abstract
| - It was Halloween night, and everyone at the Riverton household was all dressed up for the occasion. Namine was dressed up like an Indian. Pajama Sam was dressed up like Batman. Ding-A-Ling-Wolf was dressed up like a parasaurolophus. Honest John, Namine's adoptive father, was dressed up like Dracula. Aurora was dressed up like a fairy. Eric was dressed up like a waiter. Cody was dressed up like a cowboy, and Gosalyn Waddlemeyer-Mallard was dressed up like a zombie whose body parts could be served at horrifying restaurants. "Oh, you guys look great!" Eric exclaimed. "So you're a waiter?" Aurora asked. "Yes, I am," Eric said. "Would you like to look at our special tonight?" He lifted the lid, revealing Gosalyn inside the table. Her head was on a plate. "Boo!" Gosalyn said. It made Namine, Sam, and Ding-A-Ling laugh. "Oh my goodness, it's my favorite dish, Gosalyn face!" Aurora exclaimed. She ran up to Gosalyn, grabbed her face, and kissed her on the forehead. "You know what, sweetheart, it's a little chilly out. Would you run upstairs and grab your sweater?" Gosalyn did as she was told. "That's my girl!" Eric said. "Wow, Aurora," Honest John said. "You look great!" "Oh, why thank you, Honest John," Aurora smiled sweetly. "You do, too. And you too, Eric." "Really? It's my wedding tux. It still fits." Eric said. "Like a paint job." Honest John said. Then he noticed Namine dressed up as an Indian, Sam dressed up as Batman, and Ding-A-Ling dressed up as a parasaurolophus. "Hey, Ding-A-Ling, my man!" he said. He picked up the little wolf cub and gave him a hug. "This is your sixth Halloween!" Then he looked down at Namine and Sam and asked them, "What is he?" "Isn't he a cutie?" Namine said, "He's a swimmer." "A swimmer?!" Honest John asked, not believing his daughter. "I mean a parasaurolophus." Sam said. Honest John faced Ding-A-Ling again. "Oh, good! That's better!" he said. He and Skunk rubbed noses. As soon as Gosalyn grabbed her orange-and-vermilion-striped sweater, she stopped at the railing, waiting to jump around. Eric glared at her. "Don't even think about it, Gosalyn!" Gosalyn glared back at him. "Don't even think about it!" she said in a mocking tone. "Baby!" Cody said. "Cody, that's not a nice thing to say to Gosalyn." Aurora said. Eric didn't believe her. "You don't think I mean it?" he asked, "Just try me! I am the head of the household here! I am the boss!" "I'm the boss!" Gosalyn mocked him. "You're nothing but a baby!" Cody said. "Cody, stop calling your sister names!" Aurora scolded lightly. Namine, Sam, Ding-A-Ling, and Honest John just gasped at Gosalyn's insolence, and Eric was losing patience. "You are really getting on my nerves, young lady!" he scolded, "Don't you DARE jump off the step!" Gosalyn was being willful. "Make me!" "You're such a baby!" Cody said. "That's enough now, Cody." Aurora told him. Gosalyn jumped off the last three steps. "ALL RIGHT!" Eric yelled, "THAT DOES IT, I WARNED YOU! NO TRICK-OR-TREATING!" Namine, Sam, Ding-A-Ling, Honest John, Aurora, and Cody gasped in shock. Gosalyn glared angrily at Eric and yelled, "YOU'RE AS EVIL AS NEGADUCK!" She then stomped off to her room. "So just Sam, Ding-A-Ling, and I are going?" Namine asked. "Yes, sweetheart." Aurora said. Namine became so happy. She said, "YAY!" She then ran to her own room with Sam and Ding-A-Ling following her. "Eric, what was that all about?" Aurora asked. Eric shook his head guiltily. "I don't know," he said. "I was so mad it just came out. But you two saw her; she's totally out of control!" "But it's Halloween," Honest John said. "It's trick-or-treating!" Unfortunately, he didn't realize the doorbell rang. "Honest John, I've begged, I've pleaded, I've given her spankings, I've given her time-outs, I've washed her mouth out with soap! None of them worked! I had to do something." Eric said. "But you don't take away a religious holiday!" Honest John said, "Think of Sora, Namine, Sam, Ding-A-Ling, Fifi, and the Lost Alley Cats."
|