Young Writers Society

*This is the origin story of a character from my story titled “31 horrific Halloween tales”. You may check that story out underneath my folder titled “31 Halloween tales”. Gacha Club character designs are on my wall. Enjoy!*

Introduction

THE FIRST OF OCTOBER-7:00 A.M.

Celina opened her eyes to the shining sun. It was that time of year again. The time when a chill settled in the air and the apples were a ripening red.

It was the month of All Hallows’ Eve.

Chapter One

RELSON HIGH SCHOOL FRONT STEPS-8:45 A.M.

“Alejandro! Over here!” Celina waved Alejandro over at the Relson high school front steps, where she always waited for him. Sometimes he was late. That didn’t stop her from waiting.

This time, he wasn’t.

He gave a polite wave as he walked up the steps. He never waved his hand with enthusiasm. Matter of fact, he never did anything with enthusiasm.

Chapter Two

“Are you excited for Halloween?” Celina asked as they walked inside. Halloween was always eventful at the town of Relson! People dressed like clowns roamed the woods, real chocolate cake slices were given to trick-or-treaters from the Campbell’s house, and at the theater was the “Best witch” competition.

All in all, a wonderful time for the residents of Relson!

“Yeah, I guess.” Alejandro said, shrugging.

“You guess? You guess?” Celina asked, wide-eyed.

How could he just “guess”? It was a simple yes or no question! The answer was obvious!

“Don’t you think that it’s a bit…much? I mean, Halloween isn’t even supposed to be a big holiday to begin with.”

“So?” Celina asked, stopping him in his tracks. How he could just…she thought that maybe that year would be different for Alejandro.

He stormed right past her.

Chapter Three

IN MATH CLASS-9:00 A.M.

What was his deal? All she did was ask if he was excited about Halloween, why did he storm out?

She’d fail the next day’s Math quiz, but who cared?

Something was wrong with Alejandro.

Chapter Four

AT THE LIBRARY-11:07 A.M.

“What’s wrong?” Celina asked. They were in the library for lunch. It was quieter and a nicer place to hang out than the cafeteria.

Alejandro sighed. Oh boy. What kind of horrible thing would he say next?

“It’s just that…is Halloween even a really big deal?”

So that was what he was huffing and puffing about?

“No, it isn’t. When we’re adults we probably won’t even care about Halloween, but here and now, Halloween is a huge deal. So let’s enjoy it while we can.”

Alejandro wasn’t moved.

“Please? For me?” Celina asked, using the puppy dog eye tactic. It always worked in the movies, maybe it would work in real life.

Alejandro sighed and then smiled.

“Okay. I’ll be excited about it for you.”

“Attaboy!” Celina cried out, smacking his back.

“Shhhh!” Everyone else whisper-yelled.

Oh right. She was in the library.

Chapter Five

WALKING HOME-3:15 P.M.

Celina smiled as she walked past the local Halloween store. She’d make sure to stop there.

Across from the Halloween store was the Campbell’s house.

She’d stop there too, when the right day came.

Chapter Six

AT HOME-4:52 P.M.

Celina had already finished her homework, so what better thing to do than lie on bed and search for Halloween costumes on her phone?

She clicked on the local Halloween store’s website and typed “costumes for teen girls”.

Witch? No, she wasn’t interested in competing.

Ghost? She was a ghost last year.

Creepy doll? Hmm…maybe.

CREEPY CLOWN?!

That was a definite yes! Clowns were wonderful, terrifying, marvelous, confident, strange, and powerful.

The perfect costume!

Chapter Seven

OCTOBER THIRD-THE HALLOWEEN STORE-3:17 P.M.

Celina knew exactly what she wanted now that she was shopping at the Halloween store with Alejandro. She made a beeline for the circus section.

She wished that Alejandro could at least try to look like he was enjoying himself. His negative energy was really unpleasant.

Chapter Eight

3:20 P.M.

“Let’s go.” Alejandro said. She felt a light tap on her shoulder.

Celina turned around, clutching her clown costume and gasped when she saw that Alejandro was holding a costume.

“Is that your Halloween costume?”

“Yes.” He said, showing her the costume.

“What? Vampires are cool. What did you pick out?”

Celina grinned, glad that he asked.

“A clown? You could have been a clown without the costume.” Alejandro said, smirking.

“Very funny, Alejandro. Very funny.” Celina said, rolling her eyes. But despite his comment, she couldn’t resist smiling.

He was kind of getting in the Halloween spirit! That was something!

Chapter Nine

OCTOBER FOURTH-AT THE LIBRARY- 11:02 A.M.

Celina should have been reading a book, but she wasn’t.

She was googling “Things to do for Halloween at Relson” because she wanted to do more than she could ever dream of.

Celina gaped when she saw the top result.

“Clowns spotted in Relson woods on Halloween…”

The article was dated back to last year.

It was completely irrelevant, but interesting.

She clicked on it.

Chapter Ten

“Last Halloween, exactly nineteen clowns were spotted in Relson woods. They were harmless, but disturbed a number of teens who were in the woods. They had to be removed from the woods…”

Celina blinked her eyes. She checked the news outlet that published the article. It wasn’t parody news. It was real.

Why would they do that to the clowns? That was an overreaction. The clowns were just hanging out.

At least Celina had an idea of what to do on Halloween…

Chapter Eleven

“Alejandro! Look.” Celina said, turning the computer towards him.

“What?”

“After we go trick or treating, I’m doing this. I’m going to the woods in my costume.”

“That’s going to cause problems.” Alejandro said.

“Why? I’m just wearing a costume.”

“People don’t like clowns.”

“Whatever. I’m still doing it.”

“Your funeral then.”

Chapter Twelve

THE MORNING OF HALLOWEEN-7:00 A.M.

Celina smiled.

It was finally the day.

Glorious, wondrous, stupendous,  Halloween had arrived upon the dull town of Relson!

Chapter Thirteen

Celina walked past her failed math quiz sitting on her desk. She had bigger things to think about.

She had spooky things to think about.

Chapter Fourteen

AT ALEJANDRO’S FRONT DOOR- 6:15 P.M.

Celina knocked on Alejandro’s front door. She didn’t want to waste a second.

“Nice costume!” A child complemented.

Celina turned around and saw that it was a little boy, dressed like a witch.

“Thank you.” She said, bowing.

Celina smiled at the boy after she was done bowing and said:

“You’ll make a great witch.”

The child grinned and happily skipped away. Alejandro’s door creaked open.

Celina turned around and extended a hand for the vampire to take.

“Let’s get to it!” She exclaimed.

Chapter Fifteen

THE WITCH COMPETITION-7:13 P.M.

Celina stood in the crowd of many onlookers, watching the witches on the stage. Anyone could watch the witch competition. It was a free attraction. Each costume was more fantastically spooky than the last. She smiled, the air of Halloween filling her bones.

Then, the little boy from earlier got up, beaming at the crowd, his black cape and matching pointed hat darker than the night sky.

“And now it’s time to cast your vote!” The MC exclaimed on the speakers after the boy left.

Little boy witch. Celina wrote on the index card she was given.

The man in the ghost costume was moving busily about the crowd, taking the votes (and extra pens) in a cardboard black box. Finally, after what seemed like centuries, he reached Celina and Alejandro. She slipped her vote and pen in the box.

Alejandro didn’t put anything in the box.

“Your vote, young man.”

“I didn’t vote.” Alejandro said.

“Are you sure you don’t want to vote?”

“Yes.”

“Suit yourself.” The ghost man said, walking away with the ballot (and pen) box.

“Why didn’t you vote?”

“I didn’t want to.”

“Check back at 8:30 for the votes!” The MC said after the votes were collected.

“We’re going to the Campbells.” Celina said, grabbing onto Alejandro’s wrist.

He was going to enjoy Halloween! She would make sure of it.

Chapter Sixteen

THE CAMPBELL FRONT DOOR STEPS-7:17 P.M.

Celina tried not to look disappointed as she watched the group of kids leave the front steps of the Campbell’s house. They got jumbo candy bars, not chocolate cake slices.

“Did you really think that they would give out chocolate cake slices?” Alejandro asked, already knowing what she was thinking.

“I guess that it was too much to ask for.” Celina said glumly. She was looking forward to getting a slice of chocolate cake.

“Here you are.” Mr.Campbell said, handing them slices of real chocolate cake.

Celina smiled at the man, hardly believing what was in her hands.

“T-Thank you.” She sputtered.

“Always a pleasure to make kids happy on Halloween.” Mr.Campbell beamed as he closed the door.

She knew that he had cake! She knew it!

Chapter Seventeen

WALKING DOWN THE STREET-7:19 P.M.

“Are you sure that we should eat these? No one hands out cake to trick-or-treaters.” Alejandro said.

Celina was already sinking her teeth into the decadent slice, chocolate icing all over her gloved hands.

“I know. That’s what makes this better. Come on, Alejandro. Just try it.” She said with a mouthful.

He seemed a little wary at first, but then he shrugged, biting into the cake.

Celina smiled. Finally, finally, he was starting to get it!

Chapter Eighteen

7:45 P.M.

“Do you want to…go back to the witch competition?” Celina asked. She wasn’t feeling too good. She felt like she was going to throw up. She only had cake. No candy. Celina was saving that for tomorrow.

“No. We still have hours until the results are up.” Alejandro said.

“Do you feel sick?”

“Yes. Probably because we ate cake slices.”

“So what? They’re good.” Celina said. Sure, she was sick, but she still got to have cake on Halloween.

Celina kneeled down on the ground, clutching her stomach.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

Chapter Nineteen

Celina stared at her pink claws. That’s what they were. No longer hands, but pink claws on the cement.

Alejandro sat next to Celina. At least the pain in her was going away.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” He asked.

“Something was in the cake to make us hallucinate being monsters.” Celina said. That was all that it was. A trick. A hallucination.

“No. We’re monsters.”

Chapter Twenty

Celina got off the ground and began to smile. It was certain. She could feel it in her bones and sense it in the air.

She and Alejandro were monsters.

“Come, Alejandro, there is much to do!” Celina said, taking Alejandro’s hand.

Halloween got a million times better.

Epilogue

Celina and Alejandro lingered in the forest, with their own crew of monsters. Their leader is but a little witch boy.

They had so much planned for the humans…