Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 1/25

An unseen pen in an unseen hand writes,You are invited to the clearing, behind the old house on the dark mountain. Come at midnight, to see the most glorious sight you will see this Halloween.



That spookiest night of the year had arrived. Many activities had been planned around the town. Barney was holding a piece of paper in his hand that had him more excited than even the thought of gathering candy, and Barney loved candy. Dressed in a bat costume, Barney was waiting for his friend Gnarly-Dude to arrive.

There came the knock, Barney, flung open the door. “Hi, Gnarly-Dude, come in; are you ready to head out? First, I want to show you this. Did you get one too?” Barney handed Gnarly-Dude the paper. “It’s an invitation, to what I don’t know, but we are to head up to the clearing behind the old house, you know the one, up on the mountain; it has been abandoned for over 200 years.”
Gnarly-Dude took the paper and read it carefully. “I did not get an invitation. This looks mysterious. Are you really thinking of going?”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 2/25

Barney and Gnarly-Dude stepped outside; it had been a lovely day weatherwise, but now a slight breeze was blowing, and the air felt chilly. Barney set down a big bowl of candy corn candy. “This is for the trick-or-treaters while we are gone. I don’t imagine we will get back home in time. We probably won’t even have time to participate in all the activities.” Barney looked at the invitation again and grinned at Gnarly-Dude. “We have to go, don’t you think? Who does not want to see the most glorious sight on Halloween night.”
Gnarly-Dude looked a bit unsure. “It does not say to bring anyone else; maybe this is an invitation just for you. Though why would that be?”
Barney shrugged. “I don’t know, but you are coming with me, and it is sure to be fun; maybe whoever sent this did not have a lot of invitations. Oh, and before I forget, have some candy corn to start the evening off right.”
Barney handed Gnarly-Dude a handful of candy corn, which Gnarly-Dude promptly placed in his bag.
Barney said, “I have a lantern for when it gets dark, and we will need it later when we head up the mountain. Let’s visit a few houses and get some sugary treats.”

Gnarly-Dude stopped and gasped. “I thought I saw a wolf!”
Barney looked but could see nothing. “I don’t see anything. It was probably a pet dressed up as a wolf for Halloween. Come on!”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 3/25

The two trick-or-treaters arrived at the first home of the evening. It was one of Barney's favourite houses to visit. They had an apple orchard and a tree house, where Barney spent many summer days with his friends. There were already several trick-or-treaters at the door and others waiting.
“Popular place,” said Gnarly-Dude, “I like the ghost bear up in the window—at least—I think it is a ghost bear toy.” Gnarly-Dude shuddered. It can’t be a real ghost.

Everypet was chattering and pointing out the Halloween decorations, and not one noticed a dark figure slinking in the orchard.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 4/25

Barney and Gnarly-Dude entered the plaza, where most of the shops were. There were lots of spookily carved pumpkins, and each shopkeeper was handing out candy and sweet treats to all the trick-or-treaters. Barney stopped and pointed back toward the mountains. “That is where we are going; you can just make out the old house.”
Gnarly-Dude shivered, “Am I seeing lights on in that old house?”
"Nah, said Barney, “It is most likely just the setting sun reflecting off the windows, which I am surprised are still there. I guess the pets are too scared to go up there, so no one has broken any of the windows.”
"If the pets are scared to go up there…why are we going there?”
Barney laughed, “There is no reason to be scared, no one lives up there. I have been thinking about the invitation. It is probably a pet who lives in the town having some sort of party up there. It is Halloween, and a bit of spooky is expected.”

As Barney turned to leave the plaza, he bumped into an old friend.”Hey, Matilda. Did you get an invitation?” Barney pulled out the paper and handed it to Matilda.
"No! Oh, this is spooky. Do you mean behind that old house up there?”
"Yeah! You want to come with us?”
Matilda thought a few minutes. “I suppose I could join you for a while. I was going to head off to the apple bobbing.”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 5/25

The three pals trooped to the park behind the shops, where a crowd of trick-or-treaters had gathered. The apple bobbing games were taking place here. Two different methods of bobbing are used. The traditional way of putting apples into a barrel filled with water; then you dunked your head in and tried to grab an apple with your teeth. The other game consisted of apples tied to strings and dangled, then the participant tried to take bites out of the apple while the apple swayed back and forth. The area was filled with shrieks and laughter as bobbers got soaked or had apples swing around and smack them.

Barney, Gnarly-Dude, and Matilda all tried apple bobbing, with Matilda winning the most apples fished out of the barrel. Barney and Gnarly-Dude elected to try biting apples on strings, and when they had finished, both their faces were covered in sticky apple juice.

"That was a lot of fun,” said Gnarly-Dude, wiping juice off his face. “Where to next?”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 6/25

Barney stood and looked up at the sky. “Plenty of daylight left, too early to go to the campfire. What if we go carve some pumpkins?”
“Great idea,” everyone yelled.
Tables had been set up on the far side of the plaza, and there were loads of pumpkins piled up. Some pets were happily carving away at pumpkins and laughing.

Barney, Gnarly-Dude, and Matilda each grabbed a pumpkin and sat at an empty table.
“Mine is going to be a super scary one,” said Matilda.
“I will try to do a traditional face,” said Gnarly-Dude.
Barney thought a few minutes. “I will make mine a surprise.”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 7/25

“Let’s go have a snack and then visit the Halloween Horror House,” Matilda said, handing in her carved pumpkin to the judges.
“I could eat a little something,” Gnarly-Dude grinned.
Barney handed over his pumpkin and said, “I could use a sit and some snacks too. Onward we go.”

Outside of the Halloween Horror House, an outdoor snack area had been set up with Halloween-themed cupcakes and drinks. They grabbed some snacks and happily sat down.
“Whew! It has been a fun day so far.” Barney laughed. “I hear the Horror House is quite scary this year; the main thing is to stick together, no wandering off on your own.”
Both Gnarly-Dude and Matilda looked horrified at thoughts of being lost in the Horror House alone.

The three finished their snacks and declared themselves rested. They wiped the crumbs off the table—they were considerate pets and would never dream of leaving a mess for someone else—and headed inside the Halloween Horror House.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 8/25

“Oh, mirrors and ugh, cobwebs,” yelled Matilda. “Hey, I am upside down in this mirror. How does that work?”
Gnarly-Dude ran to a mirror. “I can’t see myself in this mirror. There is a misty ghosty type of pet in there. Gnarly-Dude tried to look behind the mirror, but the wall appeared solid.
Matilda looked over at Barney, who looked a bit pale.
“What does your mirror show, Barney?”
Barney pointed at the mirror. “There is a wolf in there, next to me.” He looked around but did not see anyone other than Gnarly-Dude and Matilda. “I can’t explain it—I could feel something brush against my leg. Time to move on, I think.”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 9/25

“Noooooo!” Gnarly-Dude took one look at the next room and ran screaming to get to the door.
“Wait,” called Barney, racing after him. Barney did not get far before he became entangled in the spider webs. “Ugh, these are sticky, and I think they are real; those spiders sure look real—I can hear them skittering. Get me out of here.”
Matilda helped Barney free of the cobwebs, and they both raced after Gnarly-Dude.

“That was pure nasty,” shuddered Matilda.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 10/25

“Wow!” the trio whispered. “This is really spooky.”
The three trick-or-treaters had escaped the spider-infested room to find themselves in a dark room filled with terrifying creatures, glowing eyes, and ghastly apparitions.
“This is so well done; I am getting shivers,” said Barney.
Matilda and Gnarly-Dude nodded their agreement. “Thankfully, Barney has his lantern, or we would never find the way out.”
As soon as Gnarly-Dude had spoken, the room went darker, and Gnarly-Dude gasped. “Barney! Barney, where are you?”
“What!” Matilda called out. “Is Barney missing, I don’t see the glow from the lantern, and I can’t even see my own feet now. Barney! Barney!”
Gnarly-Dude grumbled, “Barney is the one who told us to stick together, and now he is missing. Is that what they call self-fulfilling prophecy?”
“I don’t know,” said Matilda, “but we have to find him.”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 11/25

Matilda walked over to where she remembered seeing Barney last. “Look! There is a super dark patch here, and…” she knelt down, “there is a hole in the floor.”
“Why would there be a hole in the floor? Gnarly-Dude cried.
“I did not hear a cry from Barney; perhaps it is just another spooky trick in this house of horrors, which I am beginning to think is a bit more horror than I wanted.”
Gnarly-Dude looked at the hole, “I am not jumping into that hole; what if it leads to a spider's nest or even worse. We have to find the door and get out of this place.”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 12/25

Gnarly-Dude and Matilda found the door, finally, after tripping over a few roots and touching squishy things.
The next room was spider-free; it was also Barney-free.
“There is not much here except a graveyard and a few things that look like they should be buried and not walking around in the open,” stated Matilda.
” We should get back outside; maybe Barney found a way out.” Gnarly-Dude did not want to admit it, but he was becoming freaked out.
“I bet the next door will lead us outside—after all, the graveyard is the end, right?”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 13/25

“We’re outside, yay!” Gnarly-Dude jumped up and down. “That was so much fun but really spooky. I was not sure about some of those rooms.”
Matilda had just exited the Horror House and heard someone call her name. “Barney, oh gosh Gnarly-Dude, it’s Barney, come on.”
They both ran over to where Barney stood at the corner of the building, he had a huge grin on his face, and wonder of wonders he was still holding his lantern and trick-or-treat bag.

“One minute, I was admiring how wonderfully spooky the room was, and the next, I was sliding down a shute, then whooshing out through a flap at the bottom, and here I am. The shute landed me outside on the side of the building; I have no idea why something like that was there, but it was great fun; too bad I missed the rest of the tour.”

“Whew! Glad you are ok; we were getting worried when you disappeared, but look at you still hanging onto your lantern and candy.” They all laughed in relief.
The stars were starting to appear, and it was time for the trio to head to the campfire.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 14/25

“Oh, it is so nice to sit down,” said Gnarly-Dude.
The three trick-or-treaters found spots to sit on the logs arranged around the campfire and settled in to listen to ghostly stories and share any they might know.

Gnarly-Dude, Barney and Matilda enjoyed hearing the spooky stories. Some were scary enough to raise goosebumps, and others were funny. At one point, Barney sensed something behind him, but when he turned, he could not say for sure that there had been anything there, only the sense that eyes had been watching and a shadow appeared to slip along the ground, but then the feeling was gone, and Barney turned back to listen to more stories.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 15/25

Barney wanted to tell a story that he had experienced himself. He stood up, and the trick-or-treaters, seated around the campfire, hushed in anticipation.

This happened to me years ago. I was sitting in my living room with a friend. We had been drinking tea and chatting about what we would do that day. It was not night; it was not Halloween; it was a normal day. Suddenly from the right side of the room, high up near the ceiling, two dark-winged shapes flew slowly through the air and disappeared through the left wall. My friend and I looked at each other. Yes, we had both seen the same thing. We talked about what it could be, but neither of us could come up with a plausible reason.

The next day, it happened again and then again on the third day. My friend and I were sitting in the same places, at the same time of day. It never happened again after the third time, and to this day, we have no idea what it was.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 16/25

Barney asked Gnarly-Dude and Matilda if they were ready to carry on, “We have time to visit some more houses before we head up the mountain. Let’s get our bags filled.”
They all knocked on doors, sang songs for treats, admired the spooky decorations, and chatted about the stories they had just heard.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 17/25

“Oh! I love this house; it is all witches.” Gnarly-Dude stood still, their eyes taking in all the decorations. “They went all out with this house; they even have a cauldron and are offering drinks. I wish I had brought my camera.”
Barney headed for the steps of the house and recognized his pal Steven who had just finished receiving candy. “Hey! How are you? Did you get an invitation?”
“I did,” said Steven, holding out the invitation, “Did you?”
“Yes, but I don’t know if many others did. Are you bringing along some friends?”
“I am,” Steven pointed to a small group of pets waiting by a tree. “I have no idea what this is all about, but at least we know that some of the town pets will be there. See you later.”

Barney walked back to Gnarly-Dude and Matilda and told them about the encounter with Steven. “A few more houses then up through the forest, yes?”
“Yes!”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 18/25

“This is the last house, looks like we might be the last trick-or-treaters,” Barney said. “Our bags are full, and look how dark it has become.”
Matilda and Gnarly-Dude both agreed; they had more than enough treats, and though they loved Halloween, they were starting to feel tired.
“Is everyone ready to go to the forest? We will take the path and then head up the mountain, it should not take long, and it is getting near midnight. I am curious about what we will find at the old house.”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 19/25

“Here’s the path. The forest is lovely this time of year.” Barney said as he led the way with his lantern.
“I get the feeling we are not alone.” Gnarly-Dude whispered.
Matilda kept looking around; so far, she had not seen anything to cause alarm.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 20/25

“I just saw shadows moving in the trees.” Barney looked at Gnarly-Dude and Matilda. “And look, there is candy corn on the path. I bet someone left it as a trail marker. ”
“I am surprised the wolves did not eat the candy; maybe they don’t have a sweet tooth. I do, though.” Matilda said, dipping into the candy in her bag. “I see the start of the mountain path.”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 21/25

Just ahead of the trio—at the start of the mountain path—they saw a dark shadow disappear around a bend. They heard a howl once, but no wolf came near them, and the three started the climb up the mountain.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 22/25

The climb was steep, and the three stopped to rest. It was nearing midnight; the trick-or-treaters had been up early, so they were starting to feel sleepy. “We can do this.” Matilda cheered on Gnarly-Dude and Barney. “We can sleep all day tomorrow; stuff ourselves with candy and then sleep some more.”
“That sounds like a good plan to me. Oh! Here, I found this special egg.” Barney handed a lovely painted egg to Gnarly-Dude.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 23/25

“I can see the house. Let’s run.” Gnarly-Dude found some hidden energy and ran the rest of the way to the house.
Barney and Matilda did not find the energy to run, but they walked as briskly as they could and joined Gnarly-Dude in front of the old house.

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 24/25

“Whew, that was quite the climb.” said Gnarly-Dude, “The wolves have gone on ahead; I wonder if they are going where we are. They were scary in the woods, but we have not been bothered by them.”
The trio had reached the old house and took a few minutes to look around. There did not seem to be any pets or other creatures around the house.
“Shame, this is a beautiful house. Maybe it could be fixed up.” Barney stated.
“Look,” Gnarly-Dude pointed to an area behind the house. “I can see a faint glow that must be where we are to go.”
Matilda and Barney agreed there was a glow from behind the house, and Barney remembered there was a clearing back there.
“Onward we go!”

Gnarly-Dude is questing! Episode 25/25

“Ghosts! Ghosts are dancing, and glowing!” yelled Matilda.

“Welcome, everyone!” One of the ghosts said with a smile. “Welcome to our Halloween dance. Once a year, on Halloween night, we dance. We dance for the joy of what Halloween means to us. This year, we decided to invite some of the town's pets to our dance, and we are so happy to see you here; we hope you enjoy the music and the dancing. We also welcome our wolf friends, whom we do not see often. The wolves love Halloween as much as we do. Happy Halloween to all.

When Barney was tucked up in bed, just as his eyes were closing, he thought, I cannot remember when I had such a wonderful Halloween. The ghosts were amazing. I hope I can see them again next year.
Gnarly-Dude has filled his bag with Spooky Treats! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also take part!