The Black Heart Crypt

Malik and Azalea came over to Zack’s house around six.

It was already dark out.

They joined Zack and Aunt Ginny downstairs in the rumpus room, where Zack was teaching the seventy-seven-year-old how to play Madden NFL Football on his PlayStation 3. Judy and Zack’s dad were at the mall with Aunts Hannah and Sophie, hoping to find “more suitable pillows.”

And a hot water bottle.

Aunt Sophie wanted one of those, even though Zack had no idea why anybody would want to drink their water hot.

Zipper was down in the basement, too—basically lying low. When a cat slapped you five, it hurt. Especially if they slapped you a face five.

“I need help putting together my Halloween costume,” said Azalea, slumping down into a beat-up old recliner, while, on the couch, Aunt Ginny thumbed her controller and power-smacked Zack’s quarterback into fumbling the ball.

“I’m all set,” said Malik, who was sitting on the floor, Zipper’s head in his lap. “I’m going as a killer bee.”

“Huh?” said Zack, watching Aunt Ginny’s lineman on the TV screen as he scooped up the fumbled football and scored a touchdown.

“I cut a big letter ‘B’ out of yellow poster board and splattered it with red paint. I will, of course, also carry a bloody rubber knife.”

“Clever,” said Azalea. “A killer ‘B.’ Wish I’d thought of that.”

Aunt Ginny put down her game controller. “So, Azalea. What would you like to … be?”

Azalea chuckled. “I dunno. I was thinking about maybe a gypsy or the bride of Dracula.”

“Both very good choices, dear. I have an idea: Why don’t you three run upstairs and rummage through my trunk? I brought along all sorts of scarves and skirts, bangles and baubles.”

“May I ask why?” inquired Malik.

“Well, dear, I never unpack my footlocker. Just keep stuffing new items into it as I continue my journey through life’s grand adventure. Why, I haven’t emptied that trunk since the 1970s! It’s filled with things I have long since forgotten.”

“So why do you keep them, then?” asked Azalea.

“Because, dear, you just never know when a new friend might need a quick Halloween costume.”