S.C.R.E.A.M

Verity adjusted her velvet handkerchief with an elegance that only centuries of practice could demonstrate. As she made her way down the polished corridors of S.C.R.E.A.M Inc., she could feel the anticipation crackling in the air. Her crimson curls bounced with each step, adorned as always with delicate white roses, contrasting beautifully against her alabaster skin.

"Ah, what marvels shall unfold today?" she mused to herself. Verity's heart raced with excitement at the thought of a new mission. She could almost taste the fear and chaos that awaited, a delicacy she had craved ever since she was turned into a vampire centuries ago.

Upon reaching the grand briefing room, she paused to admire her reflection in the glass-paneled door. With a dramatic flick of her wrist, she opened the door, stepping inside with a flourish.

Mr. Black Cat, the organization's... interesting cat supervisor, was already seated at the long conference table. His sleek black form contrasted sharply with the pale hues of the room, "Ah, Countess Verity," he purred, a hint of amusement in his voice, "I trust you are ready for this year's mission?"

"Ready?" she exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart as if struck by an unseen force, “I was born ready, dear Mr. Cat! Pray, tell me what dark delights await us!”

Mr. Black Cat leaned back, "This year, we're sending a team to Salem, Massachusetts. The birthplace of witch trials and countless ghost stories. It's the perfect location for a grand spectacle of fright."

"Salem!" Verity's eyes sparkled with excitement, "A splendid choice! The history, the atmosphere--how exquisite! We shall invoke the spirits of the past!"

"However…" he continued, raising a paw to silence her, "There's a problem. Recent reports indicate that the town has become different. Children are no longer captivated by tales of terror. Costumes have shifted from monstrous to merely cute. Halloween is losing its edge."

Verity's expression fell, her heart sinking, "Surely, they wouldn't dare dismiss fright in favor of mindless frivolity! This is unacceptable!"

"I thought you'd feel that way," Mr. Black Cat said, "And that's why I called you in. We need someone with your charisma and flair to join the group. If we don't generate genuine fear, S.C.R.E.A.M Inc. could be in serious trouble."

The thought sent a shiver down her spine, not of fear but of indignation. “We shall not let Halloween slip into mediocrity! I will show them the true essence of terror!”

"Exactly," he replied, his tone sharp, "You’ll have to think outside the coffin, so to speak. But we need a plan. The world has changed, and we must adapt. Can you do that?"

Verity straightened, "Of course! We will create frightful spectacles that shock and awe!"

“Good," he said, nodding. “You’ll have a week to devise your strategy. We need something spectacular--something that will remind them of the beauty of true fear before midnight strikes.”

"Marvelous," he nodded, "But be swift. The clock is ticking. Time is of the essence!"

"Fear not, Mr. Cat."

"Excellent. You leave at dawn, and will meet the others in Salem," he instructed, dismissing her with a flick of his paw, “And remember, the townspeople of Salem are not what they once were. You'll need to approach this with an open mind and a fresh perspective..."

Verity stood and bowed before exiting the room, her cape twirling behind her for dramatic effect.

Her first stop was the supply room. Verity pushed open the door, her eyes gleaming as she surveyed the cluttered shelves filled with all manner of frightful weapons. Cobwebs glistened like diamonds under the flickering lights, and a variety of masks, potion vials, and enchanted props stared back at her.

"Now, what do we have here?" she murmured to herself, trailing her fingers along a row of wickedly sharp fangs and a collection of capes that seemed to flutter with an unholy breeze. She picked up a vial labeled "Essence of Nightmares" from the shelf, its contents swirling ominously.

"Perfect for instilling a touch of terror!" she declared, tucking it into her satchel. Next, she spotted a gleaming silver mirror, "A true classic!" she exclaimed, adding it to her growing collection.

With her satchel filled with tools of terror, Verity straightened her gown, adjusting the corset to ensure it flowed gracefully around her figure. She stepped back to admire her reflection in the mirror.

"Salem, prepare yourself!" she declared dramatically, striking a pose, "For the Countess of the Night has returned to reclaim the beauty of fear!"

Bjorg sighed. It was going to be a very long day. It was only the morning, but he was already late for his meeting at S.C.R.E.A.M Inc. That was quite typical behavior for him, in fact, he had not even set an alarm. Tiredly, he got out of bed and took a look at himself in the mirror.

Bjorg was dressed in the same outfit he wore everyday: his red elf outfit and pointy hat. It was a shiny, bright, almost cheerful red colour. Centuries ago, when he worked as an elf, it was all part of his uniform, matching the millions of other elves being sent around the world to spread christmas cheer. Despite being banished, he hadnt lost the costume. Something about it felt safe... perhaps a part of his past that he was not ready to lose.

He made his way to the bathroom where he applied his white face paint and clown makeup. First, he coated the white paint over his warm, already pale skin. Next, he added red paint around his lips, creating a scarier look. The finishing touch was some blue paint around the eyes and a circular, red nose. Perfect, he thought.

Just as he was setting out towards S.C.R.E.A.M Inc, he got a phone call.

"Hello, Bjorg the clown speaking."

"You are late," said an ever so familliar, booming voice. He knew exactly who it was, before they even said anything else.

"Mr. Black Cat... yes... I was busy... uhhhhhh..."

It was Mr Black Cat, the leader at S.C.R.E.A.M Inc. Bjorg felt the hairs on his arms rise. He was anxious.

"Whatever you are doing that is so important, I hopw that it is at least something evil and terrifying. You must be in Salem by tomorrow. Will you be there?"

"Yes sir," replied Bjorg. Something about Mr. Black Cats tone felt soothing, but terrifying at the same time. He was incredibly powerful and Bjorg knew that he was capable of horrific things, but ever since they had met, Bjorg knew that there was something special here. He had been a wanderer for many years, ever since he was cast out of the North Pole. Although there was some sort of comfort in isolation, he felt that it was time for a change. In fact, it was time to make a change. It was time to make the best night of the year scary again. It was time to save Halloween!

Bjorg set down the phone and took a seat. "I have one day to prepare... but what should I do?" He settled on what he was best at: sleeping.

Azazel was hiding out in the breakroom, like usual. His fellow employees rarely went in there, most people didn't know it existed. Azazel had found it by accident while he was trying to find the bathroom on his first day at S.C.R.E.A.M. Inc., which was only a week ago. It was the perfect place to do his work without having to worry about... well, everything. He was putting on the final touches of the clown mask he was working on, hoping it was scary enough. It certainly scared him!

beeeeeeeep...beeeeeeeep...beeeeeeeeep...

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Azazel screamed, then looked at where the noise was coming from, "Oh, It's just my phone...". He let out a sigh of relief, then picked his phone up. An email from... Mr. Black Cat? What?, Azazel thought, then opened the email.

Greetings, Azazel. I hope this email finds you well. I have a proposition for you. Meet me in my office, immediately.
-Mr. Black Cat

Azazel stared at the words on his screen, as a shiver went down his spine. He hadn't met Mr. Black Cat yet, but he had certainly heard about him. And if the rumors were true, this "cat" might take a lot more than Azazel's tongue. Either way, he knew he had to go.

A few moments later...

Azazel looked at the door in front of him. Above it, on a plaque, it read:

"To be scary, or not to be scary. That is the question.- Mr. Black Cat

Azazel gulped and went to open the door. But before he could, it opened for him, revealing Mr. Black Cat behind it. He had a Cheshire cat smile, which only unsettled Azazel more. "Please, come in! We have much to discuss." Mr. Black Cat murmured. Azazel smiled nervously at the cat figure and walked in. He sat down in front of Mr. Black Cat's desk. The cat sat down behind it.

"Now, Azazel, I've seen your work, and I'm quite impressed. You manage to really..." Mr. Black Cat paused as if he were searching for a word,"...Capture the Halloween spirit in your costumes. That's why I think you're perfect for this year's mission."

Azazel tried to make sense of what he just said. Me? Perfect for the annual scare mission? Never! I'm better at scaring myself than children!, he thought.

"I believe that with you on the team, we won't fail. Do you accept?"

Deep down, Azazel knew he had to go.

"Yes, I accept. W-when do we start?" He stuttered.

"Purrr-fect! I'll send you more information. You leave in a week!"

"I guess I better start packing..." Azazel mumbled as he left.

Ebony sat outside Mr. Cat's office, scrolling through TikTok with a frown on their face. Salem was setting up for a very "demure" Halloween. People were showing off Spirit Halloween angel costumes and black cat costumes—no fake blood. Not a single finger lifted in effort besides eyeliner whiskers.

"Halloween's cooked." Ebony shook their head, putting their phone in their hoodie pocket. Mr. Cat apparently had a master plan to save Halloween or whatever. It was probably just some boomer ideals of the "good ole' days when children were taught that people would put razor blades in candy" and not a single clue about the modern world. The modern-day was all about clout. And scary just didn't have the follower count.

The Banshee at the reception let out a low groan, a signal around here that Mr. Black Cat was ready to see you. Usually, it could be heard from across the barracks to the dormitories, but this time it was quiet and... uneasy.

Ebony sighed and stood up, fluffing their bangs as they went into the Dreaded Office. "I'm here." They closed the door behind them and sat in the chair in front of Mr. Cat's desk, wrapping their spider legs more around them to keep them out of the way.

"Ebony-y-y," Mr. Black Cat spun around on his office chair-- which just so happened to look identical to a fluffy cat bed. His emerald green eyes connected with Ebony as he purred, "There you are. I've been meaning to see you sooner. How are things?"

"Yeah, I don't check my email outside of working hours." Ebony inspected their claws. "And things are the same. Another day on the mortal plane, slaves to rules dead men made with no way to see the consequence."

Mr. Black Cat paused momentarily, tilting his head slightly, "I see. I assume you've seen what's happening in these... mortal planes."

"That's the joys of the internet. I get to see everything in real-time." Ebony looked up. "Why?"

Mr. Black Cat grunted, "It needs to end. This year will not be a repeat of the 2001 catastrophe where Count Snackula ruined Halloween. Understood? So, I have a special mission for you. Should be right up your alley."

"I don't think we could ruin Halloween more if we tried." Ebony snorted. "People are doing 'clean girl' costumes." They waved a fuzzy hand. "But tell me what your special plan is."

"There is no plan yet. Technically. That's why we need you to go to Salem, meet the other operatives, and figure out how to fix this. I trust you'll get along well with the others." Mr. Black Cat licked his paw.

Ebony looked up, scowling. "Others? How many others? People I haven't met? You thought that was up my alley?"

"Verity is going. Might actually be there as we speak."

"Verity." Ebony sighed. Verity was familar. They could not speak to anyone else and force Verity to be their messenger. Might even spew some nonsense about the role of a messenger Shakesphere's play dissecting the rat criminal underworld or something equally cringe. "Is the company paying for accommodation?"

"Of course." Mr. Black Cat yawned and swung his tail to the front to wrap around his legs, "I assume that means you'll attend. We look forward to a wonderful Halloween!"

"Well, that also depends on the overtime rate, since I'll be on the job overnight, which I assume means I'll be on call." They crossed their arms.

"Discuss that with reception. They handle paychecks. I can speak to them about increasing the pay."

"Poggers." Ebony stood up. "Yeah, I'll go or whatever."

"You leave as soon as you can," Mr. Black Cat sighed, "And don't screw this up."

"I'm leaving now then. I'll put it on my timecard." Ebony gave him finger guns before ducking out of Mr. Cat's office.

They pulled their phone out of their pocket and dialed their mom. "Hey, Mom. I need a ride to Salem. It's for a work thing. All expenses paid." They sighed. "Yes, I'll get you a souvenir. I'll be on the front steps where I always am. Yes, I'll be super extra careful. Love you too."

They hung up, pushing their hair to cover their eye like they preferred. "Salem. The Halloween capital of the world." They sighed. "Gross."

They walked to their usual pick-up spot, trying not to projectile vomit at the idea of trying to scare so many strangers.

Amid a crisp evergreen woodland within Massachusetts, the moonlight highlighted the prickly spines of the pointed trees. The bramble and wild foliage beneath remained cloaked in their shadows, hiding the silhouettes of a vast array of common forest creatures. Their symphony of chirps, scittering, and hoots provided an eerie sort of ambiance -a reminder that any human wasn't truly alone here.

As an oblivious mouse scittered closer to a patch of fallen berries, its ears remained perked for the sound of snakes or owls.

Yet despite its dilligence, it didn't even notice the pair of yellow eyes staring from just beyond the thicket.

'CRACK!

The branches and twigs snapped in wild unison as something broke through. The mouse tried to flee, but with its tail caught, it resorted to squeaking eratically.

However, it was no common animal that held onto it. It was a seemingly young lady. Thorny twigs were now entangled in her wild black hair, with streaks of dark purple and lavender, yet her lolita-style black and red dress held together well enough. The oddest part was not her unnatural yellow eyes, but the wolf ears sticking out from her head, the tail that swung behind her, and the canine-like claws on her hands.

Her voice carried a faint Nordic accent; "You thought you were a match for me, did you? Nice try, mousey! Nobody can escape Skadi Úlfsborn!"

The mouse continued squeaking as it dangled in her grip.

"Don't worry, though..." She grinned widely, exposing her wolfly canines while she wagged her tail. "I was only practicing! You can go for now. I already had a squirrel on the way in, anyway."

She tossed the mouse into a bush, then shook the twigs out of her hair.

"Salem, Salem, Salem..." Skadi turned around. "Pardon me, mister tree!"

With one mighty jump, she latched onto the high branch of a tree, scaling it with frightening speed until she was causing the narrower tip to lean into her weight. From above, however, she could see the city lights in the distance. Just the landmark she needed after getting sidetracked -for the umpteenth time.

"Salem!" Skadi chimed. "There you are. Mister Cat was right. I did get here nice and fast!"

In her head, she remembered Black Cat's words;

"Proceed to Salem and meet the other monsters there. You must all find a way to break through this modern-day numbness to fright, and bring the spirit of horror back to Halloween. Bring whatever you will need -and Skadi, I know you won't want to hear this, but do not be afraid to use your most valuable tool. You [i]b[/b] a lycanthrope after all."

With that, Skadi hopped back down to Earth and started running full speed ahead. Without breaking a sweat, she dodged the nature surrounding her, taking in the spirit of the woods around her.

"Oh, evergreen forest," Skadi sang to herself. "With your trees like black castle spires, with your thorns like tiny daggers, who knows what lay in your shadows? No, children just don't know how scary you can be. But on Halloween, this beautiful day of frights..." She giggled, "Maybe I can change their minds."

Though the trees, as fast as she could go, Skadi charged without relent until she jumped out from the treeline and landed on an old road. She curiously traced the lines along the center, before the roar of a car horn made her yelp and scurry back into the bramble.

"Woof..." She popped her head out of the thorny thicket. "You humans are wild sometimes!"

Staying along the side of the road, down on all fours, she followed the car's tracked toward the looming city lights.

Staring down one of the main streets, Skadi propped herself back up on two feet and kept walking. Already, she was disappointed.

Old, gothic buildings cheapened by twinkling orange lights, like a knockoff of Christmas. Creepy iron lampposts, adorned with frilly wreaths more focused on autumn leaves than anything spooky. The jack-o-lanterns were carved with burgers and cupcakes as a cheap way for locals to advertise their wares, and the only costume stores displayed costumes that had nothing to do with monsters. Along the whole street, the only remotely spooky thing was a paper skeleton.

Walking along, Skadi didn't worry too much about being outed as a monster. Not only was her human form not remotely scary, but even her canine traits were often chalked up to cosplay.

Halfway through, Skadi pouted and looked around. Spotting a male waiter clearing out some tables outside, she bounced on over.

"Hi there!" She remarked, trying not to let her tail wag.

"Oh -hello, welcome in," the waiter remarked. "Just check in at the counter inside and we'll-"

"Oh, I don't want any food, thank you," Skadi remarked. "I only eat what I hunt! Much healthier, and that way I know what I'm getting."

"Uh..."

"I was just wondering if you, or anyone on this street, had any plans for Halloween?"

"Meh..." He shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. Salem being the town it is, it's kinda worn out, you know? Everybody's tired of it."

"Tired?!" Skadi yelped. "But Salem is one of the most famous towns for Halloween scares -its rich history is known to so many people, even those across the pond. It deserves a spotlight on Halloween, of all times!"

"Yeah, we still get toursists and stuff," the man explained. "But everybody already knows the story, and they've seen everything on the internet so they already know what to expect. Most visits now are to just snag a picture at some old landmarks. And god knows how much the whole thing's been played up, so us locals are quick to get bored of it. It's fun when your a kid, but by the time you hit middle school, you're just asking when it's going to be Christmas already..." He laughed, "But at least you get an excuse to cosplay and drink a lot, right?"

"Hmph, that's not what Halloween is for..." Skadi turned on her heel. "Good day, sir!"

Leaving the man confused, Skadi stormed off down the street.

"Mr. Black Cat was right," Skadi mumbled to herself. "Even in Salem, nobody has the spirit anymore. They're either too wrapped up in other things, or they've been tapped out..."

Slinking into the shadowy alleys, she grinned and wagged her tail.

"We have our work cut out for us this season! Now, where are those fellow monsters?"