Halloween Hijinks Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters and a predominately micro-macro theme. You have been warned.
"Where there is no imagination,
there is no horror."
-Arthur Conan Doyle
Glorious are the days when one can take off the mask of reality and live life as one sees fit. Many of us live a life of duality where we put on a face of content for work and then return home to be miserable. The monotony of the must-do is a mundane ritual many of us abhor. The return of Monday, just as stark a reminder that each week is going to be a repeat of the last. However, for the youth in our life, there is not often the case. Where each day can be a new and exciting adventure brimming with possibilities.
Of course to the Youth in question, repetition might become just much of an issue as the rest of us. They may not have the chance to experience life as it should be and suffer the sometimes brash realities that come with school. Especially for those who have difficulty fitting in. Thus the need for a break from reality comes in and the reliance on the subconscious comes about and there is one time of the year where this is all too omnipresent, Halloween.
Bunson was one of those kids who enjoyed life outside of the real world. At 12 years of age, he was very much into the whole video gaming hobby. He spent much of his free time on his Playstation, much to the chagrin of his parents. But even against their every premonition, the boy never fell behind in school and so they had no real reason to take the thing away. Sometimes he even went beyond gaming and invented worlds of his own.
Bunson was a Scorbunny and one of the few Pokemon in town. As such he had suffered from isolation since his parents had moved there. Compared to what he was used to, the new town he had relocated to wasn't exactly as exciting. Since that auspicious day, he had tremendous difficulty making friends. As such he had begun to become more of a hermit, even more so than before the move. However, one place where he thrived was the online world.
He was a sucker for online games and even partook in an MMO when he had the free time. His parents only allowed him to game when he finished his homework. But since Bunson was advanced for his age, finishing his homework in a timely fashion was something he could manage quite easily. His so-called best friend was someone with who he hung out quite regularly on the game. They had known each other for a few years and recently he learned that his long-time virtual friend lived locally to his new location.
Until now the two had never really gotten together. Halloween was just around the corner and the holiday had always been one of Bunson's favorite. He had never stopped going out despite his parents insisting that he was too old now. His friend online informed him that he would be partaking in the event as well and Bunson offered to do it together. Of course, his friend was more than happy to take up the offer as just like the Scorbunny, he normally went alone.
Bunson had taken quite a while to think about what he wanted to dress up as. He wasn't sure if he should pick something scary or something themed. Last year he had gone as a mad scientist and he was thinking about picking the same costume since it was simple as something he had enjoyed taking up the mantle as. He looked through his closet seeing what he could find but all of the costumes he could find were from years past and he figured they didn't fit anymore.
After some light consideration, the scorbunny decided that he had no other choice but to wear the same costume again. As Halloween got closer, Bunson got more and more excited about the prospect of going out with his long-time electronic friend. They had worked out that they would meet in the center of town where there was to be a community event to provide a safe environment for kids to trick or treat for the younger ones.
Bunson had no intention of hanging around because he knew it was designed for the youngest in the crowd. He wanted to try his luck and see if he could get lucky for some full-sized chocolate bars. He had no idea which houses to rely on since this was the first time he was trick or treating in the area. As the day neared he busied himself by mapping out the area so he knew which houses looked promising and which didn't.
Once the day finally arrived, he was more than prepared enough to partake in his usual outing in trick or treating. His parents had already planned for the event as well and even allowed him to eat earlier than normal. After eating, he rushed back to his room. His parents sighed because he skipped his usual chores but decided to let it go since it wasn't often that he left the house. Back in his room Bunson wasted no time and got right around to changing into his costume.
The getup was quite simple, a black undershirt with some fake stains on it and a white lab coat with neon markings on it. He finished it off with some goggles which had some LED lighting to indicate that they were high-powered. The costume was more hinged on his actions. He cackled as he grabbed a plastic bottle which he was going to use as a potion but was in actuality some water that he had used food coloring in. Once he was finished he looked in the mirror and gave his best pose, his mother walking behind him before giggling softly.
"Have fun, kiddo." She said out loud as she passed by.
Bunson smiled but did not respond as when he turned around she wasn't there. He did notice a small makeshift bag which he assumed she had left there for him to use for the night. He bent over to pick it up and slung the long strap over his shoulder. He was glad he didn't have to carry the thing as it was more than long enough to serve as a messenger bag. However, it was the only thing that didn't go with his costume.
Bunson was ready to go and puffed out his chest before running out of his room. The house was already lit with artificial lighting so he guessed it must have been somewhat dark outside already. Stepping outside confirmed as much. The city always dimmed the lights on Halloween and it was darker than usual. Every other street lamp was light for the sake of safety. He headed out and began his way to the city's central square where he was supposed to meet his friend.
The trip to the central square wasn't entirely long. He passed more than a few houses, some of which were decorated and some of which were not. Some other kids, most of which were smaller passed him by. All of which seemed to be going the same direction as himself. He felt like he was walking slow. It was either that or they were just walking abnormally fast. He picked up the pace as he didn't want to seem like he was lagging.
He managed to make it to the central square in a little half the time it normally took him. The square was heavily decorated with cobwebs and all sorts of lighting. What he thought to be adults were walking around with their little ones going from station to station. He noticed several booths all of which had some sort of activity inside it. He couldn't help but stare briefly at some of the ones he didn't expect to see; like a pie-throwing booth and pumpkin decorating area.
He thought about grabbing cotton candy as he passed by the station that sold it. Padding his hand by his pocket reminded him that he hadn't brought money with him. He began looking around for any signs of his friend. They had seen pictures of each other the other day but he couldn't quite recall what the other boy looked like. He continued walking around the area, hoping that the other boy would notice him as he had also shared what costume he was wearing.
As he was going near a face painting area, the crowd was growing much larger and louder than before. He wasn't incredibly good with crowds but since no one seemed to notice him, it didn't cause him nearly as much stress as it would have otherwise.
"Hey, over here dude!" He heard a voice that sounded somewhat familiar to the voice conversations they had previously.
Bunson looked around and noticed a boy in a blue hood was waving to him. Walking closer, he saw the other cub was bigger than himself.
The other boy was wearing some chain mail and leather belts around his chest. Bunson wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to be representing but the whole costume was rather ornate. He could see the boy's white fur through his hood and finally recalled that his friend was an arctic fox.
"Bunson, is that you?" The fox asked just to be sure he wasn't making some silly confusion with someone else.
The scorbunny nodded. "Sure is. Nice to finally you in person, Pent."
"So where is it you wanted to go to get candy?" The bigger cub crossed his arms patiently.
Bunson pointed behind him. "I mean we could do it here but it doesn't look like they have many candy stations so I was thinking of going around my neighborhood. I kind of mapped it out."
"Alright, that sounds fine. Lead the way then, my lord." Pent bowed deeply.
The scorbunny cocked his head awkwardly. "Uh...okay? So what are you supposed to be anyways?"
"A squire. You know the people who studied under Knights?" The kit stood back upright after he picked up his pumpkin bucket.
Bunson slapped himself in the head. "Oh, right. I feel stupid. I should have known that."
"No worries. Let's go then." The fox began to follow his friend once he got underway.
The two cubs walked side by side as they walked towards the exit of the town square. As they were coming closer to the exit they walked past one of the candy stands.
"Let's get a quick snack before we head back into town." The fox suggested as he pulled Bunson over to the side.
The scorbunny was surprised the other cub was able to overpower him so easily but figured it was because he wasn't prepared for it. Once they were in front of the small booth, they saw that no one was there.
A small container was on the top of the table and in it was a bunch of candy of all sorts. In front of the container was a note that read "Only take one, please." Bunson giggled at the request because he seldom paid heed to such things. Pent was much more careful about his choice and plucked out a single package while Bunson took a handful which awarded him three packages. The things were big so they likely were snack-sized portions rather than individual servings. Pent looked at the rabbit, surprised that he had disobeyed the little sign but said nothing.
Bunson looked at the packages as he held them out in his palm. All three of them were bigger than the entirety of his hand. He reached in and started to peel off the package of the bar that was labeled "Big & Nutty". Pent wasn't nearly as eager to eat his early haul and just put it away in the little bag he was carrying around with him. Meanwhile, the scorbunny was already raising the bar to his mouth to dine upon its decadence.
Bunson was a sucker for chocolate, especially when it had nuts in it. This particular brand was one of his favorites and in his mind, there was no doubt he couldn't wait to taste it. He opened his mouth and stuck it inside. The initial taste was just as sweet as he was hoping as he savored it for a few seconds. He closed his jaw and bit off the tip of it before swallowing. Pent was staring at him, unsure of what to do with himself as he didn't want to interrupt the other cub's makeshift meal.
Bunson felt a little bit guilty as he took a second bite and then dropped the thing from his jawline. He decided he could finish it as they were walking.
"Come on, let's go." The rabbit said with a still half full mouth.
Pent rolled his eyes and nodded, glad that he didn't have to stand around anymore. The tow started to walk again away from the town center to a more poorly lit street that was void of cars. The place had a mandate for vehicles to avoid travel past 8 pm and it was already close to that time so there weren't many cars around.
Bunson continued to lead into the distance, finally veering off the main street into a yard. A very well-painted fence led into a yard that was dominated by the layering of faux spider webs. Some big plastic arachnids were stagnant and positioned all around the yard with crimson eyes that were lit by some unseen led source within. Bunson knew who the house belonged to, a friend of the family who was an entomologist.
The rabbit walked up the steps and rearranged his lab coat so that it wasn't dragging along the back of his heels. The thing was designed to be long but he didn't recall it almost reaching the ground behind him. He played it off as no big deal and continued to walk up to the door. The door was painted to look like it was falling apart with the front decorated with a humongous fly trap that was outlined in neon lighting to indicate as if it were an insect lamp.
Bunson rang the doorbell and it made a slight buzzing sound. A rush of air ran past them making the surrounding air chillier than it was previously. A few moments later and the door opened. Bunson and Pent looked in front of them as the wooden frame opened ever so slowly. A man stepped out from within, looking frail and lethargic. The scorbunny recalled that it was the doctor himself but he looked like a shadow of his old self. His body was painted to look even more pale than normal and he was adorned in the wrappings of a mummy.
"Ah, Bunson. Welcome to our domain. Have you come for succulence?" The human man held out his hand and in it, some small morsels were contained.
The scorbunny nodded and held out his trick or treat bucket. "Yes, please."
"Very well. You boys are good and come back, we haven't seen many kids tonight so you can have the rest if we don't get anyone else."
Bunson smiled and hopped at the suggestion. "Thanks, Mr. Zibnack. We will do that."
"Alright, have fun and be safe. See you later." The man handed each of them two treats and closed the door behind him.
The two cubs exited from the porch and back onto the yard. Bunson kept himself in front as he had many places he wanted to go and was certain Pent would go slower, even if they had not hung out together before. The tails of his labcoat dragged behind him as he pushed forward. Pent looked at him from behind, not noticing anything different from the short distance between the two of them.
Bunson continued onward to the next house down the line. This one wasn't nearly decorated at the last. The only noticeable decoration it had was a smashed jack-o-lantern which was leaking orange ooze onto the porch in which it was situated. The scorbunny looked upon it, figuring some mischief must have occurred earlier. The porch was well lit so he approached the door with Pent and knocked on it. Almost a minute passed by as they stood there patiently.
Bunson tried knocking again, this time harder than the last. He looked over at Pent who he had to crane his head upward at to look into his eyes. Pent shrugged and the two began to thread off the porch.
"I'm coming...I'm coming...hold your horses, whippersnappers."
The boys turned around and a few seconds later the door swung open, swinging quickly as banged loudly against the opposing wall.
"Ah, hallo my dearies. Come get your candy, will you? My old bones can't take another step..." She spoke slowly and in a raspy voice.
Bunson looked upon her for a moment. She wasn't wearing a costume but she could easily pose as a woman who looked as if she dabbled in witchcraft. The rabbit said nothing as he held his bucket forward and Pent followed in suit.
The woman slowly reached forward, her wrinkled and liver spot-laden old arm reached forward slowly. After a few seconds, her arm finally reached far enough to escape from her own shadow, allowing the street light to shed some light onto the limb. Her arm trembled when the light touched upon it, still slinking forward ever so suddenly. They reached far enough to reach their buckets but did not attempt releasing whatever she had in her feeble grip.
"Go on take it then, my pretties." Her eyes fixated upon their paws waiting for whatever movement they would make.
Bunson and Pent looked upon each other, neither was entirely sure what to make of the situation. The scorbunny shrugged and moved his free paw forward, Pent however was more apprehensive and held back. The moment he did so, the woman's arm became increasingly dark as if taken over by a shadow. Her frail form took on more mass as she lurched forward and her shadow loomed large over them.
She reached forward all at once, no longer seeming chained by the shackles of age. The woman grasped at Bunsons wrist and was able to grab it for just a second before he writhed away. The two boys sensing danger, allowed fear to take over them and retreated from the porch with their collective tails between their legs. The woman slinked away from them back into the shadow of her home, cackling as their presence was deterred and her clandestine activities remain hidden.
The two cubs had already made it to the main street which was more well lit. Upon looking back, neither could see any sign of the malevolent. The smaller boy looked upon the bigger one as if seeking guidance.
"I guess she's gone...what was that about?" Pent asked but didn't expect an answer.
Bunson shrugged his shoulders in uncertainty. "I dunno but it was creepy as heck."
"Well whatever, let's keep moving little guy." The fox tapped the smaller cub on the shoulder before moving past him.
The scorbunny hesitated for a moment at that joke. He hadn't thought about it to now but looking back behind Pent, he looked bigger than he recalled. Touching his costume reminded him that the coat was very much dragging behind him.
He thought to himself for a moment, that same sense of uncertainty very much remaining omnipresent in his mind.
"Are you coming or what? I didn't hurt your feelings I hope? I was just joking. Not like it matters anyway. You're younger than me anyways." Pent turned around, placing his hands on his waist while waiting for his friend.
Bunson smiled and decided to ignore it for now. His youthful mind was determined to have fun at any cost and the concern of being smaller washed away. The scorbunny rejoined Pent as his side and the two continued walking towards the next house on the block. This one was much more decorated than the one with the old woman and had a significant amount of holiday-themed lighting on the porch. Some small bikes lay littered across the lawn, which meant they likely had kids and it seemed like a promising find to both boys.
Pent led up to the door this time, wanting to take the lead for a change as he sensed some hesitation from the other boy over the last few moments. The fox unsheathed his plastic sword.
"Don't worry I'll protect you if that happens again!" He held it upward as the plastic shone against the orange and black lights of the porch.
Bunson rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He then leaned forward and rang the doorbell.
The response to the door was much quicker than the last home. A middle-aged terrier opened the door with a huge smile on his face.
"Hey, kiddos. Looking good. Take your pick." He held out a small tray that had some candy on top of it.
The fox's tail wagged visibly behind him as he was just happy to have some success since the last one was a failure. He took a single treat and waited for Bunson to do the same. The scorbunny followed in suit.
"Thanks, mister!" Bunson chirped happily behind a huge smile.
The man waved goodbye and closed the door behind him. The two cubs skipped off the porch seeming happier than just a moment before. The scorbunny tripped on the tails of his lab coat with a muffled thud. It wasn't nearly hard enough to cause him any injury but the noise caught Pent off guard and led to him turning around to check what it was. The fox rushed over to help his friend as he leaned over to offer his paw.
"You alright?" Pent waited for the scorbunny to grab his paw, remaining bent over.
Bunson squinted a bit but didn't feel in pain. "Yeah. I guess I just tripped on something."
Bunson picked himself up using Pent's paw as a guide. The boy was back to his feet and went about dusting himself off. Looking at Pent, he couldn't even see over the cub's shoulder now. Something seemed off now, even if they hadn't had much exposure to each other he didn't think Pent was this big compared to him. Even more concerning was the fact that his pants were sagging on his waist now, despite wearing a belt to keep them up.
"Something wrong?" Pent asked suspecting something else was bothering him.
Bunson looked down at his own body. "I'm not sure, I just feel...smaller."
"Smaller? I mean...you are pretty small. Are you sure that clothing fits you? Maybe you put on big stuff for the costume?" The fox took a hold of the lab coat with two of his fingers as if examining it.
Bunson shook his head. "I don't think so."
"I think you're just imagining things. Maybe that crazy old lady is getting to you. Do you want to quit early?" Pent didn't mind appeasing the other boy even if he wanted to continue getting candy.
The scorbunny hummed. "Mmmm I dunno. I kinda want to get more candy."
"That's the spirit...come on then!" Pent dragged Bunson as if leading him on.
Pent's spirit for the holiday was contagious and the scorbunny simply couldn't turn down the huge smirk on his face. The scorbunny tightened the belt he was wearing and tied the hook into another hole that was closer to his waistline. The pants he was wearing no longer sagged now below his mid-line but the pant legs were slightly pooled just above his shoes now. He didn't even pay attention to the fact that there was now more space in his shoes than he was used to.
Bunson wanted nothing more than to have fun. He followed Pent again, once more falling behind in stride. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't keep up now, even though the distance between them wasn't far. They made their way to the next yard which was full of kids. There was a line out front for whatever reason. Bunson couldn't help but notice it and feel curious about what was going on.
Upon approaching the yard they saw a small sign which indicated the place was set up to be a haunted house.
"You want to go check it out?" Bunson asked looking over at Pent who seemed to have the same idea.
The fox nodded but said nothing as he filed into the back of the line and waved his friend over. The line was maybe a dozen kids deep and Pent was bigger than most of them. Looking over some of their heads reminded him that the place might have been made for younger cubs but he didn't care. The scorbunny joined him before long, being reminded before long that he was now much smaller than Pent was.
The wait in line didn't take very long as they were taking in two people at a time. Once they got to the front, an uncostumed fur guided them inside to the entrance area. The inside was poorly lit and only the moon from outside really provided light to the area. The entrance was blocked by a single door which suddenly opened with a loud creak. Both boys looked upon each other with curiosity as they pressed forward.
Now that they were inside they could hear a distinct soundtrack of sounds that seemed to be playing from an overhead speaker. The squeal of bats resounded as a fluttering of leaves pushed back of them between an onslaught of cool wind. Looking around it didn't seem like there were any wonders and both cubs were curious as to how the feat might have been pulled off. The room was lit by a single dimmed lamp in the corner which showed they were in a mostly empty area.
As they were passing by a closet, it crashed open and a plastic clown doll popped out from the inside. Its crimson eyes glowed in the dark, clearly showing that the thing was fake. Neither boy was fooled as they weren't even remotely startled. The animatronic slowly retreated into its holding area as the door closed behind it. Both cubs looked at each other and giggled feeling that the situation was more silly than it was scary.
Another door opened as they proceeded through it. The place had well-placed zoning if nothing else, Bunson thought as they filed into another room that closed off once they were in the center of it. They remained idle for a second as some light thudding could be heard but no movement was to follow. A blood-curling scream echoed through the room as yet another door opened at the opposite end of the room. Pent shrugged at the other cub, feeling more bored than before but realized he couldn't get out of it until it was over with.
The next room was dominated by a huge pool table and as with the last, the door shut behind them. As they approached the middle of the room, Bunson felt something grab his ankle. Looking down he saw a hand grabbing at him. Moving away was more than enough to get away from it. When he did, he bumped into Pent who moved ever so slightly.
"You alright?" The fox asked to be certain.
Bunson nodded and the two went through the rest of the house without much of a stare. Upon exiting both of them shrugged at each other.
The person at the exit handed both of them a full bar of chocolate as their reward for braving the house. Bunson smiled at Pent, finally feeling like the place was worth it. The two continued to tread off the porch and start looking for somewhere to sit. They had been walking a while now and Bunson felt like a break was well deserved. The scorbunny was the first to take a load off, finding it quite easy to slip his shoes off as he sat there wondering if he should eat another chocolate or not.
Pent had yet to sit down quite yet and stood there idly looking down at the rabbit who was nursing his feet in his lap. The fox minded his own business but didn't join him, crossing his arms patiently as he stood there waiting for the other cub to rejoin him. Bunson was deep in thought, considering to himself just what was going on. Everything seemed to match up with his previous concerns. Looking down at his pants shows the bottom of the hem dropping down onto the mid-portion of his shoes.
It was clear nothing fit anymore and it didn't make any sense. A very real concern washed over him replacing the glee that until then had filled his person. He looked up and in a half muttered voice.
"I think I'm getting smaller..."
Pent looked down at him, sensing no sense of joking come from him. The issue was bothering his friend. The fox rolled his eyes but knew something had to be done about it or it could ruin the rest of their night together. He wasn't about to have that happen, he was enjoying it way too much.
