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"You go first, Babette," Georg said as he pushed the girl dressed as a witch ahead of him.
"Why me?" Babette demanded to know as she crossed her arms. "This wasn't my idea to begin with so why can't Klaus go first since it was his idea?"
"Because you're older than us," Georg replied.
"And everyone knows that the first one who enters a haunted house," Klaus replied. "Is the one who gets killed first."
Babette looked at her brothers. Even though they were dressed as Iron Man and Superman, they weren't brave at all.
"Chickens," Babette said. "Fine, I'm going to prove to you both, that I'm not scared of the haunted house, and that I won't get killed when I knock on the door."
Babette turned around, looked at the old house before she took a deep breath, and walked up to the door. She had told her brothers over and over again, that there was a reason why children were told not to go near the old house at the edge of the forest because it was close to collapsing. But her brothers kept on insisting that it was a haunted house, which was something they needed to investigate closer. So, against Babette's will, she had been talked into going with her brothers even though she wanted to go trick or treat.
Both boys looked at their big sister walking up the few steps to the house. They could hear the boards creak when Babette placed her foot on the step.
"Knock!" Both Georg and Klaus said when Babette looked at them.
Babette rolled her eyes and knocked on the door. Nothing happened for the first seconds but then a ghost came and took Babette. It almost looked like Babette was levitating while the ghost said something in a language the children didn't understand. And then Babette was gone.
"BABETTE!!" Both Georg and Klaus shouted.
"It's your fault, Klaus," Georg accused as he punched his brother on the shoulder. "This was totally your fault because it was your idea to come here."
"You agreed," Klaus accused as he punched his brother on the shoulder. "What about Babette? We can't go home without her."
Both boys looked at each other to see if the other one had an idea. Then Georg, who was dressed as Superman corrected his cape, and looked at Klaus.
"I'm going to get her," Georg said. He didn't feel brave at all, but he didn't want to admit it to his brother. "And you're coming with me. This is also your fault."
"No, Georg, no," Klaus protested when he was being dragged towards the house. "I don't want to be eaten by a ghost."
"We both know ghosts don't eat people, that is a werewolf," Georg replied when they reached the steps that led up to the house. "Or do you want to go home and tell mom that we went here even though we weren't allowed and we lost Babette?"
"If you put it like that," Klaus muttered. "But you go first."
Georg nodded and walked up the steps. After making sure that Klaus still was with him, Georg opened the door and peaked his head inside. Then he made a sign to Klaus to follow him. They had only taken a few steps inside when the door slammed behind them and both boys flew into each other's arms when they saw a figure getting closer towards them.
"Mummy," Klaus stuttered when he as the first one could see what was heading their way.
"Just what we needed for this Halloween," The figure said. "More children for dinner."
"Run..." Georg said as he grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him with him.
Both children ran until they reached the kitchen and slammed the door after them. When they turned around they were face to face with the ghost that had taken Babette.
"I don't want to be eaten," Klaus said. "I don't even taste good."
The ghost came closer and closer towards them still muttering in a language, they didn't understand. This time Klaus grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him with him. When they reached another door they opened it and came face to face with a big black wolf, that moved towards them while growling. Both boys screamed and slammed the door before they ran towards the exit forgetting all about their sister.
"Thanks to you both for helping me," Babette said with a smile as she looked at the two men. "I was getting very tired of them and their scary stories."
"Glad we could help," Booker replied with a smile as he pulled off the sheet.
"It was actually very fun," Joe replied as he took off the bandages. "Maybe we should make a haunted house every year."
"If you do that, I will return next year," Babette replied. "I better find my brothers. Thanks again."
Joe and Booker smiled at Babette before she left.
"Do you see, Nile," Joe said after telling the story about Babette and her brothers. "Not all missions are about wars or going undercover. Sometimes a mission can be helping a girl to scare her brothers on Halloween."
"But how did you get that mission?" Nile wanted to know.
"I was buying groceries when I heard the kids talking about our safe house, and that it might be haunted," Booker replied. "When the boys went to get more ice cream, I quickly talked with Babette and told her about my idea to scare her brothers a bit."
"I was one of Booker's better ideas," Joe said. "When Booker returned and asked for my help I agreed to help. We didn't have the time to buy costumes, so we made them out of what we had: a sheet and some bandages. Then it was just a question of lighting and some sound effects."
"And the wolf?" Nile wanted to know. "Where did you get that from?"
Suddenly the sound of a growling wolf could be heard somewhere in the safe house followed by Nicky screaming.
"YUSUF???" Nicky shouted. "MOVE YOUR ASS OUT HERE NOW!!"
"You just couldn't resist, couldn't you?" Joe wanted to know as he looked angrily over at Booker who was giggling.
"It is still very funny that every year I can scare Nicky with the wolf, and every year you get the blame for it," Booker smirked. "When you think about it, it was your idea to do a haunted house every year. I'm just keeping a beautiful tradition alive."
"YUSUF???" Nicky shouted. "I'M NOT SAYING IT AGAIN!!"
"One day, Book," Joe warned as he stood up. "One day I'm going...."
"YUSUF???" Nicky shouted.
Out of curiosity, Nile followed Joe out into the hallway where she could see a real size stuffed black wolf on wheels. Under the wolf was an old ghettoblaster.
"Since you still after ten years find it so funny to scare me on Halloween," Nicky said. "You can sleep alone tonight."
"But, Babe," Joe said. "As I have been saying for the last ten years it wasn't my idea. It was Booker's idea."
"We both know Booker never will be the prankster you're," Nicky said. "Sleep well on the sofa."
Before Joe could say anything, Nicky slammed the door to the bedroom and locked it.
"The wolf belongs to Andy," Joe said. "She had it stuffed back in the 1800th century as a memento of a worthy foe."
"Ok," Nile replied. "What did Nicky mean with the last thing he said? You being a prankster?"
"That's a story for another day," Joe replied. "Right now I got other problems."
Joe started to pound on the door in the hope Nicky would let him in, so Nile returned to the kitchen.
"One more thing," Nile said. "Babette and her brothers? What happened to them?"
"Babette made it home before them. When we met her the day after, she told us that she had told her brothers it was a prank, and that her brothers said she was the coolest big sister in the world," Booker replied. "The house was demolished a couple of months later."
"And every year since that night," Nile said. "You have used that wolf to scare Nicky."
"It's a beautiful tradition," Booker replied with a smile. "And great fun."
"Because it lands Joe in trouble with Nicky," Nile said.
"As I said: it's a beautiful tradition," Booker replied with an even bigger smile.
They both laughed at the sound of Joe trying to convince Nicky it wasn't his idea.