Evening came. Amelia, Olivia, Sebastian, and Mr. Grimsby stood in front of the old, weathered horse stable, a look of determination on their faces. They opened the creaky stable door, and a cloud of dust billowed out. Amelia waved her hand in front of her face, coughing slightly, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Mr. Grimsby stands beside her beaming from ear to ear. “This is perfect,” he says.
Sebastian drags a box labeled Halloween Decorations written in a spooky, dripping font.
Mr. Grimsby turns to Amelia, “Let’s do this.”
Sebastian opens the CD player and inserts Michael Jackson’s Scream and blasts the music as the crew get to work.
Olivia unrolls a string of flickering orange lights. She carefully drapes them around the stable’s exterior, the lights casting an eerie glow.
Amelia spreads fake cobwebs across the windows and door, the delicate strands catching the light, making the stable look like it’s been abandoned for years.
Mr. Grimsby sets up speakers just outside the stable and decorates them with dark moss that slowly creeps along the ground, giving the scene a mysterious, woodsy feel.
Olivia places a row of carved pumpkins along the path leading to the stable. The glowing faces, each one more sinister than the last, illuminate the path forward.
Sebastian dresses the scarecrow outside the stable with a worn-torn sweater jacket and applies goo running down its mouth.
Amelia hangs a sign on the stable door that reads Enter if you dare. She smiles and takes in the view of the entire stable, now transformed into a haunted hideaway.
Inside the stable, they set up a table with a bubbling cauldron of witch’s brew (green punch with floating gummy worms). Steam rises from the cauldron, adding to the spooky atmosphere. Amelia gives Mr. Grimsby a thumbs up.
They hang a string of Christmas lights on the wall. The lights flicker in a pattern, as if trying to spell out a message.
Mr. Grimsby places a vintage radio on a shelf, turning it to a static-filled station. The radio’s dials give it a nostalgic feel.
The final touch: a life-sized grim reaper placed in the corner. The friends’ proud smiles beam as they step back to admire their work.
The stable, now a beacon of Halloween horror, stands out against the darkening sky. The friends high-five each other, their faces lit by the eerie glow of the decorations.
....
Amelia hangs a few more cobwebs along the beam while Olivia and Mr. Grimsby worked on the grim reaper’s mechanical functions. Sebastian was out by the corner setting up the fog machine, but when he turned it on, it spewed out thick, black smoke instead of fog, sending Sebastian scurrying for clean air, coughing. The others quickly turned, startled.
Sebastian gathers himself and turns to his Mr. Grimsby. “I think the fog machine is broken grandpa,” he says coughing.
“Did you clean out the filter before turning it on?” Mr. Grimsby says.
Sebastian stands there dumbfounded. “What?”
Mr. Grimsby chuckles. Olivia shakes her head. “Why don’t you go help your sister while I set up the fog machine,” he tells her. Olivia nods.
Amelia takes a few steps back, raises her thumb, and closes one eye. Olivia appears from behind.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking to see if it’s accurate,” Amelia says.
Olivia looks at the web then back at her sister.
“It’s crooked,” Olivia says.
“Well, yea if you look at it straight on, but if you tilt your head a little. It kind of straightens out.”
Olivia shakes her head and reaches for more cobwebs. Amelia joins her.
“So, are you going to tell me what you whispered to Mr. Grimsby?” Olivia says.
“Nope,” says Amelia.
“Why not?” Olivia says irritated.
“Because if I tell you, you’ll get upset.”
“Why would I get upset?”
“I don’t know. Just have a feeling you will.”
Olivia shakes her head. “I won’t get upset, but if you don’t tell me, I might.”
Amelia thinks for a moment. “Fine but promise not to get upset.”
“I promise,” Olivia says rolling her eyes.
Amelia leans in and whispers in her ear. Olivia’s face slowly brightens and her eyes glimmer. When Amelia finishes, Olivia looks at her, beaming. A new sense of gratitude and appreciation for her little sister.
“No, I’m not upset, just proud,” Olivia says.
Amelia smiles.
Suddenly, the floor is engulfed in a thick white fog. The sisters watch in awe as the inside becomes alive with eerie mystery. From the fog appears Mr. Grimsby with Sebastian at his side. The smile on Mr. Grimsby’s face says it all.
“Kids, it’s showtime.”