Chapter ten

The house to avoid on Halloween

On Sunday, October 8th it was Chris's thirteenth birthday. Now that he was a teenager he believed he was too old to have a birthday party hosted by his parents surrounded by little kids. So at noon he and Wyatt met up with their friends at the park. This was Claire's first time at a mortal park and she was confused about how mortal children had fun here without all the magical play structures.

At the manor Piper was up in her room looking through home movies while the other adults were downstairs chasing after the kids. A few silent tears slipped down from her eyes as she recalled all the memories from when Chris was a child. The time he and Wyatt were pretending there was a dyno at the park, he had been four at that time. The day Chris started kindergarten, how grown up he looked standing by the front door with his back pack on. The time they were celebrating Prue's return and he had ice cream all over his hands and face and he said "look mommy I'm the ice cream monster." The day Melinda was born and he was holding her sitting beside Wyatt at the hospital, In only five months that would be eleven years ago.

Back at the park Wyatt, Chris, Dakota, Kennedy, Austin, Carter and Claire were sitting at a pick nick bench. Chris was telling them how grown up he felt now that he was thirteen years old. Then the conversation changed to Halloween.

"So what does your family do for Halloween, do you go partying with real zombies and werewolves" Kennedy asked excitedly.

"Only if you live in the magic realm, I'll miss it" Claire sighed.

"Our family goes trick or treating just like yours" Chris said.

Since the gang looked disappointed Wyatt said "Although sometimes he go to the haunted house that eats teenagers."

"Oh come on that doesn't exist" Austin stated in disbelief.

"Don't believe me, why don't we all go there on Halloween night" Wyatt suggested the others agree.

It was unlike Wyatt to suggest or come up with these ideas, he knew better. This house did exist but even Wyatt and Chris were not allowed to go near it on Halloween. Chris tired talking them out of it but in the end they all wanted to go.

On Halloween as the children were putting on their costumes Chris told his parents he and his brother were going to stay home and watch scary movies with their friends. Piper agreed believing they were old enough to be trusted. Their friends arrived just as the children and adults were leaving. Once they were out of sight Wyatt and Chris orbed their friends outside the teenage eating house. It looked like a stereotypical haunted house, chipped wood, broken windows and dead grass.

With the brothers not being scared at all and the others still not believing they entered the house. A few steps into the house and the saw and the floor tear apart beneath them. All managed to jump back except Dakota who feel through the gap screaming. Wyatt attempted to orb he back but it wasn't working. In minutes the floor magically glued back together.

"We can't leave her here, Chris take the other out I'll find Dakota" Wyatt instructed.

There was just one problem with this plan the door was jammed shut. Together they slowly made their way into the kitchen. The fridge door opened and it started hoping towards them making the teenagers scream. Austin got sucked into the fridge and its door smashed shut. Chris opened the door only to find the fridge completely empty.

"Stay away from the furniture and don't touch anything" Chris instructed in fear.

Just outside of the kitchen a wall phone began to ring. Not knowing why she was doing it Kennedy answered. There was no one on the either end of the line. Still holding onto the phone something invisible tripped her and dragged her down the hall. The brother's ran after her but didn't succeed to catch her before she was dragged into a hall closest.

"They must be outside underground, we need to get out and start digging" Claire realized.

Everyone nodded in agreement so the brothers orbed everyone out of the house. It was unknown why they were able too when they hadn't been able to orb Dakota to them. Once out Wyatt and Chris attempted to orb the missing three of their friends but it was no use. So the brothers orbed some shovels to them so they could begin digging.

For hours they dug through the back yard of the house but by mid night they needed to rest. Wyatt suggested he go home and tell their family what had happened, Piper and Leo would be beyond worried by now. However Chris thought they should do it on their own to prove to their family they could handle their own problems like good powerful witches.

Luckily in the back yard there was a barn, this is where they went to sleep. Three hours later Claire woke up the boys. She had found a trap door in the barn under a huge pile of hay. Of guessing how deep it was Wyatt and Chris went through putting Claire in charge of keeping the remaining morals safe. The brothers landed in a place so dark they couldn't see a thing.

This was no problem for Chris who had the power to create light. He sent a few balls of light around them giving them just enough light see Dakota, Austin and Kennedy passed out on the ground. The boys approached them and noticed many cuts and bruises. They put their hands over their friends and used their healing powers to heal all their wounds. Slowly Dakota, Austin and Kennedy woke and sat up.

"Thank you" Kennedy mumbled holding her head.

Then came a new problem, how were the going to get out, they couldn't climb out and Wyatt's powers didn't work in the tunnel. Chris attempted to lift them using telekinesis but it wasn't strong enough. He knew what he had to do. We orbed home to his worried family and explained everything. There was someone who could help, and she did. Melinda used her power of levitation to bring them teenagers out of the hole.

Returning home at four in the morning wasn't good news for the teenagers. Dakota got grounded from all electronics for a month. Kennedy was banned from hanging out with her friends until her parents said otherwise. Austin and Carter were both in trouble as well. Claire on the other hand went without punishment since her parents were used to this behaviour.

"You two are in so much trouble. First of all I've warned you to stay away from that house. Second of all you should have told us as soon as Dakota went missing, third of all it is way past your curfew. Lastly you lied to us, you said you were staying here to watch movies with your friends" Piper scolded her sons.

"What are our punishments" Chris asked.

"I'm taking away your powers for a month" Piper declared.