready. But Carrie jolted off the couch when she felt the bottle wasn't in her pocket! "Oh, no! Oh, nononononono! Where's the bottle?!"
SMASH!
Carrie froze. That sounded like glass breaking. Like the glass of a bottle holding memory-losing gas! Carrie rushed to where she heard the sound and screamed when she saw Sheila laying on the floor with the remains of broken glass near her foot.
Carrie hurried to the basement. "GUYS! EMERGENCY!"
Within moments, the monsters came bursting out of the basement. "Carrie! What's wrong?!" asked Mummy.
"SHEILA!" Henry shouted in horror. He rushed to help his beloved.
"I think...the fog fell out my pocket and Sheila stepped on it..." Carrie said, mortified.
Before anyone else became hysteric, Sheila started to wake up. he monsers backed away behind her as Sheila go to her feet. "Huh? Wha-?" She looked at Carrie in confusion. "Carrie Raven?" The woman looked very confused. "W-Where am I?" She turned around and gasped when she saw an invisible man, a werewolf, a mummy, and a Frankenstein monster!
"MONSTERS!" Sheila screamed before she fainted. Luckily, Carrie caught her.
Dr. Davenport sighed. He picked up Sheila's body and carried her to the couch. Once he put her down gently, he adjusted his monocle and reached into his coat pocket. "Good thing I made an antidote." He pulled out a small bottle of green gas.
"You made a cure?!" Carrie said, surprised.
"Of course, Carrie. You didn't think I was going to create something as dangerous as Forgetful Fog without an antidote, did you?" The doctor uncorked the bottle and placed it under Sheila's nose. Once she breathed in the fumes, Sheila awoke and when she saw the monsters looking down at her, she didn't scream. She didn't even squeal.
"Ohhh, what happened?" Sheila's put a hand on her forehead.
"You just had a bad spill, Sheila." Carrie answered. "We'll tell you about it later."
At that moment, knocking came at the door. "Hello? Carrie?" It was Buster's voice on the other side.
"Uh-oh! It's Buster!" said Carrie. "I was going to tell him the truth!"
"W-What do we do now?!" Big Ed asked, starting to panic.
Carrie looked at the door, then looked back at her friends. It was now or never. She had to make a decision. The right decision.
It was Halloween, the day of Sheila and Henry's wedding. The audience was filled with all kinds of monsters. And a few humans. Carrie was dressed as a scarecrow with a patchwork poncho and hat on. Alyson was dressed in her favorite unicorn onesie. And Buster was dressed as a pimp. Buster looked around, holding onto his wide brimmed hat. "Man! These guys really went all out on their Halloween costumes! I feel like I'm underdressed for this!"
Alyson shrugged. "Well, we just have to step our game next year."
"This whole setup is too awesome!" Buster smiled. "Thanks again for scoring me an invite, Carrie!"
Carrie winked. "Anytime, Bust."
The girl decided not to tell Buster the truth. Fear makes people unpredictable. And Carrie only learned that after what happened to Sheila. So, Carrie didn't want to risk causing anymore disasters, especially with a certain wedding just around the corner. So, when Buster came over. Carrie told him that he was invited to the wedding and all the guests will be wearing costumes. So, Buster had no idea that he was attending a Halloween wedding with real monsters in it.
So, Buster didn't even assume that any of these mosters were real. Or that the minister dressed as the Grim Reaper was the actual Grim Reaper. And he's ordained. But Buster truly admired the costume of the groom dressed as the Invisible Man. All he saw was a black suit and shoes, a pair of white gloves, a floating monocle and a black top hat.
The Phantom of the Opera began playing an eerie rendition of the wedding march. Everyone watched as Sheila glided down the aisle in her black wedding gown and veil with a bouquet of white lillies held against her chest with neatly folded hands. She looked like the corpse at a funeral, but she was really the bride of her own wedding.
Once Sheila joined Henry, the spooky ceremony began at last. "Welcome one and all! Living, dead, and undetermined." the Grim Reaper began. "We're gathered here today to bind these two warm souls, Henry and Sheila, to the haunting bliss of marriage."
Carrie couldn't stop smiling. This was not her wedding, but it was the happiest day of her life. Dr. Henry Davenport, the Invisible Man that was like a second father to Carrie, was marrying Sheila, the science teacher that was like a second mother to Carrie, were finally married.
And who knows? Maybe someday Carrie will tell Buster the truth. Not just about the monsters, but how she truly feels about him. But for now, she just wanted to do what she's been doing all along; enjoying her tween years with her human friends and growing up with her monster family. Two worlds diametrically opposed that Carrie is willing to keep on equal sides like a well balanced scale.
It wasn't going to be easy. It sounded scary. And Carrie was looking forward to it.
