Written By: Samuel J. Hoppe
Chapter 1:
Warning! Warning! Warning!
Red emergency lights flashed across the cockpit as the AI’s voice echoed through the ship. The Pilot rushed to the captain's chair and frantically hit buttons and yanked levers in an attempt to correct the falling altitude of the spacecraft.
Crash imminent! The A.I. blared, as the spacecraft entered the strange planet's atmosphere, its hull shuddering under the intense heat.
In a desperate attempt to save his life the Pilot grabbed a homing beacon and threw himself into the escape pod. With only seconds to spare, the Pilot slammed the eject button with one of his viney fingers. The escape pod blasted out of the ship and into the sky moments before the ship crashed into the ground with a deafening explosion echoing through the air. Fire exploded and engulfed the escape pod. The Pilot sat in the pod with his hands on his oversized pumpkin head in disbelief, wondering what he was going to do, as dull flames sprouted in his eyes.
The pod burst through the fire and flames. The Pilot cheered in celebration, convinced he had escaped death. The celebration did not last long.
Debris from the crash began littering the air, hitting the escape pod causing loud bangs to echo around the Pilot as the pod continued flying higher. Until the engine sputtered to a stop and the pod began to drop.
Parachute engage! The computer A.I. blared as the pod started losing altitude.
With a POP! The tip of the escape pod blew off and a parachute shot out. As the pod dropped, the black-and-white parachute blossomed overhead, its eerie cobweb pattern rippling overhead. Catching the wind and slowly carrying the pod onto the surface of the strange alien world below.
The Pilot pulled a lever, and the pod hatch door hissed open revealing a foreign environment. Towering lush blue and pink swirled trees stretched as far as the eye could see while tall green grass swayed gently in the breeze. The Pilot hopped out of the pod and scanned his surroundings. He saw a strange yet familiar thing sticking out of the grass.
“Is that a lollipop?!” The Pilot hurried over to the strange thing growing out of the ground.
It certainly was the shape of one. A brightly colored candy sat atop a slender stick, just like the lollipops he knew from home. He picked it up and held it to the sun.
“No insect?” He turned the candy over, inspecting it carefully.
Back home, lollipops were usually sour, with all sorts of creepy-crawlies trapped inside. The Pilots favorite had a spider stabbed through a stick wrapped in sticky cobwebs, then they were dipped into a witch’s brew of snake venom, ectoplasm, and goo from a slime monster, to give them a swampy taste. Then left in the sun to harden into a delicious lollipop. He gave the strange candy a cautious sniff.
“It smells nothing like a lollipop…” he shrugged.
“But who am I to complain?” The Pilot then plucked it out of the ground and plunged the strange object into his mouth.
“Mmm!” The flames in the Pilot's eyes suddenly grew brighter.
“It’s not sour!” He sucked on the candy again, savoring the strange flavor.
“It’s…sweet!” The Pilot stared at the lollipop in complete wonder. He had never tasted anything like it. He looked down at the patch of grass where he had found it.
“Sweet lollipops grow out of the ground here?” He gazed out across the vibrant landscape, smiling with delight.
“What a strange yet beautiful place.” he whispered
“I bet my father would love it here.” Clutching the small homing beacon, the Pilot pressed a button sending an invisible signal into the sky.
Chapter 2:
THRONE ROOM ON PLANET HALLOWEEN
“Sir, we've received news that your son's ship has crashed.” Said a skeleton rushing into the throne room holding a tablet.
“My son's ship…crashed?! Where!” The pumpkin king roared, rising from his throne.
“Our scanners indicate he has crashed on a disgusting place called Planet Candyland.” The skeleton grimaced.
“A homing beacon was activated moments ago. I’ll display the coordinates.” The skeleton’s bony fingers danced across the keyboard on the screen of the tablet. A large hologram of Candyland appeared in the center of the room revealing a bright pink and blue colored planet. A single blinking red dot marked the crash site. The pumpkin king stared at the brightly colored world with disgust.
“Absolutely revolting place! Summon the Ghoul Crew and have them meet me on my ship immediately.” growled the pumpkin king.
“The Ghoul Crew?!” the skeleton stammered “Isn't that overkill sir? With their power they could destroy the whole planet!”
“I don’t care if that wretched excuse for a planet is erased from the galaxy. We’re bringing my son home!” he snarled. The fire in the pumpkin king’s eyes burst from his Jack O’Lantern head as he slammed his viney fist against his throne, causing the whole chamber to tremble. Without another word, the pumpkin king swept from the room, and the stunned skeleton meekly followed to carry out his command.
Chapter 3:
CRASH SITE ON PLANET CANDYLAND
Screams echoed in the distance. Not of terror… but of joy? Startled, the Pilot dropped his homing beacon on a bush with little red and white circles throughout. Before he could notice, curiosity got the better of him. He pushed his way through the thick minty bushes while towering licorice trees stretched high above him. A clearing opened ahead and the Pilot could not believe what he saw.
There were children gathered around an enormous cake.They sang loudly, a song he didn’t recognize but the lyrics “Happy Birthday Steven” seemed very prominent. Every child smiled but none more brightly than the one in the middle. Smiles were on all the children's faces, but especially one boy in the center who did not sing. Joy covered every inch of his face. The Pilot curiously tilted his pumpkin head.
“Hmm, why isn't that one singing?” Then realization struck,
“Oh! That must be Steven! They must be celebrating that boy’s day of birth. What a fun thing to do!”
He watched with fascination as the song ended. Steven closed his eyes for a moment then opened them and leaned in to blow out his candles. But, before he could - three older boys rushed forward, arms outstretched.
SPLAT!
They had slammed Steven's face into the cake. The boys laughed and high fived. Steven slowly lifted his head. Frosting covered his face. Everyone laughed, except Steven. His smile disappeared, tears welled in his eyes, before falling down his cheeks. He wiped them away and ran straight towards the forest, right where the Pilot was hiding.
The Pilot ducked and hurried into a peppermint bush and hid as the boy ran past. More footsteps approached and suddenly the three older boys thundered by. Chasing Steven.
“I will not let Steven be treated so badly on his celebration day!” A tiny flame flickered inside his jack o’lantern head. Orange light glowed through his carved eyes and crooked smile.
He got to his feet and sprinted after them. Licorice branches whipped past as he ran, but the boys had a head start. A cry echoed ahead. The Pilot’s heart sank. The boys must have caught up to Steven.
The Pilot burst through another bush and emerged into a small clearing. Just in time to see one of the three boys punch Steven square in the face. Stevens' body collapsed onto the ground.
The three bullies turned, and standing before them was a child in a black spacesuit with a large jack-o'lantern for a head.
The flame inside the Pilot erupted. Fire blazed from his eyes and mouth. The boys stumbled back in terror. The Pilot lunged at them and yelled loudly,
“GET AWAY FROM STEVEN!"
The boys, now thoroughly terrified, screamed and ran for their lives. The Pilot reached into his mouth and pulled out three blazing fireballs. He proceeded to throw them at the boys.
FWUMP!
FWUMP!
FWUMP!
The fire balls struck each of them right in the butt.
“OW!” The three boys roared.
Steven burst into laughter as the boys yelped and jumped in pain. Until they were out of sight.
The Pilot rushed to Steven’s side, the fire in his head now dimmed until only a gentle flicker remained.
“Are you ok?”
“Yeah, I'm alright.” Steven said as he pulled his hand away from his face.
“But I don't think their butts will be!'' The Pilot and Steven both laughed. For a moment everything felt okay.
“Here.” Steven said as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a chocolate bar. The Pilot accepted it carefully.
“What's this?”
“It’s chocolate!” Steven looked surprised. “It's the best candy ever. You’ve never tried it?”
“Chocolate?” the Pilot repeated. “We don’t have chocolate where I'm from.” He peeled back the wrapper.
The Pilot brought the unfamiliar “Chocolate” to his mouth. A rich, sweet, smell wafted into the air. He took a cautious bite. The flames in his pumpkin head instantly turned blue.
“This is the best thing I've ever tasted!” He devoured another bite, blue flames of joy burst from his eyes like fireworks.
“Where can I get more?!”
Steven laughed.
“Well, there’s the Trick or Treat Candy Factory across town. My dad works there. We could go and get some.” Before the Pilot could respond…
CLAAAANK!
A deafening roar split the sky. The boys looked up.There was a massive obsidian spaceship rushing through Planet Candyland’s atmosphere, streaking overhead like a black comet. Steven’s jaw dropped.
“That must be my dad.” The Pilot said nonchalantly.
“Your dad?!” Steven said in awe as he watched the ship.
“He's coming to get me since my ship crashed.”
“Your ship? You came on a ship like that too?! Where are you from?”
“Mines much smaller.” The Pilot absentmindedly patted his spacesuit pockets. “I'm from Halloween.”
“Halloween! What’s that?” Steven eagerly asked.
“Planet Halloween. My home world.”
“Wait… You’re from another planet?!” Steven exclaimed.
The Pilot kept checking his pockets when suddenly his smile vanished.
“Oh no!” The Pilot spun toward the forest.
“My homing beacon!” He checked his pockets again.
“I must have dropped it back on my ship!” He looked up at the streaks left by the giant spacecraft.
“If my dad doesn't find me with it he’ll think something bad happened and he’ll start looking for me.” He grabbed Steven’s hand.
“Come on Steven, we have to hurry!!” The Pilot took off running. Steven trailed behind him as the enormous black ship continued its descent overhead.
Chapter 4:
INSIDE THE PUMPKIN KING'S SHIP
“Prepare for landing!” A member of the skeleton crew shouted as the landing gear extended from the bottom of the obsidian ship.
“If anything on this colorful rock hurts my son I’ll kill them! I'll kill them all!” Roared the pumpkin king as the flames in his head burned a deep furious red.
The ship descended gently, landing beside the Pilot's smaller ship. A long, black ramp extended from its side touched the ground with a metallic thud. The pumpkin king emerged from the darkness of the ship and stomped down the ramp. He took one look around.
“It’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.” He paused, his flames flickering with disgust.
“I hate it! The air is too fresh! Where's all the filth and grime! ” He wandered toward his son's ship, and with the help of his homing beacon tracker he immediately located the signal. He bent down and plucked the beacon out of a peppermint bush with his viney fingers.
“Where is he!?” roared the king. “Ghoul crew, get out here!”
Rummaging and crashing echoed from inside the ship. Then one by one, the ghoul crew emerged. A werewolf burst through the doorway sprinting on all fours until he reached the pumpkin king's side. A witch flew out of the ship on her broom, nearly knocking a skeleton pirate off the ramp. The skeleton causally continued down his wooden pegleg thudding against the metal ramp with every step. A mummy and zombie tried to exit at the same time, only to get stuck in the doorway.
“Move” the zombie groaned.
“You move,” the mummy snapped.
They began shoving each other until something with tremendous strength finally pushed them both free. The pair tumbled down the ramp. While in the doorway stood a pasty vampire, just beyond the reach of sunlight.
“I’ll be there as soon as this awful sun goes away!” The vampire hissed.
The mummy and zombie struggled to get to their feet. The mummy looked down. His arm was missing. They both started at the severed arm lying on the ground. The zombie grabbed it and hit the mummy over the head with it.
“Hey!”
Then before the zombie could do it again, a roll of toilet paper flew out of the ship and smacked him directly in the face. The vampire stood in the doorway shaking his head.
“Imbeciles!” he roared.
The zombie ignored him. He pressed the mummy’s arm back against his shoulder and began wrapping it tightly with the toilet paper. Once the wrapping was secure the mummy slowly lifted it.
SMACK!
He slapped the zombie across the face with his newly attached arm. The zombie blinked, the mummy smiled. They both shrugged and made their way over to the rest of the ghoul crew.
“Hmm, aren't we missing a few?” asked the pumpkin king.
“Just that sharp tooth freak” howled the werewolf.
“The.. short.. ones.” moaned the zombie.
“Ah! Yes!” the pumpkin king shouted. “Get out here newbies!”
A tremendous crash came from inside the ship. Then another, and another. Finally three very small and surprisingly adorable members of the ghoul crew appeared. The first was a tiny reaper carrying a miniature scythe. Beside him was a little goblin with a single puff of hair sticking straight from the top of his head. Floating behind him was a ghost with rosey red plump cheeks. The trio carefully made their way down the ramp.
“They're so cute!” the witch squealed. “I could just eat them up! No really I could! Hehehe” she licked her lips.
“Reporting for duty, sir.” the tiny reaper said proudly. He immediately tripped over his long cloak. His scythe flew through the air and nearly sliced the goblin’s puff of hair cleanly off.
“Watch it!” The goblin shouted. The reaper sheepishly scrambled to his feet. The pumpkin king stepped forward, his flames flickering angrily.
“It’s about time! Now listen carefully, the werewolf is going to track my son’s scent. We're not sure what happened to him but I fear one of the disgusting occupants of this world may have taken him!” The entire crew straightened.
“We don’t know how strong these creatures are so be ready for anything. At a moment's notice, I want every one of you ready to fight.”
The pumpkin king pointed dramatically toward the werewolf.
“Ok, werewolf! Find my son!”
The werewolf dropped to all fours and sniffed the ground around the ship. He circled once, twice, and then his ears perked up.
“I’ve got it!” he howled “Follow me!”
The ghoul crew hurried after him as he raced to a nearby bush. The werewolf suddenly stopped. Everyone gathered around him. Beyond the bush sat a giant crushed birthday cake. Across the top written in colorful icing were smudged words they couldn’t read. The pumpkin king stared at it.
“What does this have to do with my son?”
“The scent goes into the woods.” The wolfman stopped pointing toward the trees.
“But then-” He sniffed harder, his eyes widened. “I’m getting three individuals carrying the scent.”
The pumpkin king leaned closer. “Three?”
“Yes, they’re hurrying out of the forest toward the town. They’re standing close together… maybe they’re carrying him!” He suddenly jumped into the air.
“The kidnappers! I found them! Let’s go!”
“Good work! We’ll get those rotten kidnappers!” shouted the pumpkin king. He charged toward the city, followed closely by his bizarre army of ghouls. The hunt for his son had begun.
Chapter 5:
BACK TO THE PILOT AND STEVEN
The Pilot and Steven arrived at his ship, but the moment they reached it, the Pilot froze.
“Oh no.” The Pilot muttered.
The Pilot ran up the obsidian ramp, and threw the door open.
“Dad! Are you here?”
No answer.
The Pilot went deeper into the dark with Steven following closely behind.
“Dad!” he shouted again.
Still nothing. Then he heard it. A strange scratching and shuffling sound was coming from a coffin tucked away in the corner of the room. The pair slowly approached it.
Knock. Knock.
Suddenly the coffin burst open.
“Hiss!” A vampire shot upright. Steven shrieked and fainted. The vampire burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha. I haven’t scared someone this badly in centuries.”
“No!” the Pilot shouted. “Steven’s my friend!” The Pilot scooped Steven up and threw him over his shoulder.
“Where are you going!?” the vampire asked.
“I've got to get Steven to his father at the Trick or Treat Candy Factory. He’ll be able to help him.” The Pilot paused. His eyes lit up with a blue flame “Plus they have chocolate!”
The vampire raised a brow. “You cannot be serious.”
“I am very serious about chocolate.”
“But your fathers out looking for you! You will stay here and wait for his return!”
“No! I have to help my friend!”
“You should stay!” The vampire shouted but the Pilot was already running down the ramp. The vampire hurried after him, but stopped just before the sunlight could touch his skin.
“Curse this delicate skin!” the vampire grumbled as he watched the pilot disappear into the distance.
Meanwhile, the Pilot raced towards the town with Steven still unconscious over his shoulder. There was only one problem. He had no idea where the Trick Or Treat Candy Factory was. Upon arrival into the town the Pilot stopped in the middle of the street and shouted.
“Someone help! I need to get to the Trick or Treat Candy Factory! Where is it?” But Candyland remained strangely quiet.
Only moments earlier, the pumpkin king and the Ghoul crew had run amok through the city, terrifying everyone. The Citizens of Candyland had locked themselves inside their homes and were too frightened to come outside. And now there was a boy with a Jack O’lantern head walking through the streets carrying an unconscious boy. Naturally, nobody wanted to open their doors.
Instead the Citizens of Candyland peeked through their windows as the pilot walked past, still shouting…
“Where is the Trick or Treat Candy Factory?”
The Pilot got fed up with the citizens unwillingness to help.
“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll ask every house myself.”
He marched up to the first house and knocked. After a moment a timid fellow cracked the door open just enough to peek one eye out.
“Hello, where’s the tri-?” Abruptly a piece of candy flew through the opening, rolling across the floor and landing at the pilot’s feet.
“I don’t want any trouble.” said the timid man behind the door. “Just take the candy and go.”
“Oh.” The pilot blinked. He picked up the candy, and popped it into his mouth. The blue flame lit up inside his eyes as he moved on to the next house.
“Mmm. Chocolate.” He smiled and continued down the street.
At the next house, he knocked again. The door opened just a crack.
“Hello, I’m looking for the Tri-” Another piece of candy flew through the doorway. The door slammed shut. The pilot stared at it. Then he shrugged, ate the candy and moved on.
The Pilot stopped just before knocking on the third house and decided to change it up this time. Maybe he was asking the wrong way. He banged on the door and yelled
“Trick or treat!” Silence. Then…
A whole chocolate bar plopped out of the mail slot of the door.
“Thank you.” he murmured, picking up the candy.
Suddenly the curtains were pulled back and a tiny hand pointed down the road. The Pilot’s eyes widened.
“That way?” The little hand shook up and down as if it were nodding.
“Thank you!” the pilot grinned, putting the chocolate bar into his pocket. Then took off toward the Trick or Treat Candy Factory, while carrying Steven safely on his shoulder.
Chapter 6:
THE CANDY FACTORY
The werewolf followed the scent of the three kidnappers until it led them to an enormous building. Colorful plumes of smoke burst into the sky from dozens of pipes jutting from its roof, painting the clouds in swirling shades of purple, blue and pink. The werewolf stopped and took one last whiff. Then he pointed toward the massive iron gate sealing off the entrance.
“They went in there.”
“Excellent work!” The Pumpkin King boomed. “Once we find the leader of this kidnapping scheme, I shall rip him to shreds and allow you to have what's left of him as a reward.”
The werewolf howled with delight.
“Ha! If there is anything left!” The witch cackled. Before the Pumpkin King could respond a strange voice suddenly crackled from a small box mounted beside the gate.
“Uh, hello? How can I help you?”
The pumpkin king jumped.
“Who said that!?”
“It came from here!” the witch said, pointing her wand at the box.
“Who’s in there?!” the pumpkin king demanded.
The werewolf leaned toward the box and sniffed it suspiciously.
“I can’t smell anything in there.”
“What kind of magic is this?!” the pumpkin king roared.
“Uh…. it’s a speaker.” the voice replied “Are you on something?”
“On something? Why yes!” the Pumpkin king said proudly “We’re on a quest to save my son from you dreadful kidnappers!”
There was a long pause.
“Sir…. pumpkin head dude…or whatever. There are no children allowed in the factory. That would be a major safety hazard.”
“Deceitful liar!” the Pumpkin King shouted. “We have tracked his scent straight to this- this thing!” He waved wildly toward the factory.
“Wait,” the voice said. “Actually there were three children who came to the gates asking for help not to long ago-”
“AHA!” the Pumpkin King roared. “I've caught you!”
“What?”
“Those must be the kidnappers! One on each side carrying my boy! How diabolical!”
“What? No, that’s not-”
“Ghoul crew! Break down this door!”
“My pleasure!” the witch hissed. She reached into her robe and pulled out a small, tightly sealed cauldron. With a wicked grin, she hurled it at the gate.
BOOM!
The cauldron shattered against the iron bars, releasing a torrent of glowing green acid. It splashed across the gate, eating through the metal with a furious hiss. The massive gate melted away.
“Excellent work!” the pumpkin king roared. He charged through the opening, with the werewolf, witch, and the rest of the ghoul crew rushing after him and spilling into the courtyard of the factory.
Inside the factory, the man behind the speaker stared at the security monitors in disbelief. Then he slowly reached for a large red button.
BEEP.
Alarms blared throughout the building.
Every light in the factory flashed red. And somewhere deep inside, the chocolatier looked up from his work. Someone-or something - had broken into his factory.
Chapter 7:
Inside The Factory
“I came as soon as I heard!” the chocolatier exclaimed as he rushed into the security room.
“Sir, they're destroying everything!” the factory gatekeeper said, frantically pointing toward the security monitors. “It won't be long before they break through the factory doors!”
On the screens, the ghoul crew rampaged through the courtyard. One ghoul was ripping apart a decorative chocolate fountain while another hurled barrels across the yard. The werewolf had somehow climbed into a delivery truck and was shaking it back and forth, while the Pumpkin King stood in the middle of the chaos, arms raised high, cackling.
The chocolatier watched in silence for a moment.
“Hm…” he folded his arms. “We have no choice” the gatekeeper gulped, a singular bead of sweat dripping down his face.
“Sir… you don’t mean -”
“We must send out the Gingerbread Men!” The gatekeeper’s eyes widened in horror.
“No! Anything but the Ginger Squad!”
“We must!” The chocolatier insisted. “There is no other way to stop these monsters!”
“But they're still in training!” the gatekeeper protested. “They’ve never even been tested in the field! There's no telling whether they'll listen to your commands!” He pointed desperately at the monitors.
“They could destroy the whole factory too!” The chocolatier placed a hand firmly on his shoulder.
“They may not be fully trained…” he smiled. “But I believe in them!”
Meanwhile in the Ginger Squad Gym….
“AGHHH!” One gingerbread man strained beneath a heavily loaded barbell.
“One more! Another shouted.
“Push!!”
“You’ve got it!”
“COME ON!”
A crowd of gingerbread men surrounded their friend, cheering him on as he attempted to set a new personal record on the bench press.
“PUSH!”
“YOU’VE GOT THIS!” The gingerbread man’s tiny arms trembled violently.
“Arghh!” His frosting eyebrows furrowed with determination.
“One…” the entire squad leaned forward.
“Two…” the barbell shook.
“THREE!”
Suddenly the chocolatier burst through the main entrance.
“ALL GINGERBREAD REPORT FOR DUTY!” Everyone turned. The chocolatier stood in the doorway, pointing dramatically toward the ceiling.
“THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY IS UNDER ATTACK!”
The gingerbread man beneath the barbell stared at him in surprise.
“What?” His concentration vanished.
“Uh-oh.”
CRACK!
His arms snapped. The barbell slammed down on his chest. His entire body split with a loud, brittle crunch.
“NO!”
The other gingerbread men grasped.
“We need the bakers!”
Immediately, three men wearing enormous white chef hats burst through a pair of metal double doors. Two of them carried a gigantic baking sheet between them. The third carried two enormous piping bags full of icing.
“Make way! Make way!” one of the chefs shouted. The two bakers rushed next to the incapacitated gingerbread man and lowered a baking sheet beside him.
“Careful! Careful!” They gently lifted him onto the sheet. The gingerbread man groaned.
“My chest…”
“We know, we know!” said the chef with the piping bag, as he started injecting the icing into all the cracks in his chest.
“Stay calm!” He moved to the arms.
“Now for the limbs.” He applied a thick layer of icing to the broken ends and pressed them together.
Everyone watched, anxiously waiting. Some of the gingerbread men even stopped mid-rep to observe. The chef released his grip. The arm immediately fell off.
Plop.
The entire gym went silent, not even a squeak from a weight could be heard. The chef stared at the arm. Then at the gingerbread man. Then back at the arm.
“They're not reattaching!” He threw his hands into the air in frustration.
“We must perform emergency baking!” The chef yelled. The two chefs grabbed the edges of the enormous baking sheet, and hoisted it into the air.
“Wait!” the injured gingerbread man cried. But they were already carrying him through the double doors. The remaining Ginger Squad stood in stunned silence. The chocolatier looked around the room.
“Ginger Squad…” Every gingerbread man snapped to attention.
“It’s time to defend the factory.” The squad exchanged nervous glances. Then one brave gingerbread man raised his fist.
“For the factory!”
“For the factory!” the others shouted. The chocolatier smiled. Somewhere outside, another explosion shook the building. His smile disappeared.
“...And please try not to destroy anything.”
Chapter 8:
BACK IN THE COURTYARD
“Ok! We're going to break those doors down!” shouted the pumpkin king.
“Everyone, get ready! Three! Two! One! CHARGE!”
The entire Ghoul Crew charged toward the factory’s massive entrance. But just as they reached the doors, they suddenly slid open. Standing on the other side was the chocolatier and an entire squad of Gingerbread men. The chocolatier stared at the charging monsters. Then he pointed toward the open doors.
“They’re automatic sliding doors! All you have to do is walk up to them and they will open, You twits.”
The Pumpkin King's jack O’lantern head burst into flames.
“How dare you speak to me like that!” he boomed.
“I am the chocolatier and this is my chocolate factory!” the chocolatier shouted back. “I’ll speak to you however I please!”
The Ghoul Crew snickered.
“You’re talking to the Pumpkin King”, the witch cackled “Lord of flames and vines! You're going to regret that.”
The werewolf threw his head back and howled. But before anyone could make another threat, the zombie's arm suddenly fell off.
Plop.
Everyone started at it. The mummy bent down to pick it up. Unfortunately, he tripped on his own wrapping.
“Whoa - !”
He tumbled forward and crashed directly into the zombie. The mummy’s loose wrapping tangled around the zombie, trapping them together. The pair rolled across the courtyard like a giant bowling ball.
“LOOK OUT!” screamed the ghost. Too late. The zombie-mummy bowling ball slammed directly into the three newest members of the Ghoul Crew - the Reaper, the Goblin, and the Ghost.
CRASH!
The three went flying through the air like bowling pins. The chocolatier and the gingerbread men burst into laughter. The Pumpkin King stared at them in disbelief.
“We’re supposed to be afraid of you?” The chocolatier laughed. “What were we even scared of?” The Pumpkin King slowly turned toward him.
“First you kidnap my son.” His flames grew brighter.
“Then you mock me.” The flames rose higher.
“And now…” He clenched his vine-covered fists.
“You dare laugh at my Ghoul Crew?” The courtyard fell silent. “Let me show you why you should fear me.”
The flames surrounding the Pumpkin King's head suddenly became engulfed in a deep, crimson red flame. He reached up and pulled two blazing balls of fire from his flaming head, holding one in each viney hand.
“WITNESS DESTRUCTION!” The pumpkin king shouted. The fireballs began to grow. And grow. And grow.
Flames spiraled around the Pumpkin King as the heat intensified. The ground beneath his feet began to smoke as he prepared for his attack, but just before he could unleash his attack -
BOOM!
The factory’s double doors burst open. A thick cloud of steam poured into the courtyard. Everyone stopped and stared. Heavy footsteps echoed from inside the factory.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Slowly, the steam began to clear. A hulking figure emerged. It was a gingerbread man. But not the gingerbread man they had seen before. He had been completely transformed.
His cookie body was perfectly baked to a deep golden brown. The cracks across his chest had been filled with thick white icing, making his torso look like it was covered in hardened muscle. His broken arms have been reattached and reinforced with layers of fresh icing that glistened under the factory lights. Steam hissed off his freshly baked body as he stepped forward. The chocolatier blinked.
“Oh…well that’s new.”
The buff gingerbread man looked around.
“Did someone say…witness studstruction?”
The Pumpkin King frowned.
“Wha- No! No! I said witn-” The buff gingerbread man flexed.
CRACK!
The loud crack echoed through the courtyard.
“Is this what you wanted?” He struck another pose. Then another. And another. The gingerbread man continued flexing, completely oblivious to the fact that everyone was staring at him.
The Pumpkin King’s fireballs slowly faded from his hands. But the flames inside his head burned brighter than ever.
“You DARE to think you're buffer than me!” The Pumpkin King grabbed the bottom of his shirt.
RRRIPPP!
He tore it completely off, revealing his bulging muscles.
“This is what REAL muscles look like!” he roared. “Not your bakery grown artificial implants!” The gingerbread man looked down at his icing covered body. Then back at the Pumpkin King.
“Bakery grown? Artificial?” He clenched his fists.
“At least I'm not full of GMOs!”
The Pumpkin King’s eyes flared.
“At least I'm not a giant turd full of Red 40!”
The gingerbread man gasped.
“You did NOT just say that!” He charged. The pumpkin king charged back.
The two collided in the center of the courtyard with an explosive force.
BOOM!
Fire met frosting.
The pumpkin king hurled a blazing fist. The gingerbread man blocked it.
WHAM!
A scorch mark appeared across his icing. The gingerbread man answered with a thunderous punch.
POW!
A glob of white icing splattered across the Pumpkin King’s chest. The two continued trading blows. The Pumpkin king threw a huge arc of flame. The gingerbread man ducked underneath it and drove a fist straight into the king's chest.
BOOM!
The Pumpkin King went skidding backwards across the courtyard.
The Ghoul Crew erupted in chaotic cheers.
“GET HIM, BOSS!” howled the werewolf.
“RIP HIS CRUMBS OUT!” cackled the witch.
“ARGH! Make him walk the plank!” cried the skeleton pirate.
“Send him to his tomb!” shouted the mummy. Suddenly, the Grim Reaper tripped over the mummy’s loose wrappings.
“Whoa!” he fell forward. His scythe swung through the air once again.
CHOP!
It sliced clean through the zombie’s remaining arm. The arm landed on the ground.
THUD!
The goblin immediately grabbed the arm and began chewing on it.
“Mmmm!” The zombie stared at him.
“Hey! That’s my arm!”
The gingerbread man cracked his neck. Steam poured off him as his icing glistened in the sunlight. The Pumpkin King slowly rose from the ground.
“Enough games!” fire exploded from beneath his feet, launching him into the air.
“I grow tired of this fight!” two enormous fireballs formed in his hands.
“Let’s end this!” He merged them together over his head. The flames merged into one enormous sphere of blazing yellow fire. The courtyard shook beneath its heat. The gingerbread man planted his feet, pulled his arm back with icing converging onto his fist then tightening like coiled steel. Both fighters prepared to unleash their final attacks.
“STOP!!!”
The shout echoed through the courtyard. Both fighters froze. The Pumpkin King knew that voice. Between them stood the Pilot and Steven.
“Dad!” shouted the Pilot. “STOP! They didn’t kidnap me!”
The fireball above the pumpkin king's head slowly shrank, smaller and smaller until it vanished completely.
“Son?” his voice softened.
“SON!” He dropped to the ground and rushed toward him, wrapping his arms around him.
“Son! Where have you been? I’ve been searching everywhere for you!”
The Chocolatier stared in confusion.
“Son?”
The Pumpkin King pulled away from the pilot.
“Yes! You kidnapped-” started the Pumpkin King turning toward the chocolatier.
“NO! They didn’t-” started the Pilot. The chocolatier suddenly looked confused.
“Is that.. Steven?!” The Chocolatier shouted.
The Pilot brought Steven down from his shoulder and laid him on the ground.
“He fainted while he was trying to help me. Your vampire friend scared him!”
The Pumpkin chuckled “He got a scare? Hm good for him.”
“Steven!” The chocolatier rushed over and dropped to his knees beside his son.
“Steven! Wake up, buddy.” He gently shook his shoulder.
“Bring me the sugar sticks - STAT” he said, pointing at one of the gingerbread men. A few moments later the gingerbread came rushing in with a clear container filled with colorful sticks.
The container hissed open, and the chocolatier slowly took out two sticks ripping the tops off with his mouth.
“Everyone step back” He then placed the sticks over Steven’s mouth, and poured the white sandy substance. A sweet smell filled the air. Steven groaned.
“Ugh…”
“Come on, Steven. Wake up.” Steven slowly opened his eyes.
“Dad?” The chocolatier pulled him into a hug.
“Oh, thank goodness!” Steven looked around at the strange creatures surrounding him. His eyes widened.
“Are you all fighting?!”
“No, no,” the chocolatier said. “It’s over. You’re safe.”
Steven sat up and looked around. The Pumpkin King and the Pilot stood nearby. The Gingerbread Squad stood behind them, along with the Ghoul Crew. The chocolatier looked at his son.
“Now tell me what happened.” Steven took a deep breath.
“He fought off the bullies I told you about!” He pointed at the pilot.
“They came to my birthday party and shoved my face into the cake you made me. I got really mad and ran off into the woods.” The chocolatier frowned.
“And the bullies followed him,” the Pilot added.
“I saw what they were doing, so I scared them off.” Steven nodded enthusiastically.
“He threw fireballs at their butts! They ran away screaming with their butts ablaze!”
The Pilot grinned.
“It was pretty funny.”
“It was amazing!” Steven said. The chocolatier shook his head, half relieved and half amused.
“So he didn’t hurt you?”
“No!” said Steven.
The Pumpkin King slowly turned toward the chocolatier.
“So…” He looked at the Pilot. Then at Steven. Then at the destroyed courtyard.
“We have been fighting this entire time…” The chocolatier nodded.
“...because of a misunderstanding.” The Pumpkin King looked around at his Ghoul Crew.The mummy was covered in loose bandages. The zombie was missing an arm. The Reaper and Goblin were still wrestling on the ground.The Pumpkin King sighed.
“Well…”
The Pilot suddenly smiled.“Yeah! And then he gave me the most amazing thing in the universe!” He reached into his pocket.
“Chocolate!” He pulled out the chocolate bar.
“And I saved this chocolate bar for you, Dad!” The Pilot handed the bar of chocolate to the Pumpkin King. The Pumpkin King hesitated. He glanced suspiciously at the chocolatier. The chocolatier smiled and nodded.
“Here at The Trick or Treat Candy Factory, we make the best chocolate in the world!” He grinned
“Or as your son said..”
“THE UNIVERSE!” Steven shouted.
“Hmm.” The pumpkin king slowly placed the chocolate into his mouth. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the chocolate started to melt. Rich decadent chocolate exploded across his tongue. The Pumpkin King’s eyes widened. Suddenly -
WHOOSH!
Brilliant blue flames filled the Pumpkin King's eyes. A pillar of blue flames erupted from the top of his head and shot into the sky.
Everyone jumped.
“THIS IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER TASTED!” The Pumpkin King grabbed the chocolatier by the shoulders.
“I MUST HAVE MORE!” He turned toward his Ghoul Crew.
“I MUST SHOW MY PEOPLE THE WONDER THAT IS CHOCOLATE!” Then he looked back at the chocolatier.
“Chocolatier! How do you make this?” The chocolatier laughed.
“So… does that mean we have a truce?” The Chocolatier asked.
The pumpkin king laughed
“Yes.” He extended his hand.
“You've got yourself a truce. No more fighting everyone.” The Ghoul Crew groaned. The werewolf let out a sad howl.
“Aw…” the witch said, staring at the buff gingerbread man.
“I was hoping to get a bite of that one.” She winked.
The buff gingerbread man shivered in terror.
“These biscuits belong to my wife!” He leaned toward the chocolatier and whispered,
“Don’t tell her I'm not married.” The chocolatier laughed.
“No! We just got my arm reattached! I was finally ready to fight” complained the mummy.
“Lucky for them!” said the little grim reaper. He immediately tripped on his tunic again and nearly beheaded the little goblin beside him.
“Hey! Watch it!” the goblin shouted before tackling the little grim reaper to the ground. The Pumpkin King shook his head. Then the chocolatier turned toward him.
“Well, Pumpkin King, I have the chocolate recipe. Which is very near and dear to my company.” He folded his arms.
“What do you have to offer?”
The Pumpkin King thought for a moment. He looked at his son and then he looked at Steven who were smiling and talking amongst themselves. A smile spread across his face.
“Well, chocolatier, it’d be a shame to make our boys say goodbye to each other forever” He extended his hand.
“So what do you say to this? You give me the chocolate recipe” He paused dramatically.
“And I'll give you the blueprints to one of my ships.” The chocolatier raised an eyebrow.
“So you can make your own and come visit us on…” The Pumpkin King grinned.
“PLANET HALLOWEEN!”
The Chocolatier’s eyes lit up
“You’ve got yourself a deal!” He smiled.
“And to sweeten it up, how about we load up your space ship with as many chocolate bars as you can hold!”
“Deal!” said the Pumpkin King. He shook the chocolatier’s hand.
“Now! Let me get my ship over here!”
The Pumpkin King pulled a small metal square out of his pocket and pushed a couple buttons. A hologram appeared above it.
The vampire was sitting aboard the ship, fast asleep.
“Wake up!” shouted the Pumpkin King. The vampire jumped up.
“Huh?.. Oh.. Your majesty. How can I be of service?”
“Bring the ship to the factory, we’ve got some work to do.” The pumpkin king said with a smile. The vampire nodded.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Moments later, the obsidian ship arrived above the factory. The ramp lowered and everyone got to work. The Ghoul Crew and the gingerbread men worked side by side, carrying box after box of chocolate onto the ship.
The Chocolatier and The Pumpkin King watched their crews work together.
Once the ship was loaded and ready to burst, the Pumpkin King pulled a small metallic rectangle from his pocket and handed it to the Chocolatier.
“What’s this?” said the Chocolatier. The Pumpkin King pushed a button. A huge, detailed 3D hologram of his ship appeared before them.
“Your blueprints,” he said with a smile. The chocolatier's eyes lit up.
“Wow! The things we’ll be able to do with this technology.”
“Yes, Yes.” said the Pumpkin King.
“You can do amazing things with that ship.”
“Thank you." said the Chocolatier.
“And thank you.” said the Pumpkin King. “Now we must be off! I must share this discovery with my people!”
The Ghoul crew began boarding the ship. The werewolf huffed as he climbed the ramp.
“I swear my nose never lies…” He glanced back at the Pilot.
“But I guess they didn’t kidnap him after all.”
“Can we take him with us!” shouted the witch, pointing at the buff gingerbread man.
“No! No!” Shouted the Buff gingerbread man
“My wife! I couldn’t leave her.”
The witch shrugged.
“Ah! Your loss!” She disappeared into the ship.
“ARRRGGHHHH!” shouted the pirate skeleton.
The mummy looked at the zombie.
“I wonder if we could get some of that icing to hold us together.”
“Yes!” Said the little goblin.
“Then you two would be even more delicious!” The rest of the Ghoul Crew laughed and boarded the ship. Soon, only the Pumpkin King and the Pilot remained. The Pilot turned toward Steven.
“Bye Steven! I can’t wait to show you around Planet Halloween!” Steven smiled.
“I can’t wait! Thanks again for stopping those bullies.”
“Anytime!”
The pilot looked toward the forest.
“I wonder where they ran off to, anyway.” The pair shrugged.
“Safe travels, Pumpkin King.” said the chocolatier.
“And good luck building that ship.” The Pumpkin King smiled
“Until next time.” He turned toward his son.
“Let’s go, son.” The Pumpkin King and the Pilot boarded the ship. The ramp was raised. Moments later, flames erupted from the back of the obsidian ship sending it rocketing into the sky. The Pilot grabbed a chocolate bar and sat beside a window, looking down at the world below. He watched as the chocolatier and Steven waved up at them. Then he spotted three boys near a small pond behind the factory trying to extinguish flames from their butts. The Pilot laughed and bit into his chocolate bar.
“Dad!” The chocolatier looked over at Steven.
“For my birthday next year, can everyone dress up like people from Planet Halloween?”
Steven’s eyes lit up.
“We can all go door to door and yell ‘Trick or Treat’ just like they did!”
He paused.
“Oh and give everyone candy! It’d be so much fun!”
The chocolatier smiled.
“I think that's a wonderful idea son! I’m sure the townspeople would love that!.”
The end.
