You Will Pay, Bailey Pickett

by XxLadyStrengthxX

*****'*****

The ship seemed to be flooded by the colors of orange, purple, and black. Witches, ghosts, and monsters of all sort decorated every hall and room, trying to get the passengers in the spirit of Halloween. Since they were in the middle of the ocean during the holiday, the S.S. Tipton faculty decided to throw a dance in the ballroom, letting everyone have their chance of celebrating. The students were hyped as they explained their costumes to probably each and every other teenager on board. Normally, if there were a contest, they'd all be keeping it themselves, but there wasn't any competition, so they all talked freely about the subject.

"I'm thinking about going as The Thing from The Fantastic Four," Woody Fink shared as he took a bite from his burger. He wiped the ketchup off his face with his sleeve and turned to Addison. "How about you?"

She shrugged and licked her lollipop. "I don't know... I was thinking about dressing up like Katy Perry from her video of California Gurls because I love candy," Addison answered.

"Yeah, do that! It sounds super sexy," Zack Martin added, earning a slap across the chest from his girlfriend, Maya. "Oww! What?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Way to not hit on another girl right in front of me!" she told him, sarcasm burning with every word.

Zack held up his hands in defeat. "Sorry, I was just saying it was a great costume idea, that's all!" he defended.

"Anyways!" Addison inserted. "I was going to do that, but it's too provocative. I'm still going along with my candy theme though... I'm dressing up as a giant Sugar Baby."

"Oh, can I be your Sugar Daddy?" Woody asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Addison giggled and nodded before kissing his cheek. "Sure!"

"Yesss!" Woody exclaimed, making the rest of the group silently gag.

"Moving on! I'm being Captain Underpants!" Zack announced. "That way, I can wear my underwear over some tights and Mr. Moseby can't get me in trouble! I will just tell him that it's part of my costume."

"He can still make you change, Zack," Cody Martin said.

"Cody, I don't think he'll make him put on something else. It's just underwear; I mean, unless he wears some sort of lingerie-" Bailey Pickett paused and pointed to Zack. "No ideas!" She turned to Cody again. "-then that might get him in trouble, but white underwear is harmless, right?"

The rest of the people nodded in agreement, causing Cody to slouch in his seat. "Fine, then... Maya, what are you going as?"

Maya smiled and looked to Zack. "I'm going as the number one Yankees fan!"

Zack banged his head on the Easy Squeezy counter. "Why would you do that to me?"

Maya laughed. "Because it's funny to torment you."

"You don't see me laughing," he argued as he lifted his head back up.

Maya rolled her eyes once more and turned to Cody. "What are you dressing up as, Cody?"

"Only the greatest person to ever walk the face of this earth!" Cody exclaimed, gaining the attention from everyone else.

"You're going as me? Yay!" London Tipton cheered as she clapped while jumping up and down.

"No, London, not you. I'm talking about Colin Percival!" Cody corrected, and as the gang got silent, his smile fell. "Oh, come on! You don't know who he is? He fou-"

"-founded the 1,000,000,000,000,000 binary of Pi," Bailey interrupted as if it were no big deal.

Cody groaned at his ex-girlfriend's rude behavior. "Fine, Miss Smarty Pants, what are you dressing up as?"

Bailey swallowed the last bit of her smoothie and put down the cup. "Nothing."

Woody gasped. "You're going naked? Bailey, I don't think Mr. Moseby will like that..."

"No, Woody, I mean that I'm not dressing up for the dance - I'm not even going to the dance," Bailey said.

"Why not?" London asked. "It's one of the biggest nights on the ship!"

"I don't celebrate Halloween. I haven't in eight years. Not since..." she trailed off.

"Since what, Bailey?" Maya questioned.

"Nothing! It's no big deal actually. I think I'm just going to head up to my cabin and go to bed. See y'all in the morning!" Bailey said.

"But it's four in the afternoon!" Zack called as she ran toward the elevator.

"What do you think that was all about?" Addison asked in general.

"I don't know, but someone should go ask," Maya replied and before anyone could offer, Cody was on it.

***'***

Bailey was sitting on her bed, going through an old scrapbook she'd made. There was a knock on the door and she called out, "Come in!"

Her attitude drastically changed when Cody walked in the room. "Oh, it's you... What do you want?" she asked sourly.

"I just wanted to talk... You know, catch up," Cody answered.

"Uh-huh, sure..."

"Seriously, what's up with not celebrating Halloween? You can tell me, we're friends."

Bailey cringed at the emphasis he put on the last word. She sighed because she knew she could trust him with anything. "Okay, I'll tell you, but if you say another word to anyone else, I'll make sure it's the last thing you ever say."

Cody nodded and sat in her desk chair opposite of her. "Go ahead - I'm all ears."

"Okay, here goes."

Flashback - Pickett Farm - 2002

It was Halloween night and the wind blew fiercely, making the tree branches whip through the stormy air. Rain came down in showers as thunder and lightning filled the dark sky. An eight-year-old Bailey looked out her window, unafraid of the storm. She lived in Kansas and saw this type of weather often, so it didn't scare her.

But that one particular night did, because just outside her bedroom window was a scarecrow - one of the freakiest she'd ever seen. This was no ordinary scarecrow, for it was made as a Halloween decoration and it was new. Their old scarecrow, in which she'd grown to love over the years by putting in the yard each Halloween, had been taken by a twister in the spring. The tornado had lifted their storage barn right off the ground, taking all its contents with it.

Since the old, happy scarecrow was gone, it had to be replaced. Her father had gone on his own, not caring about his daughters' opinions, and got the first scarecrow he saw. He brought it home and showed it to his girls. The younger ones cried while some others hid, and Mrs. Pickett told her husband to take it back because it frightened the children. However, Bailey acted as if she were the bravest girl of all and offered to put it up.

She was praised with a pat on the head and a, "That's my girl," from her father as she went out in the yard. The orange and yellow leaves fell all around her as she mounted the new scarecrow on his post. When she was finished, she stood back and smiled, hoping he'd return one just like the old scarecrow had done all those years. Unfortunately, this one had a scowl on his face and showed no appreciation of being on the Pickett farm.

Bailey frowned and walked up to it, sticking her little tongue out then muttering, "You're the stupidest scarecrow ever! I hope a twister gets you, too..." And with that she marched toward the house.

But as she continued for the door, a raspy voice carried through the wind, saying, "You will pay, Bailey Pickett, for what you have said to me..." Bailey whimpered and sprinted until she was in the safety of her room. Throughout the rest of the day, she would check her window, making sure the scarecrow was still in the yard.

As night came, that's when the storm began, and Bailey watched from her window as the wind threw the scarecrow around on his post. It was way past her bedtime, but she was afraid that he would take his opportunity for revenge. She believed that if she watched him all night, he wouldn't do anything, and so far he hadn't.

Bailey jumped as her bedroom door was opened and her father walked in. "Bailey, sweetheart, it's time for you to get in bed." He walked to her side and followed her gaze out the window, where she hadn't moved her eyes from the entire time he was in there. "You lookin' at the scarecrow I gotchya?"

Bailey nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on the figure made of straw. Mr. Pickett sighed, "Alright, Darlin', I know you like that scarecrow an' all, but it's time for you to hit the sack, ya hear?" He gently picked her up, but stopped when she gripped her tiny hands on the windowsill.

"I can't leave," she simply whispered. "I can't leave or he'll get me."

"Who will get ya, girl?" her father asked timidly.

Bailey pointed outside. "The scarecrow - he told me I would pay for what I said..."

"Now, now, Bailey dear; scarecrows can't talk, so there's no way he could've said he was goin' to get ya'. Plus, they can't get off their post," Mr. Pickett comforted.

"But I told him he was stupid and that a twister should get him too... He didn't like that," Bailey whispered again, hands still on the windowsill as she continued to stare outside.

"Bailey, he didn't say nothing," her father said strongly. "Now-" he pulled her hard and she lost her grip as he carried her toward the bed. "-you just go to sleep."

Bailey kicked, screamed, and protested against her father's orders. "Papa! He's gonna get me now!"

"Bailey Ann Pickett, shut yer mouth! Others are sleepin'!" Mr. Pickett forced her shoulders against the bed. "You'll be safe, I promise."

She calmed down when she saw the sincere look in his eyes. "Pinky promise, Papa?" Bailey held out her hand with her pinky up in the air.

Mr. Pickett smiled and wrapped his smallest finger around hers. "Pinky promise; now, get some sleep." He kissed her forehead and walked toward the door. "Goodnight, Darlin'. I love ya."

"I love you too," Bailey answered as her father shut the door. She waited a few minutes for his footsteps to fade before jumping out of bed and looking out the window.

The scarecrow was gone.

Bailey stifled a scream as her eyes began to brim with tears. She didn't know what to do... The revenge seeking scarecrow was out to get her and no one believed her. She continued to look out the window, blinking several times and pinching herself, hoping to wake up from a horrible nightmare. But she was certainly awake and didn't think she could be more afraid until she heard the voice.

"Bailey, I told you that you would pay..." it told her from all around.

She whimpered and let the hot tears fall freely down her cheeks. She felt as if her legs were useless because she was telling them to run, but she just stood there, frozen in place.

"Don't try to run, Bailey; I'll find you wherever you go!" the voice said again, followed by hysterical laughter that sent a chill down her spine.

She found her voice quickly and shouted, "What do you want?"

Her answer came in the form of hot breath in her ear. "You."

Bailey screamed and the movement in her legs came back as she turned around, knocking something over, perhaps the scarecrow. She ran out of the room, heading in the direction of her parents' room. She was stopped when a pair of red, glowing eyes stood in the doorway.

"They can't save you, Bailey... I guess Papa's pinky promise meant nothing!" The hysterical laughter was back and filled the dark, empty hallway.

Bailey spun on her heels, running the opposite direction. The thunder continued to roar outside and the lightning illuminated the house through the windows. She reached the stairs and looked over her shoulder, but the scarecrow was in nowhere of sight. She sighed in relief and turned forward slowly, only to be face to face with the haunting eyes.

"Thought you got away? Not a chance; say goodbye, Bailey Pickett!" the voice bellowed as he grabbed the small girl's shoulders and threw her down the stairs.

Bailey screamed while tumbling down each step, but when she reached the bottom, her shrieks ended. As her small eyes closed, the last thing she remembered was the menacing glow of red eyes and the sound of cackling as it began to fade.

End Flashback

Cody was speechless as he stared at Bailey. "Yup, that's what happened," she said, looking down at her nails.

"Wh-what happened next though?" he asked.

"Mama and Papa came rushing out of their room to find me at the bottom of the staircase. I was out cold, so they rushed me to the hospital," Bailey answered.

"What was wrong?"

"The doctor said I had a severe concussion and I had broken my arm in three different places. I tried to tell my parents it was the scarecrow, but they kept trying to convince me I was having a nightmare, which caused me to sleep walk. Resulting in me falling down the stairs and breaking my body..."

"So, why don't you dress up for Halloween then?" Cody asked with a raised eyebrow. "How does a scarecrow haunting you have anything to do with dressing up?"

Bailey shrugged. "I try to act as if Halloween doesn't exist, but it's kind of hard to do when everyone is talking about it all the time. The holiday just brings back horrible memories..."

Cody nodded and stared off into space. "Wait! What happened to the scarecrow?"

Bailey laughed a little. "Oh, when we came back from the hospital, he was sitting on his post. I kept screaming for my dad to take him away, so Papa burned him. Now, I don't have to worry about his spirit haunting me..."

Cody chuckled. "You're so cute when you're scared."

"What?" Bailey asked with wide eyes.

Cody, realizing what he'd just said, stood up. "What?"

"No, what did you just say?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, you did... Something about me being cute?"

"Nope, wasn't me! Must've been the scarecrow talking!" Cody improvised.

"Cody!" Bailey scolded.

"What?"

They both just stood there for a few awkward minutes, looking at anything but each other.

"Well, thanks for sharing that with me and I promise I won't say anything!" Cody said as he reached for the doorknob.

Bailey followed him and kissed him on the cheek, causing him to go red. "Thanks, Cody, for listening to me when I needed someone to talk to."

"You're welcome. Come on, let's go see how the others' costumes are coming along," Cody offered.

Bailey nodded and they both headed to their friends' cabins.

But as they left, a pair of red, glowing eyes replaced the black, beaded ones of a stuffed pig on Bailey's bed. Loud, hysterical laughter filled the empty room and the familiar voice that haunted Bailey all those years whispered, "You will pay yet again, Bailey Pickett, for what you have done to me."

*****'*****

A/N:Thanks for reading...please review! This is my first time to contribute to any type of collection! Oh, I don't own these characters! :P

Thanks to Wyntirsno for checking this.