Ghostly Ghouls and Ghoulish Goblins

All characters in this story are over the age of 18-years-old. There are no underage characters.

This is a Halloween contest story. Please vote.

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Ghosts come out to play on Halloween

"Well, here we are," said John, the Mayor's assistant, pulling up to the house. A typical politician, he was a gray-haired, portly man in his late fifties with darting eyes, a plastic smile, and a weak handshake.

"The house is so big," said Helen, the building inspector. "It will take me all day to inspect this place. I'm going to have come back later in the week with help and a 30' ladder to get up on the roof," she said shading her eyes to look at the chimneys.

She was a tall, thirty-something-year-old, thin albeit shapely, intelligent blonde with modest breasts and a keen eye. It was rumored that she got the job as building inspector over more qualified and experienced candidates by sleeping with the mayor. She did.

"It's so beautiful," said Kathy, the health inspector. She was a short, twenty-something-year-old, busty, redhead with big, blue eyes and freckles, it was rumored that she got the job over more qualified and experienced candidates by sleeping with Helen. Not true. She slept with the mayor too.

* * * * *

"The house hasn't been occupied in more than 50 years when, let me see," said John looking through some papers to read from them. "When Thomas and Irene Connor, married and lived here for sixty years. They died of natural causes. Probably carbon monoxide poisoning," he said with all the fireplaces in this grand house while looking up at the house. "He was 80 and she was 78. They were both found in bed holding one another."

"Eww," said Helen. "That's so gross."

"Gross? That's so romantic," said Kathy swooning. "That's how I want to go, that is, if ever I find a man to marry."

"So, do you think this place is haunted?" Helen looked to John before looking to Kathy.

"Haunted? Nah, don't be silly," said John waving a disbelieving in ghosts hand. "Built in 1880, according to the neighbors who have called the police after seeing some unearthly things and hearing some unearthly sounds, this house is wicked haunted," he said with a laugh.

"I don't understand why it took more than fifty years for the city to come around to claim this place after it was abandoned in the 60's," said Kathy.

"Shit happens. It fell through the cracks, no doubt, during reelection time," said John with a shrug and a laugh. "We put liens on it, of course, for unpaid back property taxes but the house just disappeared from the city's records one day."

"A comedy of errors," said Helen. "What else is new?"

"With one department not communicating with the other department, it was probably at the time when we were computerizing everything. Then there was the housing crisis when every other house was being foreclosed. With residents walking away from their mortgages, properties were being abandoned all over the city. The important thing is that we're here now to photograph it, check the condition of it for us to assign a value, and sell it," said John.

Helen and Kathy alighted from the car and Helen looked back to John from the sidewalk.

"Aren't you coming? Or are you afraid of the ghosts?" She laughed.

"In a minute. I have to return the mayor's call," he said calling the mayor.

"Well?" Helen looked to Kathy. "Shall we have a look inside?"

"If you don't mind, I'd rather wait for John," said Kathy looking back to John talking on the phone while holding her pocketbook to her chest as if she was ready to bolt. "There's safety in numbers."

"C'mon, don't be such a scaredy cat," said Helen pulling Kathy along. "Haven't you ever watched Ghost Hunters?"

"Ghost Hunters? Yes all the time and I have and I have nightmares for days after watching it," said Kathy.

"The dead can't hurt you, only the living can," said Helen marching up the stairs unafraid with Kathy lagging behind.

"Hello? Building inspector," said Helen opening the unlocked, front door and peeking inside.

"Health inspector," said Kathy following close behind her friend.

"Wow! Look at this place. Look at all of this natural woodwork everywhere and with all of this Victorian detail. She walked around the first floor checking off her list while rattling off the items. "Original hardwood floors, beamed ceilings, pocket doors, and imported tiles will be great features at auction.

"This is a one-of-a-kind house," said Kathy.

"I love it," said Helen. "I wished I owned it," she said walking around the first floor while impressed with the grandeur of the house. "Built in bookcases, china hutch, and a butler's pantry, the wood looks like cherry or mahogany to me, perhaps a little of both."

Ready to continue their inspection of the house, they both stopped at the main staircase to look up at the grand entrance.

"Health inspector," said Kathy with her voice echoing through the reception hall and up the stairs. "Hello? Is there anyone here?" She stayed in place while looking up the stairs. "Suddenly, expecting Morticia Addams or Lurch to come walking down the stairs, I feel as if I'm in the Addams' family house," she said with a little laugh.

As if suspended in time with everything in place and covered with cobwebs, mice and roaches now took possession of the period home.

* * * * *

"Tom! Wake up! There's someone in our house," said Irene.

"Hello?" The two women called out again as they climbed the grand stairway to the second floor. "Is anyone here?"

With his wife shaking him awake, immediately Tom awoke to the women's voices.

"We're from the City," said Helen. "I'm the Building inspector."

"I'm with the Health Department," said Kathy.

Not since a burglar opened his front door late at night has anyone been in his house. Taking action in his own hands, Tom summarily dealt with him and the intruder ran screaming from the house. Now again, twenty years later, someone was in his house. Someone had dared enter his house uninvited. With his wife, Irene, by his side, literally he flew down the stairs to greet his unexpected guests. He was there in front of them before they could take another step.

"They're from the city Irene," he said standing in front of them as if to block their way and to stop them from going upstairs. Only, continuing walking up the stairs, they walked right through him as if he wasn't even there. "This one is a health inspector and the other one is a building inspector," said Tom flying ahead of them again.

"Oh my God," said Irene beginning to cry.

"What? What's wrong Irene?" Tom put his big arm around his wife to console her. "Don't cry. Everything will be okay."

"If they condemn our house, we'll have no place to live? Where will we go? I can't leave here Tom. I won't leave here. This is our home," she said sobbing in her hands.

"Condemn our house? That's absurd. Why would they condemn our house? They don't make houses like this anymore Irene. There's nothing wrong with this house that a little paint and elbow grease can't fix," he said looking around the interior of his home.

"If they don't condemn it, they'll sell it. They'll auction it off to the highest bidder," she said wringing her hands.

"Don't worry about anything Irene," said Tom with anger. "I'll take care of everything," he said flying up the stairs after the women with Irene lagging behind them.

"Tom! No! Don't hurt them. I know how you get when you're upset," she said following behind her husband. "Calm yourself. Control your temper."

"They pissed me off Irene coming in here uninvited," he said pounding his fist in the air. "How dare they? How dare they come in my house?"

"Did you hear that?" Kathy pulled at her friend.

"Hear what?" Helen stopped on the stairs.

"I thought I heard a voice," said Kathy.

"It's just your imagination Kathy. There's no one here but us," said Helen.

* * * * *

As soon as Helen opened their bedroom door and walked in their bedroom, with Tom standing poised right behind her, ready to take action, he lifted her short skirt all the way up to her shoulders. Holding it there in place with one hand, he pulled her white, bikini panties down and off with his other hand. Then, bending her forward, he pulled her blouse up across her back and with a hard pull and a quick tug, he removed her blouse and bra. Helen was naked.

"Helen!" Kathy laughed. "What are you doing? Why did you strip yourself naked?"

"I did no such thing Kathy. Someone stripped me naked. It must be a ghost. This place is haunted," said Helen. "Help me up. Let's get the Hell out of here."

Kathy rushed to her aid in her feeble attempt to help her gather her clothes before the ghost could harm them and before John could see Helen naked. She tried getting up from the bed but unable to move, Tom held her in place with one hand while attacking and sexually molesting Kathy with his other hand. The will of a ghost too strong for mere, mortal humans to combat, Tom was determined to make them leave and to never return.

As soon as Kathy leaned over her friend to help her get dressed, in the way that Helen's blouse and bra were removed, Kathy's blouse and bra was removed too. When she went to retrieve her clothes, her skirt was ripped off of her body and her panties were pulled down and off. Now with both women naked, a ghostly hand pushed them both back on the bed and held the naked women in place. Then, lifting up one woman, as if he was going to body slam her in the way of a wrestler, he positioned the women in the sixty-nine position and held their heads in place by their naked pussies while putting their hands on one another's naked breasts.

Still busy with the mayor on the phone, John finally ended his phone call and entered the house.

"Hello? Helen? Kathy? Where are you? Where'd you two go? Did the ghosts get you?" He laughed while climbing the stairs. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

When he reached the second floor landing with the master bedroom straight ahead, he continued walking inside the bedroom. Then, when he saw Helen and Kathy having lesbian sex, he pulled down his pants, pulled up a chair, and took his cock in hand.

"Oh my Tom. He's playing with his thingy," said Irene in her grandmotherly voice while shielding her eyes with her hand.

"Bastard," said Tom. "He's such a dirty bastard. Avert your eyes Irene. Avert your eyes," he said leaving Irene in charge of the women to take care of John. "Keep those women right where they are, Irene, while I attend to this pervert," said Tom.

Forcefully lifting him off his chair with one hand while stripping off his clothes with the other, he added the man's naked body to the women's naked bodies. Then, grabbing their camera, he took photos of the trio, opened the camera, and took the memory stick.

"Get out," he said loud enough for them to hear his voice from the living to the dead. "Get out of my house and never return or I'll send these photos to the newspaper," said Tom.

Grabbing their clothes the man and two women ran from the house dressing as they ran.

* * * * *

Several years passed since that day when three uninvited, city employees invaded his home. Now with everything back to the way it should be, Tom awakened bored and restless. Wanting to do something he's never done in more than fifty years, he wanted to go out for a walk around the neighborhood.

"Tom! Wait! Where are you going?"

Tom stopped at the front door to turn and look at his wife.

"Out Irene. I'm going out," he said with attitude as if going out was a bigger deal that it was.

"Out? Out where?"

"I dunno, just for a walk. You're welcome to come with me," he said.

"Come with you? We can't go out," she walked close enough to him to pull him away from the front door. "Stay here. Stay here with me," she said.

"No, I need to go out. Stop. Let go of me," she said pulling away from his wife.

"Where would you even go? The neighborhood has all changed. All of our old neighbors have moved away, are living in nursing homes, or are dead. We don't know anyone living here anymore," she said giving him a pleading look for him to change his mind and stay there with her.

"I need to get some air. I feel suffocated," he said loosening his collar.

"You know you're not supposed to leave the grounds Tom. You're not even supposed to leave the house," she said.

"Why not? Why can't I leave the house and/or the grounds?"

"Why not?" She shook her head with sadness. "You should know better than to even ask that question," she said looking at him with confusion.

"Being that I asked the question, tell me once and for all why I can't go out?" As if he was a prisoner in jail or confined to a mental institution, he stared out the window at the big, full moon before looking back at her. "Just answer me why I can't go out and I'll never ask to go out ever again. Okay?"

He peered out the window looking down the street and up the street while waiting for her to respond.

"You can't go out. You just can't," she said.

"Look outside. The street is filled with people. It's Halloween. Everyone is out," he said as if he was a little child being punished instead of being the grown man and albeit dead mature adult that he was. "Come outside with me Irene. If only just for a walk around the block, we'll both go outside and have some Halloween fun."

"No Tom. No. You mustn't leave here," she said.

"Why Irene? Why?"

"Because," she said pausing with confusion. "You must stay here," she said with soft resignation. "We both must stay here. We must not leave this house. We're not allowed to leave here Tom, you know that. We can't go outside. We must never go outside."

"Why? Why must I stay here? Why must you stay here? Why can't we go outside and have some fun? Truly for me to ask you the question, I don't understand why I can't go outside. Give me one good reason why I cannot leave this house, my own house, to go outside."

"Because that's the rules?" She threw up her hands with her chin held high in victory that she was able to think of one good reason to tell her husband why he couldn't go outside.

"Rules? Bullshit! What rules? Whose rules? I didn't agree to any rules Irene when I died? Did you agree to any rules? I didn't sign a contract that states that I must stay inside these four walls and never go outside ever again. Did you sign a contract to always remain here and to never go outside? Tell me, Irene, did you agree to any rules on my behalf that said that I can't go outside?"

He looked at his wife while waiting for her to answer. He shrugged and raised his hands palm up in front of her to pressure her to respond. Perhaps something she was afraid to admit and to verbalize, she was slow to answer.

"No but the rules are of us being dead are such that we must stay here and never leave here. We can't leave here Tom. We have no idea what will happen to us if we try to leave here. If anything, we're lucky that we're still together."

"There's nothing that can happen to us that hasn't already happened to us Irene. We're dead. We're both dead. Dead! Being that we're dead and no one gives a shit about either one of us anymore and with no children to worry about and grandchildren to take care of, finally we're free. Finally, we can live our lives, even if we are dead," he said.

"The rules of us being residual ghosts are that we can never leave this house Tom. Unless we're released by some paranormal person for us to rest in peace, we must remain here forever to haunt this place."

"Residual ghosts? Paranormal person? Hogwash. You know as much as I do that there's no such thing as residual ghosts and paranormal people are nothing more than scam artists and charlatans," he said looking at her before looking out the window again and before returning his focus to her.

"You need to accept that we're no longer among the living. We're dead Tom. Dead. Moreover, we're ghosts. You must forget about ever leaving here and going outside ever again. For some inexplicable reason, instead of dying in peace, we're residual ghosts doomed forever to haunt our own house. Stuck here forever, we're dead, dead, dead," she said with sorrowful sadness.

"You've been watching too much Ghost Hunters," he said waving a downward hand of disgust at her. "There's no such thing as residual ghosts. A ghost is a ghost is a ghost, just as dead is dead is dead. Those paranormal frauds only say that there are residual ghosts and residual hauntings when they can't explain what the apparition they see or feel really is. Those so called paranormal phonies only say that it's a residual ghost as their way to earn a living with machines that can't detect anything but money. Ghosts, just ghosts, we're just ghosts doom to spend our eternity on earth instead of resting in peace. Just as there's no difference in being dead, there's no difference in being a ghost."

"We're residual ghosts Tom and we must remain here at all times," she said again.

"Tell me this then," he said while losing patience with his wife. "Have you ever seen a residual ghost?"

"Yes, I'm looking at one right now," she said smiling before laughing at her dead husband.

"Aside from me and you, and keeping in mind all the ghosts that we know, have you ever seen a residual ghost?"

"In that case, I can't say that I have."

"I rest my case," he said throwing his hand up in the air. "You just don't want to go out is all. Is that it? You're just afraid. Is that it? Are you afraid to leave this house Irene?" He pointed his finger at her as if he was a prosecuting attorney and she was a guilty witness on the stand. "Are you afraid that I'll leave you to haunt somewhere else?"

"We're dead Tom. We're dead. We're not allowed to leave here," she said beginning to cry. "I haven't left this house since I died more fifty years ago," she said with sadness while wiping her tears away with a tissue. "Just once, I wish I could see my children and my grandchildren again, and now my great grandchildren."

"You can see them. We can see them. Let's go then! Let's go see everyone. Let's go and haunt the shit out of them all," said Tom eager to leave here to go anywhere.

"No Tom. You're right. I'm afraid to leave her for fear of what might happen to us," she said.

"C'mon Irene. Don't be afraid. Nothing will happen so long as I'm by your side to protect you. Trust me, I won't leave you. I love you. I always have and always will love you forever and ever. Until death do we part no longer means anything to us now. I'm still here with you long after we died," he said kissing his wife. "We're still together in the same house that we bought so long ago when we were first married."

"I love you too Tom," she said returning his ghostly passion with her ghostly kiss.

"Just once let's go for a walk Irene. I haven't seen what happened to our neighborhood in more than fifty years. Please? It's Halloween. I want to go outside and have some fun. Let's go scare the shit out of someone. Okay?"

She looked at him begging her and finally resigned herself to leave here to go outside.

"Okay but just one walk around the block," she said, "and we come right back. Okay?"

"Okay," he said excited to finally venture outside.

"Let me get my shoes, my coat, and my hat," she said looking in the mirror. "I should put on some lipstick. I look so pale," she said fixing her hair and pinching her cheeks while looking down at the dog. "Should we take the dog?"

"The dog?" Sitting pretty as if he was just as excited about going outside as was Tom, the dog looked up at him while wagging his tail. "Why? Why must we take the dog? We always take the dog. Does he have to go pee again? I swear that dog is diabetic with all of the urination he does."

"No he doesn't have to pee anymore. He hasn't peed in fifty years but let's bring the dog, if only for protection."