Soooo, this is my first try at something genuinely spooky. Usually I make my Halloween stories a joke but I'm actually going to try to make this scary this time. Not sure how it'll go, lol.

This is for the BTR Writers' Support and Plot Adoption Forum's Halloween Challenge for 2022. Please head on over and read the other entries, they're really good!

Obviously this is low-key based on the Annabelle doll but I haven't seen that movie, so any similarities are purely coincidental. Honestly, does anyone think I could actually sit through that film? I would die.

Enjoy!


"So, what are we doing?"

Carlos sighs, lugging yet another box of junk onto the small plastic table. The entirety of the Palmwoods front walkway is absolutely covered in similar brown boxes, plus an additional several tables. The yard sale was not any of their idea of a good time. "We're just supposed to make it look nice, so people buy something."

There are a few other people scattered around the other tables, and some from the neighboring buildings across the street. They all seem about as enthusiastic as the boys when Mrs. Knight proposed the idea. It's odd, Kendall thinks, to hold a yard sale (or in this case, sidewalk sale), so close to Halloween. The decorations hanging over the Palmwoods doorway make him chuckle, though.

He raises an eyebrow, lifting an old shoe from a box. The heel promptly falls off back into the box. "Uh, I don't know how to tell you this, but-"

"OH MY GOSH!" James nearly screams, dropping something and darting back from another box he's been looking through. "Nope! Nope, I'm out."

"What?" Kendall asks, coming towards him. He peers into the box. "James, it's a doll." He picks it up by its hand, letting it hang awkwardly in the air. "Okay, a creepy doll."

Logan looks horrified, taking a few steps back. "That's terrifying. Whose is that?!"

Kendall sighs heavily, knowing this will continue for quite some time unless he puts a stop to it. The doll is horrifying, with a cracked plastic face and ratty hair and an old-fashioned pale dress that looks like something out of The Ring. "I don't think it's Katie's. I've never seen it." He sets it gently back in the box, rather creeped out himself. Perhaps it's just an old decoration his mom forgot about.

"Well," Logan says, pushing the box towards the end of the table. "Creepy McStuffins can go over there. If no one buys her, worst comes to worst we can shove her in the back of someone's car when they're not looking."

"I second that," James agrees. "Get it out. Burn it. Possibly exorcize it."

"Oh, come on," Carlos chuckles. "It's not that bad." He peers inside the box, stares for a moment, then shudders. "Okay, you know what? I take it back. Dolly needs to go."

Kendall shakes his head. "If it doesn't sell, we can just chuck it, guys. Relax." He motions to the other boxes surrounding the table. "Come on, we have a ton of other stuff to put out."

The day passes slowly, and while most of the items sell for a pittance, the doll does not. When the sun is low and the other tables are busy cleaning up their junk, Kendall is the only one willing to grab the box with the doll. Unbothered, he walks it to the dumpster, eyes it for a moment, then promptly chucks it inside.


A pillow smacking him in the face the next morning is his only wake up call. He grunts, batting the offending object away and grimacing. "Logan, stop," he mumbles, pressing his face into his own pillow.

"We're late," Logan says agitatedly. "None of our alarms went off, man. It's 8:42."

That has Kendall flying up from his bed, eyes wide. "What?!" They're supposed to be at the studio at eight, for crying out loud! He springs out of bed, dashing past Logan, who's currently stuck with his head in the sleeve of his sweater, into the bathroom. He does his business quickly, hurrying to brush his teeth when his eyes catch something in the mirror.

There are three long scratches down the upper right side of his chest, just visible above his pajama top as they descend below the fabric. His gaze lingers, pulling the shirt down a bit and eying the marks with a furrowed brow. He doesn't recall ever doing that to himself in his sleep before. Still, he reasons, he is stressed, as they all are. It isn't far-fetched for him to have simply scratched himself during a dream.

"Hey, I need to hit the Halloween store when we're done!" Carlos yells.

"That's assuming Gustavo hasn't murdered us," Logan argues, brushing past the bathroom in a hurry. He only has one shoe.

"You might not care about your costume, Logie, but I need to look my best. Someone has to embrace the spirit around here."

Logan rolls his eyes, heading down swirly and meeting Carlos in the kitchen with an exasperated look. "You have a week until Halloween, can't you go another day?"

"The good stuff will be gone by then!"

"Okay, okay. But I'm not going in with you."

James perks up from behind Kendall, startling the blonde as he attempts to do his hair in the mirror while ignoring Kendall's teeth-brushing. "Ooh, I'll go!"

"Didn't your mother freeze your debit card again?" The question is a bit muffled around the toothpaste, but it makes James smack the shorter boy all the same. Kendall sputters, chuckling as he rinses his mouth out.

By the time they're out the door, he's forgotten about the marks.


God bless and much love