Wednesday 2: A Halloween To Remember

by Smack Dab

Upon keeping his end of the bargain with the Addams, Stewart is home-free to continue his plans for Halloween. That is until he receives yet another letter from them, an invitation to participate in a little contest, with a grand prize for the winner. Will Stewart accept the challenge to participate, or will he merely play it safe as he did before?

4. Challenge Accepted

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

As Paul stood me down from the door-way, an expression mixed with confusion and amusement adorn his face, I was speechless as to what just happened. Without even thinking, I moved my left arm over to the back of my neck, rubbing it slightly to check for a stab or slash wound. There were none to speak of, not even a slight cut or bruise.

I looked toward my right to see if Wednesday was still there, still clutching that butcher knife, with the firm intention of sending me straight to the morgue. Once again, there was nothing to be found. It was impossible to deny by this point, I'd suffered yet another one of these weird visions I've been referencing for a while lately. In any event, I was merely glad to see my little bro was completely unharmed. Other than me getting the perfect costume for Halloween, these were the only positives to be taken from this situation by far.

"Paul, you're alive! How can that be?"

Paul's genuine confusion began to overtake his typical cockiness. He gave me a weirded out grimace before asking me just exactly what I meant by this question.

"Hmmm...well for starters, I'm still breathing. People or things that are dead don't do that much...at all. Don't they teach you this crap in school or whatever?"

Yeah...he was fine alright. His douchey demeanor and sarcasm were still withstanding, which tended to dissipate only when he truly felt threatened by something. Regardless, knowing I was no longer in pain or in any danger, I immediately jumped to my feet as quickly as I could. I dusted myself off as my time spent on the cold, hard, concrete ground wasn't especially cleansing. As relieved as I was to find Paul completely fine, it didn't make me any less confused nor frightened by what I'd just experienced. If that wasn't Paul I chased into this storage room, then just who or what the hell WAS it? Not to mention, where the hell was Paul while all this was happening?

"Don't you remember making me chase you here? The way you jumped off the shelf in your Krueger costume, landed on me...any of this ringing a bell?"

Paul just stared blankly at my questioning. I couldn't sense any sarcasm or snark in it however. He genuinely looked as though he hadn't any remote clue as to what I was talking about. He raised his left eye-brow upward and turned his head slightly to the left before asking me a simple question.

"...Come again?"

"C'mon, don't mess with my head here Paul! You caught me by surprise earlier and taunted me into chasing you, then we ended up here, and-"

"Look...as riveting as hearing you go off on a deja vu tangent sounds, I think we should both be leaving here, wouldn't you agree?"

I sighed in defeat. Not that I blamed Paul for being skeptical in this scenario, but I wasn't fond of the idea of people thinking I'm crazy. I decided to pitch one last question at him before we both made our way back to the folks.

"Ugh, fine...just one last thing, where were you this whole time?"

"Waiting for you. After I got my costume, I've been standing with mom and dad by one of the counters this whole time, which made them make me go looking for you. Thanks for that by the way."

I facepalmed and grunted in annoyance. I didn't like making myself a burden or inconvenience if I could help it. Without another word, I made my way past the doors as Paul quickly joined me from behind. We walked briskly over to the counter where I last saw mom and dad before I went back to check on Paul. While somewhat worried, they were both overjoyed to see us both in one piece. I could only nervously scratch my head as I frantically tried to think of something to say. I doubted I'd get in huge trouble over this, but I knew my parents generally expected better from me than this. Before I could even open my mouth, mom soon perked up with a question I saw coming a mile away.

"There you are Stewart! Where did you disappear to honey? We've been waiting for about 20 minutes now!"

"Sorry mom, dad...and Paul. I ran back to check on Paul after I gave you the costume I wanted, and to be honest I kind of lost track of the time when I went to go look for him. Sorry if I worried you all!"

Mom and dad seemed happy with that answer, but my dad tended to respond to things like this with much more severity. He's been drilling in my head about the importance of an older sibling's responsibility to their younger brothers or sisters since I was 5. While I did take my job as an older brother to Paul seriously, the job could be (and ultimately was) a hell of alot more exhausting than it should have been. With Paul being the entitled, attention starved, cry-baby he was, I had to basically fight for my share of things whenever possible. He learned from an early age that being the baby of the family grants one special benefits that the older siblings never got to experience. He usually won favor with mom and dad simply for being the youngest, and he's always been better at talking to people than I am, allowing him to get out of trouble more often than not. He knows how to put on the charm and just what to say, when to say it, and exactly how to say it. It's the biggest pain in the ass I've ever felt, but all the same it's my cross to bear, and lord only knows how I've beared it for roughly 12 years now.

Anyway, dad gave me a stern look as he crossed his arms and began to shake his head. I gulped in pure fear and nervousness as that look on his face told me everything I needed to know regarding his current mood with me now: we'll talk about this later when we get home.

Yeah...remember what I said about not being in trouble here?

The folks soon paid for our costumes and supplies, and we were soon making the drive back home before I knew it. I sat snugly with my respective bag of the costume I picked out for this year on my lap. Paul looked just as excited about his own as he glowered over it like he'd been given the key to the city. At the same time, I sighed in both gratitude and relief that I'd managed to secure one objective this time: protect my costume of choice from Paul or another costumer. I silently fist bumped in victory as I'd managed to do at least ONE thing right these recent weeks. Of course, I still had far more stressful and potentially dangerous matters to consider in just 2 days from now, not to mention whatever lecture dad had in store for me when we got home. At least for now though, I could rest easy for the moment.

It took us about 45 minutes or so to return to the sanctity and wholesome comfort that was my house. I turned to my right to look at what Paul was up to for the moment. His face hugging the bag his costume was in and his moderate snoring could only mean one thing, he'd fallen asleep on the ride home. I could have sworn he had more energy than that, seeing as how he was beaming with excitement of his costume when I last looked at him. Regardless, I had to concentrate on what dad wanted to talk to me about. If his expression was anything to go by, he didn't seem particularly happy, so odds are this wasn't going to be any laughing matter.

We pulled up at our garage before I could hear the car being turned off. I quickly grabbed my costume bag as I prepared to leave the van, with our folks looking in the back to see if we were ready to go. They immediately noticed Paul was asleep in his seat toward the left. My parents briefly looked at each other before wordlessly coming to some sort of agreement. I was somewhat conflicted, not really knowing if I should tend to my costume first, or help with getting Paul into bed. I decided to do the responsible thing first and tend to Paul before my own needs, before my mother halted my advances with her left hand before speaking up in a more serious tone than I was used to hearing from her.

"I'll take care of Paul, Stewart. Your father wants to talk to you about something important. Go put your costume in a safe spot in your room, then meet your dad on the sofa."

I gulped once more in anxiety, but made no complaints about her request as I grabbed my costume bag upon exiting the van. I made a bee-line for the front door while my right hand scoured my pocket for the key. I quickly opened the front door for myself and the rest of the family, wasting no time as I rushed through the living room and up the stairs to my bedroom.

As simple as this task sounded, I now had the rather bothersome chore of picking the best hiding spot possible for it. Even though Paul seemed quite pleased with his costume of choice, with the way his mind changed constantly, I couldn't let him see what I'd picked out until Halloween. If he took too great an interest in my own costume, he'd have no qualms with making me trade mine over for his, even bearing in mind the damned thing wouldn't fit me.

I decided on slipping it underneath my bed for the moment. I wasn't being given any time to focus on where to hide it, considering dear old dad wanted to discuss something with me in private no doubt. I rushed back to the living room as fast as my feet could carry me, but deliberately slowed down my pace when approaching the stairs as my folks didn't approve of running around in the halls.

I caught my mother on my way to the bedroom herself, with Paul in tow as he lay slumbering in her arms motionlessly. I noticed she also had his costume bag on her left shoulder. It was smart on her part as now she didn't have to make two trips for no reason. She gave me an expression that encouraged me to hurry up and join my dad back in the living room. I didn't need to be told twice on that.

I briskly walked my way down the stair-case, and over to the sofa, where my father was waiting for me with a rather grumpy scowl on his face. He gently nudged his head in the direction of the sofa, causing me to abruptly take my seat dead-center of the sofa itself. Before he joined me himself, he let out an exhausted sounding sigh followed by a low grumble I could just barely make out as he joined me to my right on the sofa.

My dad's left hand was near fully covering his weary looking face. I began to feel some creeping measure of guilt as I realized I was partially to blame for his foul mood. I had no intention of making my parents worry about me or Paul naturally, but I didn't count on another terrifying illusion to come haunt me at the costume shop. I just sat there in bleak silence, waiting for my father to regain his composure so he could tell me whatever it is he wanted to talk about.

"Son...just in case I haven't mentioned this before, do you know why me and your mother take things like this so seriously?"

I let out a soft, sad, sigh as I knew exactly what my dad was getting at. Of course it wasn't just our safety that he cared about, but the fact he expected better from me as a son. I slowly nodded my head to show him I was in fact listening to him, and not tuning him out.

"Your's and Paul's safety means more to us than you could ever hope to imagine Stewart. I know you already understand this, but being a big brother or sister is one of the most important responsibilities one can be given. It means that when either your mother or myself aren't around, you're the man in charge. You're responsible for Paul's safety as well as your own, and perhaps most important of all...you're also responsible for any kind of trouble your brother might get into."

He just had to bring that up didn't he? Paul's mere existence alone was enough of a reminder to me about the pressures I faced every day. It all sounds easy on paper I'm sure, but Paul wasn't just another atypical, bratty younger sibling we've all seen and heard of a million times before. The kid at times felt like some kind of humanized, caricature of a Looney Tunes character or something. He had more energy than I did when we were still in Kindergarden. He was a clever, charismatic, and manipulative schemer whom knew how to charm people into believing nearly anything he said. He also knew how to exploit even the tiniest of openings or loop-holes to get what he wanted out of someone or something. The fact that I've somehow been able to keep up with him for all this time is nothing short of a miracle.

"This is why I expect so much more from you Stewart. The reality is we aren't gonna be around for you kids indefinitely. One day, all either of you will have is your memories, and each other. So when we finally leave this world, me and your mom can rest easy knowing we've left two polite, mature, and responsible human beings on the planet whom can trust one another completely. That no matter what this world throws at you, you'll have each other's backs against all the odds, no matter the cost."

I began to frown as the cold embitterment of depression started to sink in. I hated when dad talked like this. He wasn't wrong of course, but being reminded of the day your loved ones would be kicking the bucket was not a subject I enjoyed talking about if I could help it. He seemed to sense my growing sadness, and kindly wrapped his right arm around me. His warm, fatherly presence began to calm my unsettled nerves as I listened on to his stern, but well-meaning lecture.

"I know you think I don't understand how unfair life can be, but you're wrong my boy. My own family struggled to make ends meet before either of you were born. I was forced to join my father in the work-force when I was only 13 years old. You don't think I would have preferred to hang out with my friends instead? Maybe go to the movies, ride my bike, or even go on a date with my crush at the time? You're damn right I would have preferred any of those options, but the truth was we were all struggling, and your grandma was very ill at the time. Bearing all that in mind...unfair as it might be, it was either work hard to feed the family and keep a roof over our heads, or go hungry and be left to fend for ourselves out in the street. To state it plainly, I didn't have any choice in the matter...not like you kids do today."

My jaw could have hit the floor at what my dad just admitted to me. He never once told me about any of this before! I always knew grandpa was a hard worker, but I had no clue that things ever got that bad for them. I finally spoke up for the first time since we began this discussion, though I could only manage a half-hearted question due to the shock I was still in over this confession.

"...You never told me about this before. Why now is all of this coming up though?"

"Because Stewart...I understand what it's like to be dealt a rough hand. We don't get to choose the circumstances of our birth, just like you couldn't choose being an older brother to Paul, or I couldn't have chosen being born into a poor, working class family just barely surviving off paychecks every week. Regardless, it's the choices that we make in life that define whom we really are in the end, not from where we come from. I had to struggle through most of my youth and early adulthood to give you both the childhoods you enjoy today, but I couldn't have done so if I hadn't decided to work when I did at 13. Those years prepared me for what adulthood would be like for me in the future, just like taking care of Paul now is what'll prepare you for what awaits you when you have your own life."

I tried with every fiber of my being not to faint on the couch after he stated this to me. My future involved wiping my kid brother's ass until the DAY I DIED?!? Dear God, now suddenly I wish the Addamses did kill me when they last visited.

"I understand what I've got to do by Paul dad, and I promise that no harm will come to him if I can help it. With all due respect though, I don't think he gives a single crap about me."

Upon hearing that, my dad's warm grin near instantly soured into a disappointed frown. He turned his head to face me directly, looking deep into my eyes as he firmly gripped both my shoulders. In spite of this uncomfortable position, I understood that dad only did something like this when he was trying to make a firm point. I knew what point that was naturally, but I wasn't looking forward to him trying to convince me of it.

"Now Stewart...you might not believe this yourself, no matter what I or anyone else tells you, but you're wrong about Paul. He might have too much pride to tell you this personally, but he doesn't just "love" you kid, he looks up to you. Perhaps he even idolizes you! The things he does aren't just to get under your skin, it's also so you'll pay attention to him. He's afraid of you and him drifting further apart the older you become. Why else do you think he wants to go with you and your friends this Halloween? It's not just about candy, it's so he can spend time with his big bro again!"

I wanted to laugh, truly I did. If I did that though, I'd be risking my Halloween plans going straight down the crapper. I wasn't prepared to flush them down over something stupid like this. I decided to play along so that I could finally turn in for the night.

"I'll take your word for it dad, but I won't lie...I'm pretty skeptical about this still."

He simply chuckled at this response, then ran his fingers through my hair, before using both his arms to pull me in a tight embrace. I happily accepted it as my dad wasn't all that affectionate with either me or Paul very often. In situations like this, it's important one takes everything they can get within the moment.

"I'm glad we had this talk dad, thanks. I think I'm gonna turn in now for the night, gotta big day on Friday after all."

"Alright kiddo, you go and get some rest! I hope what I've said stays with you son, because if I could promise you anything...I'm not making this up."

I gave him a bright smirk while he patted my right arm. I knew dad certainly meant well and all, but Paul's few moments of genuine kindness were like UFO sightings. They only lasted for a mere blink of a second, and by the time they were gone no one would believe you no matter how hard you tried to convince them otherwise. I finally left the couch and shot myself up the stair-case, preparing to take my usual evening shower before going straight to bed. I got out of the shower after about 10 minutes or so, threw on my usual PJs as I always had, then made my merry way back to the bedroom.

I was greeted with the sight of a snoring Paul who's back was turned as he lay sleeping. This was a blessing for me as it gave me more time to lull off to dream land alongside my brother. It should go without saying I needed every last precious micro second of sleep to prepare myself for what laid ahead of me. I had fully planned on using tomorrow as a way to prep myself mentally for Halloween. I had just a full 24 hours to cover all the details on the plan, not to mention whether or not I'd even accept the Addams's little "challenge". They seemed fairly adamant on not taking no for an answer. That said, I've ultimately decided that I will only go if my friends want to as well. Aside from candy, I had literally no reason to go anywhere near their mansion otherwise.

I quickly slipped under my bed covers as I prepared myself for a long, enjoyable, (and hopefully nightmare free) slumber. It seemed like no matter how hard I tried, the night terrors seem to follow me around everywhere. It wasn't just when I was asleep, but also when I was awake too. I know it's a bad idea to put something like this off, but I needed to at least make it through Halloween night before I could take further measures. I wasn't going to let my friends down after a year's worth of planning, and my folks sure as hell wouldn't let me go anywhere if I just suddenly started asking for meds out of nowhere. I had to tough this out, no matter what it took or what toll it had on my well-being.

I could finally start to feel my body relax as waves of exhaustion overcame me. My eye-lids grew heavy as I turned to my right, my blankets firmly grasped in my hands as I prepared for sleep.

Poke...Poke!

Okay...what the hell was that? Oh no...don't tell me!

"Yo."

I awoke to the sight of my younger brother on my chest, firmly planting his full body weight on the area that my lungs resided in. His bored expression loomed directly over my face as I begun to notice the lamp was turned back on. Now in a grouchy, frustrated mood, I immediately shoved him off me as it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. What could he possibly want now?!?

"You're kidding me...you pretended to be asleep this whole time?!?"

Paul firmly nodded his head with a goofy smile widely stretching his face. He clearly took pride in the fact he duped our well-meaning, but oblivious parents for the umpteenth time. I facepalmed myself with authority as all I wanted was a decent night's sleep, but with Paul around I couldn't even get that! Not wanting to draw mom and dad's attention, I decided to indulge Paul regarding whatever it is he wanted for the moment.

"What is it this time, Paul?"

"Would you relax already? I just wanted to know what was the status on the "challenge" thing? Have you made up your mind yet?"

Just when I thought he couldn't annoy me further! This is exactly what I'm getting at here, this kid just doesn't let up! While holding back my growing desire to smash the back of my head against the wall behind me, I gave him a straight-forward answer in the most controlled voice I could given the emotions brewing within me.

"If my friends decide they want to go...then fine. You'll have your death wish granted Paul, but if they decide against it, we stick with the plan as originally agreed upon. Sound good?"

Paul crossed his arms in brief thought as his head slunk down on a slant. He seemed to be deeply analyzing this new info I presented to him, which could go either way depending on his response in all honesty. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders while giving (for once) a fair, level-headed, response to what he was told.

"Good enough for me. Thanks again big bro."

I let out a tired sounding sigh as my right hand begun to scratch the back of my head. I was fully prepared to turn back around and call it a night, when Paul suddenly grabbed my right shoulder...Lord give me strength.

"...Yes?!?"

My voice was completely devoid of it's former tolerance and courtesy. I practically barked out this singular word with utter sharpness and desperation, causing Paul to recoil in fear as if though he just overheard a gunshot. I didn't mean to be so forceful in my delivery, but I was already exhausted as is, and thinking of what I had ahead of me only made me MORE exhausted! Why couldn't I just get a moment's peace here?!?

"I've just been meaning to ask...these weird visions you've been having lately. The nightmares, including the one where you soaked your own shirt in sweat, and then finally what happened a couple hours ago at the store...are you sure you're okay?"

I blinked in absolute confusion, my expression held a hint of annoyance that was getting overun by sheer bafflement. Paul almost never asked or showed any real concern regarding my well-being. I might as well of been just another play-thing on the shelf in his eyes. I asked him just what he was playing at here, my tone maintaining it's skepticism and growing agitation as I did so.

"D-...Did I just hear you show genuine concern for my well-being?"

Paul shot me a dead-pan glare as it became clear he wasn't screwing around for once. He quickly followed up his previous question with another, although this was more directed at my opinion of his overall character.

"Who do you think I am, Hitler? Yeah I know we rip on each other all the time, and I can be more than a handful mostly, but I still care about you dumbass. We're family after all, and more to the point, we're also brothers in case you've forgotten! Sure it's more fun to be a dick than to be nice, but I'd never wish harm on you either...for what it's worth."

A sudden burst of warmth began to seep from within the core of my being. I could compare this new, bubbling sensation to flattery, but I knew it was something closer to genuine happiness. We all know families are "supposed" to care for each other by default, but sometimes it just feels good to have someone confirm it for you.

"That...means alot coming from you Paul. Thanks."

He patted me on the back with his left hand as I took in the realization my little bro did care about me after all. When I went to look at his face however, I noticed he seemed rather worried about something, which isn't something I've come to expect from Paul very often. If he still was worried about me, I decided to quell those lingering fears before he ended up like me.

"If you're still worried about me Paul, don't be. I'll have time to figure out what's been going on lately after Halloween. I'm NOT about to let my friends down this year, and I'm not gonna let you down either for that matter. All I've got to do is persist until all of this is over, and then we'll try to work things out from there. It's not like I'm dying. It's all just excessive stress and panic. I'm sure things will go back to normal after this Halloween...at least I hope so."

Paul's expression began to shift into a more relaxed grin as he seemed to accept that answer. He lifted himself off my bed and returned to his own as he prepared to go back to sleep, with me quickly following his example. We both only had one more day to prepare for Halloween, and I needed all the time I could get to build up my strength before the big day.

"I have to admit...I was wrong about you. You're still an idiot in my eyes, but you're definitely no pussy, not by a long shot!

I let out a chuckle in pure amusement. Leave it to Paul to flatter you while insulting you at the same.

"I never thought I'd see the day you'd admit to being wrong about something. I can only imagine how traumatizing this must be for you."

"Don't get used to it, and whatever you do...don't milk it either."

With that, I flashed Paul a thumb's up before he promptly turned our lamp off, and proceeded to go back to bed. I was all too happy to finally get some well deserved rest and relaxation after the night I had. If I were honest, I should really be alot more concerned with everything I'd been experiencing lately. I mean, I am, but whether it's a sound, rational decision or not, making those important to me happy means more to me than my own well-being. I can't explain why I feel the way that I do, but all I know is I've made my mind up on this matter. Nothing short of a global apocalypse was going to stop me from seeing this Halloween through, with both my friends AND with Paul!

After a surprisingly decent night's sleep, the morning sun streaked beyond our window blinds, greeting me with the arrival of Thursday. This was the one day left before a year's worth of planning would come to fruition. I immediately jumped to my feet as soon as I opened my eyes, ready to start the day as I prepared for the biggest Halloween I'd ever experience. I briefly turned to my right to see if Paul was still asleep, only to see an empty bed in it's place. I checked my alarm clock to see if I hadn't overslept. It read "7:34", so I still had plenty of time to make it to school if I just hurried.

Later that day at school, I was surrounded by my friends at lunch as we enthusiatically shared details regarding the costumes we picked out. Jason was the first of us to share.

"Guys, I'm telling you! It's a one of a kind package! It has the green tunic, the master sword, those brown arm gauntlets with the Triforce in the center, a hylian shield with a crystallized surface, and even an ocarina crafted from marble! It's every Zelda fan's dream come true, and the rents bought it for only 10 bucks!"

We all chuckled at our friend's lovable, if dorky excitement. He was such a massive Zelda buff that he must have been as elated as me when I found my costume, if not even more so. In the back of my mind, I contemplated finally telling them about Paul joining us. I'd held it off for more than long enough by now, and holding it off for the last second would just piss them off even further.

Everyone was having such a good time sharing their costumes though, I didn't want to be a downer and ruin the fun for the guys here. Jason and Tommy could probably take the news relatively well. Marcus generally doesn't speak up all that much compared to the rest of us, so he could go either way to be honest. It was Bobby's reaction that worried me the most. Like I've mentioned before, we aren't on especially strong terms right now, and he's been fishing for excuses to pick a fight with me for a while. With all this in mind, I decided to let us all finish sharing our costume details before I spilled the beans. Tommy soon began sharing after Jason finished.

"Well, I found this sick black cape that goes perfectly with that tuxedo I wore for the dance last year. I've also got a cool gray hair piece in the same style as from those old-school vampire films from the 1950s. Just need to throw in some red food coloring and long, plastic fangs, and I think we've got an OG Dracula here."

We all gave a round of applause at Tommy's description of his costume. He always had a flair for the classics, I should know given me, Tommy, and Jason have spent nearly every Halloween together. I silently began to acknowledge that soon I'd be up after Bobby and Marcus had their go. I briefly gulped as my nervousness returned with a passion. Even though I was being truthful, I feared my friends would still be furious with me given how long I'd held off telling them. I put those thoughts at the back of my mind as Bobby soon took his turn with authority.

"My old man found me this awesome black leather jacket, alongside some matching black shades with these cool glow in the dark contact lenses. I've always wanted to go as the Terminator for Halloween, and now this year I'm about to make that dream a reality! Good thing too, with some of the costumes mentioned so far, at least one of us will be looking remotely cool."

We all gave Bobby the stink-eye as he begun to snort and cackle with laughter. He was like this whether in a good mood or not to be fair. Just one of those people who likes to pretend he's too good for you, and acts like he's doing you a favor by hanging out with you. The main reason he even joined our "circle" so to speak was because of how useful he proved during gym class. He also served as the back-bone whenever we had bully trouble from kids outside our school. All that being said, the kid was like Paul in that he just didn't know when to stop. Regardless, Marcus was 2nd to last after me as he began to explain his own costume to us in full.

"I've always wanted to see how I'd look as the Grim Reaper. My mom took me to a costume shop only a few blocks down from where we live. I picked out the longest black robes they had, then when we got home she pulled out an old rake from the garage. I've also got a full body skeleton suit, along with a pair of dusty, worn out, brown sandals to complete the image. Lastly, she managed to make this really cool, fake artery thing where you can pump blood through the whole costume. Not gonna lie, she really out-did herself this year. I can't wait to put it on tomorrow!"

A chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs" came out of all of us after we got done listening to Marcus's stoic explanation. Compared to everyone else, Marcus was the friend I knew the least about by far. Besides what I've already mentioned about him, I know his parents are divorced and that he lives with his mother. I've never been over to his house before, so I have no idea what his home life is like, and like I brought up previously he's the most quiet out of all of us.

Anyways...now it was my turn. Ohh God, I wonder how I should go about breaking the news here? I guess there's no harm in explaining I have 2 things I'd like to share with everyone.

"Uhh...well before I get into the details of my costume, I'd like to mention that I have something to tell you guys afterwards. I've been holding it off for a while admittedly, but since Halloween's tomorrow, you might as well all hear it before the big day."

As expected, my friends looked surprised by this confession, but merely shrugged at it as they assumed it couldn't have been anything too important. I took a deep breath before sharing the details about my own costume as my friends did before me.

"Me, Paul, and the rents all went out into the city to get our costumes for this year. I really wanted to stand out for this year considering all our plotting and planning. I throughly went over each aisle at least twice to make sure I hadn't missed out on a home-run, so to speak. Eventually, I found this perfect collection of Samurai Jack's usual attire. The silky white robe, the sword in prime condition with an authentic sheathe, a hair pin like he uses to keep his hair up, and even those little brown sandals he wears all the time. They got everything down detail by detail, and what's best is it only cost $19.99 at the store. It was a gold-mine of a steal to be frank."

They all looked at each other for a moment. I could briefly make out murmurs and other low pitched noises they were trying to keep out of earshot. When they looked at me again, they all gave me a round of applause, and Tommy as well as Jason even came up at my sides to pat both my shoulders. I felt a mixture of flattery and genuine pride as I really wanted to do something special for this year. It was just nice to see my friends approved of it as they had a habit of playfully teasing me whenever something less than "cool" would happen to me. It sucks, but you just learn to live with it after a bit.

Anyhow...this was it. I couldn't hold it off any longer, it was time to tell my friends Paul would be joining us. They weren't gonna like it, and I seriously doubted they'd be happy with me after I was through, but it needed to be done.

"As...for the second thing I wanted to discuss. I've held off telling you all about it because I was afraid you'd get pissed at me, and I didn't want to ruin Halloween for everyone after how hard we've all worked this year. Anyway...I just wanted to saaaay...that Paul will be joining us tomorrow for Halloween!!!"

You could listen to that last sentence in slow-motion, and it'd still be far too fast for the ear to properly record. The words I spoke shot out of my mouth like a cannon. I briefly squinted my eyes as I wasn't crazy about seeing their reactions to what I'd just told them. Sadly, they weren't taking it particularly well, but neither did they seem infuriated by it either. In fact, they were so surprised literally all of their mouths were left agape. I cringed in horror internally as no matter what either of them said or did next, I was pretty much guaranteed that it wouldn't be anything close to positive. Jason was the first to speak up after about 5 minutes or so.

"You...waited all this time to tell us this?"

"I would have told you sooner, but I had a feeling you'd react to it like this!"

"Yeah, you waited until the last day before Halloween to tell us it's all been ruined?"

Before the others could pitch in, I needed to gain back control of the situation before we all started turning on each other. I knew I made a big mistake not coming clean sooner, but there was no reason this had to ruin our plans completely.

"Look guys, I'll look after Paul alright?!? I know he's caused us all a ton of crap in the past, but I swear on my life that he's not gonna ruin Halloween for us this year. The only reason he's coming along at all is because I owed him for his help with the Addams family."

Before I could continue, Tommy soon spoke having heard the Addams being mentioned.

"It's funny you should mention them dude. I got a letter in the mail inviting me to their mansion last week, something about a "challenge" on Halloween or whatever."

Suddenly, one by one my friends all began to pull out envelopes of their own. I was surprised as for some reason I believed the Addams were only interested in me, but I suppose that wouldn't make for a very interesting "game", now would it?

My friends and myself all looked at each other with somewhat embarassed looks on our faces, and they criticized ME for not sharing my little secret first. I was the first to break the silence by addressing whether or not we would be attending the mansion to partake in this challenge.

"Guess I'm not the only one who's been keeping secrets huh? So anyway...what do you guys think? Is it worth it?"

They all gave it some deep thought as the silence returned for another 5 minutes or so. During this time, I noticed Jason and Tommy seemed to be growing excited for the adventure aspect of things. Bobby was rubbing his hands together, no doubt at the mention of all different kinds of candy we couldn't get anywhere else. Last but not least, Marcus basically shrugged it off. He would only go if we all went, not wanting to miss out on something cool going down, but not really caring enough to fully voice his opinion on the matter.

Soon, we all gave our answer to whether or not we'd be accepting the challenge individually.

"It sounds like it could be fun! I say we should go!"

"Yeah, we all do pretty much the same thing every Halloween anyway. This could be a good change of pace, let's do it!"

"If there's candy we couldn't get anywhere else, you guys already know I'm there!"

"I'll go if you guys will."

I smiled at my friends enthusiasm and bravery, but at the same time a lingering mass of fear and worry began to take root in my stomach. They all clearly took this offer as some sort of game, not really caring about the consequences either way. They didn't know what they were getting into, and neither of them knew anything about the Addams family. I can't say I know what their mansion is like either, but how many fathers get mad at strangers for not scaring their daughter?!? Truth be told, I didn't want to accept this challenge if I could help it, but now with them AND Paul wanting to go, there wasn't a choice in the matter now. Call me suicidal...or just plain stupid, but I'm not letting the people I care about get hurt, no matter the cost nor dangers to me personally. No way, no how!!!

I then mentioned some new additions to our original plan. I wasn't about to skip on a year long plan if I could help it, and the more candy we take home, the happier everyone should be in the end. Sounds like a win-win to me.

"Then I guess it's settled! If we all just pick up the pace a bit, we should be able to act out the plan like we've agreed upon. At 8:00 tomorrow night, we'll wheel it over to their mansion with the directions they left for us at the bottom of those letters. If we can pull this off, we should all be swimming in candy by the time night is over! Who's with me?!?"

My friends all began to lick their lips in excitement at that last statement. As we normally did upon coming to a full-on agreement, we all put our left hands into a circle. Then in unison, we all went "one, two, three", before finally shouting as loudly as we all could...

"BREAK!!!"

A/N: For those of you left unsatisfied by the lack of spectacular fright or macabre wonders so far, please rest assured things are about to get particularly "mysterious" and "spooky", among other choice terms of terror in the next chapter!!! Until then, stay tuned and thanks for reading!