The Ghost Guard

Chapter 5: Unhappy Halloween

It was Friday, October 31, 2005. Halloween had finally arrived in the town of Berrymount. Frankie awoke just before his alarm clock. He prepared for this day all year and looked forward to it. Today was also his 26th birthday. He was used to celebrating it alone, so he looked at himself in the mirror and said, "You were born for greatness. Happy birthday, friend." He put on his lucky superhero socks and dressed for work. Today was usually a day of stress and discomfort so whenever he felt overwhelmed, he'd look down at his socks for empowerment. He had to work at Berdaldo's Grocer from 8:00-4:00 pm before he could start his Halloween safety preparations.

Carmen was already up as well and styling her hair in her white bathrobe. She was a black cat for the school Halloween festivities and was in front of the bathroom mirror twisting her hair up into what looked like cat ears. Her lips grasped onto three bobby pins as her arms twisted and turned the hair into cat-eared origami. She had her all-black ensemble laid out on the bed, equipped with black lace-up combat boots. It was cute with a tiny bit of sensuality. The real showstopper of the costume was the fluffy kitty butt tail with a bendable wire inside of it that she could position ever so flauntingly. This could become an issue while sitting in class, but Carmen was ready to accept all the risks.

Everyone dressed up on Halloween in Berrymount. It was a town tradition, and you were severely judged if you didn't at least half commit to the event. She walked into Pablo's room brushing the left side of her hair as the right lay perched on her head perfectly styled. He was still asleep. She crouched down to the floor at the entrance of his door and crept on her hands and knees toward his bed. He was lying on his stomach tangled up in the blankets with drool spilling onto his sheets. She got to the edge of his bed and tickled his left foot poking out of the blankets. He wrestled around but did not awaken. She did it again but harder. He woke up a bit and she grabbed his leg hard, shaking and growling. He began erupting into laughter and fell right out of bed onto the floor.

"Carmen no! You ruined my good dream," he said.

He acted as if he were annoyed but honestly, the only thing that would annoy him is if Carmen did nothing at all. He loved being her little brother.

"I told you what would happen if you didn't wake up on time. I'm not always going to be here to make sure you are up and dressed for school. Now get your booty ready! It's Halloween," she said, climbing to her feet and shaking her booty as she left the room. She had to finish getting ready.

"And what are you wearing!? You look like a Mime," Pablo yelled with his face still planted on the floor. He laid there for a moment still waiting for his brain to awaken.

"Oh, it's Halloween. Jackson and I must make sure our costumes are in tip-top shape," he explained to himself as he climbed to his feet.

Carmen and Pablo loved Halloween. They had never lived in a city where it actually felt like autumn. In Los Angeles, they didn't have red, yellow, and orange leaves falling to their feet or cold gusts of wind anonymously pushing windows open. Los Angeles felt like one big warm sunny season all on its own. The brisk and quiet morning of the Pacific Northwest had a way of awakening the spooky Halloween spirit in them.

Pablo came into her room dressed in his costume a few minutes later.

"Ha!" He shouted as he jumped into her doorway to surprise her.

"Ew, you didn't even shower Pablo. All the kids at school are going to think you're the smelly boy from LA who doesn't wash!" Carmen said.

"Uh, relax! I'll shower! I just wanted to show you, my costume. Do you like it!?" he asked, awaiting his sister's excitement.

He wore dark blue jeans with a matching blue tie, his favorite white Vans shoes, a black bowler hat, and a long yellow raincoat. A glass marijuana pipe resting in his mouth.