Enjoy!
Part 1
The anipals were enjoying a beautiful, fall evening as they prepared for their weekly Friday Feast. Chew and cuddle toys, yukka chews and spray millet hung from low tree branches and poles, the table was set, and the anipals were playing as they waited for the arrival of the French Fry Express to begin the festivities.
“Fall is a beautiful, fun season!” Chloe said.
“Agreed,” Sassy said. “There are so many great things about fall.”
“Like fresh apples!” Zack said.
“Pumpkins!” Chloe said.
“Football!” Andrea said.
“Halloween fun!” Quarkeybirdy said.
“The best besides the beautiful weather and wonderful bounty is the return of fall TV shows,” ConureChick said. “If I watch one more episode of The Real Hens of Redneck Farms, my brain will rot!”
“Agreed,” Jinx said. “The Walking Dead is salvation next to those cackling hens.”
“What’s that?” Andrea stared at orbs of light floating in from the woods surrounding the borders of Anipal Land.
“Visitors?” Zack asked.
An orb floated in front of each anipal, hovering in front of it. They stared at the orbs, their eyes glistening.
“Don’t look in the lights!” Quarkeybirdy said. “It’s a trick!”
“What trick?” Sassy asked.
“Boo!” the orbs said, causing every anipal but Chloe to jump. Chloe held her stare.
“Knock, knock,” Chloe said.
“Who’s there?”
“Boo.”
“Boo who?”
“What are you crying for?” Chloe asked.
Everybody stared, unsure of whether to laugh of run. Chloe turned toward the anipals. “They’re just ghosts.”
“Ghosts?” ConureChick asked, her feathers standing up (along with everybody elses’!).
“We saw them in the aviary at Halloween,” Chloe said. “We don’t have tormented souls like humans. We’re pure goodness, so they can’t hurt us. See?” Chloe pecked at the orb, which squealed as it smoked out, and then reformed.
“Ouch!” the orb said.
“Sorry,” Chloe said. “What’s up?”
“We’re looking for the haunted house,” the orb said.
“You’re lost,” Chloe said. “This is Anipal Land. You need to go back through the woods and get on the main road to the humans. They’re running the Haunted House for Halloween.”
“All proceeds go to charity,” ConureChick said. “We appreciate you working with them for a good cause. I think.”
“You can’t beat getting paid to scare people,” the orbs said.
“At least we got that settled easily,” Andrea said.
“Don’t be so sure,” Quarkeybirdy said, pointing toward a dark figure emerging from the woods. “What’s that?”
The figure came into the clearing, decked out in slicked back hair and a dark cape. “I am Count Dracula. I come to suck your blood.”