AAOOOSC! Wheatie Bits!

E. 4. "This Spells Real Danger" (2/5)

Lightning flashes through the night sky, snappily radiating on a dilapidated two-story house. Its body made of wooden planks held by sparse nails and screws with, seeming to collapse any moment. A harsh wind stirs around the house, making it shudder as leaves swirl by. Thunder clashes through the chilly, eerie atmosphere as the wind howls persistently.

Standing in front of the broken pathway through the ghostly front yard are the three friends. They stare up at the eldritch scene with different expressions.

Nolan turns to Reid, who is to his left, with a flat look through his mask. "A haunted house? Really?"

"Yeah!" Reid gives him a closed smile. "What's Halloween without a few scares?"

On Reid's other side, Kale does not seem too pleased with hesitance being evident. "Um, but I wanted to socialize...and have candy..."

Reid whirls around to him. "We can socialize through screams!" He throws an index finger up. "And there's candy at the end!"

Kale's famous smile appears on his face. "Okay, I'm in!" With that, he follows Reid down the path and into the mansion.

With a huff, Nolan begrudgingly follows, disappearing into the house as well.

The three first find themselves in a dim tunnel, which has its light coming from torches hammered near the ceiling of the tunnel. The light casts an eerie shadow on the spiderweb-coated walls, dotted with black spiders.

Nolan is eyeing the monstrous walls with a grimace.

On the other hand, Reid appears fascinated. "Oooo, a spider!" He plucks the nearest spider from the wall and examines its plastic body. "This is a nice spider!"

Kale peers down at the spider being held at his friend with uncertainty. "I don't think you're supposed to take one."

"Don't worry I'll put it back." Reid then hangs it back up on the spiderwebbed wall just as they are exiting the tunnel.

They immediately stop in the next exhibit in front of a large mirror to their right.

The mirror appears to be floating in the pitch black atmosphere as a single light is cast upon it. There are eerie, mint-tinted ghosts drifting on its surface, giving the illusion that they are right next to them.

"Wah!" Kale hastily spins around with his tail following him springily to spot the fake ghosts behind them. He appears more confused as he whirls his head from the spot a tall ghost is occupying next to him to the actual empty stop that is behind him.

Nolan uses the opportunity of the mirror to make sure his mien is flawless. He leans forward toward the mirror, ignoring the ghosts, and adjusts his masquerade mask precisely. "Mm, I still look good."

"Hey, I get to see my Uncle Freddy again!" Reid exclaims, pointing to the chubby ghost on the mirror that is floating right beside him. "Hi, Uncle Freddy!" He waves at the ghost.

"Uhhh..." Kale flicks his eyes from side-to-side in anxiety. "let's keep going..."

With that, they follow down a soft-lighted pathway into the next exhibit.

They are now in an open-air room with white, thin candles floating around the air, casting an eerie light with their orange flames. Eldritch music fills the air smoothly in an attempt to send chills down the witnesses spines, yet it only succeeds with Kale.

Nolan gazes up at the hovering candles with delight. "This is actually pretty."

Instantly, glowing skeletons under blacklight materialize into the air, drifting around the candles like spirits with scratchy cackles.