As Briley thumbed through the costume magazine, she could feel the energy of the season surging through her veins. Being her favorite season of all times, Briley always went the extra mile to dress for Halloween. Last year, with the introduction of Captain Jack Sparrow to the big screens, she had dressed so perfectly as Johnny Depp that it took over half the night for anyone to realize that the famous Captain was, in fact, a woman.
This year was no different. At the beginning of every September, Briley would order the latest costume catalogue, then eagerly await its arrival. As soon as it landed in her mailbox, Briley would start thumbing through it looking for this year's invention. Sometimes she ordered straight from the company, other times, she used the catalogue merely for an idea.
As it did each year, Briley's mind started wandering as she absently flipped through the pages. She thought about her costumes of receding years past: a sexy firefighter wearing only a fireman's jacket that barely covered her ass; a police woman, with an actual uniform borrowed from her sister-in-law; the Scream character, with a nearly sheer black bodysuit and signature cape; a nurse with too-short a lab coat; and silent film funnyman Charlie Chaplin even, when she was 20. She won numerous awards for the latter, including $500 cash. And, because she was silent the entire night, noone knew who it really was.
"Maybe I should be a mermaid," Briley thought aloud. "Or hmm, maybe a Playboy bunny." Her face twisted in thought. "I could do a mechanic, or a bikini model..."
As she was thinking, Briley looked at the invitation to her cousin's Halloween party. She and her cousin, Brittany, always threw the best parties. They'd dress up Brittany's parents' mansion to the top degree, complete with a Frankenstein host, always played by their mutual friend, caskets, a hearse parked out front, cobwebs, strobe lights–– everything! Briley couldn't wait until the night before Halloween, to head out there to decorate. Between the two of them, they already had all the decorations, most of the food, and the music. And Halloween was a week and a half away!
Briley's mind was on auto-pilot until she neared the end of the inch-thick catalogue. "Of course!" she yelled out loud, her mind suddenly sharp and focused. "It's sexy, fun, flirty, a little overdone in years past, but I'm sure I could spruce it up just a bit. Ah, it's perfect!" She ripped the page from the catalogue, and without even looking through the rest of the costumes, grabbed her keys and purse and headed to the local costume shop.
October 31.
The driveway to the Keegan Mansion was lined with a dozen tiki torches and a strand of Halloween garland draped between each one. A large, hairy spider with glowing red eyes hung from the gated archway to greet visitors. As Briley drove through, her eyes took in the rest of the decorations set up by her and Brittany the previous night.
The fountain, turned off for the winter, contained a small tilted platform inside it, with enough dry ice flowing over the edge, forming a thick layer of fog cascading down the yard. It also had some faux spider webs "spun" along the stone. The old-fashioned box hearse was parked in front of the front door of the mansion, eclipsing it from the fountain.
Bats ran on fishing line from tree to tree, mechanically swinging back and forth at various speeds and heights. One bat was even rigged to swoop down on unsuspecting guests as they arrived. In another half hour or so, strobe lights would come on and alternating Draculas would jump out from behind the bushes that stood guard at the front door, and a mummy would raise from the back of the hearse.
As Briley parked her Chevy Silverado along the half mile-long tree-lined drive leading up to the Keegan Mansion, she looked around the yard, taking in the spooky decorations. A thrill of pleasure coursed through her body. The image she shared with her cousin was illuminated perfectly in the spacious front yard.
Finally, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Briley let herself inside her cousin's house since the Frankenstein greeter hadn't yet arrived.
"Oh. My. GOD!" Briley laughed as Brittany's shrill scream filled the hallway. "Girl, you look GREAT! NOone is going to know who you are!"
"Let's hope not," Briley replied, sliding her arms around her cousin's lithe frame. "You look pretty hot yourself, Miss Spiderman. That bodysuit does wonders for you."
Brittany blushed and Briley laughed, then took her cousin's arm and pulled her to the kitchen. "C'mon, Brit, we need to get the food made."
~*~*~*~
Ninety minutes, and a million hor devours later (it seemed), Briley exited the kitchen into the parlor, where the party was hopping. The room, naturally dark wooded and decorated year round in crimson red, added to the festivities. The lighting was dim and a disco ball hung from the center of the room, spinning its light awkwardly on walls and guests alike. Music alternated from bump-and-grind to Halloween, and sometimes a combination of both simultaneously.
Frankenstein now stood inside the front door, adjacent to a casket. As guests passed the casket, Frank pushed a button and another mummy popped up, this one headless and bloody. A long table contained juice, alcohol, varying sodas, candy, caramel and candied apples, and more. Various other decorations lined the room, which joined the dining room when the doors were open, as they were, and guests were arriving by the minute. Briley's spirits were high, and her grin was permanent.
Walking over to the refreshment table, Briley picked up a glass of punch then walked over to Frankenstein to say hi.
"That must be Briley," he stated in his low, gravelly voice. Briley grinned then threw her arms around her friend Andrew. In character, Andrew hugged her back stiffly.
