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Lightening lit up the turrets of Nessie's cozy lair in Lurkdom, near Loch Lurker. The wind blew gusts of leaves up to the front door, grabbed the swaying branch of a nearby tree, and tapped out an urgent call on the solid wood entrance.
Theresa was sitting over her beadwork near the fire, while Nessie put the finishing touches to yet another hollowed-out turnip (OK, Nessie is Scottish - I have it on good authority they use turnips over there, not pumpkins!).
"We'll be having the best Halloween ever!" She announced as she put a small candle inside the turnip, checked the 'treats' bowl, and pondered on all the nasty things she would make the neighbourhood children do in order to earn those 'treats'.
"Shhhhhh!" Started Theresa, "Did you hear that? I think someone's at the door."
They sat in silence and waited. Yes, there it was. A clear tapping on the door. They looked at each other questioningly. Who was going to get up and answer it?
With an impatient sigh Theresa got up, carefully laid her beadwork down and headed for the door.
Nessie was in a jolly mood and bounced up to follow her, flitting around in front and behind her, making ghost noises, flapping her arms, and generally being a nuisance. "Oooh, it be the spirits of the 'dearly departed', Theresa! Nay! Do not open the door!" She teased and giggled as she floated round her roommate.
Theresa tried to swat her away as if she were an annoying fly. "Oh shut-up, Nessie!" And she yanked open the door.

An armful of brown, soggy leaves slapped them in the face, and the wind plucked at them jealously as they struggled to prevent the door from slamming up against the wall. They peered out into the dark storm.
"I canna see anybody," Announced Nessie, "Can you?"
"What's this?" Muttered Theresa, and bent down to catch a large white envelope that was dancing a jig with some wanton leaves in front of the door.
It took the both of them to push the door shut against the gale. But once safely shut off from the storm outside, they both looked carefully at the envelope. The official MG coat-of-arms of the Hi-Greylander stared back at them. They were both awed!
Nessie tried to grab it from Theresa's hands. "Let me read it!" She yelled.
"I've got it, I've got it!" Protested Theresa, and in the scramble to possess the poor unsuspecting paper product, they managed to tear it into three pieces.
"Oh look what you've done!" Accused Nessie, and made a grab for the piece Theresa still held.
"Just hang on!" Screamed Theresa, holding tightly to her piece. "Lets just calm down, and stick these pieces back together, and then we can read it!"

Later, seated at the kitchen table, they both stared excitedly at the message they had received, from the Hi-Greylander himself, on his official letter-head. It was a summons to meet in the drawing room at Mooseheart Manor, by midnight on Friday the 29th October. Dress : Halloween costumes!
Suddenly they looked at each other, then jumped up, grabbed coats, and pushing and shoving past each other, they made a dash for the best costume-makers they knew –‘Lisa's Halloween Costumes R Us Emporium, and Dairy’!
 
 

In Tokala Province Angela was once again sweeping her little mud floor, and wondering where on earth her pet spider 'Tarantula' could have gotten to, when, at the sounds of geese squawking loudly overhead on their southward journey, she stopped her broom in mid swing.
"Hmm, you guys are a little late aren't you?" She said (living alone as she does, it is not uncommon for Angela to think aloud) as she tripped across her little threshold to view the commotion.
She leaned on her broom, relaxed, and after the geese had disappeared over the horizon she lowered her gaze to survey her little corner of the land she called 'home'.
A short distance away her well-trained eye caught a slight movement coming down the path. She strained to see better, and heard in the sky above the unmistakable sound of a small goshawk swooping down the clearing of the pathway to Angela's door.
Just in time she realized that the 'movement' she had first seen was her dear pet spider struggling under some heavy weight, and the goshawk was heading straight for him! Horrified she lifted her broom over her head and rushed at the bird.
"What are you doing! Stop it, that's Tarantula you've got your eye on!"
The bird stalled and almost crash landed, Tarantula sank exhausted into a strawberry plant, a large white envelope which he had been dragging along almost crushing him.
Angela scolded the goshawk for several minutes, then turned her attention to her dear pet, Tarantula. Carefully she lifted the envelope off his body, and her face glowed with excitement as she studied the official MG seal on the front.
 
 

The Lord High Keeper of the Votes was in a bad mood - again. There had been a decided lack of enthusiasm at the office over the last several weeks, and she had to admit that she herself was feeling particularly unmotivated.
She left her Earl Grey tea undrunk and the cuke sandwich uneaten on the table, along with a few Bootlips to cover the cost (plus tip), and left the diner. She strode angrily down Delchaney's main street, looking neither to the left nor right, hoping that she didn't bump into anyone she knew.
It was inevitable though that she bumped slap bang into another of those MG lookalikes who drive Corvettes and hang around Delchaney's street corners handing out flyers.
"Where do they all COME from!" She muttered impatiently, adjusted her dress, and without an apology, stormed on.
She saw the crisp white envelope sitting, all alone, on the desk the minute she entered her office. The Hi-Greylander's coat-of-arms burned up at her, and she trembled! A summons from Mooseheart Manor! This could not be good! Was she to be, gulp, FIRED due to this month's poor showing at the booths? Or worse, would her punishment include being forced to sit through hours of Teddy Aardvark movies till she could take it no more, broke down and cried for mercy?
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Best to get it over with, she thought, and quickly grabbed up the envelope.
 
 

Mariel's broom wafted gracefully to the ground in front of Angela's little cottage. Mariel was flushed with excitement, and in her hand she clasped her invitation to Mooseheart Manor's Halloween party.
Angela ran out to meet her before Mariel's broom had settled, brandishing her own invitation, and the two friends hugged fondly. There was no time for more pleasantries though, as they both knew there was much to do and prepare before midnight 29th October!
 
 

Tina was up to her armpits in Amish Cinnamon Roll dough, and was just wondering why she allowed herself to be duped into making the mammoth effort for her ungrateful family, when Sven, her personal trainer/Masseur/Chef (then why on earth didn't HE make the stupid Amish Cinnamon Roll!) entered the kitchen, carrying a white envelope on a silver tray.
"O-o-e-h-r!" She groaned as she looked around for a towel, holding her dough caked arms up in the air like a surgeon who had just 'scrubbed'. Eventually, after deciding NOT to retrieve the letter with her teeth, she told Sven to just open the thing and read it.
She had to concentrate really hard to understand Sven's heavy Swedish accent. The message sounded important, exciting! But soon she was getting impatient with the slow Swede, and eventually told him to hold the letter open, so she could read it herself.
 
 

"Havoc! Quit yer barking, now!" Marnie yelled from her studio, at the official Greyland mascot. Havoc was not to be deterred though, he didn't like the new 'addition' to the floor at the front door. It was small, stark white, and something on it glared up at him in an unmistakable challenge to his dog-hood. He growled a warning at the white square, and allowed it to see an incisor peering menacingly from under his lip. "That'll show this thing whose boss!" He thought to himself.
"Oh for goodness sake!" Huffed Marnie as the barking at the front door escalated. She put down her paintbrush, and went to see what all the 'Havoc' was on about.
 
 

MARNIE ADDS HER BIT.

"Yeehah," said Marnie, "...mail," and dived for the mat, There ensued a mad scramble amongst four paws, a very insistent nose and a tail like a battering ram..."Lemme see it ...oooyah, gerroff!"
Marnie ended up on her back , Havoc standing triumphantly over her with part of the missive in his mouth.
"I'm a good dog ....I saved you," he thought, happily wagging his tail like a mad thing and causing the dust and cobwebs to fly everywhere. (Marnie was not a prize housekeeper and felt even dust had the right to be somewhere.)
Marnie tried to disentangle her hair from under the various paws at the same time gathering the pieces of the letter together.
"Your presence is .... ween ball....,....appropriate cost....." she read. "Hmm, either I'm being commissioned or sued or ...,"she made a mad grab for Havoc and the last piece of the paper puzzle. He merely thought it was another game of fetch ...the kind he liked where he ran off with whatever was at hand and "Mum" chased him for hours screaming (for joy, he supposed)!

Several hours later Marnie finally had all the pieces taped together and gibbered with glee ...a costume party, what fun ....but what to go as? She gave a fleeting thought to Nessie and hoped she wouldn't come as the Loch Ness Monster, ....again!!
After all, Marnie wouldn't go as Super Marnie ....even though she had the outfit sitting in the freezer waiting for the next occasion that Greyland needed a Super Hero. (She secretly hoped that such a need would never arise as she could hardly endure the thought of donning the two all beef patties, although kept perfectly fresh...hence the freezer....it was a little too much of an ‘uplifting’ experience to slide her flesh next to the chilled quarter pounders.
Marnie glanced at Havoc, who was furtively rooting through the underwear drawer, as usual. ...Last year she'd dressed him up as "The Ghost of Ol' Yeller" complete with bandages, fake blood and pencilled on buckshot wounds ...but everyone had just got maudlin and cried when they saw him....but this year, THIS YEAR, well, with that huge scar, his shaved
back, the limp.... all she'd have to do would be to add a couple of bolts to his collar and he could go as "Frankenstein's dog"......which meant ...Marnie would have to go as Frankenstein ...or at least.....Frankenfurter!! OK, as Frankenstein she'd just have to get a surgeon's mask and gown, perhaps a brain for her pocket and borrow an eye or two from one of Mariel's recipes to hang around her neck....but she had a hankering to wear a corset, suspenders, ( I think that's' a girdle over here) fish net stockings and too much make-up, again! (OK, she always wore too much make-up but who's quibbling.)
"Let's do the time warp aga-a-a-in!" she warbled happily pulling ream after ream of sequined material from her closet....Then she paused and wondered ... "....what will everyone else go as???" Well?
(Marnie)
 
 

MARIEL JOINED IN THE FUN :

Mariel parked her broom and tied it to the fence before she had gone into Angela's little cottage. Once inside, she pulled out of her pocket a small, black silk purse embroidered with beads.
 "Okay Angela, before we make our plans for this party and for the upcoming holiday I absolutely need your help with one very important task...what on earth am I going to wear?!?!?!?!?!"
 Angela let out a light hearted laugh and assured Mariel with a "No problem, did you have any choices in mind?"
With that, Mariel opened the small purse and pulled out some clothes that looked like they were made for a Barbie doll...
"Why on Earth do you have Barbie clothes?" asked Angela.
"They are not Barbie clothes," said Mariel, "these are MY clothes. I just shrunk them down to fit into my purse, it's a little trick I learned from Merlin."
With a quick wave of her hand and a short rhyme, Mariel returned all the clothing to it's regular size. She had a Renaissance costume consisting of a tan chamois, a brown bodice, 3 skirts (brown, green and berry), and some accessories.
"You see," explained Mariel, "I have horns, to be a devil, vampire teeth to be a vampiress, And I have my hat, and broom to be a renaissance witch...So I figured that I would combine them and be a Renaissance witch that died and came back as a devilish vampire...do you think it will work?....

(Mariel)
 
 

SONJA CONTINUED :

Mooseheart Manor looked deserted, without light, but bathed in the moon, by the time Chris arrived. She had agonized over the decision of costume and had finally simply donned a moose skin from an unsuspecting Moose which her husband had bagged earlier in the week, over her red flannel underwear, and came as a blood-soaked dead moose. Some felt it was not in particularly good taste!
Wondering where the other's could be, she nervously tip toed into the parlour, and headed down the candle lit hall towards the drawing room. She felt a little better when she saw two large Jack-o-lanterns blazing cheerily outside the drawing room door. She peeked in.
A large 'Barney' dinosaur was arguing with Dr Frankenfurter over another white envelope. Assorted witches and ghouls milled around, all decidedly agitated. The two with the envelope could only be Nessie and Marnie, as the argument was partly in Gaelic, over who should open the envelope.
Chris looked around the room. There was no sign of a pending party! No food or decorations. Only the single envelope, awaiting someone to open it and read.
Finally a devilish witch (some recognized as Mariel) swished forward and snatched the envelope out of 'Barnie's' chunky hand, tore it open and before reading it aloud she took a deep breath and said :
"OK, are we all here, girls?"
Everyone exchanged looks, checking to see if anyone was noticeably missing.
Tina, who hadn't had much time to find a costume so simply came as a large Amish Cinnamon cake, looked suspiciously at a 'spooky' ghost-like figure wearing a white sheet draped over her head, with two holes cut for eyes, and said,
"Hmm, so who is THIS?"
The white sheet lifted up to reveal a sheepish Kay, who appeared apologetic and nervous.
"Actually, I ALSO received an invite." Said the Avinadian, and brandished her official invite with the Greyland seal.
"Huh?" Said everyone. "The Hi-Greylander even invited an Avinadian?"
"But of course, you are welcome here!" Said a large chocolate chip cookie through a hole the size of an apple that was meant to represent one of the large 'chocolate chips', and thumped the 'ghost' on the back. Mary's Chocolate Chip cookie costume was rather cumbersome, and the effort it took to swing her arm for the friendly gesture all but knocked her off her feet. She was caught just in time, by Erica, dressed in a Formula One racer’s outfit, balaklava, and helmet, which had been loaned her by her favourite South American racing driver. (Tina and Mary looked at each other and decided that baked produce should stick together. They were inseparable for the rest of the evening.)
"So! Don't keep us in suspense!" Said an impatient Queen Amidala (Yes, Lauren had kept her wonderful outfit to remind her of her recent 'insanity'). "READ IT!!"
Mariel opened the envelope and read :

"Where they sleep, who have gone before
You will find the key that will open the door."

"What on earth does THAT mean!" Said Sandy, who had raided her attic for a costume, and had finally decided to wear a set of old drapes, complete with rod, claiming she was Scarlet O'Hara, who had made a dress out of the plantation house's curtains. (Thank you, Carol Burnett!)
Everyone was stumped. (At the note, not Sandy's costume!)
Kay muttered to herself under her white sheet, "Not the brightest bunch, these MG fans!" And then aloud. "It is obviously a riddle. So where do those who have gone before, sleep?"
Sonja who had been standing in a far corner because her Macdonald golden arches sign board, which she had stolen off the corner near her apartment block and had strapped to her body, smelt unpleasantly of Big Macs, and no one wanted to be near her, apart from the fact that it was so big no one could  get within 12 feet of her, suddenly yelled.
"It's the cemetery!!"
 
 

Sam, who looked striking as Morticia Adams, strode unafraid into the cemetery, wondering how on earth they were to find something as small as a key in a place so large.
"Spread out, girls." Commanded Erica. She had become so used to giving orders since the Voting War, that she always automatically fell into that role whenever the opportunity arose. "We are looking for something akin to a key."
"Du-u-h!" Said Lisa, who was tired of taking orders, and besides, her burlap monks robes were starting to itch. She had started out the adventure in a bad mood because there had been such a run on her Costume Emporium, that by the time she had taken care of everyone's needs, all that remained for her to wear was the scratchy old monks habit. She was not amused.

What seemed like hours later they were no closer to finding anything resembling a key, and the chocolate chip cookie plumped herself down under a tree, about to give up.
"Ouch!" She yelled, as she sat on something so hard that her delicate rear was bruised despite the layers of foam and ‘felt’ that made up her costume. "That was DARNED HARD!!" And she rolled over sideways to see what she had sat on.
Everyone gathered around, and Angela gasped. "There it is!"
Underneath Mary was a flat stone laying lengthwise along the ground. It was a good four feet long, and was shaped exactly like a key.
"Yeah!" Yelled Mariel, and started digging at the ground around the stone. Havoc, looking somehow very sexy (for a dog) as Frankenstein's monster, figured that although Mariel was doing OK for a human, she could surely do with some canine help, and got stuck in with his front paws, tail wagging, tongue lolling, and giving the occasional bark of encouragement before slobbering in Mariel's face.

"Aaagh! Stop, hold on!" Yelled Marnie horrified, snapping her suspenders nervously. "You can't just desecrate a grave like that?"
Mariel stopped digging, and everyone else held their breaths. Would diabolic retribution be swift? After a few minutes passed and nothing had happened, Angela stepped forward, figuring she would have take the lead here. She was an imposing figure, regal and resplendent, dressed as Cleopatra complete with an asp at her breast (and a loose carpet which she insisted on dragging around behind her - everyone was too in awe of her to ask...!)
"Now, lets be sensible here." She took the floor. "The Hi-Greylander has obviously planned all this out, right? He would not have told us to look for this key if there were any danger! Heaven knows he's had to bail us out of enough dire situations in the past! I'm sure he has this one well in control. I say we LIFT THE STONE!"
The yells of approval from the motley crew of women were loud enough to wake the dead, as they all took turns, with Havoc doing most of the work, loosening the soil around the stone.

Finally it was time to pry the stone out of it's mossy bed, and everyone stood back, unwilling to be the one to do it.
"So, who's gonna do it?" Asked Sonja. "I sure can't, not with THIS costume of mine!"
"Ditto". "Yep, me neither." "No way, Jose." Came the chorus from the women standing around the stone holding candles up to each other's faces.
"Oh for goodness sake, I'LL do it!" Announced the resident Formula One driver, and held her candle up to Wonder Woman (perhaps Rachel felt that if she dressed as a super-hero, she would be able to overcome her motion sickness, and not embarrass herself any longer with unfortunate cucumber sandwich re-cycling). "C'mon, Rachel. Give me a hand here."
 
 

The stone moved surprisingly easily, though with the most inhuman screeching sound. The group was silent as a gaping hole opened up where the stone had been. As if in some macabre, choreographed ballet, the circle of women, in unison, slowly raised their candles towards the hole, expecting to be able to see inside.
Light fell on what looked like a stone stairway. Angela stepped forward.
"No, don't!" Whispered Nessie urgently. "You KNOW what happens in all the horror movies ........ rule number one - you DON'T go down the dark stone steps!"
"Oh don't be such a baby!" Said Theresa, gathered the bustle of her Queen Elizabeth the First costume, and started descending the stairs.

One by one, holding their candles up high, the intrepid group of women descended the stairs.
"Good grief, what we do for the sake of our 'obsession'!" Muttered Lauren, as her wide headdress hooked on a wayward root sticking out of the earthen tunnel sides, and Chris, who was directly behind her, had to pry her loose.
It was a struggle for Sonja, Nessie, and Mary, with their large costumes, to fit through the opening into the tunnel, but with some solid pushing from behind by Mariel and Angela, they finally made it.
The tunnel meandered on and on. The group were getting tired and hungry.
"Hey, where's Tina?" Said Nessie, "I could do with a bite of that Amish Cinnamon Roll right about now!"
A few people chuckled, and looked around for Tina.
"You hear that, Tina?" laughed Sonja. "Nessie wants to eat you!"
There was no reply. All stopped and looked around. No one saw the Amish Cinnamon Roll.
"Come to think of it," said Nessie again, "where's Mary, too?"
"Tina!?" Yelled Mariel aloud, with her hands cupping her mouth to make the sound travel.
There was no reply from Tina, but Mariel did manage to upset a flock of bats, who suddenly flapped out of every crevice and cranny around the women, and zoomed off down the passageway, chased on by the screams and screeches of a hysterical band of Greylanders behind them.

When all had calmed down again, Marnie swallowed, took a deep breath and announced.
"Tina and Mary have probably decided to go home. I guess they didn't like the idea of a walk down a dark tunnel."
"Perhaps they couldn't FIT!" Snickered Rachel.
"If I could fit.." answered Sonja, "..then so could they!"
"Aaaagh!" Yelled Nessie almost before Sonja had finished her sentence. "Where's Mariel?!! She was here in front of me a minute ago!" Nessie was nigh on hysterical. "She's been abducted .....by bats!!!!!!!!!"
"Get a hold of yourself!" Shouted Theresa and shook Nessie hard in an attempt to calm her down.
"Maybe Mariel went back." Said Angela, "Or she has gone on ahead. Come on everybody, nothing to worry about. Lets keep moving."
Nessie was unconvinced, but there was nothing to do but lug her cumbersome 'Barney' body on down the tunnel, with what was left of their group.
 
 

The tunnel opened up and out to form a large cavern. As the small group of women wandered on, their candles reflected sparkling stones and shiny surfaces, and danced back at them as the cavern became larger. The vista revealed before them was quite beautiful.
The sound of lapping water led them on, to the edge of deep blue underwater lake, and a sailboat bobbed up and down at the edge, next to a Jack-o-lantern.
"Well, one guess what we're meant to do here!" Announced Erica, as she jumped on into the boat.
Lauren laughed, "Ooh, poor Rachel! Everyone, cucumber sandwich alert!"
"Motion sickness is NOT FUNNY!" Scolded Nessie. "Is it, Rachel?............ Rachel?"
The silence was so loud that Lisa ducked, half expecting the bats to suddenly explode into flight again.
"This is getting a little TOO creepy!" Said Chris, and adjusted her moose skin tighter around her neck.
"Look, if anybody wants to go back, they have to do it now!" Erica's authoritative demeanor calmed everybody somewhat, and there were no volunteers to go back.

It was a tight squeeze trying to fit everyone on the boat, particularly with Sonja's Golden Arches, but eventually the handful of adventurers pushed away from their mooring, and sailed off, somewhat less than smoothly, wondering where they were supposed to be steering to.
The boat seemed to have a purpose of its own though, and the costumed travelers concentrating on holding on to the rocking sides of the vessel, letting the fates drift them where they willed.
Soon there were stars above them, and the boat surged forward. The sudden dip of the boat at the stern was so violent that it sent Sonja and her Macdonald's sign reeling over board. She made a huge splash and sunk from sight almost immediately, leaving the others screaming her name, and nearly overturning the boat, in their efforts to reach her.
"QUIET!!!" Yelled Angela.
The boat stopped rocking. Everyone sat still in a state of shock.
"Oh no, can't Sonja swim?" Cried Lisa.
"Of course she can!" Exclaimed Marnie. "She's Australian!"
Angela announced grimly "But who could swim with that Big Mac weighing them down?"
They all looked down into the murky depths for a few minutes, before the boat came to life and surged forward again, racing away from the spot where poor Sonja had met her demise.
"Well, may she rest in peace." Said Marnie matter-of-factly, and turned her attention to the direction the little boat was speeding on in.
"What?" Yelled Nessie. "Sonja has just DROWNED before our eyes! And all you can say is 'Rest in peace'?!!"
"Oh just relax, Ness! Nothing we can do about it now."
Nessie sat in open mouthed silence, staring at her friends, who seemed to have recovered from the recent tragedy, extremely quickly.

"Land Ahoy!" Cried Marnie from the helm. And everyone strained to make out the outline of an island up ahead.
As the boat slowed and approached the island, the occupants studied the land. Dark trees grew right into the water and were strung with moss and vines. A tiny light ahead of them welcomed the little boat, which came to a mooring right next to the small Jack-o-lantern.
"Well we're still on the right track, I'd say." Said Angela, and climbed out of the boat onto muddy land.
Erica wandered a little further afield. "Hmm, look here." She called to the others. In the crook of a tree, so white against the darkness around them that it shone like a light itself, was another envelope.
She took it and opened it. "It's another riddle." She sighed. Everyone heaved with disappointment. Were they NEVER to have the promised Halloween party?
Erica read:

"Eight legs, slower than two.
It is patience that will see you through."

"I'm not feeling all that patient at the moment!" Added Erica as soon as she had read the riddle.
Suddenly someone screamed. "Aaagh, get it off me!! Eeeuw!!" And everyone watched as Nessie did a weird 'Barney' dance up and down the waterfront.
It took great effort from all to calm Nessie down as she mumbled hysterically about a spider that had landed on her 'Barney' nose.
"Ah, Tarantula! What are YOU doing here!" Cried Angela, happy to see her pet spider.
"Woah!" Said Erica, "That's it! Your spider has eight legs, it's small so it travels slower than we do on our two legs, we have to be patient and follow the spider!!!!!"
Angela and Marnie looked at each other and shrugged.
"Well, it's worth a try." Said Marnie. "OK, everybody, FOLLOW THAT SPIDER!"

As they trudged slowly inland after the spider, Nessie nervously noticed that several other people were missing. She tried to figure out who she could still see, and was horrified to find that it seemed to be only Angela, Marnie, and herself left! She tapped Marnie who trudged along in front of her, on the shoulder.
"What?" said Marnie, without looking around.
"Umm-m," stuttered Nessie, but decided Marnie probably wouldn't care anyway, to hear that their numbers had been so drastically reduced, so she said, "uuh, nothing." and glanced furtively to the left and right continuously, as they moved slowly on.
They had not gone far when Nessie heard a shrill cry behind her. She jumped and swung around. "Wha...Marnie, did you hear that?!"
Marnie made no reply, and Nessie turned back to confront her sister .......... but Marnie and Angela were GONE!
A cold chill tingled down her spine as she looked around her, and quietly whispered: "OK, you guys, this isn't funny any more! Marnie? Stop fooling around now!"
All that greeted her were the spooky sounds of a night-time forest: Owls hooted, wind blew branches back and forward, strange creatures clicked beneath her feet, and unseen shadows howled all around her.
"I'm gonna KILL Marnie when I find her!" She said through clenched teeth. Her eye caught a movement on the ground below, and she realized that Tarantula at least, was still there! She was not fond of spiders, but in this case......
"Well, it's you and me, 'Rant', lead on!"
 
 

Out of the mist, up ahead of Nessie, loomed the spires of a medieval castle.
"Ooh, I'm HOME!" She exclaimed happily, and overtook Tarantula in her eagerness to get safely into a familiar haven. She took the stairs two at a time (well as best she could in the Barney costume), and rapped on the heavy oak door.
It opened with a creak, and Nessie entered.
It is hard to say at what point Nessie's relief at finding a familiar landmark, became suspicion that all was not totally 'Kosher' in this cold dark castle. The door creaked shut behind her with slamming finality, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her, she tried to make out her surroundings.

A long dark corridor led off from the entrance, lit by the occasional Jack-o-lantern placed at intervals along it. There was no where else to go, so gingerly she took a few steps forward, following the corridor.
The candles inside the jack-o-lanterns jumped and swayed, making threatening shadows on the walls. Tiny sounds clicked and moaned all around her. Nessie swallowed hard, her throat was dry. She tried to tell herself that there was nothing to be afraid of, this was surely a 'set-up', or at the very least a bad dream, and she would wake up soon, in her own bed in her own castle at Loch Lurker. In the meantime she was compelled forward by the sinister shadows and sounds, further on towards the end of the corridor.
Suddenly, up ahead, two large doors opened up. She hesitated at the doorway, until a squeal and flapping of wings racing up behind her made her scream, duck and fall forward past the doors, which slammed shut behind her.
It was very quiet, and pitch dark in her new surroundings. She toyed with the idea of removing her 'Barney' head so she could see better, but she somehow felt safer inside it, so clung on to it like a security blanket.
The moon must have made it's next move in it's endless cycle because all of a sudden, through an open grating high up in what must be the ceiling, a shaft of moonlight pierced the darkness and fell onto something several feet in front of her.
Like a spotlight shining on an actor, the moon lit up an oblong object with an eerie light, gray and foreboding. Nessie strained to see what it was, for it was all that was visible in this strange place.
It moved, or so Nessie thought. Was it her imagination? Curiosity momentarily overcame fear, and she slowly shuffled closer. Too late, she realized that she was looking at a black, shiny coffin laying stark and alone. The lid was sliding open, creak by abominable creak!
Nessie knew she should turn and run, but her Barney legs were frozen to the floor. She thought to scream, but her throat closed in on her, and whatever sound emerged was muffled by her foamy Barney head. She had never felt so helpless in her life!
The creaks and groans of the coffin lid opening filled the air, and crescendoed into loud screams and moans! Nessie still could not move her feet, but managed to clasp her hands over the place where she estimated her ears to be, under her costumed head, and stared with frightened unblinking eyes.
"Oh Lor!!" She thought, "A vampire! Where's Buffy when you need her?!!"
She tried to force her brain to remember all the legends pertaining to vampires : Garlic - well she hadn't eaten anything with garlic for weeks! A silver bullet - yeah right! A stake to the heart - she quickly swung her eyes to the left and right, and figured that even if she COULD see around her, she doubted there would be a stake conveniently waiting for her to use (that only happened in the movies!).
The lid was completely opened now, and Nessie had to remind herself to breathe as she awaited the inevitable. Her knees shook so that at last she was grateful for the Barney costume's cumbersomeness - she couldn't collapse to the floor, even though her legs were giving out under her!
The body inside the coffin seemed to rise up, sitting up in the coffin, then mysteriously floated out of the coffin altogether, and hovered a few feet from her. She had never known such fear! She felt the cold chill start at her toes and fly up her spine.
With dread she realized the vampire was the famous Count Dracula himself! What an imposing figure he made - and if she weren't so scared she'd think he was pretty cool looking! Like a revelation it suddenly dawned on her the ageless appeal the Count had, and why countless virgins had willingly fallen into his arms! His body was straight and tall, with his full length cape flying behind him like giant bat's wings. His eyes, dark and mesmerizing, held hers, and she felt herself almost wanting to give in to the strange sensation that overtook her. His hair was long, and flew around him as if it had a life of its own, and suddenly, a small smile appeared at his lips, revealing the fangs she had known would be there!
She was about to faint. She could feel the blood rushing out of her brain. Her Barney costume held her up long after she would normally have crashed to the ground.
"What a way to go!" She remembered thinking, before suddenly a wave of light hit her, she was looking straight into the eyes of a grinning Count Dracula, lively music assaulted her ears, bright colour invaded her vision, and people were yelling!

Nessie DID collapse after that. She started to fall down solidly on her rear end, while solicitous hands helped her to the floor, breaking her fall. Marnie knelt down in front of Nessie.
"Aha! We sure got you, didn't we?!" And she chuckled and hugged her poor confused sister.
Nessie looked around. A wonderful Halloween/Birthday Party had been set out in the room. The decorations were perfect, the food looked delicious, and EVERYONE was there, including the Hi-Greylander, looking dashing as the inimitable Count Dracula.
She was relieved to see Sonja, who had, of course, not REALLY drowned, and who had done away with the Macdonald's sign and was looking a whole lot more respectable as a Swazi princess. Tina and Mary too, had changed outfits. Tina looked ravishing as a Grecian Goddess, resplendent in a white linen classical toga, edged with fine gold, tied with gold ribbon. Her hair cascading down her shoulders in golden tresses. Mary was now Cinderella at the ball, with a tiny pinched waist, magnificent gown, and sparkling glass slippers.
Chris too had managed to get rid of the moose skin, and had opted for the Hawaiian look - showing off a mysterious new tan - in a grass skirt and bikini top. Lisa had found something much more exciting than her monks robe, in one of the rooms of the castle, and had donned a Marie Antoinette gown, which showed off a thrilling cleavage!
Several newbies had joined the group, and one, Caralynn, dressed to the nines as Carmen Miranda, complete with the fruit basket on her head, was bustling about trying to get everyone to taste the punch.
"C'mon Ness, lets get you out of this Barney costume, and help you 'slip into something more comfortable' for the rest of the party!" Said Marnie, and took her sister off to change.

Many hours later, the merry group sat on the parapet of the castle and watched the sun rise up out over the Sea of Wishful Thinking.
"Just about the best Halloween party we've ever had!" Everyone agreed.
"Well, next is Christmas!" Said Sonja.
"Oooh," Everyone groaned. "Give us a chance to get over THIS, OK!"
Nessie, now a lot more comfortably clad as Maid Marion, decided that this had definitely been worth coming out of lurkdom for!
"Well, I guess we should head back home, 'ey?" Said Marnie, and summoned the Wee Tartan Space Ship, whose crew would be fresh from their morning 'work-out'!
Nothing like the rippling muscles of the crew of the Wee Tartan Space Ship to give one a 'jump start' the morning-after-the-night-before!

(PS:  'Many happy returns', Nessie, for the 30th October!)