Devil's Night: The Hunt for Laughing Jack

II: DANSE MACABRE

II: DANSE MACABRE
(Dedicated to Theo333 for being the most fun-loving- I mean- best mother in the world!)
(But, not officially dedicated, because it's somehow not a function on the app.)

The power is out!

Soon a second scream, doused in feminine hysteria, followed in its wake. Urgency filled Dark Link's voice as the shadow elf calmly asked for something to light.

Some fireplace tools fell over with a tremendous clatter.

One of the twins swore.

Someone thrust a bulbous jack-o-lantern into his face. Dark Link muttered a thank you, tucked it under his arm, and took a strike-anywhere match from his boot.

Fzzt! Struck against the side of his leg, the match burst alight. A glowing halo appeared in the lounge, flitting and wavering with the flame. He dropped it into the lantern, igniting the candle inside. Shadows pooled at the base of its porcelain holder.

The jack-o-lantern's mouth was stretched into an impish grin, leaking shafts of light from its slanted candescent eyes. Illuminated dust motes swirled in the air.

Satisfied by the luminosity it provided, the shade cradled the hefty pumpkin in his arms to shield it from the drought. Then, he turned his attention towards locating his companions in the dim cloak of orange-tinted highlights and shadows, a cloak which billowed as far as the naked eye could discern.

"Smirky?" his eyes scanned the lounge, picking out vague details in the sea of black. "Smiley?"

"Here." Then, murmured under breath, "Are ears supposed to ring...?"

"The poker fractured my foot. I'm sure of it," whimpered a second voice.

"Can you still walk on it?" one irritably asked the other.

"Kind of..."

"Then shut up and start walking."

Their eyes appeared first, luminous twin pairs of floating red orbs, like a terrible four-eyed monster prowling towards him. Then, their silhouettes emerged from the shadows in the same manner as stalking wolves, their identical faces flush against the dark once they were in the thick of the pumpkin's fierce glow.

It lasted for all of four seconds.

Smiley walked with a significant limp, while Smirky shoved his back to encourage him along faster. Dark Link sighed warily at their antics, and, remembering the good old days of creepypastas were long since past its prime, turned around in a start towards the stairs. All together, they ventured out of the living room, unanimously searching for the source of the scream.

Someone flipped a light switch in passing. It did nothing. The backup generator was down, too. The inhuman sound waves emitting from overhead were somehow to blame.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Three sets of echoing footsteps, one slogging behind.

"Stop clomping around so noisily. It's annoying."

"Fractures are far more unpleasant to heal than bruises, I'll have you know."

"Bruises?"

"Yes. Like the one on the back of your neck, for example. You were nursing it earlier. I've been meaning to ask if you'd like me to dab a little ointment on it to take the edge off, actually."