(See the end of the work for more notes.)
Puppet Masters
Beca let out a sigh as the apartment door closed behind her. "If I murdered my boss, do you think a jury would convict?" She shouted as she dropped her messenger bag in its usual place, and started to move into the main room of her shared Brooklyn apartment.
"Who's that?" Replied an unfamiliar and rather silly voice from behind the divider where Amy's bed was located.
"Shortstack is home!" Replied Amy excitedly. "You'll like Beca!" She added, obviously replying to the unseen guest.
Beca blushed a little bit, hoping that this guest wasn't one of Amy's street friends. Threatening to murder someone was not a good first impression, and to be honest they might turn her in to a cop just to get on the officer's hood side. Of course her current lethargy wasn't going to help undo that terrible first statement.
She poked her head around the edge of the divider, only to realize that Amy wasn't talking to a person. Instead, the blonde Aussie was talking to a marionette puppet that she was holding up by its strings.
The petite brunette couldn't stop her laugh as she walked into Amy's sleeping alcove. To be honest she wasn't all that surprised. This was very much something the woman from Tasmania would do. If it was still possible to run off and join a circus, Amy would have done so the second she came of age.
Actually that might have happened the summer between their Sophomore and Junior year. There was a two month unexplained absence.
"Kind of creepy, Ames," chuckled Beca as she sat down on the edge of Amy's bed, as she studied the puppet. It was obviously wooden, but something about it was uncanny. The eyes seemed to stare into her, almost as if the doll knew something she didn't.
"What!?" Amy replied as if shocked by Beca's observation. "I think they are cute."
"They?" Beca asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah," Amy answered as she lifted a second puppet from the floor behind her bed.
"Oh look, there's two of them," said Beca under her breath. "That doesn't double the creepy."
The two puppets were classic marionettes dressed as stereotypical court jesters, in garish costumes. They were oddly cute and creepy simultaneously.
"What? I think they're cute," Amy said as she made the puppets dance using the wooden cross bar. "This guy was so impressed with my Fat Amy Winehouse act and gave me these two to add to my act. I'm going to develop a Halloween special using Trick and Treat ."
"Ummm-who?" Beca asked.
" Trick ," Amy said as she lifted the first marionette. "And Treat." She lifted the second.
"Hello, Beca!" Amy said in a high pitched voice as she made the marionette wave its hand. The Aussie did a pretty decent job not moving her lips, but not perfect.
"Hey Ames," sighed Beca.
"What?" Blinked Amy. "I didn't say hello!"
"Yeah you did," Beca pointed towards the marionette, "via the doll."
"Via the doll?" Replied Amy with confusion. "First it's a marionette puppet, and I'm not her mother."
"I wouldn't put it past you," the brunette sighed.
"Come on Shortstack," Amy lifted the puppets towards her best friend.
"Ugh, fine," Beca sighed. "Hi Trick ," Beca replied with a chuckle.
"I'm Treat !" Amy responded still in the voice. She was actually pretty good at manipulating the marionettes.
"Oh I'm sorry…" Beca automatically replied before she could catch herself.
"Fooled you! I am Trick !"
"And with that I'm out of here,"
"Shortstack," Any said. Then she had the marionettes say, "Ms Beca!"
"Yes?" asked Beca in exasperation, realizing she wouldn't get out of this without addressing the puppets.
"Hi, Ms. Beca!" Replied the puppet in their overly silly voices. "You look like a sad little Munchkin today!"
"Ugh-Ames. I think you really need to workshop that," said Beca as the puppets continued to wave their arms and do a little dance.
"I don't think the Trick or Treat goes to workshops," replied Amy. "When you are this good, and a friend of Fat Amy's you don't have time for such things."
"If you say so, but I think height jokes are pretty pedestrian," Beca said as she got up.
"I didn't make up the name Munchkin for you," Amy said as she sat back.
"You literally eat Munchkins every morning, because you somehow have charmed the staff at the corner Dunkin' Donuts," Beca pointed out.
"I just call them like I see them, Shortstack," Amy laughed.
Beca had just stepped out of Amy's alcove when she heard her friend say in that weird funny voice, "We're trying to cheer the Munchkin up!"
"We are?" Amy answered her puppet.
"I am!" Huffed Amy as Trick . "And my partner Treat is supposed to help me!"
"Oh, I missed the memo," replied Amy in her normal voice. Beca could only chuckle and shake her head as she headed for the refrigerator. She could hear Amy stand up and walk around her bed, presumably to pick up the second marionette. The brunette looked in the refrigerator and sighed as she saw only one of her beers was remaining. "Amy! Did you drink my beers again?" Beca knew the answer, and knew what answer the Aussie would give, but still she called her friend out, if only for the principle of the thing. She guessed she should be thankful that Amy had left her one.
Be thankful for small favors.
Turning from the fridge as she took a sip, Beca almost spit it out as the two marionette dolls were right there in front of her, with Amy holding both up.
"Jesus Ames!" the petite brunette clutched at her chest in shock.
Ignoring her best friend's nreaction, Amy pushed the Trick marionette forward, till its face was just inches away from Beca's nose.
"Oh little Munchkin," Trick said in what was becoming a truly irritating voice. "So sad, so lonely." Beca's eyes flicked to Amy's face. Her eyes squinted when she realized Amy's lips were no longer moving.
The Treat marionette was suddenly next to Trick . In a similar, but slightly different voice, Treat said, "Yes, but we know what will make her happy." Somehow Amy's voice had become even sillier. Beca burst into laughter as the sheer weirdness of the whole situation hit her like a tidal wave.
"Really?" Beca asked between laughs.
"Yes really!" Treat replied. "Look into my eyes!" She said as she moved closer to Beca's face.
"Really?" Beca repeated.
"Yes! We're going to make you a happy Munchkin!" Chuckled Treat .
"What is it with you calling me a Munchkin?" Sighed Beca as Trick & Treat continued to sway in front of her.
The whole thing was just so weird, yet she found herself staring at the strange marionettes. She hadn't realized it at first, but both puppet's eyes were made out of glass.
They sparkled and twinkled as the marionettes swayed. Something about them held Beca's attention, they were just fascinating. They seemed far too alive when compared to the rest of the puppet's features.
The door opened and Chloe entered, carrying a pizza. "I've got dinner," she announced.
"I don't care if you're ginger, carrot-top, I like yah," Amy bellowed as she let the two marionettes fall as she dropped her arms, and headed towards the redhead who was setting the pizza on their small dining table.
"What the Hell are those?" Chloe asked as she took in the two marionettes.
"It's Trick & Treat ! Their the newest members of my act!" Amy answered as she raised them up to show Chloe. With great flourish and excitement, the always loud blonde regaled Chloe with how some bloke had offered her the marionettes, and how she was going to incorporate Trick & Treat into her act.
With arms crossed, and a look of disbelief, Chloe asked, "So let me get this straight, some creepy guy gave you a pair of creepy puppets, and you decided to bring them back to our apartment?" Chloe blanched.
"That about sums it up, Gingersnap."
"Yeah no, those are creepy as Hell," Chloe replied. "If you want any of the pizza, those are going away." To emphasize this, she raised her finger and pointed directly towards Amy's alcove. Her stern face told the boisterous blonde Aussie that the redhead would brook no argument.
With a melodramatic sigh and while grumbling something about " Crazy Gingers ", Amy hauled her new puppets back to her bed.
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
When Chloe woke the next morning, something felt off. She couldn't put her finger on the reason, but it was there. If asked, Chloe would say it felt like someone was watching her?
She could hear Beca's adorable soft snores, so she knew the young producer was still asleep. She couldn't hear Amy's more pronounced snores, so she also knew Amy hadn't returned from her midnight "munchies" run, which they all knew was code for hooking up with Bumper.
Sleep had been difficult the night before, in large part because she knew those damn creepy marionettes were in the apartment. They weighed on her mind, invading her thoughts. To the point Chloe had actually used a couple melatonin gummies and gone to bed before midnight.
Deciding it best to get the day started, and brew Beca some coffee, Chloe hrew the blankets off and then yelped loudly. Loud enough Beca sat up in bed, and looked around in sleep confusion.
"Chlo? What?"
With one hand over her mouth, Chloe used the other to point at their dining table. Beca followed the gesture, squinting to make out what her friend was gesturing towards, and saw that one of the marionettes was sitting on the table staring at them.
"Oh, ha ha, Ames," Beca grumbled.
The sound of Beca's voice helped Chloe deal with her fright, and she informed Beca that Amy wasn't there.
Giving a listen, Beca had to agree, it was too quiet for Amy to be in the apartment. ""Even worse, stupid prank to pull on you, and not even be here for the delivery," Beca grumbled tiredly.
"I'm just glad no one but you was here to see my reaction; especially Amy," Chloe sighed, as she got out of bed and headed towards the coffee maker. She paused and gave Beca her most natural puppy eyes while nodding towards the puppet. "Ummm-Becs…"
With a tired sigh, Beca also got out of bed and shuffled over to the table. "Yeah, I got this." Picking up the marionette by the crossbar, Beca addressed it. "We'll hopefully never see you." She walked over to Amy's alcove and found the second puppet on the blonde's bed, sitting up perfectly in the middle. It gave her the creeps, and she actually shuddered as she picked it up too. With a sigh of relief, she put both away into the small closet Amy had in her alcove, before heading for the coffee Chloe was making.
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
Entering the apartment after another long day at the studio, Beca let out a deep sigh. She really was tired of working with wanna-be musicians like Pimp Lo . Seriously calling him an artist made her want to cringe.
"Who is that at the door?" Came the weird funny voice from Amy's alcove.
"Hey Amy," Beca sighed. All the young producer could think was she had been hoping that Amy, like with many things, would have grown bored with the two creepy marionettes.
No such luck, it seemed.
A similar, but slightly different funny voice called, "Ahh-tiny Munchkin, back for more."
"She's all tired and not happy," sang the first voice.
The second voice sang back, " We should help, and make it snappy."
"Ames," Beca sighed as she dropped off her messenger bag, took off her leather jacket, and walked over to the refrigerator. "I'm not really in the mood.
Two sets of laughter was the reply. As Beca studied the contents of the refrigerator, she had to admit Amy was getting better, if she was able to make it sound like two people were laughing. Looking all through the refrigerator, Beca remembered Amy had helped herself to most of Beca's beers. "Ames," Beca sighed through gritted teeth.
At that moment, the blonde Aussie came out of her alcove, a little wobbly, rubbing at her eyes. "Eh-Shawshank! Yer home!"
"Haha, Ames," Beca sighed as she closed the door to the fridge. "I see you're going to continue with the short jokes."
"Always," Amy laughed. She indicated Beca's body with a wave of her hand as she dug into her stash of candy bars. "They fit."
"You're getting pretty good with your voices," Beca said as she put her black jacket back on.
"Ummm-thanks," Amy replied as if confused by the compliment.
"Though I wish you would leave me out of your act," Beca said with a sigh, knowing it was a hopeless request. "I'm going down to the bodega and get a six pack. I don't suppose you have any money to chip in for beer?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Shawshank," Amy said, as if Beca had started speaking Swahili.
"Of course you don't," Beca sighed as she opened the door. "Be back in a bit."
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
Drumming her fingers on the desk, Chloe leaned back in her chair as she looked up from her text book. She removed her reading glasses, and rubbed at her eyes.
She needed to do well on these exams to get accepted into Vet school; better than well. Spending seven years in undergrad wasn't really a seen as a positive by admission offices, even if she had earned two degrees and three minors.
As she rubbed her eyes, they landed on the sleeping form of Beca. The petite brunette was asleep, but Chloe could tell it was a bit fitful. Lying there, the young producer was unaware that she was the inspiration for Chloe's determination to get into Bet school and to be a veterinarian. Chloe knew Beca was destined to be a star, to enjoy massive amounts of success. If she were to stay in Beca's orbit, Chloe knew she had to be as successful.
The faint sound of giggles caught the redhead's attention. It was soft, and when Chloe focused on it, it was gone. She looked into the shadows of Amy's alcove with a frown. Had she heard giggling?
She wasn't even sure if Amy was in the apartment. It was a bit too quiet, plus it was only… Chloe picked up her iPhone, 1:14am. Amy was most likely still out, trying her hand at Fat Amy Whinehouse Takes Times Square . No matter how many times she got rousted from it, Amy was determined to put on a performance there.
If nothing else, Amy was determined; Chloe had to give her that.
A thump from the alcove startled the redhead from her thoughts. Her eyes snapped open.
Were those the sounds of scurrying?
Chloe didn't really want the answer to that.
What if it's rats again?
That thought sent a shiver down Chloe's spine. She listened intently, but didn't hear anything.
Maybe I imagined it? Was I even awake?
She began to convince herself she had drifted off, so closed her textbook, shut down her laptop, and turned off the lamp she specifically used when studying late, because it provided enough light for her to read, but didn't keep Beca up.
As she made her way through the dark apartment, she heard the rumble of thunder outside, and the wind began to pick up. With knitted brow, Chloe opened her iPhone, and then the weather app. She didn't think they were supposed to get a storm tonight; at least she didn't remember any reports.
"I hope Amy's okay," Chloe whispered to the dark, knowing full well that her blonde friend wouldn't have taken any rain gear with her.
There was the sound of a giggle, and Chloe's head turned in that direction, but she didn't hear anything else save for the sound of rain hitting the windows. She remained still, scanning the apartment for any difference in the shadows, but didn't see anything.
After a bit, she gave her iPhone a quick glance before shutting it off for the night. She paused as the weather app was still open.
"That's strange," Chloe whispered. The app showed a clear starry night with minimal clouds. "There must be a glitch with the service." With a shrug she shutoff the phone and plugged it in for the night.
She quickly undressed as the temperature in the apartment seemed to drop as the intensity of the storm outside increased. She was just about to remove her bra when something dropped onto the floorboards. The rain against the windows increased, but Chloe thought she heard small feet scurrying after something that was rolling.
Irrationality took over and Chloe jumped into the bed she shared with Beca. For some reason, she was sure she would be safe next to Beca. Besides, she was suddenly so drowsy. Crawling under the comforter, the redhead cuddled into Beca's side. The petite brunette automatically snuggled back, becoming the small spoon. This helped settle any sense of creepiness or dread the dark apartment had conjured up.
As sleep took her she just missed two voices giggling.
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
Deep into the night Beca was having a restless night. In a cold sweat, Beca's eyes opened in the darkness. She woke up to the feeling of a presence creeping through the apartment in the dead of night. A chill traveled up and down her spine. Outside a storm was raging, as Beca could hear the sounds of howling winds against the window.
With a huff, Beca pulled the comforter up over her shoulder, and snuggled closer to Chloe's warm sleeping form. The redhead was always a source of comfort for Beca.
Suddenly the sounds of creaking wood come from their kitchen. Beca knew there was a particular floorboard by the stove that made that sound. The young producer quickly looked in that direction expecting to see Amy sneaking a midnight snack, but she saw nothing at first. There didn't appear to be anyone or anything there. She sat up slowly. Nothing seemed to move in response.
Then a flash of lightning lit up the whole apartment, and left her with the impression of dark shadowy figures floating across the floor.
"CHLOE!"
The roar of thunder shook the apartment as Chloe woke from Beca shaking her shoulder.
"Wha-Beca?" Chloe asked in her befuddled state.
"I saw something scurry across our floor," Beca explained frantically.
"It wasn't a rat was it?" Chloe asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "If Amy brought another rat home, we are definitely kicking her out. They are not pets nor are they cute!"
"It wasn't rats," Beca whispered.
"Well that's good then," Chloe mumbled as she faded back into sleep.
Reaching over to her nightstand, Beca picked up her iPhone and unhooked it from its charger. She opened it up, and shined the built-in flashlight towards the kitchenette. Its meager light revealed nothing. Everything appeared normal
Yet she couldn't help but feel she was being watched.
The slumbering redhead shuffled closer, and Beca settled back next to her. The comfort of Chloe wrapped around her, helped settle the brunette's jittery nerves.
As sleep took her she just missed two voices giggling.
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
The redhead took her washcloth from her toiletry bag and dampened it under the warm, inviting spray of water. It had been a long shift at the animal clinic she was working at, and she really needed this hot shower. She also wanted to wash away the tension of the last few days
The one thing Chloe really wished was that Beca was home, or even Amy, as she was feeling a bit jittery. She had been ever since Amy had brought those damn puppets into their apartment.
Humming a tune to settle her nerves, Chloe slowly moved the washcloth across her midriff, over her shoulders, and then down her sides and legs. This was actually Chloe's favorite part of a shower, she loved to lathers her body, fully covering it with a thick layer of suds while humming key. There was just something about the feel of suds on her body that Chloe loved.
With a happy hum she stepped back fully under the shower spray. She shut her eyes and leaned back to let the hot water soak her long red hair, and stream down her body. Reveling in the feel of the tension leaving her shoulders, a groan of pleasure escaped her throat as the steaming hot water loosened her stiff and tired muscles. Chloe has always enjoyed really hot showers, and right now the feel of the scalding water cascading down her body was just what she needed.
"This feels so, so good," Chloe breathed, letting out a delighted hum. Lost in her enjoyment, Chloe didn't hear the sound of a door opening and tiny footsteps approaching towards her shower.
It wasn't until the sound of tiny laughter that something caught her attention. She pulled her head out from under the spray so she could hear better, but didn't hear any more. She ducked under the spray again, and again could have sworn she heard the sound of high pitched giggling.
"Hello?" Chloe called out. She opened her eyes and noticed the shower curtain moving slightly, though she couldn't be sure if she had bumped it. "Beca? Amy? Are you home?" Her hands automatically came up to cover her breasts and her womanhood. She again found herself feeling very vulnerable.
Silence was the only answer. She shook her head, concluding it must just be nerves, but she decided it was time to end her shower. As she finishes rinsing off, Chloe notices that the room just doesn't feel right, and the shower curtain is kinda janky now. The floorboard just outside of the shower creaked, which caused Chloe to grab the shower curtain, and move it aside to look about. Cautiously, glancing left and right, the redhead didn't see anyone or anything.
The tension relief was all but gone as her frayed nerves returned. Were those footsteps? She tensed up, though she tried convincing herself she was hallucinating the sound. After the day she'd had, well, it wouldn't be that big of a surprise if her imagination allowed for a few auditory phantoms.
Blinking against the water, she lifted her head up, and slowly turned off the water. She reached out and picked up her towel, giving a quick rub down, before she wrapped it round her. She grabbed her second towel and ruffled her hair, to start the drying process.
Plugging in a hairdryer, Chloe began to dry her hair. After her hair was fairly dry and looked pretty decent with the way she brushed it out, Chloe turned…
"EEEEEEY!"
Chloe screamed at the top of her lungs, and dropped the hairdryer as her eyes landed on the two marionettes which were now sitting on the chair just a dozen steps away, their arms now draped over the other's shoulder. It's smiling face seemed to be leering up at her, and Chloe felt very exposed standing just in a towel.
"W-What the hell, Amy?" Chloe shrieked, her pale cheeks becoming flushed. In a flash she grabbed up the marionette's crossbar and yanked the puppet up. She stormed towards Amy's alcove with every intention of giving her a piece of her mind.
"AMY!"
Except the alcove was empty.
"Amy?"
She was alone with these creepy puppets. The second one was sitting in the bed. Its smiling face was just so disconcerting, and its eyes seemed to be following her. The sense of vulnerability crept up her spine; being only in a towel didn't help. The eyes of marionette she was carrying also seemed to be staring right at her. Swallowing the lump in her throat, the redhead quickly scooped up the second puppet's crossbar and opened Amy's closet. Without looking in, she threw both puppets into the closet and slammed the door shut. She leaned against the door to make sure it stayed shut. An old wooden chair caught her attention, and she grabbed it and leaned it against the door so the wooden back was wedged under the turn handle. A portion of Chloe understood this was irrational, but she felt better knowing those puppets were barricaded in the closet.
"I really need to get out of here," Chloe breathed out. Talking to herself, she said, "Maybe I'll get Beca's favorite Chinese food, and use that to get her to agree to staying at a hotel tonight…"
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
It's an early fall evening, as Beca returned to the apartment. Golden rays of the autumn evening fall through the two windows flanking her and Chloe's shared bed. She doesn't really look about, much, as she runs through her routine of putting her bag away, dropping her keys on the key ring, and taking off her jacket. It's a routine Chloe has drilled into her, which makes sure she can find her things in the morning, and the apartment stays neat.
Thinking of the redhead, she notices Chloe is in their bed. "Hey Chloe, are you feeling okay?" The petite brunette made her way to the toilet without paying attention. "Weren't you planning to spend more time at the clinic?"
There was no answer as Beca finished, and washed her hand. "It was another long day at the label. I know I shouldn't complain, but working with ' Pimp Lo ' is just stressful."
There was still no answer from Chloe, but Beca did hear her roommate move under the covers. The brunette really just wanted to cuddle with Chloe on the couch and watch some trash television while eating takeout. "Hey, what if I go back to the bodega and grab some chicken noodle soup?"
Walking over to the refrigerator, she heard, " Beca, that would be fine. But hurry back so we can dine." The voice was a truly awful imitation of Chloe's.
Freezing in place, Beca felt chills going up her spine. She quickly spun around on her heel, only to see it wasn't her roommate lying there, but instead it was the marionette Treat tucked in her bed, in Chloe's usual spot.
Knowing it had to be Amy pulling one of her famous, unfunny jokes, Beca shouted, "Amy! I don't think this is funny." She stormed over towards the divider, expecting to find the blonde Aussie hiding on her bed. She was surprised to see it empty, save for the other of Amy's weird puppets. At that point, she noticed the closest door was broken off its hinges, and was lying across a wooden chair. "What the Hell?"
From behind her, Beca heard the weird high pitch voice again, "There is no need to be so mean! For it is nearly Halloween! A festival of ghosts, spooks and ghouls! And of course our most pretty tools!"
Startled by the voice, Beca literally jumped, and fell over Amy's bed as her shins caught the side. Even as she struggled to get back up Beca was sure she heard two people laughing. Yet when she stood back up, and stepped from behind the divider, the apartment was still empty, save for Amy's stupid puppet.
Trick?
Something about the marionette held Beca's attention, even as a deep sense of foreboding filled her. It was like she was compelled to approach the marionette, to get closer. Ever so carefully she reached out her hand to touch the grinning Jester.
The door to the apartment suddenly opened, startling Beca, who recoiled from the puppet. In walked Chloe carrying a bag of groceries, and a bag of food from their favorite Chinese restaurant.
"Hey Becs, I brought dinner," Chloe said as she spotted her best friend and roommate. Walking over to the dining table, the redhead continued, "You know, I know it might be silly, but do you want to get a hotel room for the night? Maybe have a staycation…"
Chloe paused though at her friend's silence. She took in her friend's demeanor. "You okay, Becs? You look pretty pale."
"I think we should get out of here," Beca said determinedly, as a shudder ran down her spine. She was positive that she had just seen the puppet's head turn to look at Chloe.
"What!?" Chloe asked in confusion as she set down the groceries onto the counter, and then placed the Chinese food onto the dining table.
"We need to leave now!" Beca said in a firmer tone as she grabbed the redhead by the hand. She tugged her towards their front door, the redhead letting herself be pulled along. Quickly getting to the door, Beca took hold of the door handle and pulled to open it.
Chloe went to say something, but before she could, the door ripped out of Beca's grasp and slammed shut, making the redhead scream. Before the girls could react to the door shutting, all of the electronic devices in the apartment turned on, raising such a cacophony that both Beca and Chloe had to cover their ears. They turned from the door and everything shut off, flooding the room in silence. A dozen candles that had mysteriously appeared on the dining table burst into life.
They formed a ring around the two marionette dolls, which stood with arms spread wide.
"Now now, don't you run!" Giggled Trick.
"That won't be any fun!" Added Treat.
"What is going on!" Screamed Beca as she turned to the door again and pulled on it, only to find that it wouldn't budge an inch. Chloe joined her grabbing the handle too. The redhead joined her friend and yanked with all her might. Even with both pulling, the door remained in place.
"Ahhh-you both must feel like a schmuck, now you're totally and utterly stuck!" Chuckled one of the marionettes.
With that pronouncement, Beca and Chloe began to scream and pound on the door, crying for 'Help'. They both smashed their fists into the door until they were sore and bruised, but there was no sound from outside.
"I think you missed our part, I think you need help with the heart," chuckled Trick.
Both women looked over their shoulders and saw the two marionettes were no longer on the dining room table, and instead had crossed half the distance between. It was enough to spur action from both women. Chloe bolted for the window that opened onto the fire escape, while Beca raised for the kitchen.
"Now now, do not flee, you can not escape me," cackled Trick as she turned to track Chloe's flight, while Treat did the same with Beca.
At the window Chloe picked up the pink Hello Kitty bat they kept hidden just in case someone ever tried to break in; Beca drew the largest cooking knife they had in their set. Both women held their respective weapons towards the two dolls.
The two marionettes looked at the two frightened women, and then at each other, before they burst into childish giggles.
"Stop and don't fight, play along and it will be alright. It may be quite the fright, but in the end you'll be right." Not only were the words chilling, but the fact that the puppet's lips moved, and their facial features, while obviously wooden, moved like any normal person's would. It just added to the truly macabre nature of the dolls.
"What say you Treat , should one lady yee meet?" Trick asked.
"Oh I have always loved munchkins as they're delicious," Treat answered. "Look at her so tiny and precious."
"Then go and have her," Trick encouraged. "I hanker for ginger."
Both marionettes moved apart, each walking towards one of the scared by watching the marionette stalking her, Chloe tightened her grip on the bat handle, and swung with all her might… at the window.
Chloe had played softball in high school, and on a number of co-ed teams throughout her years at Barden; she knew how to swing a bat with precision and strength. Imagine her shock when the bat bounced off the window as if it were made of rubber.
The redhead could only gape at the still whole window. She began to rain blows on the glass till she felt a presence close, then she swung the bat towards where she thought the puppet was.
"Try, try with all your might, not that way you'll alight," came the high pitched cackle of the marionette as Chloe missed, she swung again, but for some reason she couldn't connect. The marionette seemed to dance around every swing.
At the same time, Beca kept slashing and stabbing at Treat , but the doll avoided each with the most minimal of moves. A part of Beca was reminded of the cheesy Kung Fu movies Jesse used to make her watch. The marionette moved like a Kung Fu master. It was after a wicked slash that the marionette bent backwards, letting the knife sail right over, when Beca realized the puppets no longer had their strings.
Before she could process this information, Treat began to sing, "A cut could leave a mark. Maybe we should do this in the dark."
Suddenly all the light in the apartment was extinguished. There was no light at all, not even through the windows.
Suddenly lost in the dark, Chloe began to frantically swing her bat, but something caught it, and plucked it from her grasp. Then something ran into the back of her calves, and Chloe found herself plopped into their recliner chair.
Before she knew what was what, a candle flared just inches from her nose, with Trick's face just behind. Her scream was strangled, caught in her throat. While Trick's voice was loud and clear, "Now you are so nice and definitely will thank." Trick chuckled and began to gently wave the candle. "For it is time to pull a Halloween prank. I will act as your distraction, while my partner takes action!"
With the lights out Beca began to backpedal while swinging the knife in exaggerated 'X' shapes, hoping to get lucky and hit the doll, but at the very least keep it at bay. A flare of light caught Beca's attention to her right and she saw Chloe now trapped by one of the demonic puppets.
Before she could act though, a candle flared to life directly in front of her. The yellow light showed the smirking visage of Treat . Purely on instinct Beca stabbed out, and struck the marionette square in the chest…
Only she no longer had the knife, and it was an empty hand that connected with the wooden chest.
"What the fuck!?"
The moment was enough to allow the marionette to close the gap and tackle Beca to the floor. The petite brunette rolled around fighting to be free, but was shocked to realize that she was being tickled. She shoved the puppet away, and scrambled to her feet. Suddenly a chair slid up, and swept her off her feet.
"Why are you doing this?" Chloe asked through gritted teeth.
With a devious smile, Trick replied, "Well, truth be told!"
Then Treat finished, "We've got a reputation to uphold!"
"We go where there's a need," Trick said.
Then Treat continued, "To happily plant the seed."
"I'm Trick !" Smiled the first marionette as it finished a little dance.
"And I'm Treat !" Grinned the other marionette, as it matched the little dance.
Then both marionettes cheered in unison, "We're twins who can't be beat!" They finished in a flurry before they both posed in front of the two scared women who were transfixed to their chairs, which had slid together on their own volition.
"I'm sorry, I don't follow," blinked Beca.
"Please don't hurt us," Chloe pleaded.
"I think they've got us totally wrong!" Grinned Treat as it looked at its twin.
"But we won't let them be wrong for long!" Continued Trick .
"Between the two of you, there's a lot of baggage," Trick sang.
"That we've come here to unpackage," Treat harmonized
"You've been denying your true needs," cooed Treat as it brought the candle and held it in front of Beca's face.
"So we'll just have to plant the seeds," nodded Trick as it mirrored Treat's movements in front of the redhead. Slowly the puppet moved the candle from left to right, causing the flame to dance ever so exquisitely as it moved.
"Watch the flame do a dance," cooed Trick softly, drawing Chloe's attention to the candle's flame.
"We're going to put you in a trance," hummed Treat.
" Trance?" Chloe asked tiredly, even as she yawned.
"Just let your free will quit, it is time for you to submit," purred Treat as the marionette started to make the flame dance.
"Let the relaxation advance, as you spiral into a trance," rhymed Trick.
The redhead's eyes continued to follow the flame, but it wasn't a conscious action, Chloe wasn't thinking of anything anymore, her whole body was just working on autopilot, passively observing everything from deep, calm place in her mind.
"Now listen to every word we say," sang Trick as its candle's dance grew less and less.
"As your mind can no longer stray," whispered Treat , as its candle came to a stop just an inch in front of Beca's nose. The brunette practically went cross eye as her eyes strained to stay fixed on the tiny flame.
"Just accept our Mind rave," continued Trick , as its candle stopped directly in front of Chloe.
"Aand become our devoted slave!" Shouted Treat .
"Slave," mumbled Beca, her eyes fluttered slightly as the word bounced around her confused yet relaxed mind. Despite the trepidation the word caused the young producer, it held no meaning to her anymore, she couldn't think about simple things, let alone complex concepts. All she wanted to do was relax.
Tingles washed over Beca's skin as she felt her muscles grow slack, something about the flame was certainly fascinating and watching the candle meant that she didn't need to think about the rest of the situation.
"And when the candle's flame is snuffed, your mind will be cuffed," announced Trick.
But don't you worry or fret, trust in us with no regret" Beamed Treat as she blew out the candle.
As the flame vanished Beca felt herself falling. It was like her brain was being flushed down the drain. All of her muscles went limp as she slumped forward, her jaw dropping open as she let everything go.
"What? Beca!" Whimpered Chloe, her fear giving way to a confused sense of dread for her best friend.
"You see the candle flame is like a prism, and that can be good for hypnotism," Treat explained in song.
"Just one single glance is enough to put you in a trance," sang Trick.
"Just the flame and our rhyme,"
"And now it is only a matter of time."
The redhead tried to resist Trick & Treat's words, however, she found that no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to pull her eyes away from the flame as it gently moved in front of her.
She couldn't work out what was going on, the situation was far too surreal for her mind to comprehend and she found herself just staring at the flame dumbfounded as her mind tried to catch up.
"That is good, just watch the flame and become our obedient hypnotized dame," smiled Treat as she continued to sway the flame before the redhead's glazed blue eyes.
Letting out a soft sigh, Chloe felt the tingling continue to wash over her entire body, it was like all the tension and fear was draining out of her, leaving her pleasantly foggy.
"Now listen to every word we say," sung Treat . "As your mind can no longer stray."
With that both young women were lost in a trance.
The marionettes began to dance around the two enthralled women, as they sang in unison
"Just let your free will float away!"
"Because it is time to obey!"
"Be so glad that you didn't run!"
"We're going to have lots of fun!"
"So my dear Treat , we have them complete. What should they do while lost in bliss?"
"Oh! Oh!" Treat raised its hand and did a little dance as it shouted. "Make them kiss! Make them kiss!"
"Yes!" Giggled Trick . "Munchkin! GingerSnap! Kiss!"
Beca's body moved against her will. She marched stiffly forward towards Chloe, her lips puckering as she did. The redhead slowly turned to face Beca, also puckering her lips.
"Kiss Munchkin! Kiss Munchkin!" Chanted Trick & Treat together..
As Beca got close to Chloe she started to bend forward at the waist. Eventually, Beca's lips met Chloe's lips and they started to softly kiss each other. At first it was chaste and emotionless, two puppets brought together. As the kissing continued, both women were filled with warmth and calm. They wanted nothing more than to show their feelings for the other woman, their best friend.
Deep down part of them knew that they should still be scared or worried, but their love for each other wrapped around them like a blanket, preventing them from feeling scared.
As realization dawned, their kissing became more natural and passionate.
"Oh aren't they so fair?" Smiled Trick .
"They make a very pretty pair," replied Treat.
"As much as I enjoy this show," Trick then sang. With a wave of the marionette's hand, Beca and Chloe stopped kissing, though the two remained in the other's arms.
"Our time ends, and we must go," Treat refrained, as the puppet pointed towards the bed. Both Beca and Chloe floated that way.
"We wouldn't dare tell lies," started Trick.
"Or pull the wool over your eyes," echoed Treat and the two marionettes made Beca and Chloe nod again. But, truth be told, they didn't need to; both Beca and Chloe already knew Trick & Treat were right.
The longer the two women floated there, the longer they looked back at their lives, the more they realized how right the two marionettes were and the less they wanted to question anything about their feelings for the other woman.
"Now we will depart," sang the marionettes, "it's on you to be true to your heart."
With that everything went dark for both Beca and Chloe.
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
Pitch Perfect SpookFest
The door to the apartment banged open with a slam as Amy came barging in. She was wrestling two giant duffel bags, and a carry-on through the narrow door.
The noise woke both Beca and Chloe from their slumber. Both women were wrapped around the other laying on their couch.
"Oy! Did ya two finally get it together and admit yur feelings?" Amy asked as she noticed her roommates untangling themselves. "I mean lesbihonest, ya two've been eyeing each others like a dingo eyes a chicken."
"What…" both Beca and Chloe said simultaneously as they fought to clear their heads of their befuddlement.
"You two," Any pointed between the pair, "It's obvious you two were snogging."
"Ummm…" Chloe started.
Realization hit Beca, her eyes flying open. "AMY!" The petite brunette marched right up to the confused Australian. "Get those damn puppets out of this apartment now!"
"Wha…"
Memories flooded Chloe's consciousness. Everything that had happened the night before was suddenly remembered. "Amy! You have to get those marionettes out of this apartment."
"What are you two twig bitches talking about?" Amy asked. She genuinely seemed to have no idea what either Beca or Chloe were getting on about.
"The marionettes you brought home," Chloe replied as she crossed her arms across her chest. She gave the blonde Tasmanian such a hard stare, Amy stepped back.
When the only response was a blank stare from the Aussie, Beca threw in, "The puppets, Ames, the puppets you brought home, Tri…"
" Don't say their names," Chloe cut in. The brunette did cut herself off, also not wanting to bring back the two little demonic dolls.
"Amy! You have to get rid of your puppets," Beca said with a heavy sigh.
"What are ya two getting on about? I ain't got no puppets," Amy replied.
"Amy," Chloe scolded. "You brought home two marionette puppets two days ago…"
"I was in Australia two days ago," Amy cut in. "I've been gone for the last three weeks." Amy took in her roommate's confusion. "Wait, did ye two not notice I was gone?"
Both Beca and Chloe silently turned towards each other, ignoring Amy's question. Still looking at each other, Beca asked the Aussie, "So you haven't been here the past two days?"
Amy shook her head and shuffled towards her alcove, while mumbling about, " Crazy Lesbians ." She disappeared around the divider. "OY! Who broke the door to me closet?"
Beca and Chloe stepped closer and gave each other a hug, while looking about nervously.
"Hotel room?"
"Hotel room!"
The End
Notes: Hope you enjoyed my fourth installment of Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022. This story just seemed to be perfect for SpookFest. As always, I do not own any of the characters of Pitch Perfect