Suddenly she was on her feet. Something had to change. No ideas came to her, so she decided to go outside for a walk. It was 5 PM, she would still have several hours to get the painting done even if she went on a 2-3 hours walk. If that wouldn’t inspire her, nothing would. So she lazily got dressed. The walks always helped her. If not by giving her something to paint right away, they would at least help her relax and unfurrow her brow, which was sometimes all that was needed to get the creative juices flowing.

She was on the tram going through the orange light of the evening under the yellow leaves of the autumn trees. It was all very poetic. Even though she didn’t feel particularly inspired, the contrast between the dark blue pavement and the leaves was playing with her eyes. People had very relaxed bodies. Women in long coats were walking next to piles of leaves with giddy little children with their shirts tucked in holding them by the hand. A fat man, but fat with a big chest and arms, in the respectable way, with a big grey mustache, a suit and a hat on was waiting at the crosswalk. Next to him, was a guy wearing a track suit with the sides of his head shaven looking at his phone.

She was at the park. It looked beautiful. No one had cleared the leaves on the walkways yet, so she was walking around kicking them. As the sun was setting it was casting shadows through the branches and the leaves that remained. Someone came running from behind her. He met with someone coming from the other direction. They both nodded at each other with a sheepish smile on their face. Kate wondered if that was runner’s etiquette or if they really knew each other.

The air was turning purple as the sun was setting. Kate loved the walk and she like to think that she was inspired. Sometimes all it takes is the right kind of procrastination to get you going. Inspiration is a weird thing, because the longer you wait for it, the longer it takes for it to come, so you have to nudge it and search for it and keep poking it until it pokes you back.

But now she was a mess. Katy was there to help her with the make-up, hair, clothes and some tips while she was at it. But Kate was very nervous. She wasn’t nervous around Kevin usually, and that was another reason she liked him, but the official nature of the date drove her crazy. Katy was calmly reassuring her and letting her know that everything will be fine.

Kate was very surprised when Kevin asked her out. She liked him, and she knew that he liked her, but she didn’t expect him to be so bold. As she was thinking about the whole event, the door bell rang. She jumped to her feet, but Katy sat her down and finished putting make-up on her. “Take a deep breath, Kate” said Katy.

When Kate came down the stairs, she saw Kevin looking really nervous. He was wearing jeans and a shirt on, nothing too fancy, but he looked good. Her clothes made him look relaxed, his wet forehead didn’t, but his face lit up when he saw Kate coming downstairs. He helped her get her coat on and they’ve left, with Katy watching them from the window. “Where are we going?” asked Kate. “I’m thinking of going to that place over on Baltic Street. Do you know it?”. “I’ve never been on Baltic Street.”. “Well, then you’ll see when we get there.”

Kate didn’t know what to expect, but she was excited and she liked that Kevin knew strange places on streets with names from Monopoly. The place was called “Kaef” and she was blown away when they entered. The first room was painted in a medieval style just like a church, the second one, which was a small corridor, was painted with UV paint and the whole room was luminescent, the third one had futuristic, multicolored and very detailed drawings of aliens, children, animals, birds and all sorts of creatures. The one they sat at was full of broad strokes of color on the floor, the walls, the ceiling and even the tables and the chairs. She was very impressed.

As the night went on, the two got more comfortable, and started talking about art, each other, joking and having a good time. At the end of the night, when Kevin took Kate home, she saw he was a little hesitant to make the first move, so she went for it, kissed him on the cheek and said “I can’t wait to do this again.

So he looked out the window. It was literally yellow outside. He looked at the watch it was 3 PM. He would have to wait it out. And wait it out he did. He practiced on his old guitar, got bored fast, put it down and tried to read where he left off on The Foundation, and then got bored even faster. He played some flash games online, laid in bed for a while and finally found something to keep him occupied, reading through Wikipedia starting from Teddy Roosevelt and ending up at Johannesburg.

But 5 PM rolled around just in time, and he got on his bike and he went out. He had no idea where he was going so he just started pedaling. It was still hot outside and soon enough he started to sweat profusely. The streets where eerily empty, with cars rolling around every once in a while. But besides that, the streets were completely still. No breeze, no wind to roll around the leaves, no people to mow the lawns, no kids playing, nothing.

He was heading for the park because he knew of a good ice cone vendor there. He went through the park for a little bit and he saw one or two people there landscaping. This scenery was getting to him. There was a very eerie mood in the air. He needed to see some people so he headed downtown.

By the time he got there it was about 7 and the heat was letting off. Downtown never disappointed him. The streets were teeming with movement. He left his bike at a rack and was on foot taking in the sights. Maybe it was time for him to get something to eat. He found a little place that was selling deliciously cold drinks and chicken wings. Perfection. He sat at a table outside and watched people walking about. He then went on to a guitar store and saw the beauty that was the Les Paul. Before seeing it he had his doubts, but now he knew it was worth it. It was fate. Simple as that. The guy at the counter recognized him right away. It was the third time this week he went to see it.

The team went wild. The coach went wild. The audience, well they were playing away, so the audience wasn’t so enthusiastic. Karl was shaking, he couldn’t believe it. The pressure he felt was huge, the fear almost crippling, and when it was all released, he felt a little light headed. The team picked him up and threw him in the air. The other team looked down, but they shook hand at the end of the game and went to their locker rooms.

The coach came in. He was a big guy, balding with a goatee, and very childlike eyes. You expected him to have a deep voice when you saw him, but he didn’t. It was almost high pitched. His appearance was comical at first, but he earned the respect of those around him pretty fast. And he was a damn good trainer. He knew his job, and when he became the coach of the team, he took them from underdogs to the playoffs in just under a year. But he worked them hard, harder than they ever worked before. Some guys didn’t make it, some gave up, but those that have stayed have learned what teamwork, hard work, dedication, loyalty and determination are. His favorite movie was Coach Carter, which incidentally was also his name.

“Tonight, we’re celebrating. Go to your rooms and get ready, pizza’s on me.” They cheered Coach Carter’s name, and got to it. They were ecstatic from winning, but more than that, they were starving, so it didn’t take long for them to get ready. They met with the coach outside of the motel they were staying at and they went to the nearest pizza place, which oddly enough was sports themed.

Four large pizzas and several cans of coke later they were talking about the game, the season and the playoffs. The previous season was brought up, and each and everyone one of them was reminded of how bad they were. No one was spared and they were ruthless to each other. It was painful, embarrassing and very funny. Wouldn’t have been as funny if they kept losing, but now after all of the torturous training they went through in the past year, being able to laugh at the losers they were was one of the most satisfying things. They thanked the coach and resolved to buy him a gift, a nice watch maybe, as a token of their appreciation.

It was the 28th and they had no idea what to go as. Many scenarios came into discussion. My Little Pony costumes were brought up, but Karl was not comfortable going as a Brony. Katy and Kate understood completely and didn’t insist. Twilight costumes were brought up, but it was done before and people would probably dress up as vampires anyway. So what, then? They thought it would be funny to go as Harry Potter characters with Karl as Hermione, but even though this was a way better prospect for him than going as a Brony, they still had the problem of being one of the three groups to go dressed up like that. Karl recently got into Pokémon, to Katy’s dismay, after watching a series of Let’s Play videos on Youtube, so that came up. It was given some serious consideration by everyone involved, but it was scrapped ultimately because Kate and Karl couldn’t reconcile on who would be Pikachu.

The 29th and 30th went by in a haze of caffeine induced jitters. Nothing came about. They had ideas, got excited about them, and then reached the disappointing realization that they weren’t great. They were sitting around the room, somewhat exhausted, somewhat demoralized. Acceptance was setting in. The road of perfectionism is a slippery one that has no end in sight, so with the knowledge that they tried their best to come up with a good costume, they’ve decided to go as the next best thing.

But when Halloween rolled around, in a groggy state of mind, Katy was heading towards the shower. It was a good morning, no school, no problems. She was planning on eating some Doritos later during the day and watching some scary movies until she would have to get ready for the party. So she got in the shower, thinking about a weird thing that happened sometime in September, when she was at school. She had a weird feeling in her stomach, a feeling that smelled like oak. This reminded her of being a kid and meeting Karl for the first time.

And then it hit her. It just made so much sense, it was all coming together. Ideas were connecting and creating colourful explosions in her mind. Every costume they thought about was leading to this one. In one moment it all made sense. She had the perfect Halloween costumes in mind for the trio. She got out, brushed her teeth and then called Karl and Kate to let them know. They immediately got it, and came over to get ready. She thought it would be impossible, but it looks they are going to top the previous Halloween.

The bell ring couldn’t come soon enough and when it finally did, Katy jumped up to go and meet Karl. He was waiting for her in front of the school. He grabbed her hand, and she felt kind of good knowing that everyone saw he was her boyfriend. When she asked Karl where they were going, Karl was being sly and evasive. He didn’t want to tell her, and that got her even more excited. They went through the park to the park holding hands, joking around on a very beautiful and sunny day for February. There was some snow left from the long winter, but the sun was shining bright with an orange color.

After a half an hour long walk they finally made it at the pier. Karl brought her to the faire. While some people might think that this was a little bit cliché, or corny, Katy didn’t. Katy loved the fair, the cotton candy, the Ferris Wheel, the Haunted House and all of the stands, and Karl knew it. They started making the round by the stands. The first stand they got to was a hoop stand, Karl’s specialty. He starts scoring hoop after hoop, and after just one try he got a perfect score. So Katy ended up with a small teddy and a large pink hippo with an apron on.

Next came the Haunted House. A man dressed in a raggedy tuxedo and with a top hat on welcomed them and asked for their ticket. “Welcome” he said “to your DOOOOOOOOOM!” and then he cackled like a mad man. He really sold it and pretty soon they were in the dark. After a few scares, Katy was clinging to Karl. She wasn’t really that scared, she just wanted to hold him. Once they were out, they were eating delicious cotton candy straight from the stick.

Then it came time for Katy’s favorite ride: the Ferris Wheel. They’ve got on and the wheel slowly started turning. Karl put her arm around her, and Katy grabbed him by the waist and rested her head on his shoulder. As they were going higher and higher, the whole city came into view with the sun setting behind it. It was starting to get cooler outside, and once they reached the top the Wheel stopped. Karl’s cousin was working at the controls. Then Karl looked at Katy and kissed her in the most romantic place in the world.

She was going by bus, and when she got there, Karl and Kate were already waiting for her at the bus stop. They were beaming. The day was truly beautiful, and it was about 5 P.M. so the sun was not burning mercilessly. Before they were going to lie down on the beach, they’ve decided to go on a stroll on the Boardwalk. It was filled with people in flip flops flopping on the sandy wood, wearing sunglasses and hats. Some were weirder than others: people on Seaways rolling with their dogs, kids on skateboards eating ice-cream shirtless with sugary drips on their chests, families of five with children running circles around their tired parents, tanned women in bikinis and built men with only their shorts on strutting around.

The man with the strange accent sold them the best corn-dogs they’ve ever eaten, and with them in hand they’ve went to the beach. The sand was golden and the people were shiny. They’ve sat down close to the ocean and after applying copious amount of sun block on themselves and on each other, they laid on their back soaking in the sun. Kate was reading, Karl looking around, but Katy just wanted to close her eyes and unwind for a while.

Soon enough, though, Karl got bored. “How about some volleyball?” he asked. “Sounds good” said Kate, “Come on sis, get up!” Katy was in no mood for jumping around. Kate gave up, and went into the water, but Karl had a solution. He borrowed a bucket from a child he befriended with an ice cream cone, went to the ocean, and came back with a bucket of relatively ice cold water. In a matter of second, Katy was on her feet chasing him all the way into the ocean. They were splashing each other, laughing, and Katy was in much more playful mood now.

Karl’s little friend joined them with a beach ball, and told them that he likes the taste of ants. The little guy was very happy to play with them and after a couple of hours, it was getting dark. They’ve parted way with the one Karl started calling “La Chupacabra” because of his eating habits. The kid loved that name and he roared as his mom as they were walking off. The three walked to the bus stop with new tans and smiles on their sun beaten faces. It was something they would have to repeat again soon.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. “Trick or Treat” said three kids. One was dressed as a mummy, one as a vampire and one as a werewolf. They each got some Snickers, candies and Skittles. They seemed happy with their loot, they bowed and left. Soon, another knock on the door, and then another. They were visited by clowns, robots, ghosts, giant babies, superheroes and all sorts of kids dressed in great costumes. They were running out of candy fast. Luckily, Katy’s parents showed up just in time with more.

With the parents home, it was time for the second part of the trio’s night to start: the Halloween party at school. Kate and Karl went home resolving to meet again later at school. Katy started on her costume. She knew it would take a lot of preparation to get the costume done so she started right away. Tons of make-up were in front of her and all sorts of costumes were laying on the bed. After about an hour or so she was ready. She looked a little spooky, but with just the right amount of cute.

She phoned Kate and Karl and they were ready as well, so she set off for school. The party was at the gymnasium, and she just met up with Karl who was dressed-up as a vampire and with Kate who was dressed as a zombie princess. At the party, one of their friends was dressed as a plumber with a red hat and a moustache, two of them were sporting a unicorn costume, were one was the tail and one was the head and two of their friends were a monster with four legs, four hands and two heads. They were sweating profusely and they had to leave the party early though.

They soon started dancing, and they were joined by mushrooms, princesses, boxers, guys in hockey masks with bloody cleavers in their hands. They danced all night, ate pizza and pumpkin pie and drank all of the punch they wanted. At one point a slow dance started and Katy and Karl danced with each other, while Kate danced with a dragon. The night was one for the books, and Katy won the best costume overall with Kate coming in at a close second. Truly, it was a Halloween to remember.

More of Halloween Games

It was a very cold winter, with houses drenched in snow and streets paved with ice. The yellow lights of the street lights danced with the colours coming from the beautifully decorated houses. Katy and Kate started singing with Karl occasionally chiming in while sliding on the ice. All three of them jumped in the snow and started doing snow angels. Three snow angels looked at on goers while holding their hands, and Katy decided they would look a lot better with a smile on their face. A snow ball fight broke out, and the three started and broke alliances in a white war all the way to Karl’s house.

Karl came out with his acoustic guitar and started playing Joy to the World. As they walked and sang, they’ve realized they need more backup. So they started going to their classmates who lived in the area. As they went from house to house carolling, their friends would come up to the door with their parents. Several dozen cookies, turkeys and other delicious foods later the group grew drastically. There were over 16 friends with them and now they were official carollers. The next logical step was to pay a visit to their teachers.

They went to their wacky maths teacher’s house. He was a small, skinny man, with a big fluffy white moustache. He would lose his temper easily at school, but he had a very sharp sense of humour. His job was his life and he considered it a matter of integrity to do his job right. He worked them hard, but the kids loved him. He and his wife, a plump sweet little lady, welcomed them, and fed them sweets and fluffy cakes. Next was their English teacher, a tall, skinny woman with wrinkles and a stern look on her face. They meant the world to her and the fact that they visited her brought tears in her eyes. She had to stop herself from crying, and this moved all of them deeply.

When the night was almost over, they went to the skating ring. They were still singing, with Karl playing “The King of Carrot Flowers” on his guitar. The magical night, ended with Katy falling asleep without one thought about the presents that would be under her tree, partly because she was too tired and partly because she got the best gift of all: A Perfect Christmas.