On a rather calm and cool night, right around the fall and just a few days before Halloween, we find our two main characters: Percy Pancoon and his best friend Jake Quigley, who was visiting from his side of the woods the two of them call home, on the verge of getting themselves ready for a fun night of candy, tricks, and fun. We find the two friends inside Percy's kitchen, as they began their preparations for a Halloween party one of their closest friends was having. Jake was preparing his costume, which was of a mail carrier, or as they called it ``delivery dragon'', while Percy was going as one of his favorite movie characters: a raccoon adventurer who went by the name Cassius Stone. ``Oh boy. This party is gonna be so fun. I can't wait to see what crazy costumes everybody's gonna wear.'' Jake said. ``I'm excited too. Whatever they are, I'm sure they won't compare to the costumes we've got cooking up.'' said Percy, while he was holding a balloon tied around his tail. ``Yeah probably. Say, you don't think that me dressing up as a mail carrier would be too much, would it? Considering what I do for a living.'' Jake wondered. Percy's answer: ``Not at all. They pretty much understand what you do, so it'd be no surprise if you went as something near and dear to your heart. It's the heart that goes into putting a great costume together.'' Jake was relieved to hear that. ``I guess you're right. It's not everyday folks see a delivery dragon going into a Halloween party, dressed as a delivery dragon.'' Percy responded, ``Of course. We've known each other since we were kids and you've always talked about how much you wanted to become a delivery dragon, and I've stood by you every step of the way, as have your parents. They outta be proud at what you're doing. I know I am, and I'm sure everyone at the party will as well.'' ``Awww, thanks buddy. That means so much.'' Jake says, while approaching Percy to hug him. ``My pleasure.'', replied the friendly and playful wahcoon. ``Say. Do you think you can untie this balloon from my tail? I think it's beginning to rub up against my fur.'' asked Percy. ``Hehe, of course. Anything for you, my funny little pancoon friend.'', said Jake as he untied his friend's balloon and handed it to him. While that was happening, Percy started seeing a fraction of his fur stick up as he took the balloon from Jake. ``Wow. You'd actually think that I could create something so amazing.'', said an amazed Percy. ``Hehe, yup. I can agree.'', Jake responded. Percy would go on and say ``Hmm, I wonder.'' Having one of his many ideas come to mind, Percy wound up stuffing the balloon inside his T-shirt and began brainstorming. ``Ok, I got it. What if, for the costume, I put together a lightning bolt to signal that I'm Cassius' royal friend and confidant: Mr. Terrance?'' Jake's answer: ``Huh. Never thought I'd see it that way. You know, I think you might be onto something.'' Percy responded, ``You really think so?'' Jake says, ``Of course. You come up with some of the best ideas I've ever heard, even if they're a little bit silly.'' Percy, surprised at his friend's comments, responded, ``Aww, thanks. That's what makes us the most friendliest duo this forest could ever ask for.'' Jake laughs in response. ``You are so right. We come up with great ideas and we're pretty much inseparable.'' ``Exactly.'' said Percy. ``Now...think you can help me put this thing together?'', he said as he pulled the static-filled balloon from his shirt. Jake agreed, and followed his best friend upstairs to his room to test out his costume.
Some time later, the two friends put the finishing touches onto each of their costumes, much to the delight of each other. ``Wow. You look amazing.'' Percy says to Jake, while Jake, who earlier had doubts about his costume of choice, came up and said, ``The same to you, especially that last-minute lightning bolt. It gives it a little pizzazz, if you know what I mean.'' Percy responds, ``Oh you know I do. I do like pizzazz. My uncle used to tell me growing up that you can never have enough pizzazz, if you know how to use it in the appropriate manner. Or something like that. I'm not sure. He's given me so much advice it can be hard to keep up with each one.'' Jake responded to that sentiment, ``Exactly. I can barely remember anything he's told me, other than to keep my head up and follow my dreams. I think that might be one of the few things I can remember him saying.'' ``Hehe, yea he can be helpful at times, and sometimes says things just to say them. I guess that's why I've taken his advice to heart. It's both good and unpredictable. Or however you wanna put it.'', said Percy, who literally takes his uncle's advice very seriously. ``Anyways, I think we've got everything taken care of, costume wise. Now we just need to get everything else taken care of.'', said Jake, while he and Percy prepare to tackle the other items on their Halloween list, which included setting up candy, decorations, and all in all, get their jack-o-lanterns ready (before y'all ask, yes they still do jack-o-lanterns. Let's not forget that these two are kids at heart, despite them being 22). Lucky for them, they had already had things set up for when the Halloween season approached, especially the candy, which they had purchased just a few days ago. Among their assortments: peanut butter cups, licorice, candy corn, and every chocolate bar there is (y'all know which ones I'm talking about). And given how it's fall, what better way to celebrate Halloween than with one of the most iconic drinks ever known: pumpkin spice lattes, which has been a favorite of the two friends for years. And let me tell you, they ENJOY the moment pumpkin spice lattes come back in season. With all of that in mind, the two boys were ready to take on this Halloween season.
Two days pass, and we finally make it to Halloween night, aka the night the party was taking place. Percy and Jake were so eager for the evening to show up that they weren't able to contain their excitement, even when they were both at their respective jobs. Wasting no time, the two friends got ready to put their costumes to the test. There might've been a few tweaks from when we saw them preparing. As per usual, Percy went a little bit overboard and added a few more details to his Cassius Stone costume, this time adding a cardboard shield (something Stone has on several occasions), while Jake pieced his mail carrier outfit together with a dragon patch, which he added the night before. ``As I said before, you look amazing.'' Percy said. ``Same to you. I'm loving the shield.'', responded Jake, while admiring both his and his friend's costumes. And so, with everything prepared, from the candy to the costumes to even the jack-o-lanterns, it was off to the party.
Percy: ``Ok, let's make sure we got everything. Candy?''
Jake: ``Yep.''
Percy: ``Invites.''
Jake: ``Got it.''
Percy: ``Pumpkin spice lattes.''
Jake: ``Oh, you know it.''
[The two then take a sip]
Jake: ``And most importantly, our wonderful costumes.''
Percy: ``Wonderful and stylish. Check and check.''
Jake: ``Very well then, let's be off.''
And off they went. On their way there, the two of them were met with a mysterious sign that they never seen before. Almost as if it had been put up since the last time the two of them were on that street. Percy, who was behind the wheel of his Dodge Charger, took a very close look at it to try and decipher what it said.
Percy: ``Ok, let's see what we got.'' [reads the sign] ``From this way forward, you find yourself in a very peculiar place filled with ghostly goblins, brewed-up surprises, and a whole lot of scares. Go in the direction of this sign, and then the next, and from there, you will reach your destination.'' [turns to Jake] ``Huh, sounds fair enough.''
Jake: ``Are you sure? It sounds like a trick.''
Percy: ``Of course I'm sure. It's probably our friends trying to trick us. I'm sure we'll have no problems following it into whatever direction it's wanting to have us go in.''
Jake: ``If you say so.''
Percy: ``Yeah. You hear that, guys? You can't trick us with these fake signs. I know your secrets.''
Just as they were about to take off, they run into two of their friends: a small but mighty Fennec fox named William (about the same size as Percy), and a hyperactive Alaskan Malamute named Marshall, both of whom were on their way to the party themselves. William was dressed up as another Fennec fox: Finnick from Zootopia, while Marshall was dressed up as a firefighter, muck like one of his favorite characters, who coincidentally shares a name with him: Marshall from PAW Patrol (props if you caught the reference before coming to this footnote).
William: ``Hey, you guys heading to the party too?''
Percy: ``Yep. We're just trying to figure out what this sign says.''
Marshall: ``Oooo. That's a pretty crafty sign.''
Percy: ``I know right? But I'm for certain it should take us in the direction of the party. I'm counting on it with my pancoon instincts.''
William: [laughs] ``Sounds like something you would typically say.''
Jake: ``Yup. And I can tell you that as someone who's known him his entire life.''
Marshall: ``Same here. I've always relied on Percy's instincts to provide me with some crucial decisions. Sometimes they've worked, and sometimes they haven't. But either way, they're still pretty good.''
Percy: ``Why thanks pal. I get that from my uncle, and some of it from my father. They're mighty with words you know.''
William: ``That's good. This sign does look legit. Do you think we should follow it?''
Jake: ``That's what we were about to do. I'd say be careful tho. You never know what we might come across.''
Marshall: ``Yeah, you can never be too careful. As big as I am, there's never enough room for being cautious. And I say that as the child of sleigh dogs. There's not too many obstacles you can avoid, or the risks that come with it.''
Jake: [giggles] ``How do you think I get through my job everyday?''
Marshall: ``Fair enough''
Percy: ``Anyways, shall we get moving? Party's gonna start soon.''
William: ``Yes, let's.''
The four friends hop back into their respective cars and follow the sign towards what they suspect will take them to the party. But what might look like a harmless shortcut turns out to be something they were not expecting. A few minutes pass, and we find both cars passing by what looks like a community center, which is where this party would be held. Having found the place they think they might've found, Percy and company decided to check the place out.
Jake: ``Well, looks like we're here. At least that's what I think.''
Percy: ``I guess so. The invite said this would be the place.''
William: ``I have to agree. It looks very similar than what I'm looking at. You think we should check it out?''
Jake: ``Only one way to find out.''
Everyone starts to make their way into the community center. However, what these four friends were about to witness would be something they never thought would be imaginable. Upon arriving, they begin to realize that the supposed venue of the party was not what they had hoped for. Stepping foot inside the building, they notice something about their discovery was off, given the empty space, dark setting, and eerie tone in the air.
Marshall: ``Umm, I don't think that sign helped us at all.''
Jake: ``Obviously. I knew something was off about it. Ghostly goblins indeed. All I see is a lot of spider webs and empty air.''
Percy: ``Yeah. I mean, I don't see anything festive about this place. There are no balloons, no paper skeletons, no snacks, no drinks, no nothing. What kind of party is this?''
William: ``A wrong turn, I might say. Nothing but a bust. A disaster of a prank. Come on, let's get out of here.''
Just as they were about to do that, they were met with a very hollow and deep moan. All of them became shocked and surprised. The hollow moan would then follow up with the blistering, wooden doors shutting behind them. The doors slammed so loudly that it wound up echoing all over the empty room.
Percy: ``Oh my God. That came out of nowhere.''
William: ``I know right. I sense something wrong with this place.''
Jake: ``You think?''
And in that moment, they hear a very loud and monstrous growl. A growl so loud that everyone was able to hear it. Almost is as if it was close to where they were standing.
Jake: [screams] ``Okay, now I'm starting to get worried. We need to get outta here right now.''
Percy: ``You know what. I have to agree with you. This place is completely whack.''
William: ``I have to agree, too. Whatever that was, it sounded angry. Almost like a monster made its way into the building.''
The growl is heard again. Everyone becomes worried, literally shaking to the point where they can neither walk nor run. But then all of a sudden, they get an unexpected surprise.
Marshall: ``Ummm, guys.'' [giggles as he notices it was just his stomach growling] ``That was my stomach. I haven't had anything to eat in a while.''
Percy: [laughs] ``Same here. I've been driving for awhile and there ain't no telling how long it's been since I ate something.''
Jake: ``Um guys. I don't think now's the time to think about food. Now's the time to get the hell up outta here.''
Our four friends scrambled to their way out of the haunted community center, while at the same time, questioning whether or not the sign that led them to said building was accurate. Turns out it wasn't, as Jake had suspected. It had been planted there just for the purpose of sending those in the direction of the party into a shallow and misty part of the forest. The question remained as to how it got there and who made it.
Jake: ``I knew something was up with that sign. I knew it from the moment we came across it.''
Percy: ``Now that you mention it, there was something a bit off about it. `Cause there's no way a sign could just magically pop up in the middle of nowhere, especially if we've driven past that road before. That just doesn't make sense.''
William: ``I have to agree, man. I've never been so swindled like that in my life. And trust me, I've had my share of being swindled.''
Marshall: ``That's such a shame. But I do have one question tho.''
Percy: ``What's that?''
Marshall: ``We traveled so far past that sign. So how do we get outta here?''
[The guys look around to see where they're at]
William: ``Yeah, that's a good question. We did have to go through a number of turns to get here.''
Percy: ``And I don't think we'll be able to get a good signal out here. Otherwise, we could just Google our way out.''
William: ''Think we should drive around a bit?''
Jake: ``I don't see why not. Maybe we'll have some luck if we just try and retrace where we came from.''
William: ``Ok then. We'll spilt in different directions then. Doing that might boost our chances in a potential escape. Me and Marshall will head out west. Percy, you and Jake can head south and figure out which direction to go from there.''
Percy: ``Noted.''
Jake: ``Got it.''
Percy and company began their search for a way out of this mysterious part of the forest. Before long, they were all in opposite directions, and were even more confused about where they were. It's worth noting that the party they were all set to attend was starting in a matter of hours, so whatever else happened, they knew they didn't wanna be late for it. 10 minutes pass and we find Percy and Jake heading south from where the spooky community center was at. They had only gotten within a few miles or so before deciding to take a rest.
Percy: ``See anything yet?''
Jake [while he was in flight]: ``Nope. Not a thing. And I can usually see things clearly in the air.''
Percy: ``Darn. And I was hoping we might have some advantage in locating an exit.''
[Jake flies back down]
Percy: ``Well, what do you think we should do now?''
Jake: ``I don't know. If there was a good signal out here, we'd be out in a heartbeat.''
Percy: ``Yeah, you're right. I just hope Marshall and William are having as good of luck as we are.''
[We cut to find William and Marshall on the other side seeing if they might run into any luck]
Marshall: ``I don't see anything.''
William: ``Me neither. Not a road sign, not the sign we just looked at, not anything. This is getting pretty difficult.''
Marshall: ``It sure is. You know what's even worst?''
William: ``What's that?''
Marshall: ``There's not a single restaurant or food truck in sight.''
William: ``Dude, can't you think of anything else other than food?''
Marshall: ``How can I? Lunch was AGES ago. And I was so looking forward to all the snacks at the party.''
William: ``I know. Now that you mention it, I was looking forward to those snacks myself. I mean, just imagine all the cakes and cookies and all those ooey, gooey sweets that'll be served. I would literally devour everything on that snack cart in a heartbeat.''
Marshall: ``So would I. Those mouthwatering sandwiches, the endless flow of a chocolate fondue fountain. It would be one of the best things I would have ever had.''
[Marshall's stomach starts growling, sending William into a panic]
William: ``Aaaah! There's a monster right near us! Runnnn!'' [runs away]
Marshall: ``Umm, buddy. That was my stomach again.''
[Marshall's stomach growls again]
William: ``Oh. I knew that, I was just testing you.''
Marshall: [giggles] ``Of course you were.''
[In that moment, William's stomach starts to growl]
William: [giggles in embarrassment] ``I guess you're not the only one who's thinking about food.''
Marshall: ``Exactly my point.''
William: ``Say, do you think Percy and Jake found something?''
Marshall: ``Let's see.'' [pulls out a walkie-talkie] ``Pancoon Ranger, come in Pancoon Ranger. Agent Malamute here. Can you hear me?''
Within a matter of seconds, we head back to Percy and Jake's whereabouts, just as Percy is noticing a call on his walkie-talkie.
Marshall: [through the walkie talkie] ``Pancoon Ranger, you there?''
Percy: ``Agent Malamute, Pancoon Ranger here. I can hear you.''
Jake: [confused] ``Huh?''
Percy: ``Yeah, me and Marshall were playing with our walkie talkies one day, and we wound up giving ourselves codenames. You should've been there. It was amazing.''
Jake: ``I see. I'm surprised you still have that thing, and that it even still works.''
Percy: ``Well, after fixing it up and putting in new batteries, of course. It's one of my favorite items, as you're aware.''
Jake: ``Yep. I'm aware.''
[Percy calls Marshall back]
Percy: ``Go ahead Agent Malamute.''
Marshall: ``Me and The Fennec Bandit were wondering if you guys found some type of exit.''
Percy: ``Not yet, but we're getting close...sort of. How about you?''
Marshall: ``Nothing yet, but we'll keep looking.''
Percy: ``Sounds good. Let us know if you guys find something. Over and out.''
Marshall: ``Got it. Over and out.''
[Both hang up]
Jake: ``The Fennec Bandit? Man you guys must be getting into all sorts of craziness while I'm away.''
Percy: ``Yeah. You should join us sometime.''
Jake: ``Maybe. If I didn't have to worry about flying all over the globe.''
Percy: ``You do have a point.''
[Back to William and Marshall]
William: ``Any luck?''
Marshall: ``They said they'll keep looking. And that's exactly what we're gonna do, too.''
William: ``Oh, you know it. Come on, let's go.''
With that, the search continued. Everyone tried frantically to find the exit so that they could make it to the party on time. They searched left, they searched right, they even searched backwards. But all in all, what was on the minds of all our friends was having a good time with their fellow friends. That search, however, would take an even more eerie turn, as the sky that surrounded them turned dark and dreary, filling itself with fog and making everything pitch black. Within minutes, any hope of getting out of this eerie forest was all but diminished.
William: ``Hey, what's going on? Why did it turn dark all of a sudden?''
Marshall: ``I don't know. I can barely see anything.''
William: [grabs Marshall's walkie talkie]: ``Pancoon Ranger, come in. Do you read me?''
Percy: [on the other end] ``Affirmative, Fennec Bandit. What's up?''
William: ``Something very awkward. Did the sky turn dark on your end?''
Percy: ``It sure did. I don't know how, but all of a sudden I can't figure out where I'm at.''
William: ``Neither can we.''
Marshall: ``Oh man. I'm getting scared.''
William: ``So am I.''
Jake: [into the walkie talkie]: ``Fennec Bandit, Jake here. What do you think could be causing this? It can't be some type of special effects or anything.''
Marshall: ``From the looks of it, it doesn't look like it.''
Percy: ``I don't get it. It's still relatively early, so what could be causing this?''
Jake: ``Beats me.''
[A moment later, they all hear something very mysterious]
Jake: [screams] ``What was that?!''
Percy: ``I don't know, but we better get out of here before we find out.''
Jake: [into the walkie talkie]: ``Guys, how far are you?''
Marshall: ``Not that far, I think. At least near to where you guys are at. Or something like that.''
Percy: ``Good, because we need to get out right now. Otherwise, we'll all wind up as somebody's snack.''
William: ``Oh dear. I'm too young and amazing to be eaten up.''
Marshall: ``Me too, man. Me too.''
Just as everyone is scared for their lives, Jake pulls out his phone once again and discovers that he finally grabbed a signal. Without hesitation, he told his friends that he should be able to pinpoint their way out of this dark and unrecognizable forest.
Jake: ``Hey. Hey. Percy! Percy! I-I got a signal!''
Percy: ``Wait, what? Are you serious?''
Jake: ``I'm not kidding. I have a signal. Come look.''
[Percy walks over to look at Jake's phone]
Percy: ``Oh, snap. No way! We're saved! We're saved!''
Jake: ``Hell yea, we are.''
Percy: [to William on the walkie-talkie] ``Fennic Bandit, guess what? We're saved!''
William: ``Really? Oh my god, that's wonderful! It's like a lifeline was answered right in front of us. Hey Marsh, do you know what that means?''
Marshall: ``Yes, we're finally getting outta here!''
William: ``We sure are! Think you can locate us?''
Jake: ``Okay. Gimme one second.'' [pinpoints the location to the exit] ``Got it. William, Marshall, do you think you can find your way back to that sign?''
William: ``We should.''
Jake: ``Good. We'll spot you on our way out. We'll let y'all follow us from there.''
Marshall: ``Got it.''
Percy: ``Halloween party, we're coming for ya!''
Jake: ``You know it.''
With a glimmer of hope, our four heroes bravely and eagerly located their way to the exit. After a matter of minutes, they finally make their way out and back onto the main land. It was after that that the four friends got out of their respective cars and jumped for joy, excited to finally see their familiar grounds once more.
Percy: ``Yessir! We're finally out! We're finally out!''
Marshall: ``Heck yeah we are!''
Percy: ``Never thought I'd say this, but I am so glad that we got outta there when we did. I sure hated the feeling that we'd became some monster's snack.''
Jake: ``Me too, man. That place was just too cuckoo.''
William: ``I'll say. Hey, we still got time. We can make it to the party if we start making our move.''
Percy: ``Making a move is one of my specialties. That's why I drive a Challenger.''
Jake: ``No kidding. You love that car more than anything.''
Percy: ``So true. Well, that and apples. You can never love apples too much. I am half red panda, you know. Anyways, let's get moving.''
Wasting no time, Percy and company sped off to the party, this time with the right directions. Lucky for them, there were in pretty decent and pretty fast cars: Percy with his Charger, and William in a Camaro (Bumblebee is one of his favorite Transformers, and the Camaro reminds him a lot of Bumblebee). Within about 10 or so minutes, the friends finally make their way to the party, this time it was for real. The only difference is that this community center is decorated with spooky decor, orange and black balloons, and streamers galore: things that they didn't see during that spooky trip. And yes, there were the snacks, the one thing our friends were looking forward to. They were pleased to have finally made it to their official party destination that they all took a minute to let it all in.
Marshall: ``Oh boy, I can't wait to get my partying on.''
Percy: ``So am I. I've been waiting all month for this.''
Marshall: ``I can't wait to get my hands on some of those snacks.
Jake: ``I can't wait to finally let loose.''
William: ``I can't wait for some of the spooky surprises. But the actual spooky surprises, not the ones we just witnessed.''
[Everyone agrees]
Percy: ``Shall we?''
Marshall: ``Let's do it.''
[Everyone walks inside and are immediately in awe at what they witness]
Having finally made their way inside, the friends enjoy some of the various activities that were being offered. Activities ranging from pumpkin smash (a spin on balloon darts) to the classic game of bobbing for apples, to even some bizarre ones, like a game one of Percy's pals, who helped put the party together, which was called Spooky Snaps. It's hard to explain how the game works, but think of it as something like Go Fish, but it's mixed in with Trouble (or something like that). And, of course, there were the snacks: the cakes, the pies, the cookies, the sandwiches, and everything in between all that. However, the fun and games would turn into something very unexpected. Within seconds, the lights began to flicker, fog began to built up on the inside, along with some coming from the windows. Everyone was up on their feet, as scared as they could possibly be. For Percy and company, having just escaped the craziness that they went through prior to even making it to the party, it was like deja vu all over again.
Jake: ``Oh no, it can't be happening again.''
William: ``Aww man. Please tell me I'm waking up from a dream. PLEASE tell me.''
[Somehow the wind begins to howl very loudly]
William: ``Oh God. I'm not dreaming. IT'S BECOME REAL!''
Percy: ``Okay, whatever's going on, I hope and pray that it's not a prank.''
Jake: ``I hope you're right. Otherwise, I'm getting out of here in a heartbeat.''
Marshall: ``I'm with you on that. I say that as both a racing dog AND a fast runner in general.''
The lights then begin to flicker and bounce around, sending everyone inside into a panic. At that point, Percy and his pal Clyde (a red fox) would step up and vow to investigate everything happening right in front of them, and to get to the bottom of what, and who, was behind it all. I'll let y'all in on something: Clyde, who again had a hand in setting up the party, acts as an freelance detective sometimes, and despite solving several cases on his own time, and knowing how dangerous detective work can get, he feel is as if he can't take all the credit for his discoveries. He credits Sam and Max for inspiring him to enter freelance work.
Clyde: ``Okay everyone, don't panic. Me and Percy are officially on the case. Whatever, or whoever, is causing these disruptions, will not go away victoriously.''
Percy: ``Yeah. They won't get away from the extraordinary team that is Percy and Clyde: Freelance Detectives.''
Jake: [giggles] ``Good luck with that. Just be careful out there.''
Clyde: ``Oh, best believe we will. They're no match for me. No one is. Plus, I've done this several times, so I know exactly what I'm doing. Shall we, partner?''
Percy: ``Oh, yes we should.''
Marshall: ``Good luck, guys.''
And off the two friends went: magnifying glasses at hand, detective minds on, and a handful of adventurous curiosities that were coming their way. A minute into their detective work, they discovered an odd canister that wasn't there beforehand, almost as if somebody had planted it there just before the lights began to shut off. What could've been in said canister, that was what the freelancers were willing to figure out.
Clyde: ``Say, buddy. What do you think could've been in this can? What do you suppose the culprit would've done with what was in here? And with what intention?''
Percy: [examines the can] ``Hmmm, I'm not sure. The only thing I can think of would be a generator. Could've been used as a gas can or something.''
Clyde: ``Maybe, but we can't be sure on that until we start piecing things together. Who knows? The culprit could've used this to drink something.''
Percy: ``You sure?''
Clyde: ``Of course. How often have you seen someone drinking something from a can like this?''
Percy: ``Probably never, `cause I don't think that would be a can to drink out of...at least to my knowledge.''
Clyde: ``Yeah, I guess you're right. But still, something is odd. Somebody doesn't just grab a can of this size and then bail out. This person had an intention to sabotage the party and then try to get away with it. The question is, what do you think could've been in it?''
Percy: ``I don't know, but I think we're determined to figure that part out.''
Clyde: ``Exactly. After all, they don't call me a freelance detective for nothing.''
Percy: ``You are correct.''
In that immediate moment, the two premature detectives discover another piece of their mystery: a malfunctioning fog machine that's about the size of a FedEx box. But there was a twist: sitting just a few inches from said fog machine was a note, with not much on it, but the following words: ``Take this to the community center and set it up at the right moment'', signaling that the culprit might've wanted to plan out this prank just as the party was getting underway, preferably during the DJ set. It would only be a matter of time before Percy and Clyde began piecing this spooky mystery together.
Percy: ``''Take this to the community center and set it up at the right moment''. What do you think that means?''
Clyde: ``I don't know. It sounds like somebody wanted to set this thing off at the exact same moment the party was about to get underway. Or something like that. It's rather strange.''
Percy: ``Maybe. I just find it odd that somebody would wanna deliberately sabotage a Halloween party. Yeah, I know these tricks are common this time of year, but at this magnitude? I'm not sure if that's even possible.''
Clyde: ``You do have a point. Something like that isn't common, especially on a daily basis.''
Just then, Clyde discovers another clue, one that could potentially piece this whole thing together. Just as he's about to go check it out, he receives a radio message from Jake.
Clyde: ``Hello.''
Jake: ``Hey, how's the mystery going?''
Clyde: ``Well, we're just now starting to pick up the pieces. We have some potential clues that could help us out. Including one that I'm just about to go through. How's things over there?''
Jake: ``Ah, you know, pretty spooky, pretty tense. Oh, and one more thing, somebody left a piece of paper with a map drawn on it. It looks like a blueprint to the community center. Although I'm not sure if it's actually the community center or a model of what it looked like before they started building it.''
Clyde: ``Huh. Pretty interesting. Can you send me a picture of it?''
Jake: ``On it.''
[Jake sends a photo of the blueprint to Clyde's phone, where he then proceeds to piece together what it says]
Clyde: ``Thanks, buddy.''
Percy: ``Whatcha find?
Clyde: ``An interesting discovery. Jake sent me this picture of what looks like the blueprints to the community center. There ain't no telling if it's that or somewhere else.''
Percy: [looks at the blueprint] ``Woah. It looks legit.''
Clyde: ``That's what I'm saying. It looks so real that you can't even tell that it is the community center. Let's just say that it could be and figure out what it could actually mean.''
Percy: ``Trust me. I've seen my share of blueprints, and I can tell you that regardless of whether it would be the final cut or not. This, to me, looks like the real thing.''
Clyde: ``That's amazing. Lemme guess: shadowing your uncle's construction business?''
Percy: ``Pretty much. That, and also the amount of time I spent helping out with putting circus shows together.''
Clyde: ``Gotcha.''
Percy: ``Anyways, take a look at this. If my memory serves me correctly, and bare with me `cause it's been a while since I been there, this looks like the AC system. It looks like the perpetrator wanted to set up this smoke machine inside of the vents. But clearly couldn't, so instead, they must've have to settle with one of the back windows. Now the question remains: how did the smoke make its way from here through to the window? It doesn't make sense.
Clyde: ``It really doesn't. This person must've been that crafty to achieve such a feat. Strange.''
Percy: ``Very.''
Just as the two freelance detectives were about to put more of this mystery together, another piece of crucial information comes their way. This time, it fell right over them. No literally. A huge rubber hose dropped from the tree they were standing under. It looked to be the size of a large pool noodle. Clyde, being the freelance detective that he claims to be, was that close to putting a lid on this mysterious and spooky case.
Clyde: ``Hmmm...this is such a big hose. And it looks very used. And old.''
Percy: ``Sure is. And very bent. Almost like the shape of a window. You don't think it has something to do with the window we were just talking about, do you?''
Clyde: ``Hmmm...you know what. There's only one way to determine that.''
Percy: ``Huh?''
Clyde: ``Come on. I think I might've pieced this whole thing together.''
Percy: ``You sure?''
Clyde: ``Positive.''
Back at the community center, everyone is still in shock about what they just witnessed. They're mostly chill and trying to enjoy what's left of the party. But they're about to get some pretty big news on who might've tried to sabotage their good time. Wasting no time letting this mystery go on any longer, Percy and Clyde raced back to the community center to present their findings.
Clyde: ``Everyone! We did it!''
Jake: ``You did?''
Clyde: ``Yup. We sure did.''
Percy: ``It wasn't easy, but I think we might've figured out how this all happened.''
William: ``Really? Whatcha find?''
Clyde: ``First and foremost, these.'' [wheels in their newly discovered evidence]
[Everyone gets surprised]
Jake: ``Dude.''
Clyde: ``Allow me to explain our findings. We believe that someone might've tried to sabotage the party.''
Jake: ``Umm, I'm pretty sure we already figured that part out.''
Clyde: ``But...there's more. We believe that the culprit wanted to time this debacle at the exact same moment the party was just getting underway, particularly timed to when the DJ set was about to get underway.''
Percy: ``Coincidentally, there are a few things that this person wanted to do, but was unsuccessful. For example, where they wanted to put the fog machine. Jake, you still got that blueprint?''
Jake: ``I sure do.'' [hands the blueprint to Percy]
Percy: ``Okay. Given my history with looking at blueprints, I came to the conclusion that the fog machine was intended to go inside the vents, but given how small the vents are, that was out of the question. So, what they did was locate a window...about the size of the one where the smoke initially came from. But...here's the catch: how could a fog machine this low ever make its way into a window? That's where's this hose comes in.'' [pulls the hose aside]
Marshall: ``Woah. That's a big hose.''
Clyde: ``Indeed it is. But here's where things get REALLY interesting. Perc.''
Percy: ``With pleasure. Look at the tip of this one and tell me whether or not it looks bent.''
William: [looks at the hose] ``Hmmm. Looks bent to me.''
Percy: ``Exactly. Now walk with me to see if this hose folds up through the creases of that window.''
[With no hesitation, William and Percy walked over to the window to test out this new theory. It looks is as if it worked out]
William: ``Huh. Well, would you look at that. It's a match. Nice observation there, fellas.''
Clyde: ``Ah, you know, I do what I can. But there's still one big answer we need to solve: who could it be? It's so close I can actually sense it. Or...smell it out. And I believe I might've closed in on the suspect.''
Using his fox instincts, Clyde closed in on the potential suspect. Clyde is known for using his nose (and numerous other instincts he obtains) to sniff out certain clues, and can figure out anything within a matter of seconds (or if he's lucky, immediately). And it just so happens that this was one was an immediate answer, because Clyde figured out who this alleged criminal is, and it happens to be someone he knows very well: his older brother Blake, who's known to stir up all kinds of trouble. Alongside him was his friend Michael, or Mikey for short.
Clyde: ``GOTCHA! You sly devil. I knew you'd do this.''
Blake: ``Ah man. How'd you find out?''
Clyde: ``Oh, spare me, Mr. Big Bad Fox. I can smell where you are from a mile away. Good instincts, remember? Something you know pretty well.''
Blake: ``Yea, I guess you're right.''
Mikey: ``Lemme guess: you were playing freelance detective again, weren't you?''
Clyde: ``Yup.''
Mikey: ``I figured.''
Blake: ``That's so like him, tho. He plays these stupid games just to score brownie points. And so he can toy with me and get my nerves up.''
Clyde: ``Oh yeah. I am so like that. Anyhows, both of y'all are coming with me. You've got quite a lot of explaining to do.''
Blake: ``Geez, what a way to have our fun ruined, huh Mikey?''
Mikey: ``I hate to agree, but you are so right.''
Back at the community center, Clyde shows off his newly discovered suspects to everyone present, much to the dismay of the two older foxes.
Clyde: ``Fellas, I believe I've found our culprits.''
Jake: ``Who?''
Clyde: ``My brother.''
Percy: ``Oh is that so?''
Clyde: ``Yup. Gentlemen.''
[Blake and Mikey walk right inside]
Clyde: ``Got anything you'd like to say?''
Blake: ``Yeah, it was us. And boy, were you guys ever scared.''
Clyde: [clears throat]
Blake: ``I mean, we apologize. We figured this place could use a little jazzing up, so we decided to bring in a smoke machine. We could've done it through the vents, but what fun would that have been?''
Mikey: ``Pretty harmless yet enough to set the stage for what we thought would be one of the biggest touch ups this place could ever have. We didn't think you guys would think of it as sabotage.''
Percy: ``Touch up? You guys nearly had us on the verge of a stampede.''
Mikey: ``We know, okay? That's not what we were going for.''
Percy: ``Just saying. It's not okay to be going around pulling these types of pranks on folks, especially in a public setting. There ain't no telling what type of chaos would ensue.''
Clyde: ``And especially when fun stuff is about to get underway. It's not only dangerous, but also lame, even on Halloween.''
Blake: ``We get it. And we're sorry, okay? We didn't mean to cause a scene, or for my annoying wannabe detective brother to sniff us out like he did.''
Clyde: ``Hey, you deserved it. You'd do the same thing if you was in my shoes.''
Blake: ``Oh, would I?''
Clyde: ``Of course you would. You've done it several times. You can't resist using that amazing sniffer of yours.''
Blake: ``Dude, seriously. Do you have to bring that up here? In front of everyone?''
Clyde: [giggles] ``Now you know how it feels.''
Mikey: ``Ah, man. Your little brother just embarrassed you big time.''
Blake: ``Shut up, Mikey.''
Mikey: ``Oh, come on. It's kinda funny.''
Blake: ``No it's not.''
Clyde: [giggles] ``Ok. I think you two need to talk this out a little.''
Percy: ``Anyways, now that that part's taking care of, why don't we get this party back into action.''
Marshall: ``Yeah, let's.''
With this wacky mystery behind them, the party could officially get underway. The dance party, the snacks, the spooky entertainment, everything. And it should be pointed out that the smoke machine from before, it was now being used to set the party into overdrive. Clyde, for the first time since he started his freelance detective work, felt proud that he had actually done something that didn't get him in trouble or send him into a tailspin, especially given how he was able to solve this mystery with one of his best friends by his side.
Percy: ``I gotta say, you and me make a good team.''
Clyde: ``You know it. I never thought I'd say this, but this is the first time I've actually done something that actually worked, even if my brother was proven to be the culprit.''
Percy: [giggles] ``Oh, I know that feeling. Nice work, detective.''
Clyde: ``Same to you, best friend.''
As for Blake and Mikey, they were allowed to stay. But only if they agreed that they wouldn't try any stunts like that again. They even got a chance to handle the DJ booth...and maybe dance a little. Blake was a pretty good dancer, but feels the need to keep it to himself, for a number of reasons. The moral of the story is this: Halloween can be a fun day, but as long as the spooky surprises and pranks don't get too carried away, it can be considered a favorite day among a lot of people, and especially fun for those like Percy and company. And yes, those around them.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
