Hungry Larry

Every year would Marcia always make her Halloween costume, and she always went in a creative direction. One year she was the Mona Lisa, but she had to be careful since her picture frame kept hitting people. Another year she went as a gumball machine.

This year was no different. She decided this Halloween she was going to mash some things together which is how she got her costume. With her amazing sewing skills, and some help from her mother, she used one of her older karate uniforms, some foam, and face paint she was able to create this year's costume. Werewolf karate master.

Marcia loved Halloween from the costumes to the candy, to the late night Halloween movie marathon she always has. But there's just one thing that happens on Halloween that Marcia wishes she could change.

Marcia stood in front of her house three children gathered in front of her. She had one of the kids ring the doorbell and her father slowly opened the door dressed as a pumpkin with a flashlight under his face. Marcia assumed he was trying to appear scary but that wasn't really working. She loved her Dad but try as he may the man wasn't all that scary.

"Oh. Hello, children," Rafael sounded in a creepy tone.

"Uh...hey?" A little girl dressed a witch greeted.

"You should be at home with the door locked," Rafael said

A boy dressed as a vampire looked around confused before speaking, "We're here for your...to see your haunted house."

"But this is the most dangerous place to be," Rafael said

So far no one was scared not it the least.

"Well, then, step inside...at your peril." Rafael stepped to the side gesturing for the group to enter the house. He slowly backed away going inside.

"Is this a joke?" Vampire Boy asked

"Just remember our deal." Marcia pushed the kids into the house.

The house was filled with fog and the lights had been dimmed down making it rather dark inside. It had been decked it with cheesy Halloween decor. Marcia got the kids over to the couch sitting them down before standing next to the couch.

"Perhaps you are more brave than smart. Or perhaps you are just like me." Rafael leaned in close getting closer to the kids' faces. "Perhaps you too have sympathy for the monster."

"Oh, boy," Marcia whispered worriedly.

Off to the side Star and Janna were watching standing on the stairs. Star was dressed as Ludo and Janna was some kind of Frankenstein businesswoman, Marcia still hadn't figure out what the girls' costume was.

Eerie music started to play and as the fog dispersed more, Angie could be seen dressed in a cloak playing a keyboard.

"But beware. Do not do what I have done." With his hand behind his back Rafael presses a button on a remote. "You must never let the monster inside."

Behind the couch, something large starts to inflate. It fully unfolds revealing it to be a blow-up plastic, Frankenstein. None of the kids are scared and stared blanked face.

Vampire Boy looks at Marcia. "I can't do this. Can you turn on the lights, please?"

The music is stopped and the lights are quickly turned on.

"Look, man, you seem like a nice guy, and I wanna be scared. I really do." The Vampire Boy's words make Rafael frown sadly. "But the truth is, I'm eight. That's like 90 years old in Halloween years." He gestures to his friends. "Next year, we might not even be afraid of monsters. I don't wanna waste my time." All the kids get up walking out the house. "I'm sorry. You're just not scary."

Rafael looked down sadly, "I'm not scary?"

"Come on, guys. Let's go to a real haunted house." Witch Girl said

Marcia runs after them whispering to the kids, "We had a deal, remember?" She held out money but the kids keep walking.

Marcia goes back into the house to watch, along with Star and Janna, her father as he struggled to carry the blow-up Frankenstein.

"Okay. Halloween is over. Janna and Star need to go home now." Rafael gave a rather forced laugh as he continues to carry the prop.

"Dad, Star lives here," Marcia said

Rafael turns to Marcia with a larger forced smile giving her another laugh. "Yes, Marcia sweetie. It doesn't always have to be an argument. Sometimes we just do what Daddy says." He kicks the Frankenstein out the back door. "Now, if anybody needs me, I'll be in the shed."

"He does it every year and it makes him miserable," Marcia sighed

"Okay, so what do we do?" Star said

"Oh, I got it. Let's go to that other haunted house down the street and just ditch this one." Janna suggested

"What? No. You're missing the point. How do we make my dad's haunted house scary?" Marcia said

"We can always summon Hungry Larry," Star said

Marcia raises her brow perplexed, "Uhh... Who?"

"Oh, Hungry Larry. You know, you summon him, he comes and haunts your house. I've heard he's a real creep." Star pulled out a sucker sticking it in her mouth.

Marcia facepalms with both her hands before looking at Star. "We're not summoning anyone." She waved her arms in a "no way" motion. "We're not summoning…ugh!" Marcia facepalmed a second time. "I can't believe I even have to have this conversation with you." She walked to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Star asked

"I'm gonna go bribe some five-year-olds. Maybe they'll think my dad's scary." Marcia closed the door before immediately responding it. "No summoning." She said making sure to point a finger specifically at Janna.

As if Janna and Star ever listened to Marcia when she told them not to do something. Not even a minute after Marcia left the two girls were up in Star's room preparing to summon Hungry Larry.

Star and Janna sat in the middle of the room, with the lights turned off the only source of illumination coming from the moon through the window.

Star held up her compact cell phone reading the instructions for the summons. "Okay, it says here. If Hungry Larry is the haunt you need, do these actions and you'll succeed. A lick of mustard you must bear, off an old takeout menu if you dare."

Janna held up the mustard squirting some on the old menu. "Alright, done."

"Then three times his name is said. Arrive he does with scares and dread," Star read

Janna held up the menu licking it before handing it over to Star who does the same.

"Hungry Larry." The girls start to chant. "Hungry Larry. Hungry Larry."

As soon as the girls finished their third chant a loud knocking comes from the front door. Janna and Star run out of the room heading downstairs but stop at the door too scared to open it. Janna hid behind Star as the knocking came again. With a shaky hand, Star reaches out opening the door.

The girls were surprised but not by some terrible monster who was lurking on the other side of the door, but by the fact that there was no one there. They then cast their gaze down and are once again surprised to see a rather short looking creature. He resembled a person who had thrown a sheet over their body to make a knockoff ghost costume. In his hands was a briefcase and a notebook.

"Star Butterfly?" Hungry Larry questioned before looking down at his notebook. "You summoned me."

Star just stares too stunned to saying anything.

"Can I come in or what?" Hungry Larry asked

"Star, invite him in," Janna whispered

Star holds her arm out. "Please, come on in."

Out in the backyard, Angie walks up the shed holding a bowl of candy corn. She knocks on the door but Rafael doesn't open it.

"Honey, I know you're probably totally humiliated, that you wrestled that blow-up doll in front of your daughter and her friends. But everyone inside loves you." When Angie doesn't receive any response she sighs and sets the bowl outside the door of the shed. "There's a bowl of candy corn for you out here on the porch. Don't step on it."

As she walked away Rafael looks out the window.

"Rafael, I can see you in the window!" Angie exclaimed

Rafael quickly closes the blind obscuring his wife view of him.

Angie lets out another sigh. "I hope when Marcia gets married her husband isn't this difficult."

Speaking of Marcia she was having some difficulties finding kids who were willing to come into her father's haunted house. Turns out news spreads fast in the trick-or-treating kids' community, and word on the street is that her father's haunted house was about as scary as a wet paper bag being played with by a litter of kittens.

Marcia sighed her shoulders sagging in disappointment, she stood on the sidewalk, little trick or treaters running around her, wondering what she could do to help her father. As she was going over different ideas she didn't notice a figure approaching her from behind.

Suddenly a hand was placed on her shoulder and Marcia turned around, rather confused seeing a figure wearing a black cloak leaning close to her.

"Uh….can I help you?" Marcia asked

"Hey, Marcia." A gruff muffled voice said.

Hearing her name from the dark stranger Marcia screamed.

"Ahhhh!" Marcia screamed kicking the cloaked figure in the chest.

"Ow!" The persons' muffled voice gasped as he hit the ground.

"Take this stalker!" Marcia raised her arm about the karate chop the person in the head.

"Marcia stop it's me!" The person reaches up removing his hood. "It's just me."

"Tom?" Marcia pulled her attack arm back. She raised a brow staring down at the demon boy quizzically.

"Yup, me. I forgot you could kick so hard." Tom chuckled

"You wouldn't have to be reminded if you hadn't of snuck up on me like that." Marcia held out her hand helping Tom stand up. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Well," Tom pulled out his phone. "You seemed so excited about Halloween I wanted to see for myself what makes it so fun for you."

"Oh….okay. Well right now I'm going to go bribe some five-year-olds," Marcia said

"Cool sounds fun," Tom said

Back up in Star's room, Hungry Larry had set down his briefcase and was digging through it.

"So, basically, we just need the house to be, like, super scary. Mr. Diaz hasn't scared a single kid all night. Actually, I don't know if he's ever scared a single kid ever." Star explained

Hungry Larry pulled out a tape measure measuring the room.

"But Janna and I are very handy, so how can we help?" Star asked

She gets no answer as Hungry Larry walks around the room. He then starts to make some strange noises like he was warming up for something.

Janna and Star watch confused by the whole thing.

"Larry? Larry, watcha doing?" Star asked

Hungry Larry faces the girls and for some reason, he's got some black ink like substance around his mouth. He wipes it off before speaking. "Oh, you guys are still here?"

"We're not guys," Janna said

"Cool…...can you leave?" Hungry Larry said

"Uh, yeah, yeah." Star and Janna walk out of the room. "Okay, fine. You're working. I get it." They stop right outside that door and Hungry Larry stands in the doorway.

"You guys are still here?" Hungry Larry repeated before stepping back into the room closing the door.

Star and Janna sat on the stairs, Star sulking and Janna looking irritated.

"Well, that guy isn't scary. He's creepy,' Janna said

Star sighed putting her chin in her palm. "Bummer. I really just wanted Mr. D to have his haunted house."

"Eh, even if you did give him a haunted house, that wouldn't make Mr. Diaz scary." Janna reasoned, and indeed she made a fair point.

"Yeah, maybe not. But at least it'd be something. Should we just call it off?" Star suggested

"You mean fire Hungry Larry?" Janna asked

"I guess," Star said

Janna smiled pointing at herself. "Oh, can I fire him?"

Star gave Janna the guns hand signal. "Go for it."

Janna hops up excited running up the stairs. "Yes!"

Star gets back in her sulking position. "Poor Mr. Diaz."

She doesn't get to sulk for long as Janna's horrified scream rips through the house. It was so loud that even the kids outside trick-or-treating heard her.

Marcia who had been just a few houses down ran to her house dragging Tom with her. Tom having no issues since her hand was grasping his. Marcia ran into her home stopping before a stunned Star.

"Star, what was that?"

"Uh, I think it was Janna-?" Star paused and looked confused seeing the other person in the room. "Tom?" She questioned confused. "What are you doing here?"

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Marcia was talking about Halloween and I wanted to see."

"Wait so you two like talk?" Star asked with a bit of excitement in her tone as she pointed a finger back and forth between Marcia and Tom.

"Were sorta...friends?" Marcia rubbed the back of her head. "We're not enemies at least."

"It's a work in progress," Tom said

Suddenly the doorbell rang and as Marcia walked over Star gave Tom an encouraging double thumbs for him and Marcia. Tom gave a smirk giving Star a thumbs up back. Marcia opened the door to see dozens of excited kids.

"Whoa," Star said

"Hey, did that scream come from inside of this haunted house?" A Little Frankenstein boy asked

"Uh…" Marcia tried to say.

Star stepped forward. "Yes. Welcome, kids to the Diaz House of Horror!"

All of the children cheer running into the house, even the kids from before that Marcia had to bribe were running in.

"Star, seriously. What is going on?" Marcia asked

"Okay, Marcia, I know you said no summoning, but we summoned. We summoned Hungry Larry." Star said

"You what?!" Marcia gasped. She tried running upstairs after the kids but Star grabs the back of her costume.

"Oh, chill, Marcia. Everyone's having a great time. Can't you hear all those blood-curdling screams?" Star smiled

She was right the house was filled with the terrifying screams of the children who had just entered moments ago. But as Marcia stopped and listened the screams instantly faded.

"I don't hear anything Star," Marcia said

"Me either," Tom added

This worries both of the girls, and they quickly run upstairs followed by Tom. The demon teen pauses before grabbing a candy bowl off an end table then follows the girls upstairs.

As the three approached Star's door Tom spoke up.

"So who is this Hungry Larry guy?" Tom asked

"Wait you don't know who this Hungry Larry guy is?" Marcia asked

"No, why would I?" Tom said

"How could you not he's a demon too. Just like you," Marcia pointed out.

"Oh, like you know every teen human girl?" Tom sarcastically said before shoving more candy in his mouth.

Marcia paused blinking. "...fair point. You win, I was wrong."

Star opened the door to her room and there's a strange black fluid everywhere. It was dripping from the ceiling, in puddles on the floor, and was smeared across the walls. The room was in shambles things torn and thrown about. Star held her wand up using it like a flashlight. Tom, who was still holding and eating from the bowl of candy her had snagged, was crouching down next to Marcia as the brunette examined a discarded piece of candy.

"Candy," Marcia said holding up a lollipop.

"Uh, no duh. It's Halloween." Star sticks her finger in some liquid that was on the wall before licking her finger tasting the foreign liquid. "This is saliva." She stated

"But did you have to lick it?" Marcia questioned grossed out.

Suddenly a large amount of the black saliva starts leaking out from under Star's bed. Marcia gasps and steps back closer to Tom trying to avoid the saliva.

Star slowly approaches frightened, "Hungry Larry?" She asked in a fearful tone.

Three kids show up under Star's bed shaking and terrified, clearly traumatized by what had occurred in the room. Marcia screams startled and falls into Tom's arms. The demon boy holds on to Marcia quite satisfied that he's the one she fell into.

Star walks over getting at the kids level. "Where's Hungry Larry?"

"He's...still...hungry." The little boy gasps as he, along with his friends, are yanked back under the bed.

Before the teens could react a loud bang sounds as the door to the room slams shut.

"I'm still hungry." A disturbing voice echoes.

"What the...? Hungry for what?" Star questioned

Star doesn't receive an answer but instead, Marcia was grabbed and yanked back.

"Marcia!' Tom and Star shouted

Star points her wand in the direction Marcia was pulled but there was nothing. Tom runs over to the spot looking around.

"Where did she go?" Tom said

"I'm still hungry…" The creepy voice echoes again.

Tom lifts up his hand and fireball appears. "If you're hungry I'll give you something to eat! Give me back Marcia!"

Tom turned around in the room looking for a target to launch his fire. As he searched around the darkened room a large amount of black saliva falls from the ceiling the fluids not only drenches Tom but it also extinguishes his fire.

"Ah gross...it got in my eyes," Tom groaned trying to wipe the liquid out of his eyes.

"You okay there Tom?" Star asked

The room stayed silent as Tom didn't reply to her question.

"Tom?" Star turned around pointing her wand-flashlight and gasped to find Tom was no longer there.

Star is left alone in the room as the eerie voice speaks for the third time.

"I'm still hungry…"

Black saliva starts to pour down the walls of the room like rapid waterfalls covering the entirety of the bedroom floor.

Star backs up until she's in the dead center of the room. She slowly lifts her up her wand pointing it towards the ceiling. The wands pink glowing light doesn't reach far enough for Star to see into the darkness above her. As she continued to gaze upwards two red beady eyes glare down at Star from the pitch black crevice of the ceiling.

"I'm still...hungry!"

Star screams as something with sharp teeth falls from the ceiling.

In the backyard of the Diaz household heavy metal was blasting from the back shed.

Rafael, who still hasn't left the shed, put on a hockey mask before he turned on the wood chipper. He goes to grab the inflate Frankenstein with the goal of shredding it, but the plastic inflatable slips out of his arms bouncing out of the shed and into the yard.

"Oh, no, no, no." Rafael chases after it but it bounces away. He lets out a sad sigh going back into the house.

"Honey," Rafael called out, "I'm...sorry. I thought this year was going to be different." Rafael paused waiting for a response from his wife but all was quiet in the Diaz household. "Honey?" He walked through the house calling out. "Kids?" Rafael stops by the keyboard and plays two notes singing, "Mar-cia, Mar-cia, Marc...oh!" Black liquid drips onto Rafael's hand making him stop.

He looks at his hand then looks up at the ceiling seeing wet strips on it. "Wet ceiling?"

Rafael ventures to Star's room and gasps when he opens the door. "Oh! Kids?"

"They're in here," A child-like yet dark voice spoke.

That's when Hungry Larry appeared. He was much bigger than before at least ten sizes. His body had gotten large, bulbous, and round. With his newfound height and girth, he easily towered over Rafael.

"Who are you?" Rafael asked frightened

"I'm Hungry…" Hungry Larry coughs, "I'm Hungry Larry." As he talked saliva and candy flowed out of his mouth. "I've been summoned here to haunt your home because you're not scary."

"But….where is my family?" Rafael asked

"I told you." Hungry Larry starts to open his mouth wide, "They're in...here."

With his mouth fully open Hungry Larry grabs his uvula pulling it like a light chain, there's a loud click and a light turns on illuminating the inside of his stomach so Rafael can see inside. Dozens of people were stuffed inside Hungry Larry's stomach including Rafael's family. Everyone was crying and screaming pleading for help.

"Help!"

"Dad, get us out of here!" Marcia screamed

"Kids!" Rafael gasped

"Oh, your wife is in here, too." Hungry Larry starts examining his stomach tapping around it. "Um, uh, somewhere...She's pretty."

"Oh. Thank you?" Rafael said perplexed yet scared.

Hungry Larry points at Rafael. "I would eat you too, but I'm stuffed." He pats his stomach, "So, uh, count your blessings. I guess."

"But my family is my blessings." Rafael sadly spoke his brows furrowing.

"Oh. What I meant to say was," Hungry Larry turns red lurching at Rafael, "Get out!" Candy and saliva fly out of his mouth knocking over Rafael soaking the man.

Rafael notices a piece of candy corn on the ground and picks it up. He slowly sits up his fear morphing into anger and determination.

"Give me back my family!" Rafael shouted

Hungry Larry pulls back confused. Rafael shouts running and jumping on Hungry Larry. He climbs up the demonic monsters large body and forced himself into the Hungry Larry's mouth. He spits out Rafael and the man slides on the ground covered in candy, with two large suckers covering his eyes. Rafael unfazed sits up and sprints back at Hungry Larry once again diving into the creature's mouth. He's able to make it deeper inside Hungry Larry's mouth causing everyone inside to pause their screams. That is until Rafael clicks on Hungry Larry's uvula light and his appearance freaks everyone out causing them to scream louder.

Rafael was able to force himself fully into Hungry Larry's mouth and the monster swallows him. Hungry Larry lets out a burp covering his mouth. His stomach starts to rumble then he gives a heave regurgitating everybody he ate.

Rafael is the first to plop on the ground with a loud, "Ugh."

Tom lands right next to Rafael then Marcia and Star land on top of him. Angie falls and lands on the opposite side of Rafael.

Everyone looks around confused but then Rafael pulls his family into a large group hug.

"Aww!"

"Mr. Diaz! You were terrifying in there!" Janna excitedly said

All the kids start cheering.

"Best Halloween ever!"

"Yeah, Dad, that was amazing," Marcia said

Rafael smiles down at his family, but that's when he notices Tom.

"Marcia, who is this boy?" Rafael asked

Marcia looked away from her father. "Uh…"

Lucky for her Hungry Larry reappeared, thankfully back to his normal size. "It's like I always say. Nothing more terrifying than a man who's lost everything."

Rafael's eyes narrow, and he glares at Hungry Larry. "Leave this place."

Hungry Larry quickly leaves floating away. "Rude….whatever."

"Sooooo….." Marcia awkwardly rubbed the back of her head standing at her front door with Tom.

"I had fun," Tom said

"Really?" Marcia questioned. "I mean all we really did was get eaten."

"Yeah but I got eaten with you," Tom said

"Oh!" Marcia's cheeks flushed as she looked away.

From the top of the stairs hanging off the railing was Star watching with an eager smile.

Marcia rubbed her arm looking down, "Soooo...there's this Halloween movie marathon going on tonight. If you'd like-"

"Marcia!" Marcia was cut off by her father calling for her.

When she heard footsteps she freaks out and starts pushing Tom out the front door. "Shoot my dad! Go! Go! Go!"

"Wait, Marcia-!"

"I'm so sorry but my Dad has got this thing about me being around boys. Here," Marcia shoved a bowl of candy into Tom's arms before shutting the door.

Tom stood there both confused and a tad disappointed, that is until the door reopens. Marcia peeks her head outside and she gives Tom a small smile.

"Maybe next time we can hang out without getting eaten. I'll text you."

"Yeah," Tom replied

Marcia closed the door again.

Tom stood outside and a smile comes to his face. He grins as he eats some candy. He snaps his fingers and his skeleton horse-drawn carriage appears. He steps inside getting situated.

"Onward skeleton horse!" Tom's candy muffled voice called out.

As the carriage disappeared in a gate of flames a kid dressed as mummy stood there on the sidewalk stunned jaw dropped.

"Best. Halloween. Ever."