Evie glanced sideways at Damien, who was grinning mischievously as he walked next to her. She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Such an adorable twist, Evie," he teased, his voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Are you planning on killing me now?" Damien asked, his smile widening.
Evie raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing as shemade a face, stepping slightly away from him. "Ugh, the hell? Do you want me to kill you, Jason?" she shot back with a deadpanned, as if the thought of it was utterly beneath her., clearly not fazed by his antics. She raised her prop scythe for dramatic effect.
Richard, who had been listening to the exchange with growing unease, he groaned and let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "God, please just let me stay alive tonight. I don't need this kind of drama. Please just let me stay alive tonight. That's all I'm asking."
Ethan, chewing on his skewers nonchalantly, piped up, oblivious to the tension like it was the most normal thing in the world, looked over at Fiona. "Dora, when are we going to explore the site?" He swallowed before adding, "We can't just walk around all night looking like… well, like this."
Fiona who had been distracted by the ongoing chaos, snapped her fingers and laughed as she clapping her hands together. "Oh, right! I almost forgot about that." She grinned at her friends, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "We are still going, right?"
Evie ever the skeptic, poked at Fiona's pumpkin-shaped candy basket. "Someone's got a lot of treats here. Got yourself a nice little stash there, huh?"She gave Fiona a teasing look, her expression unreadable under her hood.
Fiona giggled and held up her basket proudly. "Trick-or-treating pays off, thank you very much. You wouldn't believe how many houses gave extra when I batted my eyelashes. Besides, I'm prepared for the night. You never know when you'll need a stash. I gotta stock up, in case I need some motivation later"
Ethan smirked. "Of course. Classic Fiona. And here I thought you'd be all serious about our big ghost-hunting mission."
Damien chuckled, looking at Fiona's basket and then at Evie. "Maybe she's just stocking up on bribes in case something really does go wrong."
Fiona stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, please. I'm fully prepared. Unlike some people."
Damien, not one to miss an opportunity, leaned in close to Evie. "Do you ever take that thing off? I mean, the scythe's cool and all, but it's starting to feel like you might be auditioning for Scream 8 or something."
Evie's gaze shifted to Damien, unamused. "Shut up, Jason. I'll let you keep talking, but next time I'll aim for your other neck."
Richard muttered under his breath, "She says that like she's not holding a bloody scythe."
Ethan nudged him, grinning. "Hey, mummy boy, just stick close to Jason and Red Riding Hood. Maybe they'll keep you alive."
Fiona sighed, adjusting her safari hat. "Alright, alright. Let's get going before I eat all my candy and lose motivation."
Richard raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so this is still happening? We're really going to the old building?" He sounded dubious, but there was a glint of curiosity in his eyes.
Damien nodded, looking like he was savoring the chaos of it all. "Yeah, why not? It's Halloween. What better time for a little… adventure?"
Ethan, suddenly interested, turned to Fiona. "So, are we really doing this? I mean, it's not like I'm scared or anything, but I kinda want to know what's going on before we all end up in some horror movie scenario."
Evie gave him a pointed look. "Scared? Please. You're the one who's always trying to act tough."
Ethan grinned. "Well, maybe. But I just need to make sure you're not the one who ends up scaring us to death, Red Riding Hood." Evie rolled her eyes again, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Don't worry, Ethan. The only thing I'm killing tonight is your ego."
Fiona giggled, clearly enjoying the banter. "Alright, alright. Let's focus. We have a mission, and we're not backing out now, right". Fiona giggled again, but her eyes sparkled with a mix of mischief and curiosity. "We'll head over soon, but first, let's make sure we survive the rest of this festival."
Evie shot a glance at her friends, shaking her head slightly. "Survive? With this bunch? It's more like surviving you guys." Damien chuckled, not bothering to hide his amusement. "Well, maybe we'll all make it out alive… but who's to say what's waiting for us tonight?"
The group fell into a brief silence, each person lost in their own thoughts about what the night would bring. It was clear that the tension between them all had only grown, but so had the sense of excitement. No matter how much they teased, there was an unspoken agreement.... they were in this together whether they liked it or not.
Fiona turned to the group, with a theatrical flair, holding her pumpkin basket like a prop. Her face lighting up with excitement. "Alright, listen up! I gathered some information beforehand. It says that at exactly 11:59 p.m. on Halloween night, we're supposed to light candles around the storeroom and chant this creepy little rhyme."
She paused dramatically, her voice dropping into a spooky tone as she recited:
"O demon, the one caged, the one in there for a thousand years, the one missing for the treat, we found it and bless it to you. Let us through and meet you."
She let out an exaggerated "Woo-hoo!" to punctuate the chant, wiggling her fingers like a bad stage ghost.
Evie frowned, arms crossed and scythe resting on her shoulder. "That sounds so… fairytale-like. Are you sure this isn't something out of a bad horror movie?"
Richard, fiddling with the bandages of his mummy costume, looked thoughtful then he raised his hand like a student in class. "Wait, hold up. Why 11:59? Why not midnight? Isn't that when all the spooky horror stuff usually kicks off? Like, right at 12 a.m.?"
Ethan, already looking slightly uneasy, and nervously inching a little closer to Damien who looked skeptical. His usual bravado seemed to have dwindled, and he muttered, "Yeah, seriously, what's with the timing? Who's ever heard of ghost stories starting at 11:59? That's just… bad scheduling."
Damien gave Ethan a knowing smirk and patted his back reassuringly. "That's what I was wondering too. But actually, there's probably a reason for it. A lot of old rituals use that minute before midnight because it's the 'in-between' time, the moment right before one day becomes the next. Makes it creepier, doesn't it?" Ethan grimaced. "Yeah, no. That makes it worse, actually."
Fiona, not one to be deterred, she nodded enthusiastically, ignoring the rising tension as she crossed her arms and huffed. "Exactly! And it ties in with the history of the school too! I read something about it when I was researching—there's supposedly this whole story about how the storeroom was sealed off a long time ago. Some kind of punishment for keeping something dangerous locked away. I kinda dig through creepy forums and weird chatrooms for you guys so no chicken out now."
Evie shot her a dry look. "I'm not chickening out. I just don't want to waste my night standing around chanting fairy tales to the air." Damien chuckled, his smile sharp as ever. "Oh, come on, Evie. What's Halloween without a little spooky fun? Or are you afraid the fairy tale might actually be real?" Evie rolled her eyes. "If it is real, I'll use this scythe to cut a deal with your 'demon,' Jason."
Damien smirked, clearly enjoying the banter. "Don't worry, Evie. If the demon Jason gets loose, I'll make sure it goes after Ethan first." Ethan glared at him. "Gee, thanks for the support, Jason. You're a real team player." Evie rolled her eyes, gripping her scythe prop. "Alright, fine. If we're doing this, we'd better not chicken out halfway. I'm not standing around in a creepy storeroom for nothing."
Then, Ethan raised a finger as if to contribute something profound. "Uh, I mean… if we get haunted or something, Fiona's to blame. She's the one dragging us into this."
Fiona grinned at him unapologetically. "Blame away. But when we find something cool—or get a photo of something creepy—I'm the one getting the credit."
Richard sighed, adjusting his costume. "I just want to make it through the night alive. Is that too much to ask?"
Damien smirked, glancing toward the direction of the storeroom. "Well, then, let's see what this little ritual brings. If nothing happens, you can all owe me candy."
Evie, holding her scythe and shaking her head, muttered, "This is already turning into a disaster."
Richard raised his hand like he was about to make a class presentation. He clears his throat to get attention, "Guys, it's still 9:34 p.m. We've got time, so let's revise this, shall we? I mean, we need a plan, right? A proper plan. I mean, we need a solid plan, right?" He looked around at the group, waiting for confirmation.
Fiona nodded enthusiastically, her excitement undeterred. "Right! Exactly! We're not just going to waltz into an abandoned building without some strategy!" She turned to Damien, clearly ready for the next step. "So, Damien, where's the key to access the building?"
Damien tilted his head, looking slightly amused then let out a small, almost sheepish laugh. "Oh, about that. I didn't bring it with me. It's in the student discipline committee room." He gave a casual shrug, clearly not seeing the issue.
"What?" Fiona blinked, looking mildly betrayed.
Ethan groaned, clearly annoyed. "Great. So, with the whole school packed with crowds and the festival going on, we need to get into that room first? Are you serious? So, we have to sneak into the discipline committee room first? This night just keeps getting better." He rolled his eyes and took another bite of his skewer, already regretting this whole plan.
Damien chuckled, his usual sly grin returning. "Relax, it's not like we're breaking into Mr. Rayback's office, okay?" He winked at them, clearly enjoying the teasing, but the mention of the office gave everyone pause.
Richard nodded in agreement, his face scrunched in distaste. "Yeah, the one who can't go five minutes without glaring at someone. That's a real pleasant place to be, I'm sure."
Evie, who had been leaning against a nearby stall, straightened up at the mention of Mr. Rayback, her expression darkening. "Oh, lovely. Because if it were Rayback's office, I'd officially call it quits."
Fiona tilted her head, curious. "Wait, why? What's so bad about Mr. Rayback's office? Is it because he… kinda like a mid-30s guy who looks like he wants to eat students for breakfast?" she shiver at the thought.
Damien smirked. "Ever heard the stories about that place? Supposedly haunted. Students swear they've seen weird things—papers moving on their own, chairs creaking when no one's sitting in them. And Rayback? He says it's just the wind, but no one's buying it. Plus, chill out everyone, it's just the students discipline committee room. The key's probably somewhere in there. But if you want, we could always make it more interesting and sneak in." He gave them a devilish grin, clearly relishing the idea of sneaking around.
Ethan looked at him, eyes narrowing. "Yeah, 'sneaking in' sounds like a great idea when we're dealing with a creepy, possibly cursed building. But, sure, let's add some spice to it." He gave Damien a flat look.
Richard raised his hands, signaling a time-out. "Okay, okay, focus. So, no Rayback's office. Discipline committee room it is. How do we even get in there with all these people around?"
Damien shrugged. "Simple. We wait until the festival crowd dies down, then sneak in. Worst case, I pull rank as the class president. No one's gonna question me grabbing something from the committee room."
Evie, who had been mostly quiet until now, leaned in, resting her scythe over her shoulder with a smirk. "Alright, alright. So, first we get the key, then what? We go light some candles and chant at a demon? Is that really our plan?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced this would work out as easily as Fiona seemed to think.
Fiona grinned, undeterred by their skepticism. "Exactly! Then we see what happens! Maybe we'll get a free tour of the haunted building! Or we get cursed—either way, it's a win!"
Damien raised a finger, suddenly more serious. "But we should be careful. I heard there are rumors about the committee room being locked down at certain times... and with the crowds around, it might be hard to get in unnoticed." He leaned back a bit, looking at the others as though assessing their readiness.
Richard groaned again, now really wishing he were anywhere else. "Great, so we're going to sneak around, break into a locked room, and maybe get cursed by a thousand-year-old demon. What could possibly go wrong?"
Ethan patted Richard on the back. "Hey, it's all about the thrill, right? You'll have a great story to tell if we make it out alive."
Evie smirked, adjusting her red riding hood costume. "Yeah, and if we don't, we'll have a really interesting story to tell. Anyway, let's get moving before anyone realizes we're up to no good." Ethan looked skeptical. "You say that like we won't all get dragged into detention if we get caught."
Damien gave him a knowing look. "Trust me, Ethan. Stick with me, and you'll stay out of trouble." Evie rolled her eyes. "That's funny, coming from a guy dressed as Jason Voorhees."
Fiona clapped her hands, bringing the group back on track. "Alright, then it's settled. We'll chill for a bit, enjoy the festival, and when the time's right, we'll go get that key. Everyone on board?"
Richard quickly stopped the group, holding his hands up like a traffic officer. "Wait! Wait! We need a proper plan, guys!" He sighed dramatically, clearly overwhelmed by the chaos. He let out a sigh, already exhausted by their chaotic energy. "First off, Fiona, what else do you know about the rumor? That can't be all—light some candles and chant? You did mention something about a history. What's the deal with that?"
Everyone turned to Fiona, who froze like a deer caught in headlights. Then, with a sheepish laugh, she pulled out a worn book from her explorer bag. "Rhyme, chant, candles, history! Oh, right! Sorry about that!" she said, excitedly, as if she had just remembered something important.
Evie facepalmed, her scythe leaning against her shoulder. " So now we're diving into history? Is this gonna be another long-winded myth? Because I've had enough myths for one lifetime. Or is it something we actually need to worry about?"
Fiona giggled and nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Ethan and Evie exchanged exasperated glances, but Fiona didn't notice. She cleared her throat dramatically, as if she were about to announce a grand revelation. "Well, the legend doesn't actually start with our school," she began, her voice dropping into a more serious tone. "It goes way back... way before the school was even built. Kind of... during the witch hunts."
"Of course it's a myth," Evie muttered under her breath. "It's always a myth."
Fiona ignored the complaints and cleared her throat, ready to explain. "The legend doesn't actually start with our school. It's way older than that. It goes back to the witch hunts. You know, like waaaay back when people thought women who knew herbal remedies were summoning demons or something."
Damien raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "The witch hunts, huh? Now it's getting interesting. Go on."
Ethan took a bite of his skewers, speaking with his mouth half-full. "Yeah, sure, 'interesting.' Let's add witches to the mix. Why not?"
Fiona flipped through the pages of the book, her tone turning more serious. "Legend has it that during the witch hunts, a group of witches bound a powerful demon into a cage using a special ritual. They wanted to protect their coven and their secrets, so they locked the demon away, hiding it in a place no one would ever think to look—a forest that eventually became the grounds where our school was built."
Evie leaned in slightly, despite herself. "Wait. So, you're saying that a bunch of witches dumped a demon in what's now our school's creepy storeroom? Why? To teach algebra to future generations?"
Fiona shook her head. "Not exactly. The rumor says the demon was hidden to keep it from being used by witch hunters or anyone who might exploit its power. But here's the thing—there was a condition. Every Halloween, the seal weakens, and the demon demands an offering. If no one fulfills the ritual, bad things start happening."
Richard raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Bad things like what? Pop quizzes? Extra homework?"
Fiona shot him a look. "No! Like accidents, disasters, and people disappearing. You know, real bad stuff. The witches made sure to pass down the ritual instructions to keep the demon contained, but over time, the story got twisted into what we now think of as a school myth."
Damien stroked his chin, clearly invested. "So, the storeroom is actually the site of the cage, and this chant is meant to appease the demon, keeping it from breaking out?"
Fiona nodded. "Exactly! The candles are part of the ritual to recreate the binding spell. The chant is like a password, letting the demon know it's being acknowledged and, hopefully, keeping it calm."
Ethan pointed his skewer at her. "So, what you're saying is… if we mess this up, we could unleash a demon on the entire school? Cool. No pressure, right?"
Fiona shrugged with a playful grin. "Well, that's why we can't mess it up!"
Evie groaned again, leaning her head back dramatically. "Oh, fantastic. We're not just messing around with some creepy chant for fun—we're playing demon babysitters now. This just keeps getting better."
Richard, still clutching onto hope for survival, sighed deeply. "Okay, fine. But if I end up being the first victim, I'm haunting all of you. Just saying."
Damien chuckled, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Richie. If it comes to that, I'll make sure your ghost has a proper memorial service. Right, Fiona, I'm kind of curious about the rhymes what was it again?"
Fiona grinned, clearly delighted that someone showed interest. She flipped back a few pages in her book, dramatically clearing her throat. "The rhyme goes like this… O demon, the one caged, The one in there for a thousand years, The one missing for the treat, We found it and bless it to you. Let us through and meet you. Creepy, right?" Fiona gives each person the rhymes note.
Damien tilted his head, his ember eyes glinting with amusement. "Hmm, a little poetic, don't you think? It's like the demon was asking for a bedtime lullaby instead of candy."
Ethan snorted. "Yeah, what's next? 'Roses are red, violets are blue, don't eat us, and we'll give candy to you'?"
Richard groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Can you two not? We're talking about possibly unleashing a demon, and you're cracking jokes like this is open mic night."
Evie, standing off to the side, raised a finger. "Actually, Richie has a point. Fiona, are we absolutely sure this rhyme is the real deal? It doesn't sound super binding to me. More like a demon Tinder profile."
Fiona frowned, looking at the book again. "This is what's in the records. I didn't make it up! Besides, it's supposed to sound... respectful, I guess. It's not about binding anymore—it's about making sure the demon knows we're honoring the tradition."
Damien nodded thoughtfully. "I get it. It's about showing reverence, not confrontation. If the witches managed to contain the demon for this long, they probably figured flattery works better than threats." Evie crossed her arms. "Yeah, well, if this demon doesn't appreciate the rhyme, it's not my fault when we all end up on the menu."
Ethan grinned and nudged Damien. "If it comes to that, Jason Voorhees here can just chop it up, right?"
Damien smirked. "Oh, I don't know. I'd rather hear what Evie has to say to it. Something tells me she'd scare it off just by glaring."
Evie rolled her eyes. "Right. Because demons are definitely terrified of red riding hood with a prop scythe."