October
Nearly a year has passed since Kacey moved into the mansion named Newman Heights, which she inherited from her grandfather. The Cold Front had cleared up and the Autumn weather settled in like a couple warming against a fireplace. This went unnoticed by the residents as they were preoccupied by a demonic entity pursing them.
"Why does stuff like this keep happening?!" Akira hollered while gunning down the hallway alongside the rest of the residents.
The day was fine, and the crisp air was accompanied by the sound of their shoes crunching against the pavement outside, followed closely by a delirious-looking creature on all fours.
"Whose idea was it to carve pumpkins outside?" Fitz queried and the rest of the resident turned their heads in Kacey's direction.
"What, we had fun didn't we?" she said in defense still panting.
While the creature continued to prowl outside, waiting, they sought refuge in the greenhouse beside the mansion.
"Do we even know what this thing is, it kinda looks like a rabid dog with a really long tail?" Eliza asked and Mandisa answered that it was a Seh Ma.
"It's a normal looking dog except for the hand on its tail," Kacey informed them.
"Did you just say hand?" Akira stunned.
"Yes a hand, why?" Mandisa asks.
"There's something on Jiro's shirt," he told them and their focus was drawn to a pale hand that lifted Jiro up from above them by grabbing onto the back of his white shirt. He cried out for their help trying to maneuver his way out of the creature's grasp as he fell to the ground.
"You okay, Jiro?" Colchester asked him helping him to his feet.
"How did it even find us?" Fitz inquires, but she quickly learns that the greenhouse is transparent since it is constructed of glass.
"Stupid question," she admits.
"No you not wrong where did that come from?" Mandisa tells them and they stare up to the hole in the glass wall.
They are interrupted by an ear-piercing shriek that gets louder from behind and the residents make their way outside.
"What was that?" Eliza clearly unnerved.
"I didn't take a look at it but I'm guessing it was a banshee," Mandisa informs them as they try to catch their breath.
"Where are all these things popping out from?" Fitz whines.
"Maybe there's another portal open," Jiro suggests.
"Yes, that could be it," Kacey exclaims.
"All we have to do is find it and close it," Colchester says and looks to Mandisa.
"I have no knowledge on opening and closing portals," she starts off and before the residents get despondent she adds, "But I can ask Gherro for help," this raises their spirits.
"Okay so first let's get ourselves prepared," Akira tells them and they manage to make their way into the neighboring forest, but the sound of surrounding trees breaking drives them inside the mansion in search of shelter.
"Well I guess we just gotta stay inside here," Eliza says and Fitz asks about their pumpkins outside.
"Leave the pumpkins we'll bring them inside once we get those things back into the portal," Kacey tells them and alongside the rest of the residents, they step into the kitchen.
The residents decided on baking Halloween theme inspired cookies and making different gruesome looking drinks. Kacey put on her favorite apron one yellow colored with daisies on it while Mandisa prepared the ingredients in a bowl and cracked three eggs into it. When Kacey was done rolling out the dough Colchester used cookie cutters and pressed the shapes of skulls and rats. While the rest of the residents played around with food coloring and tested various ways to make their beverages that looked like blood made with grapefruit, cranberry juice and food coloring though suddenly a soft knock at the door.
"I'll get it," Jiro told them and ran off.
"Guys' is it okay if my friends joined?" he called out to them holding the door slight ajar.
"What friends is he talking about?" Fitz asked Akira and he said that Jiro had been making 'friends' with the voices so that is probably what he meant.
"Yeah, sure," Kacey answers.
The Seh Ma(a dog with a hand on its tail), banshee (a woman dressed in a long cloak) and a tall person (wearing a top hat and black suit) sheepishly walk in.
"What the-" Fitz taken aback.
"Jiro, Why did you bring these creature in here?" Akira asks.
"They were chasing us to be friends," he simply states.
"Well, we have more than enough for everyone so, let them in," Kacey says and takes her apron off, passing a cookie to man in a suit. After bringing the pumpkins inside, they arranged them in the dining room and kitchen.
They sit down at the dining table and enjoy the festivities. Kacey tosses a cookie in the air and the Seh Ma catches it in its mouth.
"I think I just taught it a trick," she says laughing.
"Hey!" Jiro complains as the Seh Ma uses its hand on its tail to steal a cookie off his plate.
"Would you like one, sir or ma'am?" Akira with a blood- looking drink in hand offering the person with a skull on its face.
The next day they sent their creature 'friends' back into the portal with Gherro's help though Kacey was rather disappointed that her pet dog had left.