MOONSPELL

by

PiperMerlyn

Chapter 7

The Chapters

INTRO

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

Joe Hardy was determined to sleep late Saturday morning. He wasn't going to let him mother's cooking wake him--or his brother's insistent prodding. He wasn't going to get out of bed before ten.

"Joe, wake up. We've got a lot of stuff to do. The party's Monday night."

Joe rolled onto his side, squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating on his vow of not getting up anytime soon. "Go away."

"Come on, Joe," said Frank. "Or I'll find a water gun somewhere and squirt you until you wake up."

Joe just ignored him. A few minutes later, a stream of ice-cold water hit him in the face. "Hey!" Joe sat up and glared at Frank. "Damn it, it’s Saturday."

"Watch your tongue or Mom will cut it out for you," whispered Frank. "Now get up."

"Give me one good reason why."

"Your awesome haunted house plan?"

Joe heaved a sigh, and then glanced at his clock— 9:37 . "Man, I could've easily slept twenty-three more minutes."

Frank shrugged. "You're awake now. Mom saved you some breakfast."

"You're bribing me with food?"

Frank smirked. "Is it working?"

Joe heaved another sigh. "Fine. I'm up. Get me a towel."

Frank rolled his eyes and got his brother a towel. He waited impatiently as Joe dressed and ate. As soon as Joe was ready, he and Frank headed for the mall. "I talked to Callie this morning. She said since there are only six character cards, six weapon cards and nine room cards, teams should work well. The question is who gets to be team leader?"

"Make it really random. Each of us will stuff some envelopes with cards, then address them. No one will know exactly who will be leaders. There're what, twenty, twenty-one cards?"

"Twenty-one." Frank nodded. "Callie said some instructions should be included in the invite."

"We're playing the game. Since no one including us will know who has what card, it'll be fun."

"But what about the cast? Who plays the characters?"

Joe sat there for a moment, thinking. "Hey, what if we change the scenario a little." He glanced around, realizing they were at the mall. "Are we meeting Callie?"

"First we're getting supplies--candles, matches, oil lamps. Callie said Liz told her there's no electricity."

"Then are we meeting Callie?"

"We're meeting everyone. Since the plans have changed, it's only fair."

"Good, I'll only have to say this once."

"Say what?"

"How the scenario changes." Joe gave his brother a devilish grin. "And how I get to still be Freddy Krueger." He gave an evil laugh all the way to the mall's entrance.

Frank just shook his head and groaned.

***

Two hours later, Frank sat back in his seat and thought it over. His brother's idea was really good. Apparently, Joe had thought out all possibilities--except one. Frank glanced at Callie. "Can you return those costumes?"

Callie nodded. "I still have the receipt. But we could go as the Phantom and the girl next year."

Joe snorted. "I might have an even better idea next year."

"Keep it up," retorted Callie, "and that old fedora won't fit over your huge head."

Vanessa laughed. "I like it though."

"Yeah, me too," said Tony. "But is it okay to do? I mean there's been a movie made about the game. I'm sure if we go as the characters everyone will figure it out."

"We'll have to give them some clue." Joe grinned at the unintentional pun.

Biff nodded. "I have an idea. Each of the characters symbolizes a color, right? Why not take the characters and make them more recognizable. Like the little old lady instead of Mrs. White™, why not Mrs. Doubtfire."

Karen nodded. "And like that old gentleman who looks like a British officer, Colonel Mustard™. Why not Alan Quartermain--like in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

Sara, who'd chosen to be Ms. Scarlett™, grinned. "Like I'll really be Vivian from Pretty Woman." At the blank looks, she added, "Julia Roberts' character."

Liz frowned. "But Mrs. Doubtfire was played by a guy."

Joe shrugged. "You'll just have to play a guy playing Mrs. Doubtfire."

Liz shot him a glared. "Very funny."

"What about Professor Plum™?" asked Tony. "If Chet's Quartermain, who could I be?"

"Professor, professor," mused Frank. "Hah, Indiana Jones. He is a professor."

Tony grinned and cocked an eyebrow. "Cool."

They discussed the plan a little more, and then everyone started drifting away, either to go shopping or elsewhere. Callie got to her feet. "I've got the costumes in the car still. I'll go get them and return them, see if they have any cop uniforms."

Frank nodded. "Want me to help?"

"Sure."

Joe watched his brother leave with Callie, then sighed. He helped himself to the last slice of pizza. "Planning parties is hard work."

Vanessa laughed. "It sounds like fun."

Joe grinned. "So you're clear on everything?"

"Even the timing. It'll be perfect, Joe. Absolutely perfect."

Joe sobered slightly, realizing he did want everything to go well. "I hope so."

***

"It's just unbelievable."

Frank and Joe heard their aunt's voice all the way from the kitchen the moment they walked through the doors. They shared a puzzled look as they heard their mother say, "Gertrude, things like this happen. After all, it will be Halloween soon."

"But it's ridiculous. I voted for the man," snapped Gertrude. "The very idea this newspaper would report such rubbish."

Joe and Frank hurried into the kitchen. "What rubbish?" asked Joe.

Gertrude Hardy snorted and shoved the morning paper at Joe. "Here. Read it."

Joe scanned the front-page article and his eyes went wide. "No way."

"What?" asked Frank, his curiousity in overdrive.

"A wolf. The mayor says he was jogging like he does every morning. It was still dark enough for the streetlights to be on and he swears he saw a huge wolf in the park, just loping along. He said there were what looked like tatters of clothing attached to the wolf."

Frank read between the lines and groaned. "Oh no, it's bad enough with mummies, mermaids and fairies. A werewolf?"

Laura gave her son a sharp look. "What are you talking about?"

"Pranks, Mom," said Joe, his normal good humor gone. "Someone's going to an awful lot of trouble to play a few stupid pranks." He tossed the paper on the table. "It is ridiculous, Aunt Gertrude, but don't blame the mayor. He's just the one the idiots pulled it on first, probably."

Laura narrowed her blue eyes, looking fleetingly like her youngest son. "Pranks? Are you certain?"

Frank ticked off everything that had happened since Sunday evening. "It all seems centered on that family that just moved into the old Lancaster estate. But we've met some of them, aside from being eccentric, they seem okay."

Gertrude frowned. "Some things aren't always what they seem." She glanced at the boys' mother. "Laura, I think you should call Fenton."

"He'll be home later, Gertrude. Time enough for bad news then." Laura turned back to the stove where she was cooking. She glanced at the boys. "Lunch will be ready in half an hour." She arched one eyebrow. "If you need to know."

Frank bit back a grin. "We, um, ate at the mall."

"We gotta unload the van," said Joe. "Come on."

Gertrude turned her suspicion on them. "What are you two up to?"

"The perfect Halloween." Joe started for the door. "Oh, Mom, where's my old CLUE™ game?"

"In the attic. Why?"

Joe grinned. "It's all part of the plan," he said in a mysterious voice. "Come on, Frank."

Two hours later, the brothers left to head out to Birch Road cemetery and the house. In bright daylight, the house looked even more haunted and forbidding. Joe lugged a bag of props to the front door. "This is going to be so much fun."

Frank rolled his eyes. "I'm glad we got the cards to Liz. I should have known she'd already have the invitations set up."

Joe shrugged and nodded to Frank as they went inside. "You hide yours, I'll hide mine. That way even we won't know what's what."

Frank nodded and started for the kitchen, only to hear a wolf howl. He stopped cold in the doorway. "I thought wolves only howled at the moon."

Joe glanced back at him. "You mean you don't know something--will wonders never cease."

Frank rolled his eyes and went on with the hiding. A few minutes later, he met Joe back in the foyer. "Well, that's done."

"We still have much to do. Come on."

Before Frank could take a step, his cell phone rang. He answered it. "Sure...Mom, we will. Bye." He glanced at Joe. "Hold up. Mom wants us to go pick up Dad at the airport."

"That will put us back hours."

Frank looked thoughtful. "Well, only one of us needs to go." He looked around the cemetery but that would mean the other would be stranded here for at least an hour or two."

"Fine by me." Joe unloaded the rest of the bags of stuff. "Go get Dad."

Frank didn't take a step. "Joe, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"What, scared of ghosts, Frank?" Joe's tone was sarcastic. "It's daylight. Spooks only come out at night."

Frank didn't look convinced. "What about the pranks, Joe. What if it's something more serious than we thought?"

Joe rolled his eyes and lugged the bags to the porch. "The longer you stand there, the longer it'll take you to go get Dad and get back here."

Frank sighed and got into the van. He started to put the cell phone in his pocket, but instead handed it to Joe. "At least if something happens, you can call someone."

Joe nodded, looking impatient. "Go."

Frank sighed again and pulled out of the long driveway, still looking pensive. Joe shook his head, wondering what could possibly go wrong. He walked into the house and set about unloading the candles, candleholders and packages of spider-webs. Although the house had it's share of real cobwebs, Joe had wanted more for atmosphere.

Excited about putting his brilliant plan in action, Joe got busy and one hour, then another swiftly flew by as he set up candles in each room, spun his fake cobwebs, complete with spiders. He would have loved to add a lot of black light but without electricity, it would be pointless--Unless...

Joe stopped what he was doing and stood there thinking. Did he know anyone with a generator? That would help a lot. That way they could string up lights and stuff. Hmm....He was distracted just then by a wolf howl. He glanced at the nearest window and noticed it was a lot dimmer than it had been before. He glanced at his watch. "Four o'clock, already." He walked to the open door, saw the reason it looked darker was because the autumn sun was behind the trees now. "Wonder where Frank is?"

His hand went to the cell phone in his pocket. Should he call the van? He walked out onto the porch and went very still. A large four-legged animal was standing only a yard from the porch. It was shaggy; it's fur a silvery gray. Around it's neck was the remnant of a shirt collar and shreds of the fabric were caught in the animal's thick fur.

The wolf stared at him with almost intelligent eyes, and then took several steps closer to the porch. Joe debated with himself whether to throw something at the creature or run back inside and slam the door. Suddenly, the wolf glanced behind at the gravel drive and bolted past the porch and into the trees.

Joe let out a long sigh as he saw his brother pull up. He hurried to the van. "Where have you been?"

"Dad's flight was delayed, then when we got home, Mom and Aunt Gertrude made me tell him everything."

"So no one was worried that I was out here by myself."

Frank tried not to grin and failed. "Something spook you, little brother?"

"Laugh if you want to. I just saw a wolf. It heard you drive up and loped off."

"A wolf?"

"The wolf. The one the mayor saw this morning."

Frank blinked, startled. "Are you sure?"

"Still wearing some of the clothes. It was huge, Frank, if I didn't know any better, I'd think it was a werewolf."

Frank let out an explosive sigh and got out of the van. "This is getting ridiculous."

"You're telling me."

Frank shook his head. "So how does everything look?"

"Come on, before the last of the light goes." Joe led the way back into the house and Frank followed.

He grinned. "Not bad, little brother. I think this is going to be a blast."

"Yeah, me too." He glanced up at the ceiling as a rumble sounded. "I didn't know it was supposed to rain tonight."

"Come on. If it rains out here, that gravel will be useless with the mud and we'll have to spend the night." Frank headed out onto the porch and stopped.

Joe pulled the door shut and nearly ran into his brother. "Hey, warn somebody next--" Joe broke off when he saw what had made Frank go still. The wolf had returned, its front paws on the porch, ready to jump up.

It studied the brothers for a long moment then lifted it's upper lip in a teeth-bearing snarl. Joe backed up against the closed door. "Frank," he whispered. "We have to get inside before--"

The wolf jumped up onto the porch and approached them carefully. It sniffed Frank's jeans, and then angled its head to focus on Joe. It snarled again, looking from brother to brother, then sat back on its haunches as if it was planning to stay there.

As it shifted it's body into a sitting position, the last of the daylight glinted on something gold around the animal's neck. Frank thought he saw a small gold crucifix but his eyes could be playing tricks on him. The funny thing was, he'd seen a pendant just like that---when?

The animal's fur was a gold-brown, almost highlighted with blond streaks. Suddenly, with a flash of memory, he knew. "Reiden," he whispered.

Joe frowned. "What?"

The wolf cocked it's head to one side, then stepped closer, sniffed Frank again, then ran a long slobbering tongue across Frank's palm and loped off the porch and headed for the trees. Frank watched it run. "Impossible."

Joe told his heart to slow down. "What?"

"Reiden."

"That's the twins' dad, right, the brother to the goth rocker, right?"

"Yes."

Joe's blue eyes widened as he looked to the trees where the wolf had disappeared. "No freaking way, Frank, that would make him a werewolf." Joe shook his head. "No way."

Frank sighed, suddenly tired. "Let's just go home, figure this all out later."

Joe couldn't argue with that. He didn't want to see that wolf again any time soon.

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