“And that’s why I’m voting for Chuck Becker!”

 

The crowd erupted. If the red solo cups had been made of glass instead of plastic, Chuck was sure the clinking of the cups could have been heard all the way back on campus. He was so focused on the applause that he didn’t realize he had missed his cue.

 

“They want ya on stage, sir!” said Hunter, ushering him up the steps in the back.

 

“Shit! Right!”

 

Chuck quickly climbed the steps, trying his best not to trip in the dark. Jackson was still on the stage, grinning, clapping with the rest of the audience. He turned to face Chuck as he ascended the stairs.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, your next Student Government President!”

 

It was the moment Chuck had been waiting for. All the planning, preparation, persistence, was finally paying off. Here in the moonlight, on his great grandfather’s land, the Becker dynasty would be reborn to the sound of thunderous applause. Chuck could see it now: His inauguration (or perhaps coronation, all options were on the table) in Becker Hall, his official portrait next to the original Cantwell Becker’s, a couple years down the line he could run for mayor of Weston, and then, hell, why not Governor of Monroe?

 

He raised his hand and waved to the crowd. It was difficult to see. The few small lights they had trained on the stage blinded him initially. He hadn’t planned a speech nor did he intend to speak. He was sure that Jackson’s hype had done the trick. And so he waved again, smiled, and shook Jackson’s hand. Chuck was surprised when Jackson went in for a hug, but he recovered quickly and hugged him back. It was only then that Chuck remembered how much taller Jackson was. His feeling of triumph briefly subsided, and Chuck pulled away.

 

He turned back to the crowd. He thought he could sense the crowd’s energy shifting. Or am I being paranoid? His eyes were beginning to adjust. The applause did seem to be dying down. It looked as if the crowd were dispersing back to the bonfires. They’re bored already? Jackson Barrett ends his speech and they leave a minute later?

 

Chuck was growing painfully aware of his awkwardness. He tucked his hands into his pockets and scanned the field. In the distance he thought he could see a woman running in the direction of the cornfield.

 

“They totally dug my speech. Don’t you think, sir?”

 

“Huh? Oh. Yeah. Whatever.”

 

“Did you think it was good, sir?” As Jackson asked, the spotlights died down and country music began to play over the speakers.

 

“Sure, Jackson, very good.” Chuck turned to walk off the stage.

 

Are they all just here for the free beer? Do they even care about the election? About me? Chuck could feel the confidence draining out of him by the minute. Still, with Jackson out of the running, my odds are good. But will any of these idiots actually vote? Maybe they’re already so drunk they won’t even remember his speech. There’s only one way to be sure, but it may be too risky.

 

As Chuck descended the stairs with Jackson following close behind him, a young woman ran over to them. Her long blonde hair bounced with every stride. “Hi!” she said to the two men, almost out of breath but still smiling. “Would you take our picture?”

 

“Of course,” said Jackson. Chuck smiled. Now this is the recognition I’ve been looking for! The blonde wore a tied-up red flannel over skin-tight jeans.

 

“Thank you, but actually, I wanted a photo with Jackson.” She held her phone out for Chuck to grab.

 

“With… Jackson?” Chuck glanced over at him. Jackson shrugged, grinning.

 

“Yes… of course. I’d be happy to,” Chuck said, half-aware that he was speaking in monotone. Without thinking, he took the phone from her hand.

 

“Thanks so much!” said the blonde before snuggling up to Jackson. “I loved your speech, by the way,” she said, looking up at him as if she had just met her celebrity crush. She placed her hand on his stomach, he snuck his arm around her waist

 

Chuck held the camera up and said, “Say cheese,” as if on autopilot.

 

“Cheese!” they said in unison.

 

“I hope you have a great night,” she said to Jackson before grabbing the phone out of Chuck’s hand. He got a quick “Thanks!” for his assistance before she rushed off to join her waiting friends.

 

Chuck’s face felt hot. His fists were clenched. His heart was beating faster by the minute.

 

“She was cute,” said Jackson. “A good voter to have in your back pocket, huh?”

 

Chuck heard the words but wasn’t paying attention. He saw Hunter approaching.

 

“You doin’ alright there, sir?” he said, sounding concerned.

 

Chuck made his best attempt to suppress the boiling sensation in his stomach. “Did you and Dylan get the—did you put it on the flatbed?”

 

“Damn near blew my back out, but yeah.”

 

“Good. Let’s commence with All Hallows’ Dream.”

 

Hunter raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that, sir?”

 

Chuck looked out at the crowd—or the lack thereof. Almost everyone had returned to the bonfires, the kegs, and their own groups. He fixed his eyes on the blonde that just had her picture taken with Jackson. She was giggling with her friends as they passed around her phone.

 

“Yes, do it.”

 

“Right away, sir.”

 

Chuck breathed deeply and tried to relax, but the boiling feeling in his stomach persisted.

 

 

***

Laurel Lane walked briskly through the corn maze.

 

She had quickly learned that running was counterproductive. There were too many twists and turns to account for. She tried to make rational decisions about which she took, although this amounted to little more than guesswork.

 

Only about two minutes had passed since she took out Maggie and Olivia. The fingers on her right hand were throbbing, and she wasn’t sure she was any closer to finding Katie. She chose to refrain from screaming so as to not summon any more crazy, dirndl-wearing children of the corn.

 

But the air was suddenly filled with the screams of another woman. And she was close. Laurel couldn’t tell whether it was Katie or not, but she picked up her pace and did her best to move in the right direction.

 

A right turn. Another right turn. Then a left.

 

The screams grew louder. She was getting closer. Then the screaming stopped.

 

Laurel stopped moving, too. She tried to calm her breathing and still her heart. She closed her eyes and listened.

 

When the screaming started again, it was behind her. She turned around. Didn’t I just come from that way? She retraced her steps. It sounded like she was right next to the wailing woman. Then she realized that she was, in fact, right next to her, but separated by the high corn stalks.

 

Laurel used her arms to part the stalks as she left the cleared corridors of the maze and pushed through the corn itself. She was so close. After about ten seconds, she stumbled into a small clearing, almost falling over as she stepped out of the corn.

 

It was only then that Laurel realized the screams weren’t screams of terror. It took her a second to process what she was hearing—and seeing.

 

In the center of the small clearing—which was probably ten feet square—sat a haybale. On top of the haybale lay a woman on her back, legs spread wide. Between her legs stood a skinny man in a camo hoodie thrusting as if his life depended on it. He had one hand wrapped around the girl’s throat. Her dirndl was pushed up past her stomach, her tits were out, and she punctuated her screams with an occasional “Fuck! Yeah! Don’t stop!”

 

“That’s right… you little whore… tell me you… like it… scream for me!”

 

And so she did. If the lovely couple were bothered by Laurel’s untimely interruption, they sure didn’t show it.

 

Laurel thought about apologizing, decided against it, and reversed back into the corn the way she came.

 

This is the weirdest goddamn Halloween party, she thought as she walked back to the actual corn maze. The whole scene had been so bizarre she almost forgot she was looking for her sister. When she stepped back into the cleared path, she couldn’t remember which direction she had come from originally.

 

She looked up at the moon. It had been her reference before. It hung in the sky to her right, and so she turned right and kept moving.

 

Eventually she came to another fork, where she chose to take a left and then a quick right. She heard some rustling up ahead and quickened her pace.

 

Laurel rounded the corner only to nearly collide with another couple. This time, the man stood with his overalls around his ankles. A brunette was kneeling in front of him—wearing that stupid German outfit Laurel hated—and bobbing her head back and forth near his crotch.

 

“Yeah… suck it… you stupid bitch…”

 

Laurel kept her back to the corn and sidestepped them. Damn these girls are into some kinky shit. I’d never let a man talk to me like that. Like the couple before, these two didn’t pay Laurel any attention. The man only cast her a quick glare before closing his eyes and moaning.

 

When Laurel had rounded another corner and made her best attempt to forget about the two couples she had come across, her mind returned again to Katie. Laurel’s anxiety was increasing as the minutes passed by. She wasn’t sure she was any closer to finding her sister. How long has it been? Laurel found herself running again.

 

She took another left, then another right, before finding herself in a long straightaway. She began sprinting down the path. When she was halfway across, she thought she saw a flash of green in the corner of her eye. And then, when it was too late, she saw the girl run out of the corn.

 

Laurel collided with the girl and fell to the ground wheezing. The hit knocked the wind out of her. For what it was worth, it sounded like the other girl was wheezing on the ground too, but Laurel couldn’t confirm with her eyes closed. She rolled on the ground a few times before coming to rest on her back. Gradually, she opened her eyes and looked up at the night sky. When her breathing finally slowed down, she began the process of standing up again. She felt sore in multiple spots.

 

As she got up she looked at the girl she ran into. Surprise, surprise, she was wearing a green dirndl. As the girl also attempted to stand back up, Laurel could see she had brown hair. In fact, she looked incredibly familiar…

 

It was only when the two made eye contact that Laurel realized the girl she had run into was the same one she punched out several minutes ago. That Maggie bitch! Laurel pulled her arm back and prepared to deliver another blow.

 

“Wait! Wait!” said Maggie, holding her hands in front of her face. “Let’s talk!”

 

“I’ve got nothing to talk about with you.”

 

“I want to help you!” she said, standing up. Laurel could see a purple-black bruise on her chin.

 

“You weren’t so helpful earlier.”

 

“I’m different now,” she said, lowering her hands but still looking apprehensive. “That sucker punch you hit me with earlier snapped me out of that shit.”

 

Laurel was confused. “Snapped you out of what?”

 

“I’m not sure what you’d call it. A trance, maybe?”

 

Laurel laughed, “You’re saying you were in a trance?”

 

“I’m saying all these girls are.”

 

Laurel paused. Maggie looked dead serious.

 

“And who put you into this… trance?”

 

“Who do you think? Fucking Chuck Becker. The Fourth. Whatever you want to call him.”

 

This was making Laurel’s head hurt. “You’re telling me the guy who’s running for student president or whatever put all these girls in a trance? How?”

 

“You’re not going to believe me.”

 

“Probably not. Go ahead.”

 

“He’s got this giant ass jack-o’-lantern that glows green. When you look at it, you lose all control of your body and that sick fuck can make you do whatever he wants.”

 

“A giant jack-o’-lantern huh…” Laurel remained alert. This must be a trap.

 

“I know it sounds crazy. But it’s true. Part of you knows it’s true. Let me guess, you’ve run into some… interesting pairings in this maze, haven’t you?”

 

Laurel thought back to the girl getting fucked on the haybale. “You’re right about that.”

 

“You think those redneck guys could get with those girls any other way? Shit, you think I want to wear this?” She pointed to her outfit.

 

“Those outfits do weird me out,” Laurel agreed. She has a point.

 

“Listen, you can choose to believe me or not. But I can promise you they’re planning on putting your sister into the same trance. If you want to save her, follow me.”

 

And with that, Maggie turned and began walking swiftly down the path.

 

“Hey, wait!” Laurel said. Fuck! She started jogging to catch up.

 

“How long have you been under this… trance?” Laurel asked, breathless.

 

“About a month now. My memory is foggy. And the things I do remember…” Maggie trailed off.

 

Laurel looked over at the brunette. She looked deep in thought.

 

“So all the girls here… all the girls that are wearing what you’re wearing… they’ve all been hypnotized by this jack-o’-lantern?”

 

“Yes, they’re all under his control,” said Maggie as they turned another corner.

 

“Becker’s control?”

 

“Yes. And it could get worse. Fast.”

 

“What do you mean?” Laurel was struggling to keep up.

 

“I overheard Becker talking to his right-hand man earlier. They have this… plan. The codename is ‘All Hallows’ Dream’.”

 

Laurel felt her mouth run dry. “What’s the plan?”

 

“It’s not a definite thing, but… they may try to get everyone at the party tonight to look at the jack-o’-lantern at once.”

 

“And enslave everyone?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“This is crazy.”

 

“Welcome to my fucking world.”

 

Just as the two girls rounded another corner, a loud noise echoed through the night air.

 

“What the hell is that?” Laurel asked.

 

“I think it’s the audio system,” Maggie answered, wide eyed. “They must be making another announcement.”

 

“You think…?”

 

“I’m not sure. We need to hurry!”

 

The two girls rounded another corner and broke out into a sprint.

 

***

 

The giant jack-o’-lantern attracted attention immediately. It took one man pulling from the front of the cart and two pushing from behind. It was a relatively long journey from the enclosure, where a hole had been opened in the haybale wall, to the stage. A long enough journey that plenty of the party attendees had time to notice the giant gourd be hauled across the open field.

 

But just some of the party attendees was not enough for Chuck. Not even most. He needed all of them. And so as the jack-o’-lantern drew closer to the stage, he had Jackson Barrett take the mic once more.

 

“Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, fellow Huskers,” said Jackson, turning the smile and the charm up to 10. “It’s time for tonight’s main event. Yes, yes, I know you thought my rousing speech earlier was the main draw. I’m here to tell you there’s more.”

 

Gradually, the crowd formed up once again. To ensure maximum attendance, Chuck had ordered that the kegs were not to be touched until after the announcement.

 

Eventually the giant jack-o’-lantern made it to the stage area, accompanied by a chorus of huffing and puffing from the men tasked with moving it. When Chuck ordered that they were to lift it onto a haybale sitting on the stage, they stared at him incredulously. But they quickly regained their composure, waved over a few more guys, and got to work.

 

“Here it is, ladies and gentlemen. The moment you’ve all been waiting for. Let’s give these hunks a round of applause for getting it up here for you all to see!”

 

Cheers echoed across the field as the four men struggled to carry the giant gourd up the stairs. “Be fucking careful with that!” Chuck screamed from behind the stage.

 

They moved slowly, sweating despite the cool night. Finally, they were able to place the jack-o’-lantern on the haybale, facing the crowd.

 

“Would you look at that? Just look at that thing! I’ve never seen anything like it! Let’s give our agriculture students some love for growing the biggest pumpkin in the world!”

 

The crowd broke into applause, their inhibitions dulled by the copious amounts of beer already consumed tonight.

 

“How much does it weigh? There probably aren’t scales big enough to—wait! Ladies and gentlemen, I see Chuck Becker has just joined me on stage. Let’s give our next President another round of applause!”

 

Chuck waved to the crowd as he took the stage for the second time that night. This time would be different, though. This time he was going to speak.

 

He broke Jackson off mid-sentence and pointed to the mic. Jackson hesitated for a second before smiling and handing it over.

 

Chuck grabbed it, paused, and then held it up to his mouth. “Good evening!”

 

“Good evening!” the crowd yelled back.

 

“I want to thank you all for coming out tonight, for donating to my campaign. I hope you all are having a great night!”

 

The crowd cheered loudly in affirmation.

 

“Good, good. As many of you now know, my great grandfather donated the land that now makes up Monroe State University’s campus and this agricultural reserve. He was the first Cantwell Becker. I am The Fourth.

 

“In the four generations that have passed since, many things have changed. MSU has definitely changed. I’m not sure my great grandfather would recognize it today.”

 

A few cheers broke out. Chuck was caught off guard by the reaction. They still don’t get it.

 

“Today, agriculture students make up less than five percent of MSU’s enrollment. Five percent! Meanwhile, computer science and other STEM majors make up 25% of the student body!

 

“I’m sure all of you just walk past Becker Hall without giving it a second glance. The first building on campus! But you all trip over yourselves to check out the latest buildings with ‘Carlyle’ or, yes, even ‘Barrett’ stamped on them!”

 

The crowd grew silent now. Students were exchanging confused glances with one another.

 

“In today’s day and age, the shiniest things get the most attention. I recognize that. That’s why I’ve brought something particularly shiny for you all tonight.” Chuck took a few steps back so that he was side-by-side with the giant gourd. He gave it a single pat, and the previously unlit jack-o’-lantern burst into an orange-yellow light.

 

A succession of “Oooos” and “Ahhhs” came from the crowd.

 

“Impressive, isn’t it? It’s impressive what we ag students can do when no one’s paying attention. But people will pay attention now. Everyone will.

 

“You see, I’m not going to beg you all for your votes. The Beckers have been on their knees long enough. I will take your votes. More than that—I’ll take your absolute loyalty. I’ll take your undivided attention.”

 

With that, Chuck gave the giant gourd a series of pats. A few seconds later, the jack-o’-lantern began to glow green.

 

“This here is my best friend. I want you all to look at his smile. Look deep into his triangular eyes. Smile back at his jagged grin. Feel yourself become one with the jack-o’-lantern, with the land beneath your feet, with me.

 

The crowd was completely silent now. All that could be heard was the wind blowing over the field and bending the corn.

 

There’s only one way to tell if it worked. “Now, I want you all to prove that I have your undivided attention, your unquestioned loyalty.” He looked out across the crowd, at all of their dumb, dazed faces.

 

“I want you all to strip naked. Now!”

 

The crowd erupted into a sea of limbs and cloth. Men tore buttons off their shirts ripping them open. Girls threw their sweaters in the air with abandon. Students tripped over themselves pulling their jeans off. Socks flew through the air like fireworks. Panties were flung from one corner of the crowd to the other. Bras were tossed towards the sky like caps at graduation.

 

They’re mine, Chuck thought, grinning from ear to ear. All mine.

 

***

 

When the two girls turned the final corner, Maggie stopped dead in her tracks.

 

“What’s wrong?” asked Laurel.

 

“There’s a gap in the wall,” said Maggie, pointing straight ahead of them. “I’ve never seen that before.”

 

“Let’s take it slow,” said Laurel. Maggie nodded.

 

The two girls quietly approached the enclosure. It didn’t sound like anyone was nearby, but they wanted to play it safe. Maggie had warned Laurel earlier that there was always someone here.

 

The two reached the entrance to the enclosure and peered around. In the opposite corner, they could see a man and woman. The man was seated on a haybale while the woman stood in front of him. No, Laurel thought, she isn’t standing. She’s dancing. It only took a few more seconds before Laurel realized who the woman was.

 

“Katie?” Laurel yelled out, stepping into the enclosure.

 

“Wait!” Maggie hissed, but to no avail.

 

Katie didn’t react to Laurel’s voice. Instead, she kept dancing in front of the seated man. It was only when Laurel got closer that she realized Katie was completely nude.

 

“Katie! What the fuck are you doing?”

 

Still Katie did not turn. And now Laurel recognized the man. The same man who had taken their “donation” in line. He was glaring at her now—the same glare he had given her earlier.

 

“Katie!” Laurel reached out and grabbed her sister’s arm, pulling her so that they were facing each other. Laurel stared into Katie’s deep green eyes. The same eyes that she shared. But Laurel could tell something was wrong.

 

She shook her sister. “Katie, are you there?” But her eyes were half closed. Fuck, is this trance shit real?

 

“Listen, bitch,” said the man, standing up. “Your sister wants to hang out with me.”

 

“Don’t come a step closer,” Laurel warned.

 

“Or else what?” the man grinned, stepping forward.

 

“Have it your way,” Laurel whispered. Then, in one swift motion, she swung her right leg out and kicked him square in the balls.

 

The man yelped and fell to the ground, wailing.

 

“That should take him out of the picture for a little bit,” Laurel said, watching as he rolled back and forth.

 

“Hey,” Maggie said, stepping between Laurel and the writhing man. “We’ve got bigger fish to fry here.”

 

“I need to get my sister out of here,” said Laurel, looking back at Katie, who now stood nude and motionless. “I need you to find a way to destroy that jack-o’-lantern. And fast.”

 

“We shouldn’t split up,” Maggie protested.

 

Just then, four dirndl-clad girls ran into the enclosure. Laurel barely had a chance to scream “Run!” before they were on top of her. They seemed to ignore Maggie at first—probably thinking she was still entranced—and so she had a chance to run out of the enclosure and into the field.

 

“Get… the fuck… off of me!” Laurel screamed. But there was one girl for each of her limbs, and it quickly became obvious that she couldn’t fight her way out of this one.

 

“I reckon you done fucked up,” said a man’s voice. It came from behind her.

 

Laurel struggled in vain against the four women. She was completely out of breath now.

 

The man stepped out in front of her. “My name’s Hunter. A pleasure to meet ya, Laurel.”

 

Laurel mustered up her remaining strength to lift her head up and spit in his face.

 

“Aw! What the hell!” Hunter said, taking a step back and wiping his face off. “Olivia, teach our guest some manners.”

 

Laurel hadn’t recognized the blonde in the shuffle, but she did now. Her left leg was released only for Olivia to stand in front of her and deliver a strong punch to her gut.

 

Laurel doubled over, or, at least, as much as the two girls holding her arms would let her. She joined the man she had kicked in the nuts earlier in his wheezing.

 

“Now, I heard you did a number on Maggie and Olivia earlier. I think it’s only fair that Olivia get her revenge now, don’t ya think?”

 

“Fuck you.”

 

“Alrighty then,” he said, nodding to Olivia. “Put our rude guest to sleep.”

 

Olivia disappeared behind her. “Wait,” Laurel begged. But she felt Olivia’s arm wrap around her neck and tighten. Olivia’s other hand pushed Laurel’s head down into the sleeper hold.

 

Laurel did her best to break free, but her situation was hopeless. She felt Olivia’s arm grow even tighter. Stars exploded in front of Laurel’s eyes. Her limbs grew weak. She tried to beg Olivia to stop but couldn’t move her jaw to say the words. She writhed in her captors’ arms. Then her limbs fell still, her green eyes rolled up into the back of her head, and her world grew dark.

 

***

 

Maggie didn’t dare look back. She ran in the direction of the stage, about a football field away.

 

She had no plan. She knew she needed to destroy the jack-o’-lantern somehow, but she had no idea how she was going to do it. Setting it on fire was an option, sure, but there was no way she could lift it into a fire and she wasn’t sure how flammable pumpkins were, anyway.

 

With Laurel captured, I’m the only one who can stop this shit. She pulled her phone out her pocket as she ran. Still no service. Fuck! She could make a run for it, try to get back to campus and raise the alarm, but there was no telling what freaks The Fourth had patrolling the reserve.

 

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted as her foot struck something hard, causing her to fall to the ground. Ow! What the fuck was that? She reached out in the darkness, searching for whatever had tripped her. Then she felt something cool and metallic. Her fingers wrapped around it. It was a baseball bat.

 

The bat those two idiots use to smash pumpkins every night! She lifted it up. It was heavy. This could do the trick.

 

She stood up, brushed her green dirndl off, and took off for the stage. I’ve got to go around back. They can’t see me, and I can’t see the jack-o’-lantern’s grin. She ran back into the cornfield, staying just inside of it as she drew closer to the stage.

 

As she got closer, she realized that no one was making a speech. In fact, no one seemed to be talking at all. But there were noises. So many noises. What the hell is going on?

 

The crowd, Maggie was certain, wasn’t even standing anymore. Everyone seemed to be on the ground. They weren’t sleeping either, which was Maggie’s initial thought. No, they were definitely moving. Their movement, combined with the sounds emanating across the field, pushed Maggie to one conclusion.

 

The sick fuck’s making them have a giant orgy! The disgust forced Maggie so stop moving for a second. But this could be a good thing. If they’re all distracted, they won’t see me coming. Hopefully The Fourth’s in the middle of that body pile.

 

Maggie continued along the edge of the corn until she was past the stage, then, keeping a low profile, she ran out across the field to the back steps. If anyone noticed her, she couldn’t hear them shout out.

 

She knelt behind the stage and peered out. The crowd had devolved into a single, undulating piece of flesh. Clothes were everywhere—on the ground, on the stage, some were even still flying in the air. Some girl had managed to toss her bra onto the jack-o’-lantern itself.

 

It was then that Maggie noticed The Fourth. He was still on the stage, his back turned to her. He was sitting on the edge of the haybale that the giant gourd rested on. And resting on him (perhaps resting isn’t the right word) was a blonde who sat facing him on his lap. He’s distracted too. Good.

 

Maggie crept up the stairs, careful not to make a sound. The blonde, who was busy bouncing up and down on The Fourth, looked at Maggie with half-lidded eyes. But she said nothing.

 

Slowly, Maggie stepped behind the jack-o’-lantern. She raised the baseball bat up with both arms. Be strong, Maggie, she told herself. She summoned all her strength, breathed deep, and brought the bat down with full force.

 

The bat broke through the rind of the pumpkin with a crunching thud. The sound caused The Fourth to snap his head around. The two made eye contact as Maggie raised the bat again.

 

She quickly brought the bat back down again, this time the impact made a wet, pulpy noise.

 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing!” screamed The Fourth, wide eyed. “Stop! Now!”

 

Maggie raised the bat and brought it down again. The pulp splattered across her dirndl. Some even landed on The Fourth’s face.

 

He was trying to get up, but the blonde was still riding him. “Get the fuck off!” he squealed.

 

Maggie raised the bat one last time. Her arm strength was fading fast. This would have to be the final blow. The Fourth pushed the blonde off of him and stood up.

 

Maggie summoned all her remaining strength and brought the bat down again. This time, there wasn’t a thud or a pulpy sound. In fact, Maggie thought she heard a more metallic crunch.

 

Maggie turned to see the blonde collapse to the floor of the stage unconscious. She looked out across the crowd. The orgy had seemed to come to a roaring halt. The moans and groans of the crowd had stopped. Maggie looked out. They all appeared to be asleep, too.

 

“You bitch!” The Fourth tackled Maggie and both of them fell to the stage floor. “You fucking whore.”

 

“Not so tough now, huh?” Maggie taunted, grabbing his arms as he tried to slap her.

 

“You’ll pay for this,” he spat.

 

“Where… where am I?”

 

The girl’s voice made him pause his onslaught. He turned around. Maggie lifted her head up.

 

The blonde that had been riding him was awake again and rubbing her head. She looked over at Maggie and The Fourth. “What’s going on?”

 

Just then, the crowd seemed to come alive as well. People were standing up and looking around. The phrase “Where are my clothes?” echoed out across the night sky.

 

The Fourth sat frozen, one of his hands still holding Maggie’s arm down. Slowly he released her. “No,” he looked out over the crowd. “No, no, no!”

 

He stood up and ran over the now-smashed jack-o’-lantern. He tried patting what was left of it, but most of it had collapsed in on itself.

 

“Looks like you’re going to have to win our hearts and minds the old-fashioned way,” said Maggie.

 

It was then that The Fourth began to sob, letting the pulp of the pumpkin fall through his hands.

 

“You son of a bitch!”

 

Maggie had never seen someone’s head turn as fast as The Fourth’s did right then. She looked over in the direction of the man’s voice. Jackson Barrett stood near the stage, naked.

 

“I’m going to fucking kill you!”

 

The Fourth, realizing the incredibly deep shit that he was in, abandoned his smashed pumpkin and took off towards the cornfield. “Oh no you don’t!” yelled Jackson, who, still nude, began chasing after him.

 

Maggie took the opportunity to laugh—something she hadn’t done in what felt like forever. She lay back down on the stage and stared up into the night sky. The full moon was at its highest point.

 

Then, realizing she was the only one still clothed, and remembering how much she hated her outfit, she stood up, stripped, and threw her clothes into the cool, autumn air.

 

THE END