"GHOULS NIGHT OUT"

HALLOWEEN 2007 HARDY BOYS CONTEST ENTRY

GUARDIAN ANGELS

by

Author F

Chapter 3

The Chapters

INTRO

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

“No!” Frank repeated, beginning to get angry.  He and Callie had managed to find their way back to the entrance where he’d hoped they would find Joe and Vanessa waiting with the rest of their friends. But the only thing they’d found was barely controlled chaos.

Frank had stood on tiptoe, using his six-foot-one-inch height advantage to try and pick out his brother’s blonde hair with no success.  Callie had spotted the rest of their group, standing off to the side looking shell-shocked and Frank had practically dragged her the short distance to them.  He’d hoped maybe Joe was with them and Frank simply hadn’t spotted him, but no one had seen Joe or Vanessa.

An EMT, having seen the bloodstained scarf around Frank’s arm, quickly swooped in insisting Frank sit down and be triaged, which led to the current stand-off.  The paramedic was adamant that Frank be taken to the hospital for stitches and Frank was just as adamant that he was not leaving.

Two SWAT teams and what seemed like hundreds of police officers had quickly converged on the scene and taken control.  After surrounding and infiltrating the corn maze, the law enforcement personnel had located and cornered the gunman. However after repeatedly ignoring the SWAT teams’ orders to put down his gun, he’d been shot dead. 

The red and blue strobe lights on the emergency vehicles were now throwing an eerie flashing curtain of light over the stunned crowd of people.  Ambulances were lined up loading and treating the injured, and every few minutes one of them would streak away, sirens wailing. The orchard and parking lot itself had been cordoned off with police tape and just beyond it news crews had set up shop, attempting to talk to anyone who looked their way.

As the EMT tried one more time to convince Frank to go to the emergency room for a tetanus shot and stitches, a familiar figure strode towards Frank, Callie and their friends.  “Any sign of Joe?” Frank asked hopefully as Con Riley, a detective with the Bayport P.D. and good friend of the Hardys, crouched down next to him.

Con shook his head, frowning.  “They were able to tell us exactly how many people were in the maze,” he jerked his head towards the ticket office.  “A couple of them are still in there, waiting to be brought out, but other than that everyone has been accounted for – everyone except Joe and Vanessa.”  He looked at Frank, concern in his eyes. “We’ve looked everywhere, Frank. It’s like they just…vanished. Are you sure they didn’t leave early and just not tell you?”

Frank was already shaking his head before Con had even finished the question.  “No, absolutely not,” he answered with complete conviction.  “Joe would have called and told me.  Besides, our van is still here,” he waved towards the parking lot.  “He’s still here, Con…. Somewhere.”

“Well, we’re still looking and we won’t stop until we find them,” Con said, standing up.

“Good. Count me in,” Frank said, pushing himself up.

“You need to go to the hospital!” the EMT said yet again, standing up next to Frank and pointing at his arm. “Those butterfly bandages are supposed to be temporary.  You need stitches!”

Frank threw the man a withering look and then turned his back completely.  He glared silently at Con.

“Frank, he’s right,” Con said half-heartedly, waving towards the fleet of ambulances.

Frank took one step forward, dangerously close to infringing on Con’s personal space.  He stared at his friend, his voice low but deadly. “I am not leaving here without my brother.”

*****

“Iola!”

Joe’s eyes widened and for a moment he couldn’t move.  Then he lowered Vanessa’s body to the ground and scrambled backwards. He looked around frantically, totally disoriented as memories of last Halloween floated back to him and shock gave way to burning rage.  What kind of sick, twisted person would do this again? Make him think he was seeing the ghost of his dead girlfriend? His anger flared at the thought and Joe stared at the girl in front of him, almost willing her to vanish. “You’re not real.”

Iola Morton smiled sadly. “Yes, Joe, I am…sort of.”

She took a step towards him and Joe scooted back a little more until he was pressed up against the corn stalks.  “No!” he shook his head vehemently. “You’re not!  You weren’t real last year and you aren’t real now!”

Iola’s smile faded.  “I’m so sorry about last year…what they did to you, what they put you through.”

Joe gasped as her eyes glowed an inhuman angry yellow.  “They paid for that. I made sure of it,” she said cryptically.  The glow faded, replaced by a wistful sadness. “I wanted to be the one, Joe.”

“The one?” he repeated, no longer sure this was someone simply made to look like Iola Morton.

“Mm-hmm.” With blinding speed Iola was suddenly sitting next to him.  His mind told him to move, to run, but his heart told him something different.  Iola smiled encouragingly and then reached out and took his hand.  Joe flinched but something told him not to pull away.  He looked down at their clasped hands, marveling at how small Iola’s hand looked against his.  In contrast to the tall, long-legged blonde that was Vanessa Bender, Iola had been a petite, dark-haired pixie.  Her hand felt soft and smooth and warm and as Joe stared at it, his breath caught in his throat.  She was wearing the ring he had given her for her last birthday.  Iola had turned seventeen shortly before her death and Joe had given her a heart-shaped birthstone ring.  She’d been wearing it the day she died.  Slowly he raised wide eyes to meet hers.

“Yes, Joe…” she smiled comfortingly, “it’s really me.  And I was there last year too.” Her smile faltered. “I hadn’t been dead all that long though, and didn’t know I could have helped, interceded on your behalf.”

Joe frowned, confused.  “What could you possibly have done?”

Iola squeezed his hand and smiled again.  “Tonight…Halloween…is the one night of the year spirits can walk the earth. We can see – and be seen, if we so desire – by the ones we love. By the people who loved us.  It’s the one night of the year we can show ourselves.  The one night of the year we can be a part of your life again.”  Her eyes filled with sadness.  “I’m so sorry, Joe.  I didn’t know I could have stopped them. I didn’t know I could have helped you.”  A tear fell from her eye and Joe was mesmerized by the fiery trail it left on her cheek before she wiped it away.  She straightened her shoulders and Joe saw a look of intense determination on her face. “But tonight will be different…” she vowed.  Slowly Iola turned and looked down at Vanessa’s body.

Joe followed her line of sight, so shocked at Iola’s sudden appearance he’d briefly forgotten. Choking out a sob he crawled over to Vanessa.  “I’m sorry, Van…I’m so sorry.”  Joe gathered her in his arms, crying silent tears of grief.

A moment later he felt a warm, gentle touch on his shoulder. “She’s perfect for you.”

Joe lifted his head and looked at Iola, wide-eyed.

“You’re surprised to hear me say that, I know,” she grinned.  “But she is. I knew she would be…”

Joe fleetingly wondered what she meant, but only until he looked down at the limp, lifeless body cradled in his embrace. “But she’s dead.” He choked on the word and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Yes, she is,” Iola agreed, her voice soft and sad. She laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “But not for long.  This is the one night of the year I can make a difference.  I can bring Vanessa back to you…and I will.”

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