Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams Family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)

Had I any say in the matter, this awakening would have been a touch more..."dignified".

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

I let out a scream more powerful than I thought I was capable of doing. My frenzied cries were so shrill, so piercing, my poor throat felt like it was on fire when I had finally finished. After a few minutes to realize I was no longer on the verge of being tortured, I immediately noticed my left knee was no longer in excruiating pain. A massive surge of relief flooded my senses all at once as I was glad to be delivered from that hellish nightmare. The scariest thing about all this was just how real the whole thing felt. Did I just experience a vision of hell?!

It took my parents about 5 minutes to barge in through the door to my bedroom. When they saw me and Paul, the latter of whom was somehow still asleep despite me rocking the house to it's core with my own voice, they seemed more annoyed than relieved to find me unharmed. I tried my best to explain what happened without waking Paul up in the process.

"Uhh, sorry! I just had a little nightmare. I've gotta hold back on the late night pizza before bed."

They both seemed to accept that excuse, and gently closed the door as they went down-stairs to get their days started. I undid my covers and stood up, briefly checking my PJs for any wet stains (thankfully finding none in the process). I made sure to check the alarm clock to the center of the desk. It read 7:25 AM, only 5 minutes removed from when it would normally go off. That suited me just fine, I was in no rush whatsoever to go back to sleep considering what I'd just been through. I decided to get an early start to my day and headed off to the bathroom.

I got out of the shower after about 10 minutes or so. There wasn't as much hot water as I'd of liked (Thank you Paul), but I made do with what there was to spare. Afterwards, I headed back to my bedroom to retreive the letter. I decided to read it after school, mostly because I desperately needed a diversion from what I suffered through the whole night. Jesus, and I thought Paul's jumping on the bed was torturous!

After breakfast, I raced toward school on my board for yet another monotonous, yet hopefully peaceful day. I couldn't deal with Paul at all considering how much the dream itself involved him, not to mention just how stressed out I was by it in general. As much as my left knee felt like someone had bashed a tire iron against it repeatedly. As much as I was traumatized by the sight of Wednesday stalking me while I was left defenseless on the ground. Nothing...I repeat, nothing could have compared to the blood curdling horror of seeing my only sibling strung on a wooden plank like he was some kind of scare-crow. I didn't know which I hated more. The thought of what might have happened had I not gotten there in time to save him, or just whomever it was that trapped him there in the first place.

I've had nightmares before, sure! What kid on this planet hasn't experienced at least one, right? Thing is, none of the bad dreams or night terrors I've had ever felt that real before. How could I feel actual physical pain when dreams themselves were essentially projections of our own imaginations? More to the point, Wednesday herself had never been quite as terrifying than she was in that dream. It's like she was a sadistic and cunning predator, stalking it's helpless prey while waiting for the right moment to strike. I just couldn't understand why this was happening to me, and why NOW of all damned times! What did these people want from me?! I'd like to think I'm not the worst kid in the world, at least not so rotten as to deserve being haunted in my sleep!

I got through the rest of the day without any problems to speak of miraculously. My friends joined me on the way home from school, picking up on my frustrations despite my best efforts to keep focused on my day. They were nice enough to make sure I got back home safely, which considering my paranoia was immensely comforting. I debated whether or not it was a good idea to inform them of the contents regarding my dream, but I figured asking a couple of basic questions couldn't hurt. I just had to make sure I kept the details on the dream short.

"Hey guys? I uhhh...I was kinda curious. Have you ever had a dream where you can...like, feel things you would if you were awake?"

My 4 friends looked at each other like I'd just asked them theory regarding quantum physics. In fairness, the question I was asking did defy logic, and truth be told I wouldn't know what to say if I were asked the same thing. All the same, I needed answers as I didn't know how else to explain it. Jason spoke up after a few minutes of sharing awkward stares with my other friends.

"Umm, you wanna repeat that one more time Stew? I'm not sure if I heard that right. Why do you ask anyway?"

Well, here it goes nothing. I just gotta keep it short and sweet, and maybe they won't badger me for more afterwards.

"I had a dream last night where I was running down a dark path. I just kept running and running, presumably away from someone or something chasing me. Before I could get to safety, I tripped and landed hard on my left knee. It felt like my knee cap had literally exploded, and it hurt so much it was like I'd injured it for real! Can that actually happen in dreams? Is it possible to feel pain?"

The boys looked to be mulling over what I'd told them, trying to dig up the best answer they could offer on such short notice. They all shook their heads in unison after a minute or 2, leaving me no better off than when I first started. Bobby soon snickered as he made it clear he wasn't taking me seriously at all. He giggles for a bit before making a snide remark at my expense of course.

"Heh, "pain" huh Stewart? For a second there, I thought for sure you just woke up with a stiffy."

The rest of my friends all joined him in mocking laughter, well at least Jason and Tommy tried to hold theirs back. Marcus was chuckling so hard he had to balance himself on Bobby's left shoulder. It was at this point I was truly beginning to question the validity of my friendship with Bobby. He seemed to have lost most of the respect he had for me following my troubles with the Addams Family, and he clearly doubted my sincerity as he still believed I was going to hog most of the spoils for myself. I couldn't just cut him loose though, it would potentially shatter the trust my other friends had in me, which I could not afford to have happen. All I had to do was hold out until after Halloween was over, and then I could let the fat pig fry.

"Alright guys I appreciate the gesture, but I think I should ride the rest of the way alone. I'll talk to you later, let me know what costumes you've picked out!"

Though disappointed, they said nothing as they waved me good bye before racing off on their boards. Well, at least now I had some peace of mind before the next inevitable pain in the ass surfaced. If things continued this way for much longer, I'd hate to see how they'd react to learning that Paul would be joining us. Speaking of which, I hadn't spoken to Paul all day. I had no intention of telling him about the dream, but I could use a little emotional support as I read the letter.

I made it back home in about 10 minutes after me and my pals went our separate ways. Mom and Dad were once again on the sofa catching a show. That was fine with me, I had a letter that needed reading anyhow. I raced up the stair-case as quickly as my legs would carry me in an effort to reach the private sanctity that was my bedroom. I couldn't believe I was even thinking something like this, but I was actually glad to see Paul for a change.

When I entered my bedroom, I immediately noticed Paul laying on his bed flat on his stomach. His legs were elevated as he played on his Game Boy Color. He turned his head to look in my direction as he played whatever game he was currently working on, offering me more or less a "neutral" expression as he did so. It was so nice to know my presence was probably the very least of things that mattered to him. All the same, I did what I believe any half decent person would do, and tried to strike up a little small talk before I got to reading the letter.

"Hey...so how was your day?"

He didn't even bother to look in my direction before giving an honest, but fairly monotone response.

"Fine...I guess. Boring as hell though, but I'd assume your day wasn't much different."

I couldn't say he was wrong there in all honesty. Nonetheless, I decided to skip the side crap and ask him for his undivided attention for the moment.

"Look Paul. If you could quit playing that for just a couple minutes, I was going to read that letter out loud."

Paul stopped playing his Game Boy for a moment as he looked my way with a confused expression. His left eye-brow was turned up and he genuinely looked puzzled at my request. Was it really asking so much of him to listen for just a few minutes of his time?

"...And you need my undivided attention to read a letter out loud because why? You need a reading aid or something?"

I put my right hand to my face without slapping it there as I let out an angry grumble. I was probably the stupidest person I knew for thinking Paul could be trusted for anything. That said, Paul was the closest person I knew that wouldn't squeal to mom and dad about the contents of the letter (provided I met his price of course).

"Because Paul, I don't know what it's about or who it's from. It shouldn't be too serious, but I'd just like a little moral support as I read it. Is that really asking so much of you?"

Paul let out an annoyed sigh, but made no further complaints as he turned his handheld console off, slipped it into the middle desk-drawer that lie in between both of our beds, and sat back on his bed with his legs crossed. He bore a serious look on his face as it was clear he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Make it quick."

That was all I needed to hear. I walked over to my desk-drawer and pulled out the envelope from the top one. I re-positioned myself toward the mirror of our dresser which was to the right of our room. As I began to open the letter, I took a peek at the address from the top-left corner. The address read "666 Vile-Grove", one that I was at least fairly sure didn't exist in the world as it wasn't anything I could remember hearing about. Finally, I got around to reading it's contents...which by the time I was finished, nearly shattered my sanity into a million shards of glass.

"Dear Stewart Malcolm, you have been cordially invited to partake in an old family tradition. On Halloween night, you and 30 other children from the neighborhood will participate in a Halloween spectacle we Addams like to call...The Mansion Of Survival!

This game has been a family classic since the very first Addams walked this earth. The objective of the game is just as it sounds, you must survive the many trials and dangers that await you within the many halls and floors of the mansion itself. If you can do so, you and a friend or family member of your choosing will be rewarded handsomely for your efforts. Never mind your silly, trick-or-treat, frollicking come this Friday. The candy we offer you cannot be found on any other place on this planet. Not only that, but the grand prize to the winner or winners will ensure that they'll be set not just for the rest of their lives, but for that of their children's as well.

If you decide to accept this invitation, you may enter with a family member or friend. Entering with friends grants you group privileges, and by doing so you may also enter with said family member as well. The max number of friends allowed for each group is 5, but this limit is overlooked if one amongst you has a family member accompanying you.

The instructions to our mansion have been left on the bottom of this letter. The event itself shall be held at exactly 9:00 PM sharp, not a minute later I'm afraid. We look forward to as many participants as possible as we share in our family's most sacred and precious traditions with that of our neighbors!

Hoping you are well...and frightened! :) Gomez Addams of the Addams Family!"

My breath felt trapped in my chest. I felt like I couldn't breathe at all, like the air itself was completely cut off from the room. I had to slap my face to make sure I hadn't just imagined reading what I thought was an invitation from the Addams Family. I looked at Paul who's eyes rivaled his petrified, glazed over, stare from the dream I had last night. He looked perhaps even more surprised (and afraid) than I was. I placed the letter down on the top of the desk-drawer before gently sitting back down on my bed. A sullen, hopeless expression on my face as I did so.

With the new info I was given to contemplate, the truth was there was only one thing I could think of to say...and that was.

"...You can't be fuckin' serious."

Paul looked shocked as I dropped an F bomb in front of him. We had a tendency to curse more so than kids our age were meant to, but even I tried to refrain from using the F word if I could help it. He soon stood up as he genuinely shared in my own shock and considerable fear of what this invitation implied.

"Those freaks again?! NOW what the hell did you do?!"

My rising fear and panic began to morph into defensive anger. I was getting more than a little tired of being blamed for whenever something weird would go down. The only "crime" I could be accused of was going about my business and living my life in relative peace apparently. Furiously, I stood up once again as I threw the letter onto my bed roughly. I then began to address Paul's accusations with about as much tact and grace an older, nervous, extremely miffed pre-teen such as myself was liable to.

"What did I do?! Why, what an interesting GODDAMN CHOICE OF WORDS! Just how the hell am I supposed to know what I did?! Wednesday hasn't even been in class for at least a week now! Jesus Christ...this has to be a nightmare. WHY...WHY does this have to happen now?! Halloween is just 2 days away, my friends still don't know you're tagging along, and ontop of all that, NOW these people have decided to harass us again!"

I panted relentlessly as my emotions finally combusted after having brewn within me for so long. My whole body felt like it was shaking and convulsing as the palms of my hands began to sting with how tightly I'd clenched them. I briefly wondered if I'd drawn blood with how my nails had forcefully burrowed into them. My steaming tantrum brought my parents attention as they both charged up the steps and up to our door to see what was wrong. To my greatest of shocks, Paul surprisingly took it upon himself to fib on my behalf.

"Oh-hey mom! Hey dad! Stewart was just showing me his latest improv skills from acting class. Sorry if we disturbed you!"

They both looked at each other with confused, slightly skeptical looks on their faces, but quickly looked rather proud as they seemed impressed by what they heard. As long as they were off my trail, I couldn't complain with the methods much at all. They soon shut the door, leaving me and Paul back to where we started. While I was certainly grateful for his timely, resourceful save, I couldn't quite escape the idea he did this for a grander purpose in mind. He wasn't incapable of doing nice things out of the goodness of his heart, but with Halloween so close by, he'd be nuts not to exploit every opening he could find. He obviously wanted something, and my stomach tore itself apart at the thought of what it was.

Paul soon put his hands on his hips as I laid back down on my bed. I needed a few minutes to catch my breath before I could think of anything else. I swear to God, if I don't develop blood pressure issues by the time this is all over, I might as well have the strongest arteries on the planet.

"Alright look. I know it's weird they've given us another letter right out of nowhere like this, but we've got to think about the possibilities here! They're offering us candy that we can't get anywhere else in the world, and if they live in a mansion, then they must be friggin' loaded! The stakes sound pretty brutal not gonna lie, but it's not like we aren't gonna have some help here. If we all just work together, I'm sure we can win whatever crazy game they have in store for us! Then, we won't even need to trick-or-treat again! We could spend every Halloween from this point onward doing cooler, more grown-up things that the big kids get to do!"

If I hadn't just screamed my brains out at him, I would have blatantly laughed in his face. How cute was he? NOW suddenly he believed in "working together"! Where he learned how to be such a conniving, manipulative, little bastard deserved to be taught in self-help books across the country! I closed my eyes as all I wanted was to find my happy place at the moment. I just wanted to vanish and put all of this behind me, never having to think about anything ever again...let alone worry. Sadly though, I knew that simply wouldn't be possible for me. I sat up after I finally replenished my abilities to think and breathe at the same time. I made it a point to inform Paul just exactly what I thought of his little suggestions.

"I don't tell you this enough I know, but you are truly the worst sibling I could have ever been graced with."

He didn't even flinch at the nastiest remark I could throw his way without resorting to more "vulgar" volcabulary. Instead, he flashed me a cocky, half smirk while crossing his arms together, as if though I just paid him the most flattering of compliments.

"Would the worst sibling ever have just bailed your ass out from getting busted?"

"If there was something in it for them? Sure, it's not implausible. I knew you'd find a way to twist this in your favor, just like you do with everything else."

Paul was beginning to grow impatient as he realized I wouldn't be so easily swayed by his usual, smooth talk BS. That saccharine crap might work with people who were suckers for a cute face, but I'd been used by Paul far too many times to be suckered in. Dauntered, but not defeated, he tried once more to manipulat-I mean reason his way into making me see things from his perspective.

"So you're telling me the idea of getting to try candy we couldn't find anywhere else in the world doesn't interest you at all?"

We both knew that wasn't what I was getting at. It's not that the idea of getting candy I'd never tried before wasn't cool. It was the fact that Paul actually thought I'd be stupid enough to put him, my friends, and myself all in danger just to indulge his insatiable sweet-tooth.

"Nooooo...it's just the little fact that you'd think I'd mindlessly throw my own life away, so you could engorge yourself on God knows how many cubic pounds of sugar! With the plan, we'll be taking home more candy than either of us could count as is! Where's the sense in any of us being put in harm's way just for the sake of CANDY?!"

Now it was Paul who face-palmed himself as I made it clear I wasn't backing down from his demands this time. He let out a low grumble, and I could swear I heard a curse somewhere underneath his breath. He shook his head in annoyance as he began to snarl at me in a manner similar to a 5 year old being told to sit in the corner. After some more underwhelming attempts to look imposing on his part, he then begins to unleash a calculated, verbal assault on me.

"Would you STOP being such a pussy for once Stewart?! This is why you never get anywhere in life, and more importantly why no one, not even your own FRIENDS respect you! You always want to take the easy way out when you're faced with a problem rather than shutting up, nutting up, and working through it before it gets out of hand! I'm 2 years younger, and even I can understand life is going to be dangerous at times, but where's the fun in life if you can't push the odds every now and again? We're on the cusp of the most exciting Halloween of our young lives, and all YOU can do is mope, bitch, and whine when things get a bit crazy?!

Paul's little speeches I could normally brush off, but for some reason this one really set me off! Wanting to make sure those I cared about didn't needlessly put themselves in danger made me a pussy?! My hands clenched themselves with even more force than previous, causing them to shake from the intensity of the anger that began to invade every corner of my being. With agility I never knew I possessed, I jumped off my bed as my feet made a loud thump upon landing on the floor. I then turned to my right in order to face my younger sibling, growling and nearly spitting as I could feel my own saliva turn into foam with the rage that had consumed me.

"A pussy...am I...Paul?!? For wanting to protect you from people we don't know, keep my friends safe, and oh I don't know...NOT die at the age of 12 over candy?!? I mean really, you said it best yourself! We know practically nothing about these people besides what they look like, and their weird Halloween obsessions! How do we know this whole thing isn't just some elaborate trap to get a bunch of kids in one area, and then kill them off gruesomely?!?"

Paul's expression drastically lost it's arrogance as a look of worry started to take root. For once, he was putting aside his own selfishness and considering the risks of this competition. That said, as much as I despised admitting it, he wasn't completely wrong regarding what he said about me. It's true, I do have a habit of running away from trouble or danger at the first sight of it. That's the whole reason why the Addams even visited me in the first place. However, that's only because I go out of my way to avoid it in the first place. I'm not looking to fight with anyone, nor do I want to be a rebel. I just want to live my life in peace, enjoy quality time with the people I care about, and make each day count as I can. If we all have one thing in common, it's that we all get one life, and only one childhood for that matter. If wanting to make it through each day with my head above ground makes me a coward, then so be it! That said, don't expect me to apologize for it either.

Paul let out a deep sigh as he seemed to finally give up on arguing this matter further. He abruptly plopped down on his bed as he made one final effort to at least make me consider the offer's potential rewards.

"Would you just consider it at least? I'd appreciate that if nothing else, otherwise we'll have to continue this another time. The rents'll be taking us to the costume shop in about 30 minutes, so you might want save big decision time for after we've picked out our gear for Halloween night."

I took a deep breath in relief, finally I'd have some time to myself to think things through. Naturally, I was still heavily against the idea as the rewards didn't quite justify the risks. However, I wondered what my friends would have to say regarding this competition. Would they be interested in going? I'm not ashamed to admit the lot of them were braver than me, and while I'm not so arrogant as to call myself the "brains" of the team, I tended to be the more cautious one as I consider the risks of an activity or game we've decided on doing for the moment. If they wanted to go, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop them, but even so I couldn't just let them get hurt if there was something I could do to help them.

Either way, all of this would have to wait for later on tonight. I had to concentrate on choosing the best costume I could find to make this a Halloween that no one would ever forget. It needed to be something that was completely unlike me in every way, something daring and bold. Something I'd never have the guts to be in reality. My excitement began to gradually build as I became lost in deep wonder over what would fit my asthetic of choice the best.

Suddenly...my eyes began to grow heavy as my vision blurred in and out. I must have used up more energy than I realized when I blew up at Paul. Regardless, I silently told Paul to wake me up when it was time to go to the costume store as my head lightly landed on my right pillow. From there, my world view slowly faded to black as my weariness consumed me completely.