Enter Siblings, Exit Haunted House
Part Four:
"Love, Skeleton, and a..."
Upon going to bed, a creaking noise was heard, which alerted everyone. However, Shemp, Jenny, and Mike went downstairs to investigate it, soon to be joined by Larry. Afterward, Mike disappeared, Shemp saw a ghost and fainted, Jenny fainted believing Shemp was a ghost now, Shemp woke up and almost fainted again, and Moe and David came downstairs to see what was going on. They noticed Mike wasn't there and they all looked around until they found him and he led them to a room that had Ancient Egyptian stuff in it. Now, someone else disappeared. Question is: Who? Find out!
(Flashback to part three)
"OK, I think we finally found the room." Mike clearly ignored David and opened the door to the Egyptian room, he was talking about.
"Whoa!" Moe was stunned.
"Whoa is right." Shemp added.
"Mike, I'm sorry I ever doubted you." Jenny was impressed by the room.
"OK, even I'll admit that it is impressive and that I shouldn't have doubted you." David reluctantly admitted.
"That didn't sound like an apology." Mike reminded him.
"Don't push it." David glared at him.
Suddenly, the lights went out.
"Oh, nice!" David sighed.
"We should fix the electricity in this place." Jenny said.
A scream was heard.
"What was that?!" Moe was clearly shaken by the scream.
(Now)
"Who screamed?" Jenny was also shaken by the scream.
"Here, let me feel around for a light switch." Shemp felt around on the wall until he found a light switch and turned it on.
"That's better and-Where's Larry?" Jenny noticed that Larry wasn't there.
"Don't tell me that he has disappeared now." Moe folded his arms and didn't look amused.
"I think he has." Shemp nodded.
"Oh, that featherbrain! Well, let's go find him!" Moe, irritated, went behind a curtain, "Larry! Hey, Larry! Where are ya?".
"Larry! Oh, Larry!" Shemp was checking all of the big pots, jars, and underneath tables, before, checking drawers.
"Now, Shempy, he wouldn't fit in a drawer." Jenny laughed.
"Yeah, that is silly." Shemp chuckled.
"Of course it is. That's why I said that." Jenny, chuckling, rolled her eyes.
There was screaming from behind a curtain, followed by a door creaking shut.
"Now, what was that?" David was a bit frazzled by the scream and creaking noise, despite trying to act tough.
"I don't know. It could've been-Hey, where's Moe?" Shemp noticed Moe wasn't there.
"He's behind that curtain." David pointed at the curtain.
"Hey, Moe, did ya hear those noises?" Mike asked.
No answer.
"Looks like, Moe vanished, too." Jenny looked behind the curtain and there was no sign of Moe anywhere.
"OK, that's strange. First Mike disappears, then Larry, now Moe?" David huddled up next to Shemp and motioned for Mike and Jenny.
"Moe and Larry should know better than to scare us like this! I mean they-Hello, what's this?" Mike moved a rug aside, revealing a trap door, "Wait! You don't suppose-".
"Don't suppose, what?" David looked at him.
"I think he disappeared down this trap door." Mike pointed at the trap door.
"How do you know that it's a trap door?" David put his hand on his hip.
"Well, for one thing, it opens up." Mike opened the trap door, revealing another room.
"Moe, are you down there? Larry?" David called out.
No answer.
"Alright, let's split up. Mike and I will go through the trap door. Shemp, you and Jenny will search around up here and possibly upstairs. Just anywhere. We must find those two." David began to climb down the trap door.
"If you don't mind, David, I'll go with Shemp and Jenny." Mike went to go with Shemp and Jenny, only to be pulled under the trap door by David.
"Glad, I don't have to be stuck with them." Jenny breathed a sigh of relief.
"Say Jenny, there's been something I have been wanting to ask you." Shemp started.
"That's funny, because, there's something that I have been wanting to tell you, too." Jenny looked into Shemp's eyes.
"You go first. After all, ladies first." Shemp commented.
"Shemp, ever since I have known you, which happens to be for a short while, I have grown pretty um pretty-oh dear, I'm almost embarrassed and nervous to say it. Oh, how do I put this delicately?" Jenny was blushing and starting to feel nervous.
"It's OK, Jenny. Go on and say it." Shemp put his hand on her arm.
"Well, it's just that we really haven't had a moment alone with each other, well, we have, but, it is always being interrupted. Anyways, ever since I first saw you at the restaurant/bar, I-Do you believe in love-like at first sight?" Jenny was stumbling with her words.
"Did you just say love and change it to like?" Shemp got a puzzled look on his face.
"Yes." Jenny looked down for a moment, before looking back up at him, "Do you believe in love at first bite-I mean sight?".
"Yes, I do believe in love at first sight. You know, I was just about to ask you the same thing." Shemp moved his hand from Jenny's arm and leaned on the wall.
"I must've read your mind. Any hoo, I-I really like you a lot, Shemp. You're funny, kind, and cute. I've been wanting to tell you that all day and all evening, but, the moments weren't right." Jenny looked at the ground, again, "I hope you don't find it weird. If you do, I'll understand.".
"Are you kidding?" Shemp gently lifted her chin with his finger, so, that way she was looking into his eyes, "Jenny, like I have been saying and always will say that you're one the prettiest women I have ever laid my eyes upon and you had me at hello. I know that we have only known each other for a short amount of time, but, for some reason, I am drawn to you. You're all that I can think about and I can't and won't shake that feeling. I was too afraid to tell you, because, I figured that you would think that I was weird or something, plus, the moments weren't right. I was afraid that you wouldn't feel the same way, but, to my relief, you do feel the same way.".
"Wow! I guess fate did bring us together. However, I do prefer to take things slow." Jenny gazed lovingly into Shemp's eyes.
"I prefer to do things at a slow pace, too." Shemp returned her gaze with a smile.
Meanwhile, down in the room underneath the trap door
Mike and David were looking around for Moe and Larry, but, couldn't find either of them. They decided to split up and look in other places. Pretty soon, a hand came out from behind a wall and pulled David behind the wall, muffling him, before, he could scream or make any other sound. However, Mike heard David's muffled noise.
"David, don't try to scare me!" Mike rolled his eyes and brushed it off.
There was no response.
"David? David? David! Oh come on, not another disappearance!" Mike did a facepalm.
In a crypt-like room
"Let me outta here! Let me outta here!" Moe was pounding on a door.
The door opened and Moe slid into a room that turned out to be full of coffins and tombs.
"Oh, how did I get into this awful room?!" Moe was clearly scared and looked around for an exit, "Most importantly, how do I get out?!".
He looked around until he finally found a door.
"OK, that door might lead me back to my friends and my boneheaded brother." Moe went to the door.
"Hey, Moe! Help me!" a voice said.
"Who said that? How-How do you know my name?" Moe was shaking.
"Moe, it's me, Larry! I'm down here in this dungeon!" Larry called out.
"Well, porcupine, how'd you get down there?" Moe stood over the dungeon.
"Most importantly, how are you going to get me out?" Larry folded his arms.
Inside a room that looked like a torture chamber
"What the, hey! Get me out of here! Who's doing this?! I demand an expla-Naaaation!" David fell out of a small elevator and onto the ground, "Oomph!".
He sat up and rubbed his head for a while, before, looking up and getting a tad horrified by what he saw, still trying to put on his tough guy act.
"How did I get into this horrible room? What if-What if I am next?!" David skimmed the room and jumped when he saw a skeleton, "Yikes! A Skel-Skeleton!".
"Greetings, friend." The skeleton spoke with a southern accent and waved his arm.
"It-It ta-talks!" David was bug-eyed.
"I said, greetings, my friend." The skeleton stood up and walked towards David.
"Now, I think I have seen everything!" David started to slowly back up, away from the skeleton.
"Well, for goodness sake, you're hurtin' my feelings, friend. All I said was, 'hello'." the skeleton crossed his arms.
"I'm s-sorry. I just didn't expect you to talk." David's voice was shaky.
"Oh, c'mon, young man, you need not to be frightened of me. I'm just a jolly guy tryin' to make friends. It ain't easy makin' friends." The skeleton put his hand on David's shoulder, before walking off.
"Thank goodness that's over. Now, I have to find my way out of this room." David brushed sweat off of his forehead and searched for an exit of any kind.
He finally found a door, opened it, and walked into a room, which turned out to be the one Larry and Moe were in.
"Moe! I'm glad to see a familiar face!" David ran toward him
"So are we! Hey, what room were you just in?" Moe asked.
"I think it was a torture chamber!" David shuddered and grimaced after mentioning it.
"Larry's in a dungeon down there." Moe pointed to the dungeon.
"Hi." Larry waved.
"How do we get him out?" David asked, before looking around the room and finding rope, "Look, there's some rope. I'll go get it, then I'll lower it into the dungeon, Larry will tie it around himself, and then together, Moe, we'll pull him up.".
"Good idea, kiddo! Good idea!" Moe patted him on the head.
"I know. I'm full of them." David said in a cocky manner, before, going off to grab the rope.
"A little too full of himself, eh, Moe?" Larry interjected.
"Yeah, I'll-" Moe paused mid-sentence and gave Larry a look.
"OK, I got the rope. Now, I'm going to lower it and Larry you know what to do." David brought the rope over and began to slowly lower it into the dungeon.
"OK, I have the rope and I am in the process of tying it around myself." Larry said, as he tied the rope around himself.
"You ready?" David asked.
"Ready." Larry tugged on the rope.
With that and all of his might, David pulled Larry safely out of the dungeon, faster than anyone could blink an eye.
"Wow, kid! You sure are strong!" Larry was impressed by David's strength.
"I'll say he is, because, nobody has ever pulled you or any of us out of a dungeon or hole that quickly." Moe was also impressed and a bit shocked by David's strength.
"I wonder what Mike, Shemp, and Jenny are up to?" Larry dusted himself off.
"I bet Shemp and Jenny are Casablanca-ing!" David snarked.
"Oh, that egg head! When I get my hands on him, I'm gonna!" Moe shook his fist.
"Let's see if we can find our way out of this room. It gives me the goose pimples!" Larry shuddered while looking around the room.
"Yeah, I agree, porcupine! I'm gettin' goose pimples on top of my goose pimples." Moe nodded.
"You guys are scared of this room? I never pegged either of you to be scared of anything. Pfft! I'm not scared of anything." David scoffed.
"Well, you're brave, kiddo." Larry patted him on the shoulder.
"However, I do agree to find a way out, because we are all exhausted and our minds are playing tricks on us. I mean after all, there's really nothing to be scared of." David said, before walking around the room in order to find an exit.
"Yeah, I agree with David. There really isn't anything to be scared of. It's just our imagination." Moe tried to act as if he wasn't scared, even though he was.
"Oh, you're crazy! This place is a haunted house, because I know a haunted house when I see one! Plus, if you're not so scared, then how come I saw the hair on the back of your neck standing up?" Larry dismissed Moe with a hand gesture.
"Quiet, you!" Moe slapped Larry across the face, before going off to find an exit, followed by Larry, who was rubbing his face.
David, Moe, and Larry kept looking around until David accidentally leaned against an already partially opened door. He opened it further and motioned for Moe and Larry, before going out of the room. Moe and Larry followed close behind David and the door slammed shut by itself.
"What're you slammin' doors for?" Moe gave Larry an annoyed look.
"It wasn't me." Larry protested.
"Well, it wasn't me and David is far ahead of us, so it wasn't him." Moe pointed out.
"Who cares?! Let's just find the others." Larry dismissed the whole thing.
"Come on slowpokes!" David yelled from afar.
"How do ya like that?! He called us slowpokes!" Moe was annoyed by that.
"Well, it is-" Larry was cut off.
"Nobody asked you!" Moe poked him in the eyes, before catching up to where David was.
As they kept making their way around, a door opened, startling David enough to jump into Moe's arms.
"So we don't need to be scared, now do we?" Moe couldn't help laughing after David jumped into his arms.
"Well that-" David paused and upon realizing that he was in Moe's arms, he quickly got out of Moe's arms and stood on the ground, acting as if he didn't just do that, even though...he did.
"David, it's OK to be a little scared." Larry told him.
"You call that scared? It was mere acting." David brushed it off.
"Anyways, who's behind that door?" Moe turned his attention back to the door.
Mike came out of the shadows, desperately trying to contain his laughter, but failing miserably.
"What're you laughing at?!" David asked in a very annoyed tone.
"You getting scared when I opened the door!" Mike guffawed.
"That was YOU?! Why, I oughta rip your brain stem out and skip rope with it!" David bonked Mike on the head.
Moe and Larry grimaced when David said that and shuddered, as well.
"Oh! Oh!" Mike rubbed his head, before barking like a dog at David.
"I'll murder you!" David rapped Mike on the nose.
"Oh!" Mike rubbed his nose, before shooting daggers at David and pointing at his finger, "Hey, Dave, you have a hang nail.".
"Oh, I do?" David bit off a piece of his fingernail and spat it out, inadvertently hitting Mike, "Thanks, Mike.".
"No, you didn't get it. Here let me get-" Mike finished the last part by grabbing David's finger and biting down on it very hard, making a crunching sound.
"Oh, a biter eh? Well, two could play at that game!" David bit down on Mike's nose, making the same crunching noise.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Oh, your teeth are sinking in!" Mike tried to pry his brother off of him.
"Oh, kiddos break it up!" Moe managed to pry the two apart.
David and Mike took a few deep breaths, trying to compose themselves.
"Now, is that any way to behave, hmmm?" Moe asked in a parental way.
"Yeah, Mike is that any way to behave?!" David turned to Mike.
"That goes for you too, David!" Mike glared at his brother.
"Forget about it, Mike! Let's just find Shemp and Jenny." David dismissed his kid brother with a hand gesture.
With that, they kept going until they finally found another door and opened it, leading them into the room that Shemp and Jenny were in. They all got wide eyed when they saw Jenny kissing Shemp. Moe and Larry were disappointed, while David and Mike were simply grossed out by it.
"Ahem!" David loudly cleared his throat.
"Oh!" Shemp and Jenny were startled and immediately stopped kissing.
"Jenny, ya do know there's more of us! Don't you?!" David crossed his arms.
"We didn't expect you four to pop up so quickly." Jenny put her hands on her hips.
"Well, for one thing, let's never get separated again." Mike firmly said.
"Get separated? You kids all disappeared." Shemp corrected him.
"Oh yeah, that's right!" Mike suddenly remembered.
"Oh, you imbecile!" David kicked Mike in the leg, before picking up a nearby hammer and pounding it on Mike's head.
"Owwww! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh, look!" Mike yelled and rubbed his head, before pointing at the now destroyed hammer.
Moe, Larry, Shemp, Jenny, and David were all bug-eyed when they saw that the hammer was destroyed.
"What do you have in your head?! An iron plate or something?!" David threw the hammer aside.
"Now, all I have in my head is a brain and a skull." Mike scoffed.
"Really? I'd like to know where your brain is, half of the time!" David remarked.
"It's in my skull. Where else?" Mike gave him a perplexed look.
"Ha! I really doubt it at times." David guffawed.
Moe and Larry exchanged glances, while noticing the similarity between themselves and David and Mike.
"If I am the one who doesn't have brains, how come I am smart enough to shut Jenny's suitcase?!" Mike folded his arms.
"Nailing it shut wasn't really smart, Mike! Besides, you're the one who started the whole disappearing act just a few moments ago!" David retorted.
"You know what?! I-" Mike was interrupted.
"Look you two, why don't we all just go back to our rooms, because, we are all tired and exhausted and a bit shook up by the whole disappearing thing." Jenny suggested.
"I also had a skeleton talk to me in a southern accent." David pointed out.
"Sure, you did." Jenny brushed him off.
"I did!" David protested.
"Well, all that matters is that we are all back together." Shemp said, trying to lighten the mood up.
"Yeah, so why don't we go this way." Jenny opened another door.
Suddenly, there was a tall figure, about the same height as David, standing there and growling at the group.
"Nyaaa! Ahhhh! Ahhhh! Ahhhh!" Moe's hair rose for a brief moment.
Larry's pant legs rose up for a brief moment, before he let out a scream.
"Hee-bee-bee-bee-bee-bee!" Shemp was terrified by what he saw.
"L-Leave it to Jenny to open the wrong door!" Mike's teeth began to chatter.
"Or any door to be exact!" David muttered.
What was the figure standing there?
To Be Continued...
Happy belated Halloween!