The wind whipping the house was far more effective at spooking him than the horror game that Tyler was playing, Matthew thought as he glanced from the book he was reading to the front window. The curtains were drawn, and he knew it was dark beyond. It was still the last day of October, but it was also the last hour and Halloween was all but over. Their last trick-or-treater had been hours previous and they'd turned off their light not long after.

Tracey was doing something in the kitchen, but Matthew wasn't sure what. He'd stopped hearing noises so he assumed drawing. That just left Lainey, who wasn't home yet. Somehow, they'd all ended up with the night, and morning after, off. The mall was never terribly busy once dusk fell on Halloween, and while Christmas decorations needed to go up, that was going to be the next day once all the half-off candy had vanished.

Matthew went back to his book, which was interesting enough but not quite his thing. He was going to finish it, but--

The sound of a key in the lock of the front door actually startled him. He'd never not heard Lainey's van before; not when he was in the living room, at least. Another volley of wind battered the front window, though, just as Lainey heaved herself in and purposely closed the door.

Tyler paused his game, frowning.

"I was thinking of calling," he said.

Lainey shook her head. "Quiet night. I just a little too into setting up a new display and didn't want to leave it half-finished."

She hung her bag on a hook but didn't take off her coat. Instead, she just looked from Tyler to Matthew and then, stepping in from the entryway, peered towards the brightly-lit kitchen.

"I need some volunteers."

Matthew marked his place in the book.

"You know that big brick house about two blocks down?" Lainey questioned.

Both Matthew and Tyler nodded.

"You know those ghost decorations they have hanging everywhere?"

Again, they both nodded. Matthew had appreciated their decorations more than once. Much better than what they'd managed, which was mostly cardboard tombstones that had barely survived the evening.

"They're blowing all over," Lainey continued. "Two of them hit the van and let me tell you, I am awake now."

Tyler laughed. "On it. Matthew?"

"Yeah, of course. Are we just going to bring them home?"

"I'll... put them in the back of the van and return them tomorrow," Lainey replied, her expression suggesting she'd not thought quite that far ahead.

"Sounds like a plan. Or we can. We're off," Tyler said. "Well, Tracey isn't--"

"Hmm?" Tracey padded into the living room, obviously curious.

"Coat and shoes," Matthew said as he got to his feet. "We're going ghost hunting."

"Yeah, Lainey hit a couple and we gotta make sure they're dead," Tyler added.

Tracey stared at them all for a long moment before nodding. Apparently it wasn't the weirdest thing they'd ever done.

Matthew smiled. And then the wind whipped the house again.

Well-- Ghost-hunting on Halloween, complete with spooky effects--

"I'll grab a couple of flashlights."