Every Halloween is always the same; Gracie (the Elephant) is always too scared to go trick-or-treating with Ashley (the Weimaraner). When Ashley asks her why, she replies. "Um...I'm too busy"

One day as Halloween was fast approaching; Gracie invited Ashley over for a sleepover. "Hi, Ashley," Gracie said, when she opened the door.

"Hi, Gracie" Ashley replied, stepping in the door. Gracie noticed that Ashley's pajama top and bottom were covered with Weimaraner(s), and her sleeping bag had a big picture of a Weimaraner faces.

"Hey, Gracie! Why don't you take Ashley up to your room? While I make dinner" Gracie's dad, Horton said.

"Okay, dad" Gracie said. As they went upstairs to her room, Ashley asked, "Hey, Gracie you know Halloween's coming up"

"Oh, it is?" Gracie exclaimed, in a half-surprise, half-nervous voice.

"Yes, it is" she paused, then she asked one of her usual questions that Gracie always dreaded. "So...what are you going to be?"

"Oh, I'm not going"

"Why?" she continued asking her dreaded question, Gracie wondered if there will ever come a day when she would just stop. "Wait; don't tell me you're busy. Again?"

Gracie gulped and played with her big elephant fingers nervously. "That depends would you be mad? If I told you I was"

"Yes! Gracie, you do this every Halloween"

"Why, yes I do: and?"

"I'm just curious as to why do you do this every year?"

"Oh! Look, we're here" Gracie announced, trying to change the subject. "Let's go in," she said. As Gracie opened the door, Ashley gasped.

"Wow, your room's very..." she paused, trying to think: of what to say. "Interesting?" She said, questioning herself: as if she wasn't quite satisfied with the word.

Then Gracie said, "Why thank you, for the compliment" she paused, before saying. "So, why don't we get our beds ready?" As she helped Ashley roll out her sleeping bag, she could clearly see that Ashley had noticed something. As she walked over to my bed, she asked.

"Um...Gracie, What's on your bed?"

"Oh, that's just my bedspread," Gracie said, smoothing it out. "Isn't it pretty?" she asked, it had a purple zebra print background, with a picture of an Elephant and a Weimaraners' face on it; and across the top, it read, "Ashley and Gracie Friends for Ever"

"So...why wouldn't you answer my question, earlier?"

"Um, dad!" Gracie yelled.

"Yes, sweetie!" Horton yelled, back.

"Is dinner ready yet?" she asked.

"Um, yes. Come and get it"

"Be right there!" Gracie yelled. "Come on, Ashley" we both raced into the Kitchen/Dining Room, as we both sat down: Gracie's dad said.

"I made Gracie's favorite..." her father began, pausing for dramatic effect. "Spaghetti and Meatballs!" He announced, as he put something...with a big silver top in the center of the table. Slowly uncovering a big silver plate, saying. "Bone apatite" "Oh, I hope you like Spaghetti and Meatballs. Ashley"

"Like it, I love it" Ashley announced, eating away. "So...what's wrong, Gracie? Why won't you answer any of my questions?" Grace didn't answer, instead, she said.

"Mmm...dad this looks good!" as she started eating.

He smiled, and said. "Why thank you!"

"Ehem" Ashley said, impatiently.

"It's just I don't like Halloween, that's all"

"Huh?" Ashley questioned, looking mad. "How can you not like a holiday, like Halloween?"

Horton leaned over to his daughter, and whispered: "you haven't told her yet, have you?"

"Well...um...no, no I haven't"

"Why haven't you told her yet?"

"Well, I don't want her to think I'm a wimp"

"She won't think you're a wimp" he paused, then said. "She's your friend, isn't she?"

"Heck yeah"

"So, she'll understand"

"Well...okay, if you say so"

"Um...Ashley, I have to tell you something" she announced.

"Okay, so...what is it?"

"Um..." she hesitated; just then Horton broke in, saying.

"Okay kids, time for bed" Gracie raced into her room, like a speeding bullet. Impatiently changing, and hiding all of her favorite things.

When Ashley came into the room, Gracie could tell that she was...scanning her up and down with her eyes.

Then she said, "Wow, you look..." she paused, thinking. "CUTE" she finally said, Ashley noticed that Gracie had changed from wearing her pink dress, to wearing her favorite pink pajamas with lots of gray elephant heads all over it.

As Gracie lept into bed, Horton came by saying "Time for lights out" she saw him turn out the light, after he left. She gazed up into the darkness, thinking. Then she glanced over at Ashley who was already sound asleep. As soon as Gracie was sure, she was alone. She reached under the covers, until she found a little Peter Pan 20'' Plush. Along with a Disney Fairies Tinker Bell Doll - 10'' H, that her mom got her from the Disney store: long ago,

Gracie's mom Grace died two days before her 2nd birthday.

As she slept, she dreamed of never growing up, Peter Pan sweeping her off her feet, and Nederland...where she saw Tinker Bell and her friends, the lost boys, Captain Hook, Michel, John, Wendy, and the whole Jake and the Never Land Pirates crew. Consisting of Jake, Izzy, Cubby. Oh, and their parrot Skully.

When Gracie awoke, she found that Ashley's sleeping bag was empty. Gracie noticed that her stuffed animals had fallen, down, down; down to the ground they fell, near where Ashley's sleeping bag lay. "Oh, no!" She thought, hastily gathering them up and putting them on her bed. As she ran down the hall, Gracie slowed as she found Ashley. She was sitting at the kitchen table eating pancakes, angrily. Gracie walked over, and sat across from her.

"Hey, Ashley I can explain," she said.

"About what?" she paused, then said angrily. "Oh, do you mean? About...why I found two stuffed dolls. Next to my sleeping bag"

"Um...uh" Gracie stammered, then said bravely. "Yes!"

After we ate, Gracie pulled Ashley into her room. "Here, I'll tell you a secret" she whispered.

"Okay," Ashley said, casually.

"Okay, but you need to promise me, that you will never tell anyone" Gracie watch her as she slowly, raised her right hand and said. "I promise" as soon as she said this, she brought her hand back down to her side.

"Okay," Gracie said, as she took a deep breath. "I'm afraid of the dark" she finally said, thinking of what she'd do. "Laugh at me, rub it in my face" before she could say anything, Gracie was gone.

She ran and ran, until she came to a room. It was her dad's room, She walked in, slammed the door, and hide in a corner. Just then, her dad Horton came in.

"What's wrong? Sweetie" Gracie didn't answer. "What's wrong, Gracie?" Horton said, once again. She took a deep breath, then with a sigh said. "Ashley knows about, my fear of the dark"

"Oh, no!" he paused, then said. "Who told her?"

"It...it was, me," she said, in a squeaky voice.

"You? Why, what happened?" Gracie explained, the whole story to him. "Oh, no!" he paused. "This is TERRIBLE, but...why is that bad. Exactly?"

"Because kelp-fur-brain, now she knows my deep dark secret" just then, Ashley burst into the room. Gracie shivered, then said. "Hi, Ashley! What do you want?" She said, hotly.

"I just want to talk," Ashley said, calmly. Then, turned to Gracie's dad: and said. "Alone"

Horton was shocked, but he said. "Oh, oh! Yeah, okay" and he left the room, in a flash.

"Now, having a fear is nothing to be ashamed of," Ashley said, continuing to speak, in that calm voice.

"Says you, you probably don't have a fear"

"Oh, contraire. Everyone has a fear even me"

"You do?" She said,

Ashley laughed, then said. "Of course, I do"

"So, what is it?"

"I'm scared of..." she paused, then whispered. "Heights"

"You're scared of height?" Gracie asked, shocked.

"Yes," she sighed. "Go ahead...laugh" she sighed again, and nonchalantly walk to the nearest corner, and stood in it.

"Now, now! What makes you think I'm going to laugh at you" Gracie said.

She turned to her, then said. "Um, because that's what some people do," she said, rudely. Like Gracie had done something wrong.

"Well, I'm not," Gracie said, proudly.

She looked up at her, then said. "I'm not, going to either" she finally, said.

"Thank you?" Gracie said, blinking. As Gracie tried to figure out what Ashley was saying, "So, wait..." she began. "It doesn't matter that I have a fear?" Gracie said.

"No, it doesn't," Ashley said, with great pride.

"Let's go back to my room, I wanna tell ya something," Gracie said, excitedly.

"Ok?" Ashley said, questioningly. We went into my room, "so...what do you want to show me?"

"Just a minute," Gracie said, as she carefully, reached under her covers and pulled out two dolls. "Um...you might recognize these," she said, turning to Ashley, holding up the dolls.

"Hey, I recognize those"

"You should, it's the same dolls, that you found...next to your sleeping bag"

"So? Why should that matter to me?"

"It should matter to you, because..." she paused. "I'm going to tell you the story, of...how I got these"

"Okay," Ashley said, then she added. "Yeah, how did you get these" "I don't think you've ever told me?"

It was true, she's never been able to trust anyone. The only ones who knew were: her dad, and herself.

"Well, my mom got me these from the Disney store: long ago..." Ashley broke in.

"What happened to her?" she asked.

"Well, my mom Grace..." she paused, trying to think of what to say. Other than "died". Then she had it, "my mother...um...passed away," she said, with tears in her eye.

"You mean she died?" She asked.

"Yes," Gracie said.

"When did this happen?"

"Well, if you really want to know. It was...two days before my 2nd birthday" just then, she burst into tears.

"Oh, Gracie. I'm so sorry, I didn't know" Ashley said, hugging her. Her words comforted Gracie,

"It's okay," she said, drying her tears. Just then, Horton burst into the room.

"Hey! Gracie" he said, "It's almost time to send Ashley home"

"Okay, dad" she then added. "Just give us a minute"

"Okay, but be quick"

"Okay, dad" she repeated. His words encode in her mind, as she helped Ashley roll up her sleeping bag.

Then Ashley asked, "Are you going trick-or-treating, this year?"

"Uh, well..." Gracie stammered. "I haven't thought about it" she finally, blurted out.

"Come on!" she demanded. "You do this every year, don't you?" she said. "You say you're busy, but we all know you're really not. Don't we Horton?"

Just then, Horton burst into the room. Saying, "Why yes, yes we do"

"Well...Gracie, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Suddenly, her mouth became dry. All she could utter was this, "You know my dad?"

"Huh!" She sighed. "Yes, yes. I know your dad" she said, perturbed. "Focuses! Gracie" she said, stammering, "Now, are you going or not" she demanded.

"Maybe...I don't know" Gracie said, "I mean...you know my fear"

"Yes, yes. Your fear, the one where you're afraid of the dark. I know" I watched her give a sigh; she rolled her eyes as she said. "So, what?"

"So..." she was really angering me now. "I can't go"

"Why, ever not?"

"Well, because..." I protested. "After school, on Halloween it gets dark"

"So...?"

"So, that's why I can't go" I raised my voice, slightly. "I can't risk getting lost"

"Lost?" she looked shocked. "What on earth, would make you think that?"

"Well..." she paused, thinking. "Well...if I was to go alone..." Gracie blurted out, stammering a bit, in frustration.

"You're not going alone!" she broke in.

"Well...then, who would I go with? I couldn't possibly go with my dad, that would just be embarrassing"

"Ehem..." she said, in a loud voice.

"Not now Ashley, I'm thinking"

"Ehem..." she said, a little bit louder. Pointing to herself, "You can go with me" she blurted out, in frustration.

"What?" Gracie questioned, as she tried to possess what was going on.

"You can go with me," she said, again.

"What? You want me to go with you? Even after I admitted my deep, dark, secret to you...?"

She sighed, and then said. "Yes...yes, I do" adding "with me you won't get lost...I guaranty it"

"Well..." Gracie said, thinking. "Okay," she finally said.

"Great! What are you going to wear?" Ashley said, with excitement.

"Oh, I don't know?" she said.

"Well, what do you like to do?"

"I like animals, especially horses!" Gracie said, proudly.

"Ooo..." Ashley said, getting an idea. "Maybe you can be...a horse?"

"A horse sounds like it could be...a possibility..."

"A possibility? What do you mean?"

"Well, I like horses...but I also like helping animals!" She said proudly. Then out of the blue, her face began to change into a sad, almost deepest-looking state. "But...you probably have no costume ideas for that"

"Well, maybe I do"

"How about a Veterinarian...or a Zoologist?"

"I guess I'll have to go with...a Veterinarian costume!" Gracie said, feeling pretty proud of herself for making a choice. "I almost forgot, to ask—what are you going to be?"

"Hmm...let's see? Since you're going as a vet, I guess I'll have to go as...a...horse?"

"Oh, I'll ask my...dad if he can drive us!" Gracie said, excitedly. As we went down the hall, towards the door. Gracie began to wonder if she had ever gone, trick-or-treating before.

Then, she had a sudden memory of her mom, dad, and herself. Walking down a rough, dark, concrete road; Gracie could see it in their eyes when she looked up they could tell she was scared, their fingers locked in hers,

"Gracie" her dad's voice, broke her thoughts. She didn't answer. "Gracie!" He said, almost screaming in her ear. Instantly, she snapped awake out of her dazes.

"Okay; Gracie, stay goodbye to Ashley" her dad announced. "Oh, dad; wait...I have to tell you something"

"Anything, sweetie" he answered, in a whisper.

"Actually it's something Ashley and I wanna ask you"

"Ok..." her dad said, awkwardly. "What is it, then?"

"It's about..." she gulped. "Halloween"

"Oh, are you going; this year?"

"Oh...well..." she stammered.

"Yes!" Ashley blurted. "Yes, yes she is"

"Oh, I am?" Gracie asked.

"Yes, yes you are" Ashley hissed.

"Oh, yes; that's right, I am," she said, winking at Ashley.

"Huh..." Ashley said, annoyed. "Isn't there something you wanted to ask your father?"

"Oh yeah; right," she said, winking at Ashley again.

"Huh," she sighed, annoyed. "Just tell 'em"

"Okay..." Gracie said, nervously.

"Oh, good; what are you going to be?" her dad asked.

"Well, I'm going to be a...veterinarian, and Ashley's going to be a horse."

"That's cool..." her dad said, nonchalantly.

"Can you please drive us to a costume store?"

"Well..." he said, sounding unsure.

"Dad, please..." Gracie pleaded.

"Well..." he said, sounding unsure; again. "Okay," he said, finally.

"Oh, thank you; dad. Thank you!" Gracie almost screamed with delight.

"Come on, let's hop in that old car and we'll go" Gracie giggled.

"You mean, the Spirited Filly?!" Gracie asked, eagerly.

"Spirited, what? Huh?" Ashley asked, confusedly.

"Spirited Filly," Gracie said. "It's our car"