Turning to run and flee from the Halloween costume party store, Albert dropped his red bicycle. I tried to keep my best friend from running away from the store, but he was too fast and already hurrying away from us. I turned and looked at the window to the party store.
I saw the shadowy figure of the young man open the front door to the closed store. He had an older mature look, wearing a wizard's cloak and hat. "You! You made it on time!" the young cloaked wizard said, excitedly. "What purpose brings you here tonight, young lad?" he asked.
"A costume for a party," I explained, my voice shaky with fear. "My friend and I were invited to a special Halloween party," I continued. I didn't know if this stranger should be trusted. Or even if I should be talking to him. He stroked his hands together, beckoning me to come inside the dark, empty party store. "No. I shouldn't–" Suddenly, the young wizard pulled me inside.
Closing the shop door, the lights turned on by themselves. Looking around the brightly lit party store, the young, immature wizard seemed interested in keeping me here. "Have you ever had a job, before, lad?" he asked me. I didn't know what to say. "I need some help around here," he continued.
I shook my head. I didn't know if I even had the responsibility to even get lucky to have a job. I hope there was more of an opportunity to get caught with getting myself into. "What do you want me to do?" I asked, suspiciously.
He laughed and clapped his hands together. "Wonderful, lad!" he said, happily. "Okay, I'm having a going out of business sale. I need all of my inventory stock of Halloween costumes to be sold before next year's Halloween celebration at the town's parade," the wizard clerk explained. "Can you make sure everything gets sold until he goes out of stock, permanently until next year?" he asked.
I remained silent and looked around the brightly lit party store in fascination. "It seems like a big responsibility, sir. What if somebody doesn't like what they've bought, here? Or they can't afford it and want a refund if a costume they bought doesn't fit them? These things happen. And it would be a big responsibility for me to handle. If I can't assist the customers," I said.
Rubbing his dry hands together, the wizard clerk said, "You're hired! I trust you can handle this job. While I go visit the Halloween party down the street, to let the party host everything will be ready for this year," he said. He started to walk out of the party store, whistling a happy tune.
"Wait!" I halted him. He stopped and slowly turned around to face me. "What if they don't recognize my authority? To give them discounts or special offers they might think would be important for them to invest in a costume they may never get to use again?" I asked.
"You'll think of something, kid! I'm off to the Halloween costume party, before it gets too late!" He said, quickly. Before I could ask anymore questions, he walked out of the store. The bell jingled above the door as he hurried out of his store, abandoning me inside, to be all alone, by myself.
I didn't know what to expect. I walked over to the cash register by the front door. There was a key in the lock of the register. I grabbed it and turned it to open the cash register. Inside, there was nothing but dust. It made my eyes water and made me cough. I quickly slammed the cash register closed.
Suddenly, the front door bell rang. As somebody walked through the door, expecting it to be a customer! Inside, looking up from the cash register front desk, I turned and saw it was my best friend who had entered the door. Albert had his back against the store door, looking haunted. I don't think he realized where he had come from.
"Albert! Buddy!" I said, more loudly than I meant too. He jumped with fright and turned to look at me by the front door. "Where have you been? I got myself a store clerk job position today!" I said, laughing with stress relief.
Looking with much interest, Albert walked over to the cash register desk by the front door. "Wow! Where's your uniform, though? To make you stand out more than everybody else?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
"The manager had to special order it for me. He's on a mission right now. Dude, can you believe how awesome this is! I'm in charge of everything that goes on at this Halloween party store!" I continued, hoping to make sense.
Albert nodded and agreed in amazement. Looking around the haunted Halloween masks on the back walls, seemed to get his attention. Suddenly, the lights flickered. Albert and I jumped but didn't think of anything else about it.
Looking at the wall of monster Halloween masks, all of their eyes started to glow and lit up. Howling, they seemed to come to life before our eyes. "No! Run away Kirk!" Albert screamed, turning to run away from the Halloween party store. He tripped over his shoelaces and hit his head on a shelf with monster make-up on it.
I wanted to help my friend, but there was nothing I could do. He was unconscious and I was to be held responsible for getting my best friend in an accident. "Please don't hurt us! What do you want?" I screamed at all the Halloween masks glowing and howling at me.
"Get out of this store!" one of the fanged werewolf masks said. "You don't have what it takes to keep it haunted," it continued, angrily.
"I just want Halloween to be fun, like it used to be," I said. "My friend didn't deserve to get hurt. You shouldn't have to scare somebody innocent so much. You would do anything to have it your way!" I shouted.
"Get out, while you still can!" the Halloween monster masks on the back wall of the store chanted. "Or be warned you will never celebrate Halloween ever again!" The monster masks were not happy with me.
"Halloween is my favorite holiday!" I explained. "I can't stop believing in what will make me somebody different every year. Even if it's just make-believe. I won't ever stop believing in the spirit of Halloween!" I said, honestly.
Suddenly, lightning flashed outside the night sky. Making thunder boom and the lights from the Halloween party store explode and flash off. The Halloween monster masks on the wall all started to glow bright red.
They started to float off their racks on the wall. "Get away from here, now kid!" yelled the growling werewolf mask. "We are warning you to leave while you still can!" it continued, angrily.
Grabbing hold of my best friend, Albert Alexander, who was still unconscious, next to me, I hurried out of the Halloween party store. I closed the door behind me. Trying to get Albert to wake up, I propped him beside our fallen bicycles.
I turned to look at the window party store. The Halloween monster masks from inside of the store were still glowing and yelling at us at the front of the window store. "Come on, dude. Wake up. Time to go home," I said, trying to slap Albert awake.
But nothing was going to get my best friend to stir awake. I started to drag Albert and myself away from the dark, haunted Halloween party store. I couldn't just run away. There must be an easier way out of this.
It started to lightning from the stormy night sky and began to rain on us. Getting soaked in the rain, I turned as Albert started moaning himself awake. "Albert! Wake up, buddy," I urged him, quietly. He opened his eyes, and stared blankly at me, dazed and confused.
"What happened?" Albert asked me, groggily. I didn't have to explain. Because as I started to help get Albert to his feet, the wizard clerk stood before us.
"Heavens to mercy!" the wizard clerk said, in shocked dismay. Turning to look at the Halloween party store, it seemed to be haunted with a curse that brought everything to life. "Time will not keep up with itself, on this Hollow night," he told us. "Whatever is after you, Kirk Hopscotch, doesn't want you to be alive," the wizard clerk said. "I promise Halloween won't keep you haunted forever, kids," he said.
Before Albert and I got on our plastic bicycles to hurry home in the rain, the wizard clerk went inside his Halloween costume party store. Where the alive haunted costumes and monster masks surrounded him. And feed on his dark power. The suddenly young wizard clerk got drained and old before us. Time ended for him too soon…
Turning to look away from the Halloween party store, Albert and I never looked back from us. As we hurried home in the thunder store. Never to be the same again…
THE END?!