The Secret Halloween Bash

     Yet, as Kevin, a red Kacheek, walked lost in thought, he paid no attention to these features. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy those aspects of the season, because he did. In fact, Autumn was his favourite time of year. But this morning something else was on his mind: Halloween.

     Halloween was more than just a holiday to Kevin. It was a tradition stitched into every cobweb-covered porch, every flickering jack-o-lantern, and each homemade costume. Kevin had spent weeks preparing his costume, turning his house into a haunted mansion, and Halloween was the event of the year.

     Halloween was still a week away, but the Haunted Woods always had the best displays set up, and the residents there usually started their decorating early. A distant smile spread across his face as he envisioned all of the spooky Halloween displays that would already be set up. His smile dropped, however, when he approached a newly established gate blocking the path. A sign posted on the gate read:

     Beware ALL non-residents! The Haunted Woods will be closed indefinitely. Halloween will also be cancelled this year. Anyone found on this spot on Halloween night will be chased away! Signed: The Haunted Woods Council.

     At first, Kevin thought it was an elaborate prank. Of all places in Neopia to give up on celebrating Halloween, why would it be the Haunted Woods? Then strange events began to happen in his own community of Neopia Central: Halloween decorations began to disappear from Neohomes, costumes vanished, and candy aisles were emptied in the various shops. Even the local newspaper stopped showing Halloween content.

     Kevin was heartbroken and confused. Was Halloween being cancelled in Neopia Central too? A jolt of frustration hit him as he thought back to the sign he had seen a few days earlier by the Haunted Woods. No, this was not okay, and something needed to be done. Despite the sign's warning to stay away, he was determined to get to the bottom of this.

     Kevin didn't know exactly how he was going to execute his plan, or if he even had a plan at all. Whatever the case, his newfound determination had him feeling confident that he would not fail.

     As he approached the gate, he heard cackling from a pair of witches walking off a beaten path. Quick to respond, he hid himself behind a nearby rock.

     "I don't know why we didn't do this years ago!" Cackled a familiar voice. It was Edna. Kevin could hardly believe his eyes as he peered just enough around the rock to catch a glimpse of the witches. What startled him more was that she was talking to Sophie, the Swamp Witch. Another witch of whom he thought loved Halloween.

     "Don't you feel bad about this?" Sophie asked the Zafara.

     "You've always been a softy," Edna cackled again. "All said and done, it'll be worth it.

     "We'd better thank the Pant Devil for his dedication. He's been working overtime for us," Sophie expressed.

     "Yes, except I have a feeling that Halloween-loving Grarrl that lives by Neopia Central's marketplace is going to be a problem. He's determined to decorate his place and has even locked his candy in his Safety Deposit Box so the Pant Devil can't steal it!"

     "How do we stop him?" The Ixi asked with a slight gasp.

     "Don't worry, Softy. I have a plan," Edna cackled before disappearing into the woods. Kevin's heart sank instantly by the news. Was she referring to Mr. Humphrey? He was the one person who loved Halloween as much, or even more, than himself. Mr. Humphrey lived down the street from Kevin and always had the best displays in town. He gave out the best treats, too.

     Kevin decided to turn back home. He wasted no time warning Mr. Humphrey of the terrible news. The Grarrl was holding some Halloween goodies that he just removed from his Safety Deposit Box when Kevin approached him.

     "This is criminal! Those witches are Halloween-haters," Mr. Humphrey said, stuffing some sweet candy corn in his cheeks. "They must be stopped."

     "They will be," Kevin said, pacing. "We just need a plan." An idea suddenly struck him while Mr. Humphrey picked at his teeth. "I know we can't undo Edna and Sophie's damage, but maybe we can give the people a Halloween event like no other."

     "Like a secret Halloween Bash?" Mr. Humphrey asked, an excited smile spreading across his face.

     "Yes, but bigger! And better! And.. underground," Kevin said. The Grarrl paused and pondered the idea. Then nodded.

     "Absolutely! That way, we can hide it from those witches!" He cheered. They spent the next couple of hours brainstorming ideas back and forth, and even got other Neopians involved in the planning process. They recruited help from their friend Maya, a Gothic Usul, who was the queen of face paint and costumes, and Leo, a Candy Buzz, who had an undeniable sweet tooth and access to a closeby abandoned barn with a large underground storage area, which was perfect for hosting a community-sized party.

     Halloween was getting closer, so they had to work fast. Kevin handled the decorations, Mr. Humphrey dug through his Safety Deposit Box to find props and snacks, Maya created spooky costume stations for the kids and kids-at-heart, and Leo set up numerous candy buckets as giveaways.

     Finally came the invitations, which they decided to disguise as boring flyers that read:

     "Looking for something fun to do to celebrate the end of the Month of Collecting? Then come join our Historical Lantern Lecture! One Night Only.

     Location: Leo Buzzoli's Old Barn, Neopia Central

     Date and time: Tomorrow (31st day of the Month of Collecting) at 7:00 pm NST sharp

     Costumes are strongly encouraged for… historical accuracy. Spread the word and bring everyone you know! See you there!"

     "Do you think this will work?" Kevin asked Mr. Humphrey as they tidied up the finishing touches to their venue the evening before Halloween.

     "I have no doubts," the Grarrl chuckled and bid the Kacheek goodnight.

     That night, Kevin lay in bed, proud of all of the work they did. Even though the invitations weren't designed to appeal to their targetted audience, the four party-planners had made sure to spread the news of the secret Halloween Bash by word of mouth, too. Surprisingly, there were many Neopians who weren't much into partying, but planned on attending the party to show their support.

     Kevin had never been more excited for morning to come. The witches were about to fail at spoiling Halloween for everyone. They may have stopped traditional trick-or-treating from taking place, but the day was still going to be a ton of fun for anyone who was going to attend his party.

     Still, he couldn't help feel a bit of uncertainty about the events to be, which filled his head with restless unease and vivid dreams:

     Edna and Sophie sat, relaxed, on a porch, smugly sipping away at their tea. "Finally, a peaceful Halloween!" Edna cackled to her partner in crime.

     "Long-awaited," Sophie added, raising her cup in approval. Suddenly, a light flickered in the distance, followed by faint music.

     "It's coming from the old barn!" Edna mused distastefully. The two witches watched in the distance as an eerie fog slowly crept from the barn's large, open wooden doors. Laughter echoed in the air. "That's no Historical Lantern Lecture going on over there! That sounds like a party!"

     They took off at once to get a closer look. The music and cheerful laughter were almost deafening upon their arrival. In the barn was a stairwell that led into the basement, where plumes of dense fog slowly emerged. The two witches wore grimacing faces as they stormed down the stairs and observed exactly what they feared most would happen on this over-celebrated day.

     "Is that.. dancing?" Edna gasped in sincere disbelief.

     Sophie gasped alongside her. "And is that Maya dressed as a vampire queen?" What boiled their blood further was the hundreds of Neopians, children and adults, in costume, laughing, eating caramel apples, and dancing under flickering lanterns.

     Kevin was in the middle of the room dressed as the Lab Ray Scientist. Mr. Humphrey wore a tiny top hat and monocle and was DJ-ing from a crate labelled "Spooky Jams".

     Edna marched up to Kevin and Mr. Humphrey. "This is outrageous! It's unauthorised! It's- it's-"

     "Illegal!" Sophie chimed in. Edna nodded in agreement. It was exactly what she was thinking.

     Kevin shrugged. "No, it's our Historical Lantern Lecture. Just with candy. And music. And fog machines. Everyone is dancing because they're excited about how fun this is."

     You can't pull the wool over our eyes! I guess you forgot we are witches and can easily put a stop to this!" Edna cackled, joined by Sophie as they summoned the Pant Devil. The pilfering spectre grew enormous in size, grabbing at anything and everything that was associated with Halloween, spooking many of the guests. Then he turned to Kevin and Mr. Humphrey.

     "Maybe you can get this kid and the Halloween-loving Grarrl, too," Sophie commanded the Pant Devil. The Pant Devil's smile grew especially sinister.

     "Gladly!" He sneered.

     Kevin suddenly woke up to Maya and Leo banging at his door.

     "What's wrong?" Kevin inquired, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and feeling relieved that the dream was over.

     "It's horrible!" Leo sputtered. "Mr. Humphrey has vanished!" Kevin's face grew pale. How was that possible? Did his dream come true?

     "Are you sure he's not just making preparations for the party tonight?" Kevin asked, feeling a bit anxious about the situation.

     "No, we saw the Pant Devil follow him after he grabbed some Gummi Worms from his Safety Deposit Box this morning. We tried following them, but they both vanished," Maya explained.

     "And when we went to the barn, there was a note on the door stating a reminder that Halloween was cancelled," Leo said, his voice mimicking his trembling fingers as he spoke. "We went inside and all of our decorations were gone. All of our hard work!"

     Kevin's heart sank, and his face drooped: an utter feeling of defeat. The witches had won. There wasn't going to be a Halloween this year.

     "Cheer up," encouraged Leo, who managed to calm himself down. "It's one year. I'm sure the leaders from around Neopia will get together to stop this from happening again, or at least explain to everyone why it happened this year."

     "He's right," Maya said, forcing a smile. She felt bad for the Kacheek who had worked so hard to give everyone in Neopia Central a fun Halloween. "Neopians won't want this to happen every year, and many voices can make great changes. Things have a way of working out." Her kind words suddenly triggered something in Kevin, causing his eyes to brighten up as a stream of ideas began to reel through his head.

     "Wait, that's it!" Kevin interrupted. "We need many voices! We need to make ourselves heard!"

     "That's the spirit, kid. All's not lost," Leo smiled.

     "No, now!" Kevin emphasised, then clarified. "Tonight!"

     "How?" Maya asked, perplexed but equally intrigued by his confidence.

     "Don't cancel tonight's party. I want everyone at the barn tonight," Kevin said proudly. "I have a plan."

     That evening, as the sun began to set, the old barn stood out as a spooky silhouette in the orange-hued hemisphere. Kevin, Maya and Leo stood in wait, nerves rising as uncertainty about whether people would show up toyed with their minds.

     Then from a distance, Neopians slowly made their way to the barn. As they trickled in, larger groups started to appear. It was almost comical and even gave the trio a good chuckle, as everyone was dressed as though they were attending an actual Historical Lantern Lecture. Since no one had a proper Halloween costume that hadn't been swiped by the Pant Devil, everyone chose to wear dated clothing that represented times of the past.

     The crowd continued to grow by the hundreds to support the cause. Kevin began to feel emotional, the permagrin on his face almost hurting, but not subduing. He hadn't imagined he would get so much support.

     Soon, the crowd was so large that even if they tried, they couldn't fit everyone safely in the barn. Everyone stood patiently outside, conversing in near-deafening murmurs to each other until Kevin finally broke the silence.

     "I have some bad news," he started. "Edna and Sophie found out about our party, and they've taken everything we had in the barn to prevent us from hosting a party. They even took Mr. Humphrey. I guess they couldn't get his Safety Deposit Box, so they took him instead." The crowd broke out in disapproving murmurs.

     "What do we do?" An Elephante wearing a tweed jacket and thick-rimmed glasses asked.

     "We can still have a party," said a Yurble wearing some old farming clothes that were once owned by his grandparents. "We can celebrate right here!" The crowd cheered loudly in support of the idea.

     "That's a great idea, but I was thinking we could go as a group to the Haunted Woods and tell them how we feel. The sign they posted stated that they would chase away anyone who showed up on Halloween night. But if we go as a large group, there's no way they could scare us all away," Kevin said.

     "We are a community after all. That means we stick together and fight for what we believe in," Leo chimed in.

     "And we're bigger with numbers. Let's help Kevin claim our Halloween back!" Maya announced, followed by a unanimous cheer by the crowd. And in an instant, they were off.

     In no time, they approached the Haunted Woods in marching speed like a large Neovian mob due to their much-dated-looking attire. Edna and Sophie were already waiting by the closed gate as though they had expected visitors.

     "See, Sophie. I told you they'd come en masse," Edna cackled, quite pleased with herself that her prediction came true.

     "I almost thought the opposite," Sophie said as though she was relieved she was wrong.

     "We want Halloween back!" Kevin shouted at the witches, backed by the large crowd behind him.

     "You can't scare us away! We're stronger as a crowd!" Maya added.

     "Is that a challenge?" Sophie asked, winking at Edna. "Because we LOVE those." Kevin didn't like the sound of her comment, and what followed sent a shiver down his spine.

     "Ok guys! You heard them. They want a scare!" Edna said in her loudest cackle, waving her arms around like a professional conductor. Suddenly, eyes appeared in all of the trees surrounding the crowd and the air echoed in loud stomping noises like soldiers marching in unison. Kevin realised they were completely surrounded with no chance of escape.

     "Five, four, three, two, one!" Voices from the trees suddenly began chanting together, along with Edna and Sophie. There was a short pause as Kevin, as well as much of the crowd, braced themselves for the worst.

     Suddenly, large glowing balls soared into the sky, bursting into bright orange letters. But before Kevin even had a chance to read the message, the citizens of the Haunted Woods shouted the words out as they revealed themselves from the darkened treeline, wearing large, proud smiles.

     Happy Halloween!" they all shouted.

     "Did you really think we wouldn't celebrate our favourite day of the year?!" Edna cackled and Sophie giggled alongside her. "We apologize for our mischief, but we had some pretty exciting plans in the works that we wanted to work on in private. The Haunted Woods Council agreed to do something extra special for Halloween this year and decided that since it falls on a Friday this year, it only made sense to extend the holiday to cover the whole weekend instead of one day with two extra days of trick-or-treating and other fun activities!"

     "The Council put us in charge, and we decided to keep things a secret. I know our method of getting you here was a bit uncanny and maybe unsettling for most, but that's just how we do things around here. I didn't know if it would work, but Edna insisted it would,' Sophie explained. Edna rubbed her knuckles on her chest proudly. The Pant Devil made a sudden appearance that made a few Neopians gasp. "And the Pant Devil here was a great help. Don't worry, he's kept a record of what he's swiped, and from whom, and will return all of your items shortly." The Pant Devil bowed and took off into the night to return the goods he had swiped.

     "So what do you say? Should we get this party started?" Edna called out. One would think the crowd wouldn't know how to respond in that situation, but the greetings from all of the friendly, inviting faces around them put them quickly at ease. Everyone quickly cheered in agreement.

     "Then welcome to OUR Halloween Bash!" Edna broadcast and opened up the gates to the Haunted Woods. More fireworks lit up the sky, taking on beautiful shapes of jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, Barbats and colourful Spyders. Confetti and candy showered from the sky, and an orchestra of organs and strings began playing haunting tunes in the background.

     Kevin couldn't help but smile, even though he was still in disbelief. Maya and Leo were already chatting to a group of Neovians who were admiring how smartly dressed the crowd looked. Kevin saw the two witches taking in the scene and approached them.

     "Thanks," he said. "I was really worried."

     "No, thank you. We couldn't have done it without your help," Sophie smiled. "You brought the crowd here after all."

     "Go enjoy yourself," Edna nudged him playfully. "I think you'll enjoy yourself." Kevin nodded shyly and entered the Haunted Woods. As he passed through several large, gnarly-looking trees that successfully concealed the activity inside, he found himself in a Halloween Bash like no other, complete with beautiful displays, magical booths, and many engaging folk, including Mr. Humphrey, who may or may not have been in on the trick the whole time.

     The End.