GAMM HALLOWEEN a la Disney

(With Judy)

"Mom, can we have a Halloween party here on the weekend?" Candy came running into the kitchen where Carolyn and Martha were sitting at the table having coffee and discussing weekly household expenses.

"PLEASE, Mom?" Jonathan was right behind his sister. "Everyone would love to come to a REAL haunted house!"

"How many people is 'everyone'?" came the Captain's voice, and he materialized beside the women.

"Everyone in our classes! Whoever can come. It's only about 30 kids or so."

"THIRTY?" the Captain was astounded.

"And we need you to make things REALLY spooky here, Captain!" Candy rushed on, not waiting for an answer from Carolyn who was already beginning to shake her head. "You can do what you can to frighten them away; lift things, make horrible ghostly noises, YOU know ... and they'll think it's all tricks that we've rigged up. It'd be PERFECT!

Please, Mom? At least think about it, okay? Come on, Jonathan, let's go make plans..." and she dragged her brother out the door and both went clattering up the stairs.

Carolyn and Martha looked at each other in silence. The Captain glanced from one to the other, then addressed Carolyn in a gruff voice, "You don't intend to let the children have their way, do you? In MY day, children were seen, and not heard ... as it should be!   What makes them think I would be delighted to haunt Gull Cottage specifically for fun?"

"You mean you wouldn't be?" Carolyn grinned at his furious face.

"Sorry. Well, I can't see it would be that bad. Just a couple of hours out of your life. It might be interesting, at that."

"Madam! You MUST reconsider!"

"I could make some Halloween cupcakes and some other things to eat, Mrs. Muir." Martha said, ignoring the Captain's pleas. "And we could do the fall cleaning AFTER the party ... all the dust will just add to the spookiness value of this property."

"There isn't much dust!" the Captain was most upset that they were considering, nay, had AGREED to this party. Without his consent!  And they were hoping HE would be involved! With a "BLAST!", the Captain disappeared.

* * * * * * * * * * *

When Candy and Jonathan's 14 friends arrived at dusk on Friday night, dropped off by two parents with station wagons, they knocked on the door to Gull Cottage. With a gentle creaking noise, it opened ... seemingly by itself. Jonathan and Candy stood on the stairs inside, grinning widely.

"Come in! Come in!" Candy waved. "Welcome!"

"Yeah, WE welcome you ... but the ghost of Captain Gregg isn't too happy." Jonathan giggled.

The other children came in rather hesitantly. "Is there really a ghost?" Suzy asked. "You never said anything when we were here for your birthday party, Jonathan."

"Then it wasn't Halloween." Candy said. "You know, Suzy, that you have to have ghosts on Halloween! That's what makes this a haunted house! That's why we're having this haunted house party!"

"Where IS the ghost, then?" asked Danny, sticking his chin out pugnaciously. "I bet you don't even HAVE a ghost here."

"Don't bet too much, my lad." came the Captain's soft whisper. The children looked around.

"Who... who said that?"

"Captain Gregg." Jonathan said, nonchalantly.

"Come in, children, and shut the door. It's cold out there."

Carolyn came out of the kitchen at that point.

"I bet you're a ventriloquist." Danny said with satisfaction. "My mother said that you probably can do lots of things WE can't because you're from the big city."

"Oh, really?" Carolyn questioned. She wondered what sorts of things Mrs. Shoemaker was referring to, then dismissed the thought.

"How could Mom sound like the Captain? He has a deep voice." Candy giggled. "Mom's a girl."

"Ventriloquists are smart."

"So's Mom, but she's not a vent- whatever you said." Jonathan said.

"Where are we having the party?" Suzy spoke up.

"In the attic, where else would you have a haunting party? Come on!" and Candy led the way up the stairs.

Carolyn stood at the bottom, shaking her head as the group ran noisily upstairs. Martha came out of the kitchen. "'Hail, hail, the gang's all here?'" she asked.

"'What the heck do we care?'" Carolyn grinned, quoting back.

"Madam! Your language!" the Captain materialized beside them.

"It's a song, Captain." Carolyn shrugged. "Can the children get into any trouble upstairs?"

"I think not. I've put anything of value into our cabin, and informed the children they are not to enter there. Candy and Jonathan have good heads on their shoulders. They'll not bother. Besides, I locked the door." the Captain rocked on his heels, his hands behind his back, a smug look on his face.

"Covering all the angles, I see." Martha laughed. Then she nudged Carolyn, and said in a loud whisper, "OUR cabin?"

Carolyn felt the heat rising in her cheeks, and turned abruptly away. Martha laughed again, and went into the kitchen, saying, "I'll get the hot chocolate on ... the children won't be upstairs long before they get cold, I'll warrant."

"I'll go topside and do my part." and the Captain disappeared.

Hesitating only a moment, Carolyn went quietly up the stairs, too, anxious to listen in to the events unfolding in the attic, and wanting to make sure the children didn't disturb too many of the Captain's things ... even the non-valuable ones!

"Hey, look at these costumes and things in your dress up trunk!" came a girl's voice.

"It's not a dress up trunk!" Jonathan sounded disgusted. "It's the Captain's sea chest. See, it has his sword in it."

"What's THAT thing?" By now, Carolyn was peeking in the door, and she stifled a giggle as a boy scornfully held up the corset.

"The Captain said it was worn into battle, but HE didn't wear it." Jonathan said.

"Oh, Jonathan!" Candy was exasperated. "I told you, fat ladies wear them. Or used to!"

"Oh."

"Look, a picture of a lady." the children passed it around.

"That's Vanessa's great great grandmother." Candy said. "She used to be engaged to the Captain. Lots of the clothes in here are hers."

"Hey, wouldn't it be neat if all these things could float in the air ... like the stuff on that new movie ... Bedknobs and Broomsticks! What did they call the floating trick? There was a song about it... who saw that movie last week?"

With the chorus of affirmation, it was clear that every child had been to the Schooner Bay theatre the week before.

"Substitutiary locomotion, or something." volunteered one of the boys. "That was groovy with the boots and hats and uniforms and guns all parading along. I bet your old ghost couldn't do THAT."

"Captain Gregg can do anything!" protested Jonathan.

"We could use the chant from the movie ... Traguna Maquoities Trecorum Satus Dee... I read it in the book, too."  The children all began saying various versions of the chant.

"I told you, Captain Gregg doesn't need any old chants, he can do it by himself!" Jonathan shouted above the noise.  As if in response to Jonathan's claims, the items began to lift themselves out of the trunk and hang in the air. Some of the children shrieked and cowered, but most thought it was great fun.

"We did it! We did it!"

"Or your Captain Gregg did," Suzy conceded, looking at Jonathan.

"Maybe your mother's a witch, like Miss Price in the movie." said one of the other girls. "She kind of looks like her."

"My mom's not a witch! And Miss Price was lots older than Mom!" Candy glared.

"Oh well, let's parade through the house with all this stuff ... just like the movie. Come on! Traguna Maquoities Trecorum Status Dee!" and everyone fell in line, chanting, along with the dresses, hats, the Captain's sword, the pictures, the diary, the letters ... even the corset!

Carolyn put her hand over her smiling mouth, and hid in the darkness of the stairway while the children passed through the attic door and down the stairs. She crept down after them, and while they were in the living room, she scooted into the kitchen. "Martha, come and look! This is great! They're having a wonderful time, and the Captain is going along with the games, and only Jonathan and Candy know about the Captain!"

Both women ran and peeked in the double door to the living. Then the Captain materialized at the fireplace. Suzy was the first to see him.  "Look!" she shrieked. "It's the ghost of Captain Gregg! Standing right beside his picture!"

"That's not him!" scoffed another girl. "He's just playing dressup. The guy in the picture is a lot older looking."

The Captain's eyes met Carolyn's from across the room, and twinkled at the joke. He didn't move, otherwise. Then he faded out.

"See? There's no ghost there. It's tricks all done with lighting. That's what my dad says." one of the boys tried to grab the sword, but seemingly without effort, it stayed just out of his reach.

"Or the witch, Mrs. Muir." another boy said, grimacing as one of the floating books managed to tap him smartly on the head after his remark.

Now that the chanting had stopped, gradually the objects sank to the floor. Martha opened the door and leaned in, saying, "Who's ready for hot chocolate and cupcakes?"

"Me! Me! Me!"

"Into the kitchen, then, all of you!" and the stampede was through the doors.

Carolyn stepped over the mess on the floor to the fireplace, and the Captain appeared at her side. "Thank you for defending my honour yet again, Captain. Very gently, too, I might add."

"He's just a lad." The Captain smiled down at her. "But you are no witch, Mrs. Muir, and I could not allow his remark to go unchallenged."

Carolyn smiled back at him. "Thank you, too, for playing with the children, and allowing all this to happen. They really appreciate it. At least, Jonathan and Candy do!"

"I admit it WAS rather fun ... but I won't make a habit of it!  Playing, indeed!" He tugged on his ear, and looked at her sideways.

"Oh, Captain!" she chuckled delightfully. "No need to bluster ...   I'm getting to know you rather well, now, you know!"

"Not as well as I'd like." he spoke rather abruptly. Then, at a burst of laughter from the kitchen, he vanished, as did the assorted objects on the floor.