[booklover789]

Zombies?!

Azlyn and Crusher walked through the shrieking wind that tore at the trees, spitting sand into their faces. They finally reached the tomb, and crept down carefully. Ice covered the steps, and fog hung at the edges of their vision. The stench of fear filled the air.
Crusher wasn't having a good time. "Azlyn...why are we here again? Why aren't we back on the ship?"
"It's Halloween, Crusher," Azlyn said, an annoyed lilt to her voice. "Yeah, it's a little spooky down here, but it's nothing to be afraid of."
"Well...I can't see what's in front of me. Can't you explain what it looks like, so I can at least visualize my surroundings?"
Realizing she'd been insensitive, she apologized. "Sorry - of course. We're in the tomb, now. Those stairs back there were covered with ice, and as you can tell, it's freezing in here. The floors are marble, but have been coated with ice and snow, and the ceiling has sharp icicles hanging down from it. In front of us are two paths - one left and one right. I'm assuming the right leads downward to the actual tomb where the mummy is - we'll need to secure it for the Captain."
Crusher gulped. "Fine - just lead the way." He reached out a shaky paw and grasped hers.
"Sure," she said with a smile, trotting to the right.
Going down the winding staircase, Crusher got queasy a few times, so they had to stop and rest every few feet. They finally reached the bottom, and Azlyn gasped in surprise. "Crusher, this isn't a mummy - it's a cauldron!"
"A what?"
"One of those big, metal pots that witches brew their stuff in."
"Oh, those things. What's it doing in a tomb?"
"We must've taken the wrong staircase - the tomb must've been to the left. Darn it!"
Crusher shrugged. "Back up we go?"
"Not yet," Azlyn protested. "I wanna look around first."
Sniffing around, nothing of much value other than the cauldron were down there. She frowned. "Man, looks like we've wasted our time down here. Guess you're right - let's just turn back and go up the stairs again. Perhaps we'll have better luck - "
A snarl sounded behind them.
Azlyn froze.
Crusher felt her stiffen. "What's wrong, Azzy?"
She turned, and her gaze saw that of dead, yellowed eyes. Rotting flesh stared back at her. Her nostrils recoiled at the stench, and her eyes traversed the broken body. "Um...Crusher?" she squeaked.
"Yeah?"
"Do you believe in zombies?"
"Pshaw. No. Of course not. They're as foolish as ghosts - they don't exist. C'mon, some wolf coming back from the dead? Who'd believe that?"
"You should," Azlyn said, yanking his paw, "because there's one right behind us!"
It lurched forward, a crimson liquid sliding down its neck from the drool escaping its mouth. With a gnarly hiss, it reached a weathered paw forward...
Azlyn pulled Crusher up the stairs as fast as her paws would carry her, ignoring him when he complained about his stomach again. "What would you rather happen: we die or you have a stomach ache?" she snapped, stringing him along after her.
Slipping on the icy steps as they made their way back to the stinging wind and fog, Azlyn sighed in relief. "Let's get outta here."
"What about the tomb?"
"It's not worth it," she said, shaking her head. "Let's just get back to the ship, where we're safe."
They both trotted off, paw-in-paw.
The zombie reached the top of the stairs, and stared out after them. With one, lifeless hiccup, it stepped forward, out of the tomb.

[yeena]

John poked lightly at the stiff side of the cauldron, wondering where Jake found this. It didn't feel plastic or anything, it felt quite real; which possibly bothered him. Leaning over the cauldron a bit, he watched ice bob around in the red liquid. Some sort of punch that was quite bitter yet still enjoyable.

The gray wolf didn't dress up this hallow, simply putting on his wonderful blue sock hood he adored and calling it a night; he was the practical god of the wind. He didn't need any outfit. John might've tried a zombie if he had the muse to get a skin job and stay in character by hissing and spitting at people; that's what zombies did right ?

He decided to finally lean back, away from the table and the cauldron filled with crimson juice. Crossing his arms and squinting around at the house through the lens of his glasses. There was minor, minimal, decorations here and there courtesy of his little Harley; the precious kid didn't seem to be able to resist putting up a couple of cobwebs here, maybe some fake centipedes on the table. It all made him think of an old tomb; with the spider webs and all.

Honestly, it would've been extremely hard for him to prevent the shriek that escaped his mouth when hands crossed over his glasses, blocking his view of the world around him. Fear was not an okay feeling to him and he didn't approve of this joke. That's when John listened close enough to hear the soft chuffing behind him, curling his lips down in a frown when he realized he knew that laugh all too well.

"Jake that wasn't funny, you got my glasses blurry." louder laughing, though he could see again. Turning around it was indeed his best pal, white bandages covering his face. A mummy perhaps ? "I don't know John, that was pretty funny to me !" Jake cast him a bright smile and he just glared more. "Anyhow, we should get going to the party now. Heard fog would be rolling around tonight."

"I feel like you should actually carry the cauldron, instead of me helping levitate it out of the house."

[kamelgirl]

Lit up as it was by the glowing fog drifting from the cauldron, Kalliope's face looked dark and mysterious. The hood of her cloak was pulled low over her face, and her eyes looked like blank pits in the shadow it cast. "-and so the young wolf crept down the stairs one by one, trembling in fear of the zombie horde close on her heels," she regaled her audience in a low, hoarse whisper. "For she was trapped in the tomb of a vampire king, and he did not take kindly to intruders."

Samoel shivered as the wind trailed frozen fingers down his spine. He'd never really been fond of spooky stories, but once they started, he could never seem to tear himself away.

"She turned a corner and walked right into an enormous hall. It was old, dusty, and the corners were sprinkled with cobwebs. She was the first living thing to enter- the first living heart to beat in that tomb- for centuries. The room was entirely bare of everything, but one coffin. And the door..." Sam curled a little further into himself, ears pricking in nervous anticipation- "Was open."

Kalli leaned forward, and her voice came out in a hiss. "The young wolf had seen enough, and was about to turn to go, when she was stopped by an ice-cold presence by her side. She slowly turned... and met the crimson eyes of the vampire king, not two inches away."

"And then," shouted a very young pup in the front of the audience, "He grabbed her neck an' sucked all her blood out!"

Kalliope, broken out of her story-telling trance, stared at him in befuddlement. "What- no, that's-"

Another young pup giggled. "An' all the zombies came an' ate 'em all up!"

The tense atmosphere was broken. Kalli could only watch and protest feebly as more pups added onto the story, tossing silly and increasingly gruesome suggestions and devolving into shrieking laughter. Samoel relaxed his groaning muscles in relief as the story derailed into purple zombie unicorns fighting each other for the newly-revived vampire king's hand and the gathering was broken up.

Kalli sighed in resignation as the last of the congregation drifted away. "That's the third story they've utterly destroyed. Sometimes I wonder why I haven't given up yet." She glanced Sam's way. "You coming to the next one?"

Samoel glared at her, lids drooping half-way over his eyes, and shook his head firmly (even though he already knew he'd show up anyway).

[Zeneka]

The 5th And Final Round Has Begun!

Earnings
Kankri's DJ – 40 Candies
Crimoodle – 40 Candies
~Prophecy~ - 40 Candies
locknessgoat – 40 Candies
foxflight, - 40 Candies
wolf ;; - 40 Candies
booklover789 – 40 Candies
dave. - 40 Candies
kamelgirl – 40 Candies

[shoelaces]

It was a creepy night when Elissa decided to go out exploring in the swamp. It was very muddy and she struggled to wrestle her paws from the mud. After a few minutes in the dark, mucky place it had begun to storm. Elissa saw a light in the distance, and stalked over to the light. She found the source, a small cabin she heard screams of laughter. Elissa approached and knocked on the door, laughs stopped and chats ended. The light flashed out of one of the windows. "Step no further or I will curse you!" Boomed a high pitched voice.
"It's raining, won't you let me in?" Elissa pleaded, and eyed the warm looking cabin once more. Do I really want in? I might be asking to enter my cold doom She thought to herself.
The door banged open, a tall wolf emerged. She wore the classic red witch costume, and someone dressed up as a ghost costume was sitting with a wolf in a pumpkin costume playing cards on a table that had a cloth decorated with spider webs behind her.
"So you didn't fall for my trick," The witch growled in her high pitched voice "Oh well, I guess you can stay"
"Thank you!" Elissa replied, taking a chair to a table that had bat print cloth on it. Elissa dried off and was glad she had escaped the cold outside and was with friendly-ish wolves.

[wolf ;;]

"Why do you have to be so cold sometimes?"
Samantha rolled her eyes, gently setting her pumpkin that she was carving aside to give Hark a look at that, a slight growl rising in her throat...by this point, he was used to how she could react to certain words.
"I'm not cold, you're just-" A speck of rain hit her nose, and the wolf paused in her words, glancing at the sky. The moon was covered with dark clouds, and it soon began to rain. "Looks like we have to go inside, come on. Or this storm will drench us."
Hark and Sam then both got up, going back into their house where their pups slept, only to have the wind build up and slam the door behind the two with a bang. A scream came from upstairs where the pups slept soundly...or at least they had been. The door closing must've woken them.
Sam gave a groan at the fact, setting her pumpkin down and telling Hark to take care of it before going upstairs to go settle the pups down...she was so lucky to not have the older four hanging around.
Upon entering into their rooms, she happened to trip on something, falling to the floor with a thud, and she gave a slight curse under her breath, looking at the red firetruck toy that had been laying around...did these pups ever clean up after themselves? She slowly climbed back to her feet, and heard one of the pups squeak, as they hadn't realised it was her who had arrived to calm them down.
"What if it's some creepy witch?"
"You're stupid, its more likely to be a ghost."
The pats were chatting among themselves to calm their nerves, and Sam saw this as the perfect opportunity...this would teach them, a little trick wouldn't hurt, would it?
She quickly went to stalk over to where her pups sat on one bed together, shivering. She was able to just see their outlines in the darkness, and with a grin, she went and grabbed one pup, causing them to squeal and begin to struggle and kick. That was something Sam hadn't been expecting, and not able to hold the pup any longer, she let them go as the others began to cry or something along those lines.
"Woah, woah! Calm down pups, its just me." Sam went to hurriedly turn on the lights and give her pups a rather bleak look. That seemed to calm them, and they all got up quickly to go and hug her, much to her slight dismay, she didn't want a hug.
"We thought you were a monster! Like a huge spider, or even a bat, you know I'm scared of those..." one pup murmured, and Sam apologised, going to pat their head gently.
"Well, everything is chill now. Besides, you would only find those monsters in a swamp or forest, not in a house with tiny pups." Sam offered a smile, before looking towards the door. "A storms moving in, thats what woke you. Lets go downstairs, I'll get your father to give you some of his paint to calm you all down."
The pups all nodded, huddling with their mother as she then went to lead them downstairs to where their father waited, paint all set and ready.

[foxflight,]

The night was dark and cold; the faint rumbling of thunder could be heard and in the distance, black clouds were descending upon the town – Tallis could only assume that they’d be in for a storm later on. As a cool breeze pass; a chill shot up the large wolf’s spine and he shivered despite himself.

Tallis paused in front of a house, grinning as he noticed the poorly carved pumpkin that sat on the porch, the candle within it dim and slowly dying. He bounded up the steps to the front door and knocked loudly. No one answered the door, but he caught sight of a small black wolf glaring at him through the window; obviously displeased.

“Trick or Treat?” He called cheekily as he waved at her.

She disappeared from the window, only to reappear moments later as she pulled the door open, glaring up at him. “What are you meant to be? A spider?” She asked, clutching something within her hands.

Tallis took no notice of her question and instead cooed; admiring her costume. “Oh, don’t you make a cute little witch, Glitch?” He teased; snatching the witch’s hat from her grasp and placing it on her head with a bark of laughter. Glitch let out a soft growl in response.

“I don’t want to go.” She whined, side-stepping away from Tallis as he went to grab her. “I don’t like parties, and I especially don’t like Halloween parties.” She added; putting up a bit of a struggle as Tallis continued to try drag her out of her home.

Tallis shrugged; ignoring her groan of annoyance. “Don’t care, you’re coming with me, and you’re gonna enjoy tonight!” He answered; moving to usher her out of her house – quickly pulling the door shut with a loud bang so she couldn’t turn and run back into the safety of her house.

Glitch let out a soft sigh, stilling frowning as she begrudgingly followed him down the street. She stared at the back of his head for a moment, before repeating her previous question. “Seriously, what are you dressed up as?”

“A bat. Isn’t it obvious?” He replied.

Glitch stared at him. “Oh, not really. You look more like a half drowned cat.” She mused; stifling a laugh as she noticed his expression. “How far is this place?” She asked, trying to cover up her laugh.

“Rude.” Tallis murmured; poking Glitch in the shoulder as she grinned smugly up at him. “It’s not too far though, just need to cross over the bridge near the swamps and we’ll be there.” Glitch’s nose crinkled up in disgust, but she nodded anyway.

As they continued into the dark forest; Glitch caught a glimpse of something within the shadows and she frowned slightly, tempted to investigate. However, Tallis was only continuing forward, and not wanting to be left behind – she turned to follow after him. Every so often, she’d spare quick glances over her shoulder, whatever it was, seemed to stalk after them; following them.

“Tallis.” She whispered softly, rushing to his side. “There’s something following us.”

Tallis halted, glancing over his shoulder with a firm expression on his face whilst Glitch scurried to hide behind his large frame. Everything went still for a second, then a large, dark figure leapt from the shadows. Glitch jumped back in surprise, letting out a scream.

“Kuro, you creep.” Tallis laughed; moving away from Glitch to greet the dark furred demon. The large winged wolf glanced over at Glitch, a smirk spread across his muzzle and his red eyes glowing faintly in the darkness as he let out a low chuckle.
“Did I scare you lil’ one?” Kuro mused tauntingly. “Is this little witch going to curse me now?”

“Leave her alone Kuro.” A new voice snapped from behind Glitch; and she spun around quickly to see who the new-comer was. From her angle, all she could see was white fur with patches of black, and he seemed to glow in the darkness of the forest and she couldn’t help but wonder if he was a ghost.

Kuro rolled his eyes. “You’re as bleak as ever Caelum; not much fun are you?” He muttered.

Glitch frowned, sitting back to listen as the three chatted – the rumbling of thunder only growling louder as the storm approached. A droplet of rain fell on her nose, quickly followed by another. “Hey Tallis?” She called, interrupting their conversation. “Can we please get going?”

Tallis looked up, somewhat surprised. “I thought you hated Halloween parties?”

“Well, I don’t mind then if it means I’m not going to get soaked.” She snapped; just as rain began to pour from the sky.

[dzo]

Esker bounded for the back doors, and he was off!...

...Esker slammed open the doors open, making a loud bang, and was instantly met by a cold rush of air and a sky lightly drizzling down rain. He let out a soft growl as he realized that a storm was certainly coming in. With a sigh he sprinted off, his cheeks already turning bright red from the cool air. Esker struggled to run against the wind, but he knew he had to. Esker let out a small scream when he looked back to see that Minnesota, still possessed by the ghost figure, right behind him. Esker looked back ahead and let out a groan. "Curse this bad weather!!!" He mumbled to himself as it started pouring rain. Esker finally got to a point where he had to make a decision in paths, but had no time to think, so he turned right into a field full of corn. He thought maybe if he kept running through the corn in a random zig-zag type pattern he would have enough time to trick Minnesota into losing him, but instead, he hit right into a stalk of corn and began to have to push away the corn. He ran for what seemed like hours, going in circles and lines, back and forth, and came bursting out the other side. Esker was certain that he had lost him. Esker stopped for a while catch his breath and rest, but stayed low and hidden. A sharp chill went down his spine, and reminded him that he needed warmth. So Esker frantically looked around to find a warm place he could hide in. Past an old pumpkin patch there was an abandoned shack that had to be somewhat warm. Esker started to run through the feild, but this was no feild anymore, the rain had turned this into a muddy swamp! After lots off effort and getting stuck, Esker arrived to the shack and moved the plank that was a door. He looked around and knew that someone too had been there, and not that long before him. Various Halloween candies and wrappers were scattered all over. Candy Witch fingers and gummi bat packs. Jelly filled spider eggs too! Esker also saw two razor blades. "What type of creep would do that to candy!" Esker shouted, now very upset.
Creeeek.
A paint-wolf with a bleak appearance appeared in front of Esker, and he could see that Esker was terrified. The wolf looked down to see that Esker Had found the candy. "Oooh. I promise. It's not what it looks like. You see- thats just the leftover candy from what I passed out this year- and those blades- I'm working on some projects, ya see?" He pointed to his project.
"Yes... I see." Esker forced out words.
"Why is it you came here?" The other wolf was curious as to why someone came into his temporary home.
"I'm hiding... From my friend... Well- he has been possessed by some, some, demon thing." Esker mumbled.
Minnesota came through the door, and the other wolf turned directly to him.

"Don't worry, my friend. I think I know how to handle this."

[booklover789]

(I stink at rhyming, and wanted to challenge myself with this; both of my characters hate each other, and I wanted to pit them against each other in a new and different way. Sebastian is generally refined, and while he can throw insults around, he often sounds more polite than any of my other wolves due to his British accent. He can be nasty if provoked, however, and won't hesitate to sink his fangs into an enemy. Mami is quiet unless she's threatened, and then her claws come out. She's a mother to two adopted children - Nagisa "Bebe" Charlotte and Acheron - and if anyone ever even insults them or any of her friends, she'll attack them without a second glance. Sebastian is a demon, and Mami is a witch. Now that you've had the background information, I hope you like it!)




Mami and Sebastian in Epic Rap Battles of RPWs: Mammay Tomoeeeeee vs. Sebastiaaaaaan Michaeliiiis - BEGIN!

M: Hello Sebastian,
Not pleased to see you yet again;
Aw, don't cry please, just go back to your den!
You're not welcome here right now,
With a heart so cold -
Just get away and walk it off without a word or groan.

S: Such a ridiculous witch, my what a bother -
Please do tell, Tomoe, where are your mother and father?
Oh that's right, they died, all those many years ago;
You don't want to mess with this poison crow.

M: Your eyes are like blood,
So foul and nasty,
Red as wine and not so fine nor are they classy.
You belong in a swamp, what are you doing on land?
Don't your feathers get ruffled with the cold north wind?
I've got sisters to the east and sisters to the west,
So don't mess with me unless you wanna get the best!

S: I'll unleash a storm upon your very head,
You'll scream and growl and writhe until you're dead!
You've provoked my anger and stirred up my wrath,
You'll be gone and before long -

M: I think you're forgetting something, Sebastian.
With a twirl and and whirl I'll put you in a trance.
A curse upon your household will put you in your place!
A flying ace? More like you need to learn a pace!
A little struggle on the double will help you gain grace!

S: I wish not for grace, for I belong to the devil.
I made a pact and so I'll forge fire with the metal...
Yeah, I may be a creep and a stalker to boot,
But at least I'm not some witch who will never be cute!

M: Stalk all you want, it doesn't mean a thing;
I'll defend my position and a chill I will soon bring
To your precious "Earl" and his silly demon dog,
What, are you scared? Don't you think you're a god?

S: A god I am most certainly not, so you see,
I am on the opposing side of history.
While you fight on and bang those silly guns of yours,
I will trick all the mortals using contract forms!

M: I'm familiar with contracts, or haven't you noticed?
The symbol that I wear - no, it ain't from Cronus!
I fight in bleak conditions every day that I draw breath,
Or don't you understand the meaning of the word "death"?
Perpetually forced to live and die each day,
I rinse and repeat every morning.
Wake up, fight, go back to bed -
Every day I live and die all over again!

S: You made your choice, now allow me mine!
I feast upon the souls of the dead and dying.
My fangs are sharper than any one of your swords,
So don't even think of hurting my young lord.
A ghost of a wolf I will soon behest,
Answering orders from a corpse will be my last test.
If you understand a single thing about death at all,
My dear Tomoe, you will understand just how hard you'll fall!

M: You are such a brat!
Secretly so dismissive,
Always held up upon your own initiative.
Such a spider or a bat, that is what you are;
No, perhaps I'm wrong - you're a crow bathed in tar!

S: Your magic is odd, much like a pumpkin;
What exactly are you, some hillbilly bumpkin?
I have poise and grace,
You are simply a disgrace,
Fending off witches just to earn your own foolish case.

M: I fight for what I love, after all, I'm quite strong;
I adore my children, and will never do them wrong.
I go into battle prepped and prepared,
You, on the other hand, just run away scared!

S: Who here is the scaredy-cat: me or the witch?
Who here is acting like an insufferable -

M: Language, Sebastian, is not your strong-suit.
You can't think up rhymes fast enough, now can you?
What's with the prissy look you've given every wolf nearby?
What, you think you're better than everyone that you despise?

S: I know I'm the best at everything I do,
My master put his faith in me, something I cannot do with you.
So come, let us battle, and solve this little game,
Please, don't go easy on me - I'm not tame.

M: Fine! Let's start now!
Though I'm afraid you'll fight like a cow.
Slow-moving and unwilling to make the first move,
Here, let me help you untie those bulky shoes!
I'll slam you to the ground and overpower you with skill,
I won't even need my magic that stills!
You're such a pathetic weakling, so focused on revenge,
You'll never find someone to love you, nor be your friend!

S: I'll remove my gloves and start the match,
There's no need to sling such vicious attacks -
I thought you were dainty, poised, positioned on a string;
Oh, wait, that's Madoka, you absurd pig!

M: Insult me all you want; it will do you no good.
You'll only find out how quickly I can throw off my hood.
I will turn you into mush and soon I will level
Your mind and your body, you stupid little devil!




Who won? You decide!

[F0XFANG]

Featuring Rumpel + Rat + Crow + wolf ;;'s Halloween RPW

“Vhy, Rat? Vhy did we take him outside?” The cold air made Crow’s thin fur shiver, even under the thick cape that bunched at her neck. Her fangs stuck out from her mouth, making it difficult to talk, but she knew that Rumpel was too excited for Halloween. He’d picked out her costume, along with Rat’s giant brown spider legs that stood out from his white coat. The legs dragged along the ground, gathering dirt, but Rat didn’t mind the struggle as the smile on Rumpel’s face was enough for him.

The odd RPW, however, didn’t dress up as anything, claiming to his friends that “I’m so hideous as it is that anyone who sees me will think I’m already in costume. It’s why I love Halloween so much.” His white shirt with dark stripes, along with his dark pants with white stripes, made his dandelion gloves stand out, though that was just his look, no matter the time of year. A few drops of fake blood was splattered over his gloves, however; the only thing different to normal. When Crow and Rat tried throwing a bed sheet over his thin frame to turn him into a ghost, the other RPW shrugged it off, and the only compromise they could come to was the red liquid that now covered the handle of his pumpkin basket.

The abandoned fairground was the prime Halloween spot, and as it was only a short walk from Rumpel’s mansion, both Crow and Rat decided that it would be the best option for their friend, rather than send him off to unintentionally terrorise the small children, making them scream if he even glanced at them. When they arrived, RPWs were everywhere, sticking together in groups to preserve warmth from the chill in the air. The sky looked bleak, like rain would fall, but Rumpel pushed past his friends and into the thick of the crowd. Both Crow and Rat followed, though the female let out a shriek when she saw the other RPW attempting to pick up some form of candy from the bricked path.

“Do not touch ze ground candy! Master, you should know better zan zat.” She spat, batting his gloved hands from the pavement. He stood up straight, a scowl on his face.

“I really don’t, Crow. My parents did leave me as a baby and all. I wasn’t exactly taught these things.” Rumpel retorted, though Crow only rolled her eyes.

“Common sense, darling.” Rat’s voice was heard from behind the crowd that walked past, helping up a RPW that had tripped over his long spider legs. “Vell, maybe zey are stalking you in ze bushes, seeing vhat came of zeir son?” The smile on Rat’s face was not mirrored by the eyebrow raises from both Crow and Rumpel.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Rat. He’s hideous. Ve are ze only vones who care for him.” Rumpel feigned a look of shock as Crow spoke. “Besides, it vould be creepy if zey did zat.” A gust of wind blew over the RPWs, and as Rat attempted to shelter Crow in his arms, Rumpel dashed off, ignoring the shouts coming from Rat as Crow became panicked. The larger RPW ran off after him, hitting passers-by with his legs, though looking behind to only make sure Crow was following. After a few minutes, Rumpel stopped at the sign to the Ferris wheel, attempting to catch his breath. When Rat and Crow pulled up next to him, he let out a loud groan.

“Can the two of you please just leave me alone?! I can take care of myself for one night.” Rat noticed the tears pricking at the corners of Rumpel’s eyes. He could see that the other was truly over with their doting.

“But darling, ve worry about you. Ve just vant you safe.” Wiping his eyes, Rumpel ignored Rat, a snarl on his face.

“Don’t make me send you back to that swamp, Rat. And the forest for you too, Crow.” The feathered RPW ruffled herself with his words. The two locked eyes, hostility brewing. Crow soon cracked.

“Okay, but be home by eight thirty or I vill scream, and I know how much you hate me screaming.” With Crow’s words, Rumpel ran off, clearly hoping to gather a stash of candy to last until the new year.

As Rat and Crow headed back into the midst of the crowd, a large arm bumped against the female’s shoulder.

“Stupid witch.” The other groaned as he continued.

“Crow, actually.” Crow called after the figure, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. A growl rose in the other RPW’s throat as he turned around, his bat ears flicking back. Rat pushed between the hostile wolves and stared down the bat wolf.

“You bumped her. No need to be hostile, darling. She didn’t hurt you.” The other RPW left with a huff, essentially ignoring Rat’s words. Before Crow could say thank you, a loud clap of thunder shuddered the entire park. A few droplets of rain fell on Crow’s feathers, causing her to shudder.

“A storm’s brewing. Ve need to find him and take him home, to vhere it’s safe.”

“Agreed, darling. I’ll meet you back home. You know I don’t like loud noises.” Before Crow could process what happened, the larger RPW was gone. She sighed and started looking around for Rumpel, though when she pulled out her treasured pocket watch and realised that it was almost nine, she hoped that Rumpel would already be home. When she finally made it to the mansion, she heard a loud bang from above, causing Crow to curse under her breath. Black goo dripped from the roof of the porch, coating the RPW’s feathers. She began to struggle, attempting to flick off the substance. The giggling from the left-side tower window forced her to look up, only to see both Rat and Rumpel doubled over, trying to be quiet.

“Trick-or-treat, darling!” Rat called out once he realised Crow was eyeing them. “Ve have been planning this for so long, and now ve did it. Black looks good on you.” Rumpel only laughed louder at Rat’s words.

“You vill pay for zis, Rat, Rumpel. Do not expect me to invite anyvone over for Christmas.”

The laughter disappeared into the wind as the feathered RPW attempted to sit on the front porch, picking the goo from her feathers.