Okay, next one! "Howlin' Harriet"? Let's do this.
So, as I said in the previous author's notes, I had a difficult time casting the titular character. There are many ghosts in the "Casper" series, some of which I wanted to find a role for but couldn't, and not one of them really fit the mold. This was made even more difficult by the fact that Howlin' Harriet is a somewhat recurring character and in every appearance she makes after this episode, her only dialogue is screaming. And I don't mean "screaming like Ms. Banshee sometimes does," I mean she just straight up screams without saying any real words. Hard as I tried, I couldn't find any "Casper" counterpart that was right for her, so I just decided to leave her as she is (I kinda imagine her in a "Casper" style, though). Sorry if that's disappointing. Of course, there are other roles that I am struggling to fill right now, but since I have some time between their introduction (and the fact that I'm going to go back to OMDW for a bit), I should hopefully have an easier time. I don't know, let me know if there's a character you think should've played Howlin' Harriet in your reviews.
With that said, it didn't take me long at all to figure out who would play Geoff ;). Here we go!
Stretch, Stinkie, & Fatso: Muahahahahahaaaa!
Molly: Can't believe you're all mine
Fatso: Uh, what?
Molly: You and me for all time
Stretch: No way!
Molly: I'm never, ever, EVER gonna be alone again
Stinkie: This stinks!
Molly: It's just you three and me
Fatso: For all eternity?!
Molly: For all ETERNITY!
Stretch, Stinkie, & Fatso: NOOOO!
Molly & Ghostly Trio: It's the Ghost-Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee
Fatso: We've been cursed!
Stinkie: It's the worst!
Molly: Now you're stuck with me
Molly & Ghostly Trio: We're never gonna be apart
Stretch: Is there a way to hit 'restart'?
Molly: Nope!
Molly & Ghostly Trio: We're the Ghost-Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee
Molly: That's me!
Stinkie: Well, that's she. Hee, hee, hee!
Molly & Ghostly Trio: Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee!
Fatso: Oh yeah!
Chapter 3
The Camp Champ
"You guys!" Molly cried, shaking the cobweb hammock the Ghostly Trio were currently napping in. "I need your help to answer the most important question of my life…who will be my best friend?"
The Trio scowled at her for disturbing them, but Molly paid no attention.
"And don't be offended. You know you'll always be my true besties."
"Look, skin sack," Stretch started. "We are cursed with you. We're not friends!"
"We're not besties!" Stinkie added.
"We're not gonna take it!" Fatso sang. "No! We ain't gonna take-ow!" Stretch whacked him on the head.
"But I need a human bestie," Molly continued as if the Trio hadn't said anything. "You know, to do human stuff with. Or I guess as you ghosts call us, 'fleshies.' Is that right?"
The Trio yawned and then shouted: "Big deal!"
Molly showed the three a diagram she had drawn up on her blackboard. At the top it read, "Molly's (Fleshie) Best Friend" and below were pictures of three different kids from her school. The first was Libby, the girl she sat next to on her first day, the second was a brown-haired girl with glasses, and the third was a bigger girl with pink hair. Beside the photos were the girls' names and a few of their characteristics.
"I've already narrowed it down to three amazing candidates…Libby…Sheela…and Kat."
Fatso sat up suddenly. "Kat? Hey, haven't we met her already?"
"What are you talkin' about?" Stretch sneered.
"Ya know, young girl, about 13, generally a deadpan snarker, daughter of a supernatural psychiatrist who tried in vain to stop us from scarin' fleshies?"
"This ain't our old cartoon, ya numbskull. It's a work of fiction written by an over-obsessed fan in a hopeless attempt to restore our popularity and bring awareness to our obscure animated program that was practically lost to time. And in this fiction, the fleshies from said animated program don't exist. It is an AU, after all. Don't ya know what that stands for?"
Fatso scratched his head. "…Uh…"
Stretch facepalmed. "It stands for Alternate Universe! What else?!"
"…African Unity? Australia? Gold?"
"Gold? Why the heck would it stand for gold?!"
Fatso pulled out a periodic table. "In chemistry, the actual terminology for gold is 'aurum,' which is a Latin word derived from 'Aurora,' the Greek goddess of the dawn. Hence, why its chemical symbol is AU."
"AU? More like PU! 'Cause it stinks! Hee, hee ,hee!" Stinkie joked.
Just then, a portal opened up and Ms. Banshee stuck her head through.
"Oh for goodness sake! GET ON WITH IIIIIIIIT!"
The Trio were blown directly into Molly's blackboard and then Ms. Banshee disappeared.
"…Okayyy…" Molly shook her head, regaining her focus. "Anyways, all these girls may seem different on paper, but they have one thing in common. Guess what it is!"
Stretch sat up, rubbing his head. "We don't care about any of 'em?"
"They all have bad body odor?" Stinkie guessed.
"They all like candlelit dinners and long walks on the beach?" Fatso chimed in.
Stretch grabbed his youngest brother by the nose and slammed him into the wall.
"No, not sure, and whaaat?" Molly answered. "They're all Wilder Scouts! And we're goin' camping tonight! I can see it now…four strong female trailblazers in the wilderness? This is how you make lifelong friends, boys!" she laid on her bed, kicking her feet in excitement. "Ooh, we'll probably sit together at lunch, then be roommates in college, run for political office on a shared platform…I mean, we're basically choosing a future leader of our nation here! So…whaddya say? Wanna tag along?"
"Campin' with a buncha braindead bone bags? Yeah, that sounds excitin'…" Stretch claimed.
"…NOT!" the Trio said together.
"Aw, c'mon!" Molly persuaded. "It'll be fun! We'll get to sleep under the stars, maybe go hiking, make s'mores…"
Fatso drooled at the last part.
"Not to mention we'll be exposed to all the smelly scents that nature has to offerrrr…"
Stinkie beamed.
"Buuuut I guess if you're not interested…"
"Stop!" Stinkie put his finger to Molly's lips. "You had me at 'smelly.'"
"I guess we could go…" Fatso began. "As long as ya bring the jumbo-sized marshmallows!"
"You got it, buddy!" Molly poked Fatso in the belly.
"Not so fast!" Stretch grabbed his brothers by their tails and pulled them to his side. "Don't you ecto brains get it? This is just another one of her ploys to earn our friendship! Well, it ain't gonna work, McGee, so there! I don't even get why you're so obsessed with this whole friend makin' thing anyway. We don't got a best friend and we're perfectly-"
"Hey, fellas!"
The Trio yelped at the sudden appearance of a young ghost with blonde hair, adorable blue eyes, and a pink ribbon on her head. They were so startled, they ended up hitting the ceiling.
The blonde ghost then flew up to them and gave them a hug.
"How're my bestest best friends ever?"
Molly snickered.
"You were saying?"
"Who? This gal? Oh no, no, no!" Stretch denied. "She ain't a friend!"
Stinkie glared at the smiling ghoul squeezing him. "Yeah, she's more of an annoying coworker…"
The ghost approached Molly and shook her hand.
"Hiya! I'm Poil! The Trio's best friend!"
"Are not!" Stretch insisted.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Pearl." Molly acknowledged.
"Uh, actually, it's 'Poil.' It's spelled P-O-I-L. At least I think that's how it's spelled 'cause it's how my boofriend says it. I guess there could be a 'Y' in there somewhere, but who knows, really?"
"And who cares?" Stretch added, frowning. "What are ya doin' here anyway?"
"Well, ya promised we would hang out today. See? It's the second Saturday after Never!"
Poil showed the Trio a calendar with the current month scribbled out and replaced with the word "Never."
Fatso squinted. "Well, seems legit to me."
Stretch whacked him on the head.
"Fuggedaboudit!" he told Poil, laying back in the hammock. "We got a lot of balls in the air right now."
"Gee, I didn't know yous guys could juggle." Poil stated.
"It's an expression!" Stretch cried, exasperated. "Look, it's bad enough we're stuck livin' with a disgustingly happy fleshie, we don't need to waste any more of our afterlife with someone like you!"
"Stretch!" Molly scolded. "That's no way to treat your best friend!"
"She is NOT! OUR! FRIEND!" Stretch screamed.
Molly rolled her eyes. "Poil, why don't you come camping with us? We're gonna roast marshmallows…"
"Jumbo-sized marshmallows!" Fatso reminded her.
"And learn about nature…"
"Particularly the smelly parts of nature!" Stinkie mentioned.
"And at the end of the night, we can even tell scaarry stooriiies…"
Stretch's eyes widened. "Scary stories, ya say?" he joined the group. "And uh, just how scary are we talkin' here?"
"Uh, so scary!" Molly continued. "'Cause we got bugs, fire, wolves, bears, and…"
"Go on."
"…Pit toilets…" she whispered nervously.
"Okay! I'm sold now!" Stinkie exclaimed.
"Hm…I guess campin' doesn't sound so bad when ya put it that way." Stretch took Stinkie and Fatso aside. "Our scare report is overdue as it is. Not to mention, this gives us a chance to terrify Molly so bad, she'll finally leave Brighton for good!"
"Ooh…heh, heh, heh! Good plan, Stretch." Stinkie chuckled.
Fatso mischievously rubbed his hands together. "Yeah, those poor little scouts won't know what hit 'em! But it'll be us!"
"Muahahahaha!" the Trio laughed.
Poil got in between them. "Wow, this is gonna be fun, ain't it?"
"Not for you!" Stretch lifted Poil by the arm. "You're not invited, short sheet!"
"Riiiighht…" Poil winked.
Stretch sighed and let her go. "This is gonna be one long weekend…"
A while later, Molly and the Wilder Scouts had arrived at their campsite, escorted by their indifferent camp counselor.
"All right ladies," she said unenthusiastically. "Go get your camping badge or whatever we're doin' here."
The middle-aged woman shut herself in her van, allowing the scouts to get settled.
"So…" Molly started. "Does anyone know anything about setting up a campsite or maybe…lifelong friendship or…?"
"Not me." Libby came forward with a huge sack on her back. "I'm only here because my mom said exposure to fresh air and other kids my age would help me."
While her mouth was open, a butterfly flew inside it, causing her to start choking. She hit the ground and the butterfly escaped.
"I'm good…" she assured Molly.
Kat came over and helped Libby up.
"The key to a cozy campfire is location." she informed the others, walking to a spot in the middle of the area. "I think we should set camp here."
Sheela clapped her hands impatiently. "We're losing daylight. Kat, you find the flint."
Kat gave her friend a thumbs-up.
"Molly, you gather firewood."
Molly saluted.
"And Libby?"
"Wah!" the turtleneck-clad girl fell over again.
"…Stay upright."
Molly stepped away from the group so she could check up on the Trio, all of whom were doing their own thing. Stretch was laying back against a tree, clearly bored out of his mind, Fatso was chowing down on some berries he found in a bush, and Stinkie was bathing in a swamp.
"Ahh…this campin' trip was your best idea yet, Molly." the malodorous ghost said, wrapping his arm around a disgusted Molly. "Ya know, sometimes ya spend so much time gushin' over man-made scents that ya forget to appreciate the earth's more natural fragrances." he picked up a skunk walking by and it sprayed both him and Molly in the face.
Molly coughed. "Yeah…ugh…that's…blech…great, Stinkie. Very…gah…pungent indeed."
That's when she noticed Fatso eating the berries.
"Fatso! What are you doing?! Those berries are poisonous!"
Fatso did a spit take.
"What?! I've already eaten dozens of 'em! What's happenin' to me? I can't breathe! I feel faint…" he clutched his chest where his heart would have been. "I think my heart stopped beatin'! Everything's going dark! My body's gone limp! Wait, now there's a light. Am I ascending into the great beyond? Is that our mom wavin' to me? Mommy, your little boy's comin' home!"
Annoyed, Stretch slapped Fatso across the face.
"Knock it off! You're already dead, ya dramatic doofus!"
"Heh, heh…oh. Yeah."
Stretch turned to Molly. "So, how's the friend hunt goin'?"
"Not bad." Molly showed off her notepad which had a scoreboard on the top page. "These scorecards have everything I'm looking for in a best friend. Creativity, smarts, generosity, a deep passion for fuzzy socks, leadership, and most importantly…the X factor!"
"Huh. Ya know, that's actually kinda interestin'…is what I'd say if I cared at all!" Stretch snapped his fingers. "C'mon boys. Let's bounce!"
"Wait, where are you going?" Molly asked.
"None of your fleshie business!"
"It's top secret! For ghosts only!" Stinkie nodded.
"Yeah! It's not like we're gonna scare you and your friends later tonight, so you got nothin' to be suspicious of!" Fatso blurted out.
Stretch picked up the berry bush and dumped it on Fatso's head. Then he and Stinkie started to head deeper into the woods. Fatso popped his head out of the bush, his face covered in berry juice.
"Mm…" he licked his lips while following his brothers. "Tangy and deadly. The perfect combination."
"Okay then…But don't you at least want to know what the X factor is?" Molly called after them.
"Nope!" the Trio called back.
"Well, it's indescribable anyway!" Molly grumped.
Later on, the Wilder Scouts went on a hike, giving Molly the chance to start looking to see who had the right qualities to be her best friend. Each time she noticed one of the girls exhibiting said qualities, she put a star sticker on their scoreboard. Sheela started out strong by leading the scouts in the right direction with her map.
(Who's got the goods?)
Do you have what it takes to lead us?
(Who's got the goods?)
While fishing in the lake, Kat caught an enormous bass, earning her a point.
Do you have passion in your heart?
(Who's got the goods?)
On the path, the troop found a rope swing and used it to jump over a gap.
Can you parkour across the forest?
We need a hero in the woods
Tell me, who's got the goods?
Kat, Sheela, and Molly made it across easily, but Libby got scared while gripping the rope and she nearly slipped into the river below.
"Ohhh no!"
Molly turned around to go back for her.
Further along, the girls found a beehive and Sheela managed to befriend one of the striped, winged insects. But when Libby got close to the hive, the bees immediately attacked her.
Who's got the kindness
To care for other creatures?
When they stopped for a snack, Kat was more than happy to share her trail mix with the others. Molly was about to offer the bag to Libby, but she was sitting by herself making a bracelet and didn't seem interested.
Who's smart enough
To pack a trail mix with no nuts? (Peanut allergies)
The next thing the four of them knew, they were being attacked by a vicious opossum. Kat effortlessly picked up Molly and Libby and ran them to safety, while Sheela sacrificed herself to the marsupial to save the others.
Who can outrun
An angry possum that I accidentally woke
With a poke?
"Go! Go!" Sheela encouraged as she was dragged away.
By the time they all got back to the campsite, it was getting dark, so Kat helped start a fire and Sheela made s'mores, even managing to toss one directly into Molly's mouth (and another one directly onto Libby's eyes).
Intelligence!
(Who's got it?)
Positivity!
(Who's got it?)
Gets my jokes!
(Who's got it?)
Good hygiene!
Not afraid to tell me if there's chocolate on my cheek
Who's got the goods?
Night had fallen and Molly and her friends were all settled around their own campfire enjoying its warmth and security. Little did they know that they were in for a big surprise.
Inside the trunk of a tree, a couple of baby birds were sitting quietly in their nest…when suddenly, the Ghostly Trio popped out, frightening them away.
"Boo! Hahahahahahaha!" they laughed.
"Okay boys," Stretch said. "Now alls we gotta do is wait for a shift in the mood and when the scares are ripe for the pickin'…BAM! We jump out and that obnoxious Molly McGee will run away so fast and so far, she'll never make it back!"
"We'll be rid of her forever!" Stinkie declared.
"Yeah! And once she's gone, we can even swipe her s'more!" Fatso hoped.
Then, unexpectedly, the nest gained a fourth ghost.
"Ooh, nice!" Poil exclaimed.
"Gah!" the Trio wailed.
"Uh…what are we swipin' more of anyway?"
"Poil!" Stretch snarled. "What are you doin' here?"
"Yeah, we told ya you weren't invited!" Stinkie mentioned.
Poil giggled. "Aw c'mon, fellas! I know reverse psychology when I see it!"
"Reverse psycho-what?" Fatso asked confusedly.
"You know what I mean! It's when ya tell someone somethin' but you really mean the opposite! For example, when you said ya didn't want me to come campin' with ya, what ya really meant was you did want me to come!"
Stretch got in the ghoul's face. "Or maybe what we meant was we didn't want ya to come because you're not our friend and you never will be!"
Poil continued to smile. "Right…I see what you're sayin', Stretchie. We're totally not friends at all. Hee, hee! Reverse psychology…" she winked.
"Hey! Don't you wink at me! I ain't usin' reverse psychosis or whatever it's called!"
"Uh-huh…" Poil winked again.
Stretch held her eye open. "Cut it out! Get this through that pea-sized brain of yours, missy! We…are…not…friends! So stop winkin' already!"
"…Wink!" Poil winked with her other eye.
"AAAGH!" Stretch slumped in the nest, having given up. "Fine. You can hang with us. But don't even think about gettin' in our way, got it?"
Poil responded by hugging him.
Back outside, Molly was roasting sausages with Kat and Sheela, while Libby continued to work on her bracelet.
"Hey, uh, quick question," Molly took out her notepad and pen. "Anyone interested in sharing stories that, oh, I dunno, highlight their best qualities?"
"A story?" Libby made a disturbing face. "I've got a story…"
"…Okay…let's hear it, Libby."
Libby shined a flashlight in her face. "This is the haunting tale of…Howling Harriet! Many, many years ago, there was a blood-thirsty criminal named Harriet."
"W-W-What was her crime?" Sheela stuttered.
"She sold uncured salami on Wednesday!"
Molly was confused. "Uh…what?"
"Laws were different back then." Libby shrugged.
"Ohhh…"
"Harriet was chased out of town by the angry citizens of Brighton. As she was running, she tripped on the tracks and fell in the way of an oncoming train! BLAM! And all the folk of Brighton found were her mangled toes. Now, on nights like tonight, when the moon is full, her ghost roams these very woods howling in pain, looking for toes of unsuspecting campers to replace the ones she lost!" Libby grabbed Kat's foot and howled.
"AAAAAHHH!" Kat and Sheela shrieked.
"Pretty good." Molly commented. "I was kind of hoping for a happy ending where Harriet befriended lonely campers. Ya know, flip the script on ghosts or whatever. But scary's good, too!" she ripped off one of the points on a star sticker and stuck it under Libby's chart, making it the first star she earned.
The Trio and Poil, meanwhile, were hiding in a bush, listening in.
"That's it?" Stretch complained. "We came all the way out here to these damp, dull woods just to hear some terrifyin' narratives and that's the best these bone bags can come up with?"
"Yeah, I've heard scarier stuff in children's fairy tales." Stinkie agreed.
"It was a little scary. I mean, uncured salami? I don't think I'll ever sleep again 'cause of that." Fatso shuddered.
Stretch whacked Fatso on the head.
"Well, the fleshies seemed to think it was scary." Poil mentioned. "Hey! I know! Maybe yous guys should dress up as that Howlin' Harriet gal and scare 'em!"
"Ha! That's gotta be the most-" Stretch paused. "…brilliant idea ever!"
The tallest ghost took Poil aside. "In fact…since it was your idea and all, why don't you do us the honor of bein' the star?"
Poil gasped. "Really? Gee, I've always wanted to be an actress!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure." Stretch gently pushed Poil away. "Here's the deal; you go get yourself all dolled up, and when we're ready for ya, we'll give ya a special buddy signal, okay?"
"Oh my gosh!" Poil squealed. "I actually get to help the Trio scare fleshies! Stay calm, Poil. Stay calm. Okay! I won't let ya down, Stretch!"
"I know ya won't, kid." Stretch picked up a stick on the ground and threw it into the woods, encouraging Poil to chase after it.
"Ooh! C'mere stick! Come to Poil!"
"Boy, that dame is one grade A buffoon, I must say." Stinkie said once she was gone. "Not even close to the level of smarts we're at, right bros?"
"Stick!" Fatso panted like a dog. "Must get stick! Want stick!"
"Here's your stick!" Stretch picked up a log and hit Fatso over the head. "C'mon boys, now that Little Miss Ditz is gone, we can come up with a real plan to scare the pants off those skin sacks! I mean, c'mon, dressin' up as Howlin' Harriet? You'd have to be an idiot to even believe in her, let alone be afraid of 'er! Heh, heh, heh!"
Stinkie and Fatso followed Stretch and laughed also. Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched by a pair of haunting green eyes hidden behind a tree…and their owner didn't seem too happy about having so many visitors in its forest.
After finishing their late-night snack, the campers prepared for bed.
"Make sure to keep your toes in your sleeping bags," Libby warned. "Wouldn't want Howlin' Harriet to get them."
Kat put on another layer of socks. "Do you think these are enough to protect me?"
"Don't be silly," Sheela reassured her. "Ghosts aren't real. They're just a product of an overactive imagination."
The spectacled girl proceeded to zip up her sleeping bag with her entire body inside and lay down with her eyes wide open.
"Ha, ha!" Molly laughed. "Yeah, ghosts. Totally not real. Who'd believe that? Not me! Ha, ha, ha! Hah…we do laugh."
Once all four girls were asleep, the Trio sneaked over to their campsite, ready to put their plan in action.
"You boys smell that?" Stretch asked.
Fatso sniffed. "Uh…I think that's just Stinkie."
Stinkie only shrugged. "Eh."
"No, ya dimwits! I'm talkin' about the smell of opportunity! A scarin' opportunity that is. Let's move…"
The Trio giggled quietly, but just as they were about to pounce, Stretch heard a menacing moan behind him.
"Shh! Knock it off, you two! As much as I appreciate a good ghostly moan, it's gonna wake up those skin sacks!"
"Uh…I wasn't moanin'." Fatso replied.
Stinkie shook his head. "Me either."
"Well, who else would be-?" Stretch facepalmed. "Poil…don't that blonde little twit know how to listen? We haven't given the signal yet! Not that we was goin' to."
The moaning continued, causing the Wilder Scouts to awaken. All of a sudden, their campfire went out, leaving them in total darkness.
"W-W-What's going on?" Kat shivered.
An unexpected light caught the girls' attention and they turned their heads to see a tall, menacing phantom with a faint, green glow floating over them. The spirit roared ferociously, terrifying Kat, Sheela, and Libby.
"Howling Harriet!" Kat shrieked. "She's real! And she's coming for our toes! Let's get out of here!"
Molly stood back as her friends made a run for it, an unamused expression on her face. The ghost picked her up and snarled at her, but still, she showed no fear.
"C'mon, Stretch. I know you and the guys are just trying to scare me and the other scouts because you're jealous of our newfound friendship. But you have nothing to worry about. I told you, you'll always be my number ones. So you can go ahead and take off that silly disguise."
The Trio came out of hiding.
"Whoa, whoa!" Stretch began. "First of all McGee, we ain't jealous of nobody 'cause you ain't worth gettin' jealous over! Second, we was goin' to scare you and those other weirdoes 'cause we thought ya might leave Brighton forever! That is, until someone decided to steal our thunder and rain on our parade!"
Fatso looked up. "It's not stormin' tonight. Good thing, too, 'cause then our float would get all wet." he brought in a parade float out of nowhere.
Stretch and Stinkie made their fists into hammers and used them to whack Fatso. Stretch then turned to the glowing specter.
"Isn't that right, Poil? What's with this getup anyway? You're supposed to be a vengeful spirit, not a party clown! Heh, heh, heh!"
"Yeah!" Stinkie lifted up the ghost's black cloak. "Where'd ya get that dress? The 10-cent store? Hee, hee!"
Fatso picked up a few branches protruding from the ghost's head and used one to poke it in the eye. "Ooh, nice sticks, Poil! Truly the most horrific thing ya could have found in the woods!"
"Aw, really? Thanks, fellas! I think they really sell the illusion."
Molly and the Trio were alarmed to see Poil coming up to them, wearing nothing more than a hat made of twigs and leaves.
"Huh?" Stretch pointed at Poil. "But…but if you're here…"
"Then who the heehaw is…?" Stinkie gestured toward the other ghoul, who was currently glowering at Fatso.
"Uh…" he attempted to put the sticks back in their places. "Heh…maybe sticks are scarier than they look?"
The ghost roared in Fatso's face and tossed Molly into a nearby bush.
"Harriet?! The real Harriet?!" Molly cried.
"EEEEK!" Poil yelped, ducking as Harriet swung her arm at her and got her homemade leaf crown on her hand.
Harriet threw the leaves to the side and dived for the Trio.
"GAH!"
The Trio and Poil zipped into the bush Molly was in and hid behind her. Luckily, Harriet didn't bother going after them and instead began to look through the Wilder Scouts' sleeping bags.
"Guys! How do we get rid of her?" Molly wondered fearfully.
"Why would we know?" Stretch remarked. "We didn't think she was real to begin with!"
"I kinda did." Fatso mentioned.
Molly got a good look at Harriet from a distance, so good that she was able to notice how one of the phantom's feet was completely without toes.
"Wait, I got it! What if we give her the thing she's been looking for?"
"Yeah!" Fatso cheered. "…Which is?"
"She wants a new set of toes!"
"Who wouldn't?" Stinkie claimed, growing his own toes. "They're only the body part with the second-most sweet-smellin' aroma, next to the armpits."
"Not a bad plan, flesh face." Stretch complimented. "So, uh, whose toes are we takin'? The pink-haired one's, right?"
Molly didn't bother answering him. "You guys keep her away from the campers, especially the pink-haired one. Leave the toes to me!"
While the Trio and Poil stayed behind, Molly found the other scouts cowering behind the camp counselor's van.
"I need your help!" Molly yelled, giving the girls a fright. "I need to craft some toes!"
"EVERY WOMAN FOR HERSELF!" Sheela screamed before running off with Kat.
"Did you say 'help'?" Libby stood up. "And 'crafting'? I'm in!"
Molly stood back as Libby got out a sewing kit and started to craft exact replicas of human foot appendages. Meanwhile, the Ghostly Trio and Poil kept Harriet busy by morphing into a pair of legs with all ten toes on the feet and having her chase them around the woods.
Have you heard the news? (Ba ba ba)
Danger's afoot and if I were in your shoes (Ba ba ba)
I know which piggy I would choose (All of them!)
I'd go "Wee wee wee" all the way home
"Wait!" Poil interrupted. "I thought she wanted toes, not pigs. Does she own a farm or somethin'?"
"Oh brother!" Stretch pinched his forehead in annoyance.
I'm lookin' for toes (Toe toe toes)
Long, skinny, fat, or short
Pretty much anything goes (Toe toe toes)
"Hey, who're you callin' fat?" Fatso accused.
Even if they're kind of smelly
"Mine are!" Stinkie said.
I can just hold my nose (Toe toe toe toes)
When they get chopped off
Unfortunately they don't regrow
"Not even as a ghost!" Stretch chimed in.
So I need toes
I'm lookin' for toes
Soon, Libby was finished and she showed Molly her creation, four knitted toes with blue polish on the nails.
"Molly, check it out!"
"Wow!" Molly went. "How'd you get 'em to look so real?"
"I used my foot for reference." Libby held up her foot, whose toenails had the same color of polish.
Molly took the fake toes and hid them under her sleeping bag. She then hid herself behind the van with Libby just as the Trio and Poil led Harriet over. When the angry specter noticed the sleeping bag, she stopped to take a peek. Molly, Libby, Poil, and the Trio watched with anticipation as Harriet found the handmade digits.
"Toes…" she grinned. "Pretty toes…"
She placed the toes onto her foot, and just like that, the bitterness in her heart disappeared and she was transformed into a beautiful and kind ghost who no longer wished to haunt anyone. With her soul finally at peace, Harriet descended into the Great Beyond. Molly couldn't help smiling as she put a sticker on Libby's scoreboard.
The next morning, Camp Brighton was back to being serene and free of turmoil. The Wilder Scouts packed up their things, their nature outing having come to an end.
"Okay, sun's up!" the counselor said from the back of her van. "Let's go!"
"I was so scared last night." Kat told Sheela.
Sheela nodded. "Yeah. I can't believe we convinced ourselves Howlin' Harriet was real."
Libby was adding some finishing touches to her bracelet. "Sure seemed real though, huh? I kinda wish it was."
Molly watched the three from afar with a smile, for she knew what happened was all too real. The Trio appeared beside her.
"Ya know, between you and Poil, we can't get a minute alone!" Stretch whined. "Please tell me ya found a friend in one of those fleshies so we can get a break!"
Molly checked her notepad. "No one could ever replace you three, Stretch, but I think I found a winner!"
Stinkie and Fatso flew over Molly's shoulder.
"Ooh! I hope it's Sheela! From the way she smells, she don't wear deodorant!"
"My vote's for Kat! She makes the best roasted wienies!"
Molly revealed the final scores, showing Libby to be the clear winner.
"Aww…" Fatso and Stinkie groaned with disappointment.
"How the heck did that happen?" Stretch wondered. "That skin bag is a complete loser! She didn't even come close to meetin' your so-called qualifications."
"No. But she did meet one of them."
Molly pointed to the bottom row, the row labeled "X Factor." In Libby's column were dozens of star stickers.
"Now I just gotta hope she wants to be my friend, too."
"Well, we could always curse her to be with you forever like we did with us…" Stretch suggested.
"Buuut…even we think it'd be cruel to force anyone to have a friendship with a pathetic, ugly geek." Stinkie finished.
"You guys, how could you say those mean things about Libby?" Molly scolded.
"Who said we was talkin' about her, geek?" Fatso poked Molly in the nose.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" the Trio laughed.
"Hey, Molly?"
Upon hearing Libby's voice, the Trio disappeared. Molly turned to see the turtleneck-wearing girl holding out her finished bracelet, which the former finally figured out was meant to be a friendship bracelet. For her.
"Wanna be my best friend?"
"Whaaaat?!" Molly accepted the bracelet excitedly.
"I understand if the answer is 'no.'" Libby continued. "I'm not really for everyone. I'm kind of an acquired-"
Molly immediately pulled Libby into a hug.
"Ha, ha! BESTIE!"
Libby was surprised by this at first, but it didn't take long for her to succumb to the display of affection.
Once the scouts were all packed, they crammed into the camp counselor's van and rode away. The Ghostly Trio watched them all go while Poil wrote up their monthly scare report.
"Gee, thanks for lettin' me come campin' with yous guys. And for lettin' me write up your scare report. I've never had so much fun in my whole afterlife!"
Stretch rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just make sure not to mention Howlin' Harriet or we'll make you deader than ya already are! Got it, pal?"
Poil dropped her paper and pencil. "…You…called…me… 'pal'?!" she squeezed Stretch tightly. "I knew it!"
"What? No, no, no! I didn't mean it!"
"Oh, I didn't mean it either, bestie." Poil winked.
Stretch glared. "Stop winkin'."
Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee!
I'll be posting a poll for OMDW next week, so remember to vote on which story idea you want to see next. I'm already writing up one of those ideas, but I can be flexible. See you later!