Dr. Abbott took a sip from his cup of cider. He was standing over by the food tables as his wife went out to receive compliments. Casually he looked down at his drink and discovered a plastic fly floating in it. Disgusted he picked it out and flicked it away from him.

"Nasty little safety hazard," he murmured.

"Enjoying yourself George?" Dr. Brown said walking up next to him and pouring himself a cup of cider. Dr. Abbott frowned.

"Do you have any idea how many upset stomachs I'm going to have to treat tomorrow?" Dr. Abbott complained. Dr. Brown smiled.

"Come on George, lighten up, it's Halloween."

"I know it's Hallowe- will you stop calling me George!" Dr. Abbott yelled. Dr. Brown chuckled slightly.

"Sure, Mr. President," Dr. Brown said lifting his cup to him and walking away.

"I'll just call you Mr. Hood then!" Dr. Abbott yelled after him before murmuring to himself, "Mr. Hoodlum."

Desi ran down her stairs carrying her black satchel and wrapped well in a white cloak. The satchel contained a wooden Ouija Board with pushboard, Planchette induction ring (to create a psychic space and link all participants in séance,) and psychic cleanser fluid (prepares and protects any table/surface/room by purifying prior to séance.) It also included specially hand-prepared séance candles, metal candleholders, vitalized séance incense (used to build a link with spirit entities/intelligences), and an incense burner. She had originally intended to only buy the cloak several years ago, but after she wore it to school some girls assumed she knew all about that sort of thing and asked her have a séance with them. She wasn't sure why she hadn't refused, she didn't know anything about séances. She read up on it when she got home of course. She reads a lot.

Desi rushed outside to the minivan sitting in the circular driveway. Already inside of the car was Little Red Hiding Hood, the Phantom of the Opera, a rabbit, a witch, and a colonial girl. Desi, now wearing slacks and a bell sleeved shirt along with her cloak, stepped in and sat next to the Phantom. The rabbit, otherwise known as Taylor, was steering the van out of the gigantic driveway and into the heart of Everwood. Gingerly Desi looked at four of the five other occupants of the van. Ephram, whom she deduced to be the Phantom, was the only one she didn't feel like looking at. This wasn't exactly the professional side of her and therefore the worst for her story to see. This was actually the embarrassing thing the dumb bunny talked her into doing every year. Desi didn't have a single friend in that car, they were barely acquaintances. But here she was, why? because Halloween is a crummy holiday to spend at home alone.

The Gordon House was everything it had been said to be. It was empty, huge, dark, and creepy as all hell. Ephram had been filled in on the story by the frog prince himself, who, by the way, never found his princess due to some clever avoidance tactics on Jig's part. The Gordon House was so named after Edward Gordon who killed his three siblings Douglas, Andrew, and Samantha at a family reunion about 70 years ago. Of course, as all murder/ house stories go, he chopped the bodies into little pieces and hid them in the house. Back in the 80's a girl thought she found a piece of a skeleton, and she had, only it was a chicken bone. She had her picture in the Pinecone though. If someone found a human skeleton in NYC it probably wouldn't back the back page of any newspaper, unless it was like, really freaking old.

There had probably been a lock to the front door, but years and years of kids sneaking in at night the lock, and indeed the entire handle, had been taken off, and the door just slid open with a loud creaking noise. Despite doing this every year, Taylor, Desi, Andrea, and even Amy clutched together, letting Ephram and Jig enter first. Jig, unlike her female companions, seemed to show no signs of fear with the exception of stepping and falling on her dress. Ephram smirked as the idea of her being on the look out for that raccoon of hers entered his mind. They heard another creaking noise coming from the room ahead of them and the six stopped immediately. They could hear the seasonal wind blowing around and through the old house but all six listened for another sign of something more. Another sign that they weren't alone.

"BOO!" something yelled suddenly jumping out in front of them, a great light creating shadows on its face. All six yelled in surprise but only one did something about it. Uncontrollably Jig's fist flew forward skillfully and knocked Bright to the floor, the flashlight spinning away from him. Once he was down Amy shined her light on his face, now covered in blood spilling from his nose.

"Bright!" she yelled marching over to him. They heard some male laughter as three of Bright's friends walked into the room and found Bright laying there clutching his nose.

"Bright you moron what's wrong with you!" Amy scolded him.

"She broke my nose!" Bright yelled more in disbelief than pain. His friends continued laughing at him as Amy and Ephram helped him to his feet.

"You deserved you sadistic little-!"

"Amy!" Andrea stopped her as Amy lead Bright out of the house. Amy touched Bright's nose and he yelled out in pain. She scoffed.

"Yea that's broken, come on, we'll get you home."

Everyone left the old house except for Ephram and Jig, still a little shocked, and Desi, who had been the only one to think of picking up Bright's lost flashlight.

"You broke his nose?" Ephram asked turning to Jig. Jig shrugged and laughed slightly in response.

"Reflex action," she said.

"Nice reflexes," Desi said walking back over to them.

"Thanks," Jig said smiling a little. Desi nodded.

"We should probably get going. The four of them walked here so that van's going to fill up really soon," Desi told them.

"How'd you know they walked here?" Ephram asked her. Desi sighed.

"There were no tire tracks and that is the only road that leads here, plus there were already mud prints on the porch and if you didn't notice all of them were wearing hiking boots. Considering they were all pirates, I don't think the Timberlands were part of the costume," Desi explained. That more than sufficed Ephram and Jig so the three made their way toward the door. On the way there Desi's satchel broke and everything spilled out onto the floor. Ephram and Jig stopped to help her to pick up but Ephram waved Jig on.

"Go on, we'll catch up," he told her. Reluctantly she complied and walked out of the house and into the van, there being sent to the back. Taylor placed her key in the ignition and started the car.

"We have to wait for Ephram and Desi," Jig told her worried that she might leave them.

"My nose is broken!" Bright yelled at her, obviously placing his nose above their ride.

"I'll come back and get them, I'm sure they'll understand," Taylor said.

"No, Jig's right Taylor," Amy said.

"Look, it's my mom's car and I say we're not waiting," Taylor said and drove off not leaving time for anymore complaints from either of them.

Once they collected Desi's things, having to use Ephram's cape as a makeshift carrying device, the two walked on to the porch to see the van driving off. Surprised they both dropped the load to the ground.

"Great," Ephram said with obvious sarcasm and turned around so not to look at the road, as if it were his enemy.

"I guess the van filled up," Desi said. Ephram turned to her.

"And how are we supposed to get home, huh? Hail a cab? Take a bus?" he asked her.

"They'll probably come back for us," Desi said. Ephram sighed.

"They'll forget about us. I don't know about you, but the majority of those people couldn't care less if I died," Ephram told her. Desi frowned. The percent was probably higher for her than it was her him.

"So what, we walk?" Desi asked him. Ephram shrugged.

"It's better than waiting here," he said as they moved Desi's things back inside the house and removed Ephram's cape from it so he could tie it back around himself for warmth. He stood at the top of the stairs and motioned for Desi to go first. She wrapped her cloak tighter around her and started descending the steps.

It was late and the party was almost over. The only people who remained were Dr. Abbott and his wife, along with the group of politicians she was talking to. Dr. Abbott sighed with boredom taking the last sip of the last cup of cider. He looked around. The entire hall was a disaster zone. Confetti and garbage formed layers on the floor, and every balloon had lost its float and now sat on the ground, being moved by the slightest bit of breeze. The majority of the people having left and the spirit of Halloween having left with them, Dr. Abbott removed his wig and scratched his head. That thing had been itchy since he put it on. He began walking over to his wife to tell her he was leaving when he heard a familiar 'Dad!' being yelled. He turned over to see a rush of teenagers running over to him, his own in the lead. Amy was leading Bright, who had his head leaning back and a bloody cloth clutched to his nose. Filled with parental worry he rushed over to them.

"What happened?" he demanded, hearing an 'oh my God!' as if wife saw the children.

"Jig broke his nose," Amy told her father.

"What?" he demanded surprised.

"Look, it's a long story, but he kind of needs help now."

"My nose is broken!" Bright yelled to the ceiling as if the news was new.

"Yes, yes of course. Come here," Dr. Abbott said leading his son in a direction with more light.

"The rest of you, go home!" he instructed. They all agreed and turned to leave much to Jig's surprise. Once she got over her surprise well enough to speak Ephram's name in remembrance, they had all gone. She turned to the Abbott family but they all seemed too worried about the well being of Bright's nostrils to care about the two stranded.

Desi and Ephram walked side by side down the old muddy road. It had been an hour and with the exception of the wood's natural inhabitants, they had seen no sign of life. The leaves had fallen and the wind and blown and covered up all signs of car tracks, which evidently Desi knew how to follow. It was getting darker too. Unlike the classic Halloween where the moon was full, the moon under which the two walked was waning, and very near new. But as the light grew dimmer their eyes adjusted and saw their way well enough, assuming they knew where they were headed. Finally, after following the single path for so long, the two came upon a fork in the road. It was there that they came across the biggest trouble.