Little Do They Know

    “Trick or treat!” Calls out the little bundles of costumes jumping door to door, looking for candy.
    “Nice costumes, you guys!” Some candy givers reply while giving a piece of candy.
    Little do they know though. Down the street, that haunted house where nobody lives. Not that they know of anyway.
    Little do they know that the house has already taken victims this Halloween.
    Little do they know, that thing will take more victims.

    “Come on guys! You said you wanted to spend the night in an abandoned house! Are you Brass Jackals or Whimpy Mice?!” Wolf called out.
    “But this abandoned house? It’s too dirty!” A female voice called out from somewhere in the group.
    “Then you can leave,” Possum replied.
    A few of the females walked away. But, most of them stayed. Along with a couple new members, by the names of Lumi and Jolly.
    “Isn’t this house haunted?” someone called out.
    “That’s the joy of it!” Jolly replied with.
    Before anyone could say anything else, Jolly ran up the steps and into the dilapidated creaky front door. Possum ran after her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
    “Possum, no horrible pranks on the newbie!” Wolf called after him.
    “Why would I do that?” Possum replied with a smirk before entering the house.
    Everyone else stood outside for a few minutes until the heard laughter from inside. They looked up at the house to see a flashlight flashing in the top floor windows. What followed was a bloodcurdling scream.
    “Jolly!” The other new member, Lumi, called out before running up the steps and into the house.
    The others followed. They heard Possum laughing and the slight sound of faint giggles. Lumi ran up the set up stairs to find out what they were up to, and Wolf followed. Jolly was sitting on the top step with Possum towering over her, holding on so she doesn’t actually fall down the stairs.
    “Please don’t let go, Possum. I don’t want to break any bones,” Jolly said.
    “Wasn’t planning on it, Jolls,” Possum said.
    “Why did Jolly scream like that?” Lumi asked.
    “What? She didn’t. No one did,” Possum said while helping Jolly stand.
    “Hmmm. Someone did,” Wolf replied.
    “We didn’t hear anything,” Jolly replied.
    “If it wasn’t Jolly, then there is someone else here?” Wolf asked.
    “Might have been outside. We didn’t hear anything in here,” Possum replied.
    Right after Possum said that, there was another bloodcurdling scream from the basement. Possum, Wolf, Lumi, and Jolly ran downstairs to the first floor to find the rest of the group wasn’t there. They made their way down to the basement to see dried blood on the floor and walls. There was fresh blood mixed into them.
    “You motherfucker! Let go of him!”
    The four ran down the hall to see dead bodies lying around. They continued passing, only half realizing that some of those bodies were a part of their tribe. Was is the key word now. They turned the corner into a room to see the last six standing in a corner with a bloody killer in front of them. That killer had a now dead body clutched in his claws. The body was one of the older, quieter members of the tribe. The name escapes the quartet. The thing drops the body and laughs, which sounds like nails scraping down a chalkboard.
    “You…. you killed my friend!” One of the taller males said.
    “You're next then!” The being called out.
    It didn’t move. It’s arms stretched out and snatched up the one it targeted. Nails dug into his jugular vein and fresh, hot blood splattered everywhere. There were screams from everyone. Jolly picked up an old wooden handled shovel and ran at the being.
    “Jolly, no!” Possum called out.
    Jolly bashed the being upside the head with the shovel. The being wasn’t affected, but the head turned around on its neck just like an owl’s. It then picked Jolly up and threw her out of the room and into the wall across from the door.
    “Jolly!” The other three called out.
    “Forget about the new one! Save the rest of us! We matter more!” Someone else called out.
    “Shut your fucking mouth! She is important!” Possum shouted.
    Jolly was out for the count. The others were trying to come up with a plan. That was when someone came down the stairs. Wolf, Possum, and Lumi turned around to see Ood. She was holding weapons.
    “He hates holy water. These bullets and knives are covered with holy water,” Ood says.
    “Hell yeah! Let’s kill it!” Possum yelled.
    Ood tossed a gun to the others. They turned around and noticed the last four had been killed. They started to use the weapons against the being. Possum with an SMG, Wolf with a shotgun, Lumi with a pistol, and Ood with her assault rifle. They all had access to the throwing stars that Ood brought. They started firing at the being.
    “Fuck with one of us, you fuck with all of us!” Ood cries out.
    The being fell to the floor. Black liquid oozed from the body. They all turned around with smiles on their faces, then looked at their friend passed out on the floor.
    “I’ll grab her, let’s get out of here,” Lumi said.
    They all agreed and Lumi handed over his pistol. He knelt down and gently shifted Jolly to where he could lift her up with ease. She had blood coming out from the back of her head.
    “Oh, Jolly. I’m sorry,” Lumi said.
    He carried her up the steps to where the others were waiting. They headed to the door but they stopped short. They heard laughter coming from the basement. They ran out the door and down the steps just before the house collapsed. They turned and looked at the remains, and standing there in the middle of the rubble, the being was standing there with a bloody grin.

    Possum woke up with a gasp. He looked around and let out a sigh of relief. He was laying in his sleeping bag on the floor of the tribe house, close to Jolly. Jolly was sitting there with wide eyes. She made eye contact with Possum.
    “H..hi,” Jolly said.
    “Hey. You ok?” Possum asked.
    “Y..yeah. Just a nightmare,” Jolly replied.
    “You had a nightmare too?” Wolf asked.
    Both Possum and Jolly looked up to see Wolf, Lumi, and Ood standing near each other.
    “Yeah. We went to a haunted house for a sleepover. We were… Humans?” Jolly said, looking down at her paws.
    “Same with the three of us. What about you, Possum?” Ood asked.
    “It’s the same alright,” Possum replied.
    They looked at each other then burst out laughing, careful not to wake up the others. After they caught their breaths, they all sat down near each other.
    “Hey…. Let’s change what our tribe name is, just so we don’t have to remember this horrible nightmare we somehow shared,” Wolf said.
    “What would we change it to?” Ood asked.
    “Well, we all like art, right? All forms of art,”Wolf said. “So, I was thinking, The Palette.”
    “That’s a good name! You’ll have to tell the others in the morning,” Jolly said.
    “I know, but let’s just let them sleep. Anyone up for some hot cocoa?” Wolf asked.
    “Sure,” Ood replies.
    “Yeah!” Jolly exclaims quietly.

    “Of course, who doesn’t like hot cocoa?” Possum replied.
    “Eh, I am kinda thirsty after that, so sure,” Lumi replied.
    While Wolf was making the hot cocoa, the others sat there and spoke in hushed tones about anything to get their minds off the dream. Wolf keeps popping off puns and Possum cringed at each and every one of them.
    Little do they know, the being is still there.
    Little do they know, that dream is half of what will come true if they aren’t careful.
    Little do they know, they are all targeted.