Costumes, Pumpkins, and Haunted Mazes

Dean didn't know why he had signed up for this.

When he was a kid, he never went trick or treating. It wasn't that he didn't want to go, it was just that he didn't have enough money for a candy bar, let alone enough money for a costume. Once he tried to dress up as a ghost, but ended up getting in trouble because he cut holes in his mother's best sheets. After that he never tried again, and the hype for the holiday kind of vanished as he grew older.

Seth was the complete opposite. He loved Halloween and picked out a different costume every year. Except for that time when he was a kid and he dressed up as the red Power Ranger for three years straight. This year he wanted to be Iron Man, but they didn't have the costume in his size, so he was stuck with Thor instead. He wasn't very happy about it. The material was itchy and uncomfortable.

Roman really didn't care one way or another, despite that he was shoved in a car wearing a Prince Charming costume to compliment his daughter's princess one. He had promised her that he'd take her to the 'Spooky Haunted Maze' that came to town every year, and even though he didn't really want to go, all it took was one pout from the little girl and he was putty in her hands.

He wasn't going to suffer alone, though.

"I can't believe you're wearing that." Dean laughed at Seth for the fifth time since seeing him. He just couldn't get over the fact that his friend was wearing a Thor costume. Last year, Seth had dressed up as Harry Potter, and that wasn't any better. "You look ridiculous."

Roman stifled laughter and Seth sent him a glare. "You can't say anything, Charming." Seth said as he reached over an shoved Roman playfully. He pouted and tugged at the front of his own outfit. "I would have looked so much cooler in the Iron Man one."

"Iron Man!?" Dean laughed. The thought of his comrade in a tight, red Iron Man get up was hilarious to him. "That would have made you look like an even bigger ass-"

Joelle gasped loudly, and Dean's hand immediately covered his mouth. "Daddy! Uncle Dean said a bad word!" She yelled. Roman gave Dean a stern look through the rear-view mirror. It was a known rule that cursing wasn't allowed around little JoJo. If so, you either owed her a dollar, or she got to slap you on the back of your hand.

"I'm sorry, Princess." Dean said.

"Give me your hand!" She ordered, holding her's out to him.

"What!? I can't just give you a dollar? You're going to hurt me instead?" Dean objected playfully. He knew there was no way she could possibly hurt him.

Joelle gave her best tough face as Dean held his hand out and placed it in hers. She gave him a tiny smack, one that he probably wouldn't have even felt if he hadn't been looking. He yelped in pain and she smiled proudly, her father cheered her on from the front seat. "Now tell Uncle Seth you're sorry!" Seth turned in his seat, waiting for Dean's apology.

"I'm sorry, Seth." He said with a scowl. Joelle smiled proudly, as she held on to Dean's hand. Her tiny fingers were barely able to wrap around his massive one's. As soon as Seth turned back around, Dean leaned forward and flicked him in the back of the head with the hand that JoJo wasn't holding.

"You two are more childish than she is and you're grown men." Roman shook his head at his friends.

Dean's stomach churned as soon as they pulled up out side of the "Haunted" maze. However, it was more like a carnival that had a maze somewhere inside of it. There was a carousel, hall of mirrors, lots of games to play, and the one thing Dean hated most in this world... Clowns. He had one bad experience with a clown when he was a kid and it messed him up for the rest of his life. As he looked forward through the gates of the carnival, he saw dozens of them crawling around.

Seth was practically jumping out of his seat to go in. There was nothing better than apple cider and caramel apples, cotton candy, chocolate candy, and people jumping out of the bushes to scare you. He was chomping at the bit to get inside.

Joelle was just like Seth, and Roman didn't understand how a four year old little girl could be excited about being chased around by men with chainsaws. He didn't even like the idea of it, but his fearless little girl did. He noticed Dean's expression through the rear-view mirror before they got out of the car. "You alright there, man." Roman asked.

Dean broke his gaze on the clowns by the front gate and looked around the car to see that everyone was starting at him. "I just- Uh, I don't like clowns." He stuttered. Being afraid of clowns wasn't an irrational fear. There were plenty of people who didn't like them.

"Do you need me to hold your hand, Uncle Dean?" JoJo asked sweetly. Roman was so proud of her.

Dean nodded to the tiny princess and once everyone was out of the car, she wrapped her hand around his index finger, leading him through the gates. "They're just clowns, Uncle Dean. See? They're nice." Joelle told him as they were swarmed by a flock of circus clowns. He kept his eyes focused on a popcorn booth, and tried not to look at the make-up covered weirdos that were trying to make him and his friends some balloon animals.

Seth had already disappeared, running off somewhere without telling anyone where he went.

Roman and Dean stuck together with Joelle, taking her around to all the prize games, trying their best to win something for her. Knowing that all the games were mostly rigged, Roman handed JoJo to the Dean and tried to bribe the gamekeeper. "Don't you know who I am, boy?" He asked under his breath so his daughter didn't hear him cheating. Dean laughed as he watched Roman's attempts. "You see that adorable little princess over there? She wants a that sparkly horse, so why don't you take this twenty dollars and give it to her. Just because I'm in a Prince Charming costume don't mean I wont Samoan Drop your ass so hard right here that you wont wake up til next Halloween."

The boy was shaking as he took Roman's money and handed him the sparkly horse Joelle wanted so badly. Her face was priceless as her father handed her the toy. She lit up like a Christmas tree and was smiling from ear to ear. "Thank you Daddy!" She beamed as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

After spending all of their cash on sugary treats and games, the trio decided to head into the maze. Joelle, despite her best attempts to stay fearless, ended up clinging to Roman to keep her safe. Dean didn't want to seem like he was the least bit scared anymore, so he went in first, swallowing the knot in his throat as he did. He was not a fan of anything 'horror'.

"I got an idea," Roman said when they came to the first fork in the maze. "You go that way, and we'll go this way, and whoever gets out first has to buy drinks the next time we go out." Of course Dean didn't like the idea. He didn't like any idea that left him by himself in this kind of situation. Still, he wouldn't pass up an opportunity to be competitive with his best friend. "Who knows, you might find Seth in there."

Against his better judgement, Dean trudged off to the left and disappeared behind the bushes. He walked for a while among the fake spider webs and fake body parts that stuck out through the brush. Every few minutes something or someone would jump out at him, causing him to let out a yell and jump. It was foggy, and his visibility was low, but he still kept on, hoping that there was an exit somewhere up ahead.

He heard chainsaws coming from behind him and two loud screams. It almost sounded like Roman and Joelle, but he wasn't sure and kept going. When he took his next turn, he saw something on the ground. It looked like someone might have lost the cape to their costume. He picked it up from the ground and held it out in front of him. Then he remembered Seth's costume also had a long, red cape that flowed from the back of it.

"Seth!" He yelled into the mist, hoping that his friend was close by. Maybe he took off the cape because it was irritating him and getting caught on the bushes or something, Dean thought to himself. But why would he just leave it here on the ground?

He took a few more strides forward, and stumbled upon the rest of Seth's Thor costume. Knowing now that his friend wouldn't have just taken off his entire costume and left it lying in the dirt, Dean took off running back to where he left Roman and JoJo. Maybe aliens got Seth, He thought. That was ridiculous, of course, but it could happen. Maybe.

Dean ran past the fork in the maze and not even a few feet from where Roman and Joelle had disappeared behind the bushes, he found the tiny, yellow princess dress that belonged to JoJo. "Roman! JoJo!" He yelled. He could hear nothing but people whispering behind the bushes.

Suddenly, the loud roaring of a chainsaw started up behind him. Dean turned around to see a masked man covered in blood standing a few feet from him. The man lunged forward at Dean, erasing all hope that Dean could just exit through the entrance. He began running along the path, hoping that this would be over soon and his friends were safe. He knew they shouldn't have come here. Bad things always happen at places like this.

Around another corner Dean saw Roman's costume on the ground, but there was no time to stop. The chainsaw man was still chasing him. Up ahead, he thought he saw another turn. The exit, maybe? He was certainly hopeful. Just as he ran around the corner, a giant clown stepped in his way. "Shit, no!" He yelled. "No, thank you!" He turned around and began running the other way. The sinister clown and the chainsaw man were both chasing him now.

He was getting winded and his lungs were burning. Creatures and costumed carnival workers were jumping around every corner, making it impossible for him to continue. Finally, after he rounded the last corner, he saw the exit. He had never been so happy in all his life. He was sure Seth, Roman, and little Joelle were all waiting for him there; laughing at how much of a little bitch he was.

However, when he stepped outside of the maze, there was no one. The clown and the man with the chainsaw were no longer behind him. There wasn't a single person in sight. He could only hear the creepy music that flowed through the air.

Seconds later, someone grabbed a hold of Dean's shoulders, mimicking the laugh of a clown as they did so. He turned around, ready to punch whoever it was in the face, only to see his friends standing behind him. Roman and Seth, and Joelle were all laughing at him. Dean didn't think any of this was funny, he could have had a heart attack. Or worse, he could have murdered one of those clowns. He would have too, if he hadn't found the exit soon.

"That wasn't funny." He said through gritted teeth.

"Yes it was, Uncle Dean. You were a scaredy cat!" Joelle said, beckoning for him to pick her up. He did so and sat her on his hip, she wrapped her small arms around his neck and gave him a hug.

"I thought you guys had been abducted by aliens." Dean mumbled.

Seth laughed out loud and showed him the backpack that he had been hiding underneath his cape. "We all changed really quick and put our costumes back in the maze where you would find them." He was still laughing. Dean wasn't impressed.

"So this was all your idea?" He asked his two-toned friend. Seth didn't say anything, just pulled his lips into a line to keep from laughing more.

"Drinks are on you next time, Dean'o!" Roman said, ruffling a hand through Dean's sandy blonde curls as they began the walk back to the car.