Desy was finishing carving up a pumpkin when Jean and Nancy came in the front door. They were both carrying small bags.
"How did the shopping go?" Desy asked. She turned her pumpkin around. It looked like Batman, that is if Wolverine from the same comics world had carved the pumpkin.
"How neat!" Jean said. "Good job."
"Ok so we're done with the practice pumpkin, wheres the real deal?" Nancy winked.
"This is the real deal." Desy said putting her hands on the top.
"I'm just kidding. Look out for elephants though." Nancy warned.
"Is this one of your oddball warnings? Watch out for snakes? I'm not even sure your lips moved." Desy laughed.
"Oh no. It was on Countdown the other night." Nancy said. "Elephants like pumpkins."
"Oh boy Countdown." Jean laughed. "Nancys latest obsession."
"Its more than an obsession, its the only news show she watches." Nancy and Jean heard a familiar voice in the kitchen. The owner of the voice stepped out.
"Tippy!" Jean enthused.
"Hi!" Nancy said putting her bag down.
"I decided this year I wasnt gonna miss halloween with you guys." She hugged her friends. "So I'm here."
"Thats so great." Jean said. "We are having a trick or treat a thon too."
"Arent we a little old for trick or treating?" Tippy asked Desy.
Nancy playfully smacked Tippy. "You calling me old?"
"Oh no, its not old age, its seasoning." Desy said cleaning up after her creation. "This will go on the front porch."
"Place your bets!" Nancy smiled. "How long before the local hooligans smash that thing to pieces?"
"You mean before you get to do it?" Desy cocked an eyebrow at her friend as she walked to the front door.
"I respect the orange gourd." Nancy protested. "Its the cleaning up afterwards I hate."
Tippy and Jean looked at each other. "Ten minutes plus."
"Thats what I say." Desy said.
"Gee not much of a contest." Nancy thought hard. "I'll say twenty minutes, to be different."
"So what did you guys get?" Tippy said diving into one of the two bags the girls had carried in.
"Some candy. Peanut butter cups, Snickers...man do you know how hard it is to keep this girl away from chocolate?" Jean pointed at her friend.
Nancy frowned. "I had to check the freshness. You can never be too careful!"
"Uh huh." Jean smiled.
"So whats in the other bag if the other ones full of candy?" Tippy asked.
"Ask her. She bought it at a flea market." Jean said looking to Nancy again.
"Nancy you know better than to buy strange stuff at yard sales." Desy said.
"Whats this about? I wasnt here last time." Tippy reminded them.
"Nancy bought a book of urban legends." Rosie explained as she came from downstairs with some clothing on her arm. "It was scary as all get out. The stories were all about us."
"And the last story seemed to happen in real time." Nancy explained. "We bought that book from a woman who had been dead for days."
"I still don't believe that happened that way." Jean shook her head.
"Jeannie you were there when I bought the book and when I brought it back." Nancy said sadness in her voice. "I wasnt alone here."
"I know but its stranger than fiction." Jean said as Rosie put her bundle down on the table.
"Real life is stranger than fiction." Tippy smiled.
"This is good though. We need this." Nancy said lifting a strange looking clock out of the bag. It looked like an old style coo coo clock.
"Wow, doll, looks like it was made for you." Desy smiled. "A coo coo clock."
"I know and hey!" Nancy said. "No this is neat, the only thing wrong is the coo coo doesnt come out on the hour. The clock looked like an old barn. There were pictures of chickens dancing on the side. Nancy pushed a button in the back and a cow came out and went "coo coo", instead of the traditional bird. Desy shuddered. "What?"
"Sorry but that clock is either as stupid as all get out or its as creepy." Desy shook her head.
"Okaaaaay." Nancy said. "But its a moo cow, moo cows are our friends." She smiled.
"I know but there is this well I don't know if I can explain it." Desy said. "Bad vibes."
"Well if it makes you feel better I will put it in my room." Nancy shrugged. "Whos handing out candy this year?"
"Rosie is." Desy said. "She volunteered to do it while the we and the guys at the gig."
"Are you sure you want to hang around all alone?" Jean asked Rosie.
"I'm sure!" She smiled. "You guys won't be gone long anyway."
"Oh boy heres my costume." Nancy said.
"What are you going as this year?" Jean asked.
"A witch." Desy said.
"Not exactly, I'm going as a wiccan." Nancy said picking up the costume. "Or I was. Look how many holes are this thing." She frowned. "Its pretty revealing."
"I think thats part of the costume." Tippy explained as Nancy put it on.
"Wow." Nancy marveled at it. "Little more than what I'm used to but I'll live." Nancy picked up the clock and took it to her room. "Be back in a minute. We gotta go get the guys ready."
"Okay." Rosie said. "Is Harley gonna be here?"
"She may be late." Tippy said. "But she said she will be in sometime tonight."
"Great." Desy said mumbling.
"Whats up?" Jean asked.
"I don't know. Maybe its just me but that clock gives me the creeps still." Desy said.
"It'll be fine." Tippy assured her friend. "I'm only worried about Nancy."
"Whys that?" Jean asked.
"Once Mick sees what shes wearing, he will totally be all over her." Tippy laughed.
"She'll be fine." Jean smiled. "Now I'm gonna need help with my angel costume."
"I'll help." Desy said. A small thud was heard outside.
Rosie went to the window. "Looks like a smashed pumpkin."
"Wow that was barely ten minutes, not even five." Desy laughed.
"Fine, I was wrong." Nancy said. "What do I owe?" She asked as she came down the stairs.
"Nothing, we didnt make an official wager." Tippy said. "Though there is gonna be open mike singing at the party later. It might help people get into the spirit if someone goes first."
"Fine I will." Nancy said. "Its the least I can do."
"And no AC/DC this time." Desy said.
"Aw nuts." Nancy sighed.
