Halloween Scare

            “Lee, I promise I won’t get scared! I’ll sleep, I will. It won’t be like those other times, Lee, I /promise/! ‘Cause it won’t be just me watchin’ it alone. Eli’ll be there and you and Ben. I probably won’t even /scream/,” he assured him. Lee sighed a little bit but he finally conceded. It /was/ Halloween, after all. And a horror movie marathon was better than waiting around all night to hand out candy to the two or three kids that came out to their little farmhouse.

            “Fine, we’ll pick up some when we go into town later today. Eli called and said that he and Ben had left, so they should be here by four. Gives us plenty of time to get this place organized,” he said, handing Keiran a broom. Keir groused but went obediently to do his assigned tasks.

            “I bet I could get you scared, mister,” he grumbled, but Lee only laughed as if to say ‘in your dreams.’

…

            By the time Eli and Ben arrived, the farmhouse had been transformed into a very clean but very spooky haunted house. There were fake cobwebs and spiders, bats, and lights strung up inside. The porch hosted four carved pumpkins and lights, along with its own spiders and cobwebs and their annual scarecrow, this year in imitation of a vampire, hanging from the eaves trough.

            Ben carried their bags up to the guest room and was met with a room transformed into a funeral parlour, replete with coffins and corpses and headstones. He laughed nervously and set their things up before he headed back downstairs. The whole house was set up like one of those haunted houses; he was amazed at the work they’d put into everything.

            Downstairs, Eli was sipping at punch that looked like blood and Keiran was putting out cookies shaped like all sorts of ghouls and goblins. He smirked at Ben as he walked in. “Lee’s out back, settin’ something up. He asked me to ask you if you’d go out and help him.”

            Ben snagged a cup of punch and made his way out to the backyard. He heard Lee chopping wood and he headed around to the side of the house where he knew the woodpile was. The chopping had stopped and Lee was nowhere in sight.

            “Lee?” he called as he sipped at his drink. He looked around. The backyard was empty. There wasn’t anything out here besides the little vegetable garden, this time of year empty of any plants. He turned to go back into the house with a little frown when Lee sprang from off the porch in a flying tackle and Ben screamed and the contents of his cup went flying.

            Lee mock-growled, keeping Ben pinned to the ground. He was dressed in a werewolf costume, fake blood staining the muzzle and teeth and claws and Ben wriggled out from under the older man with a huff, straightening his shirt. “Jerk,” he groused, tossing the cup at Lee’s head, but the man only laughed.

            “Scared you, Benny,” he teased as he collected the cup from the lawn and took the mask off, grinning. Ben had to smile though and he playfully punched Lee’s shoulder as he headed up the porch steps and back into the house. Eli and Keiran grinned at him and Eli burst into laughter.

            “Nice setup, brats,” he muttered as he poured himself more punch. Lee came inside and poured himself some punch. Ben leaned into Eli’s side when his lover held out his arm for him. “We’ll get him back for you,” he teased, totally willing to play both sides against the Tops.

            Keiran grinned, knowing what Eli and Ben were discussing and Lee, oblivious, went to strip out of his costume.

            “So, we’re gonna do a scary movie marathon!” Keir told them excitedly. “Lee and I picked up a bunch of horrors, so we won’t even have a lull in our movie watching. I also have Rocky Horror, just ‘cause it’s a Halloween classic and Lee helped me get all the stuff set up for that one, like toast and newspapers and stuff so we can do all the actions too!”

            Ben smiled at that. “That sounds lovely,” he agreed. Eli grinned excitedly. “See Ben, I knew I shoulda brought my panties and corset!” he teased. Ben shook his head and kissed his temple.

            “And Lee made all sorts of creepy food for supper and finger foods for later. And we’ve got chips and pop and blood punch and all sorts of candy! And cookies! And when the kids come, you and me can go scare ‘em, Eli!” he said excitedly. “Though we only get like three kids every year, but its still fun. More candy for us!”

            Ben shook his head. “I’m sure Lee loves that.”

            Keiran shrugged. “Whatever. He doesn’t care as long as I don’t get sick!”

            Lee descended the stairs and heard that comment, and he pretended to wring Keiran’s neck from behind. “I don’t care, eh? I think you’re sorely mistaken, mister Baird,” he said and Keiran giggled, tipping his head back for a kiss.

            Lee grinned at him. “Why don’t you guys go set up a board game or something while I make dinner?” he suggested. Keiran slipped out of his grasp and nodded excitedly and he tugged Eli out to the living room. Ben followed.

            “So, how are we gonna get Lee back?” Eli asked as soon as they were out of earshot and they settled on the floor to concoct their wicked plans.

…

            Dinner was an easy affair of brains (made of shrimp), tapeworm sandwiches (made of sliced hotdogs), and bat wings (made of chicken wings) as well as a plate of vegetables with gut-dip. Ben helped Lee clear up as Eli and Keiran got the living room set up for the movie marathon as well as put into action the first stages of their plan.

            When Ben and Lee joined them, the living room floor was covered in cushions and blankets, the couch was set up with throws and pillows and all the necessary Rocky Horror props were set up in easy reach for everybody to grab at the appropriate times. Keiran and Eli started to set up the snacks as well.

            Ben settled on the floor with Eli, lying on his stomach. Eli settled against him happily, humming as Keir clicked the movie on and ran to join Lee on the couch. About a quarter of the way through the movie, a loud tapping started on the front door. Moments later, it was heard at the back. Lee’s brow furrowed but Ben tried to assure him it was nothing.

            A few minutes later, the knocking continued, this time on both sides of the house, and then the sound of the axe chopping wood joined in. Ben had to stifle his laughter as Lee got up to check what was happening despite Keiran’s protests.

            Lee went outside, turning the porch lights on. As he stepped out, the jack-o-lanterns flickered out and he cast about. All the knocking stopped. As he went around the side of the house, it continued, but he couldn’t find the culprits and after a few tours of the house he returned and flopped on the couch.

            “Weird,” he muttered and Keiran rubbed his back soothingly, lulling him back into a sense of security.

            When Lee got up to switch the movie, he heard scuffling from upstairs. The three men pretended not to hear it, assuring him nothing was the matter. He sat down. By the middle of the movie, he was getting jumpy. Amidst the scuffling, there were now coming low moans and then short sharp screams, muffled as if in a pillow. Nobody else claimed to hear them and when Lee asked, they all denied knowledge of any noise and continued watching the movie.

            Eventually Lee got up to go check for the source of the noise. He was shaking a little as he headed upstairs, turning the lights on. They flickered and went out but he continued bravely on. He saw movement, white flashing lights and then heard the muffled screams again. He headed towards the source but found nothing in the guest bedroom but Ben and Eli’s things and the coffins, set up in the dark room. He felt something brush past him and his heart stopped and he turned, but there was nothing.

He started out of the room and systematically checked all of the rooms and then forced himself to check upstairs in the attic as well before he conceded that there were no intruders. As he descended the stairs, however, he heard the screaming recommence and he nearly tripped down the stairs in his haste to get back to the safety of the living room. Keiran tucked him close when he dove into the couch.

“What took you so long up there? Did you have a nice poop?” he teased and Lee mumbled something and snuggled into his side, trying to ignore the screaming. Keiran kissed the top of his head and smiled smugly to himself. Eli stifled a laugh.

When the movie ended, the screaming had been reduced to low moans once more and Lee refused to get up to change the movie. Keiran and Eli were notably scared of the movies themselves, so Ben changed the disc but Lee screamed and jumped off the couch.

            “No more, please! Something just touched me, oh God,” he wailed. It was hilarious watching him reduced to such a frightened mess. Keiran looked up at him. “Lee, whatever is the matter? You need to calm down,” he urged and Lee looked at him, eyes wide.

“Something /touched/ me, Keiran. I don’t want to watch another horror movie, this place is /haunted/. We’re going to move as soon as possible. Until then, we can live at my parents’ place. I need—” Keiran kissed his nose gently, pulling him back into the couch with him.

“Hush, Lee. This house is not haunted. You’re acting ridiculous. Goodness, a thirty-four year old man getting as scared as you over nothing. Just ridiculous,” he chastised and he heard Eli giggle. Lee huffed and subsided into his arms as Ben pressed play, but he refused to look at the screen. Keiran played with his hair, feeling very satisfied. There was still one more thing to do, though…

Ben snugged Eli close until about halfway through the movie he announced that he was going to get more food. Lee muttered something about a refill on his drink into Keiran’s lap and Eli grinned and got up. He returned silently a few minutes later with the food and a little boy, dressed in white from head to toe, face paint and all, looking very ghostly indeed, carried Lee’s drink behind him. Eli settled back on the floor with Ben and the little ghost boy hovered near the couch. Keiran grinned.

“Here you are, sir,” the ghost-child spoke and Lee looked up with a muffled ‘thanks Eli.’ When he saw the child, he screamed and jumped from the couch. Appearing in the kitchen and dining room doorways were two other ghost-kids, varied in height and age and Lee’s eyes widened. Keiran frowned at him.

“Lee, what’s the matter?” he asked as the children advanced slowly on him. Ben and Eli looked up, feigning concern as if they weren’t seeing the children. Lee pointed at them each in turn, shaking as he backed away. Keiran’s brow furrowed.

“Lee, are you feeling okay?” he asked, stepping towards him. Lee paled and the children picked up their moaning, letting it build to a loud scream once more and Ben and Eli fell to laughing as Lee passed out from the fright.

…

            Ben entertained the three boys in the kitchen, offering them candy and chips, while Keiran tried to resurrect Lee in the living room. They’d moved him from the floor to the couch and put his feet up, and Eli had fetched a cold cloth for Keiran but Lee was out cold.

            Keiran had arranged for the boys to come over. They lived down the street from them – brothers – the oldest nineteen, the middle seventeen and the youngest seven. They had pranked them before so he knew they’d be up to it, especially since there wasn’t much to get by way of candy out in the country, anyways.

            They were giggling in the kitchen, eating the snacks gratefully, proud of a night’s work well done. Eli slipped into the kitchen to kiss Ben’s shoulder gently as he leaned against him. “Lee’s waking up a bit,” he told him and Ben followed him out to the living room. Lee was sitting up on the couch, Keiran rubbing his back soothingly.

           

            “None of you saw them?” he asked, exasperated and starting to fear he’d lost his mind. They all obediently shook their heads, claiming innocence of the ghostly apparitions until the youngest boy came into the living room with a yawn.

            “Keiran? Are there any of those bat wings left?” he asked and Lee nearly passed out again until he recognized the little boy and turned on Keiran.

            “Keiran Jordan Baird,” he started but Keiran only dropped a kiss on his nose and climbed off the couch.

            “Yeah Jonathan, there are some in the fridge,” he assured the boy, leading him away. “Told you I could scare you, mister,” he chuckled.

            Lee fell back into the cushions. “Ugh, this has been a nightmare.”