Inside the Outsiders
Chapter 7
Halloween Terror
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters.
The next couple of weeks went pretty smoothly. Kaley temporarily worked things out with her father. He had come to pick her up the following morning when he was sober, and had apologized to her, and Mrs. Curtis.
September was a slow month for everyone, but soon it was October, and Halloween was just around the corner.
Soda was very excited, and went around a couple weeks beforehand, telling everyone what he was going to dress up as.
"Guess what I'm being? Guess what I'm being?" He ran around, saying.
Darry was getting pretty fed up with it.
"Soda, you've told us about a million times what you're dressing up as. I think we got it now." He said.
"But you have to guess." Soda said, still jumping.
"I've guessed already. First I guessed a ghost, then a vampire, then a goblin. I even guessed a clown for goodness sake. But, every time, you said, no, that's not it. Then you'd tell me. So, I think I know by now."
"Darry, humor him." His father said.
"Ok Soda. What are you being?" Darry asked, rolling his eyes slightly.
"I'm being…a horse!" Soda said, acting like it was the greatest thing in the world.
"Oh boy, a horse. I never would've guessed that!" Darry said, acting surprised.
Mrs. Curtis came into the room then.
"Where are you going to get a costume that's a horse, Soda?" She asked, smiling.
"I dunno. Maybe you could make one. You still got two weeks. It shouldn't be that hard." He said.
His mother gave a sigh. "I'll see what I can do, Soda."
Soda came over again to where Darry was sitting.
"What are you being for Halloween, Darry?" He asked.
"I'm too old to dress up, Soda. I'm almost twelve." He said, in his most grownup voice.
"You won't be twelve until March. You still got plenty of time to be eleven." Soda said. "You should be a cowboy." He added with a grin.
"I don't think so." Darry said, scornfully. "Cowboys are for six year olds."
Soda gave him a look. "No they're not. If they were for six year olds, that's what I would be then, but I ain't being a cowboy"
"You're not being a cowboy. Not ain't." His mother said from the kitchen.
"That's right, I ain't. That's what I said." Soda replied.
Darry rolled his eyes.
"She means, you're not supposed to say, ain't." Darry said.
"Why not. Steve says it."
"Well if Steve jumped off a cliff, would you do it too? Darry replied.
"Course not. Steve wouldn't jump off a cliff anyway." Soda said, laughing.
"Soda, don't joke about things like that." Mrs. Curtis called from the other room.
"Why not?" Soda asked.
"Because that's referred to as suicide." Darry said.
"Darry!" His mother said.
"What? It's the truth! You don't expect to jump off a cliff and live, do ya?" He said.
"What's suicide?" Soda asked.
"Never you mind." Mrs. Curtis said. "That's something you don't need to know about until you're older." She said.
Halloween night was cold, and Mrs. Curtis made sure that Darry and Soda both wore their jackets.
She thought that Darry was old enough to take Soda out by himself, just around the neighborhood.
As soon as they got outside, they saw a ghost and a witch coming towards them.
"Hey Steve, hey Alyssa. Nice costumes." Soda said, running up to them.
"Where's Johnnycake?" He asked.
"He's coming." Steve said, pointing behind them.
A small figure was running towards them. He was dressed up as a pirate.
"Hey Johnny." Soda called.
"Hi guys." He said, quietly.
"Ahh! What's that!" Alyssa called, pointing to something standing behind Darry.
Darry turned around and jumped. Standing behind him was a freaky looking man, with a green face and fangs.
"Two Bit. Don't sneak up on me like that!" Darry said, pulling the mask off of his face.
Two Bit was laughing and holding his side.
"Ha! I really got you!" He said.
"Yeah, yeah." Darry said. "Lets go."
They walked from house to house collecting candy. Soda was so excited when he got his favorite chocolate bar.
"Look! Look!" He said, waving it around in Darry's face.
"Watch it kid, or someone might steal it from you." Two Bit said, pretending to swipe it.
Soda pulled it away quick. "I'm hiding this when I get home." He said, laughing.
"Hey Darry. How come you didn't dress up, man?" Two Bit asked.
Darry shrugged. "Figured I was too old. I mean, I'm twelve, you're almost eleven, and everyone else is six. I just felt real old."
"Hey! You're never too old for candy!" Two Bit said, shoving a piece of gum in his mouth.
Darry laughed. "Man, what time is it?" He asked.
Two Bit looked down at his wrist. "I dunno man, I don't got no watch."
"Soda! Do you or your friends know what time it is? Mom said we have to be home by nine."
"It's five after nine, Darry." Steve called.
Darry grabbed Soda's hand. "Man, we gotta get home! Mom's gonna kill us."
They ran as fast as they could, and finally they reached their house, completely out of breath.
Their mother was standing outside with her arms crossed.
"Where exactly have you two been? It's almost ten after! You know you're not supposed to be outside after nine. It's too dangerous! Especially on Halloween!"
Soda went inside, but Darry stayed out to talk to his mother.
"Why is it so dangerous! You never give me a good reason, mom!" He said, slightly agitated.
"Darry, I don't need to give you a reason, I'm your mother. All I can say right now, is that it's too dangerous. Your father will tell you the same thing, so don't bother running to him about it."
"Mom, I'm almost 12 years old! I think I can stay out a little later!" Darry yelled.
"No you can't! If you leave, you will be in so much trouble!"
"I can do what I want!" Darry yelled.
"No you can't! You're too young! There are things out there, that you wouldn't understand!" His mother said, trying to coax him back into the house.
"Two Bit gets to stay out! He's younger than me!"
"Well, that's up to his parents. Your parents say no being out after nine. Those are the rules."
"Well, the rules stink!" Darry yelled, and ran down the driveway.
He ran as fast as he could, back to the last place he saw Two Bit. This time, Tow Bit wasn't there. There were a whole bunch of older kids out now. Teenagers, and older.
He didn't get scared, but in his mind, he was a little nervous. He didn't know any of them, because they went to high school, and he didn't. Although Darry was well built for his age, he was still considerably smaller than the rest of the older boys.
He didn't think they had noticed him at first, so he ducked down behind a mailbox and watched them.
He saw them take a box of eggs, and start throwing them at random houses. Then, they did the same with a couple of rolls of toilet paper. But what happened next, outdid eggs and toilet paper buy a long shot.
He followed one group to the vacant lot, and hid in a tree. They went to the middle, where they had set up a bon fire. One of the biggest boys got up and stood on a car.
"Ok guys. Here's the typical Halloween tradition/gang initiation. All the new members we've gotten since last Halloween come up here please."
About half a dozen guys got up and walked to where the bigger guy was standing.
"Members?" Darry whispered to himself.
The six boys stood in a row, and had blindfolds put on them. Then, the older members took out one of those things you brand a cow with, and dipped it over the fire, until it was scalding hot.
Darry was shocked. They weren't going to burn them, were they?
One by one, the oldest boy walked past each new member and asked them a question that Darry couldn't hear, because he wasn't close enough. After all six new members answered, the oldest boy went back to the car.
"The new members have all sworn the oath of secrecy, that they will not tell a soul of what happened here tonight. Now, lets start the ceremony."
Just as Darry feared, the oldest boy went past all the new members and took the burning stick, and branded a symbol into their arm. All the boys winced with pain, and Darry tried not to look. One boy cried out so loud, that he almost made Darry cry out too.
Darry tried to adjust his vantage point, but he slipped and the branch broke underneath him. As soon as that happened, he knew that he had to get out of there, now!
Some of the boys had already seen him running away, and were pointing and running towards him.
Darry ran faster than he had ever run before. He could hear the boys running after them, and now, he'd admit, he was scared.
He saw his street approaching, but it was still so far away, and he could hear the boys gaining on him.
He was still running when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He yelled, but then looked up to see that it was his father.
"Dad! They're after me!" He yelled looking back. When he did, he saw that the boys were walking back slowly to the lot. They had seen his father, and didn't want to cause trouble with him.
"I know. They're not anymore. Now you see why we tell you to be in by nine? Lets go home." He said, leading Darry back to the house.
When he got home, his mother gave him a huge lecture about listening to them, and not being defiant. It wasn't fun, but he knew he deserved it.
When he went to bed that night, he could still see all the boys lined up, and he knew he never wanted to experience that again. But, at least he was safe, in his bed. Even if it was only 9:30.
Yea! I updated! I'm out of my writer's block, so I'll try to update this a little more often. Thanks to all my reviewers!
Please R&R!
Jess