Contest 4: Halloween Story Search

(10-18-2000)

The object this time was to find as many different tbaa episode titles as possible in the following story. the story is first given with out the answers and the next version contains the answers underlined (some episode titles were given more than once and have been underlined more than once but were not counted to the total score).

Andrew waved good bye to Audrey and Jenni as they departed from Dyeland Castle. The two were going back to their respective colleges and wouldn't be back to the castle for a week or so. Andrew had quickly volunteered to watch the castle in their absence. He figured it would be a nice break from the rigorous campaigning he'd been busy with. As they drove off (Audrey as the driver since Jenni still cannot drive!) Andrew went into the main foyer of the castle and glanced around. He suddenly noticed how quiet the castle was when he was alone. He entered the TV room and saw that there was a video left in the VCR. He pressed play hoping the noise would make him feel less lonesome.

"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall have peace....." Andrew sat down to watch the movie Jenni had apparently left behind. Suddenly there was noise! And this wasn't a joyful noise either! The big bang sounded again! This time followed by a menacing scream!

"Dear God, please be with me!" Andrew prayed as he realized something was seriously wrong here! Suddenly, a bright light filled the entire room! Andrew strained to see into the light and there stood......

"Monica!" He cried.

"Hey Andrew!" Monica replied.

"I'm so glad you're here!"

"Well, what are friends for? But, ummm, do you know why I'm here?" Monica asked confused.

"Oh Monica! I was castle-sitting for Audrey and Jenni and I was watching a movie and then I heard a loud noise and then someone screamed and then I prayed for help and then you came and I'm glad you did because I know something's wrong and...." Andrew rambled.

"Shhh.... be at peace, my friend." Monica said softly as she embraced her friend. She'd never seen him like this!

After time had passed she spoke again, "How about we look around, I'm sure there will be a perfectly, logical explanation."
"Sure. I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm acting like this, so on edge! It was just a noise....."
So Monica and Andrew left the TV room and began to search the castle.

The two were now in the study and had found nothing suspicious yet. Monica walked around the room and examined all the pictures. There were pictures of Jenni, Audrey, and Andrew..... or was it John?

"It's just so hard to tell sometimes." She pondered.

One picture showed them in Florida with sandcastles covering the beach. Another picture showed Jenni alone at her grade school class reunion. A third was of Chiwawa and Chimama at the last dance at Dyeland Castle.

"Monica! Quick! Come over here." Andrew motioned to a window he was near.
Monica walked towards him and glanced out. A perfect full moon shone above some trees.

"What do you make of that?" Andrew questioned.

"Oh, I don't think it's any big deal. All those legends about full moons are such nonsense. You can't really believe them do you, And...."

Suddenly everything went dark!

"Ahhh! It's so black like..... Monica? Monica?" Andrew suddenly realized his friend was no longer standing next to him.

"Here I am!" She answered.

"Where are you?!?"

"Ummm...... When the lights turned off I stepped back and I think I fell down some type of secret passage."
 
"Great! Just great! You'd think Audrey and Jenni would tell me about that kind of stuff. Are you hurt?"

"No, no I'm fine. I just can't see anything so I don't want to move much. You know.... might be jagged edges or something."

"Yeah, well, let's just wait for a bit. Hopefully, the power will come back on."

So Andrew and Monica waited..... and waited..... and waited. Finally, Andrew spoke.

"Geez, I mean we actually get some quality time together and this is how we're gonna spend it?"

"Hmmm..... Well, we could play charades?"

"Monica!"

"What!?"

"We can't see the ground! How are we supposed to see what each other is doing?" Andrew inquired.

"That's right. Hmm.... Andrew?"

"Yeah?"

"There was a full moon just a lil while ago right?"

"Yes...."

"Well, ummm, wouldn't we be able to get some light from that?"

"Oh sure. It was really bright."

"Well, then where is the light, Andrew!?" Monica asked nervously.

"You're right! The moon disappeared! What's going on!?" Andrew cried.

BOOM!!!!!! AAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!

"Monica!!!! That's the noise!"

"Andrew, we've gotta leave this room! What if it's a fallen angel, Andrew?! At least if we move they'll have a harder time finding us!" Monica reasoned.

"Okay, you're right. But how are we gonna get you out from wherever you are?"

"Hmmm..... Can you at least try and find the hole I fell into?"

"Hang on..... Okay yeah found it."

"Great. Now is there anything you can lower down here and then pull me up with?"

"There's nothing! Wait! Nothing but netting Jenni was using to make her Halloween costume! That might work!"

"Yes! I remember seeing that. There's at least five yards. Seek and ye shall find! Throw it down here."

Andrew did so and Monica was quickly back on the study floor.

Andrew found his way down to the kitchen with Monica right behind him. He fumbled around the counters and various appliances until he found what he was looking for. With a click the flashlight turned on and he could once again see Monica.

"Okay, now... What do we do? We could leave but I'm really not sure if that's better or worse." Andrew wondered aloud.

BOOM!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!

"Andrew! That's it again! It's really close this time!" Monica stepped closer to the angel of death.

"We have to leave! This is ridiculous! We'd have to be much safer outside." Andrew began pulling Monica, their hearts racing, toward the entryway towards the main foyer which would lead them outside. Suddenly he stopped.

Very quietly he whispered to Monica, "Okay don't scream or say anything. Just look to your right. There's two people..... or something..... out there."

Monica looked and sure enough she could barely make out two figures.

"Okay, there's nothing we can do. I'm going to step out into the foyer and distract them. You run for the door and I'll follow." With that Andrew stepped into the room that held the occupants and cried....

"In the name of God leave this castle and never return!"

"Ahhhhh!!!!!" a woman screamed.

"Please! We'll leave quietly just don't hurt us!" a male voice pleaded.

"No!!! Don't hurt him who ever you are!" Monica yelled from near the door.

"No one's going to hurt me. Just run!" Andrew answered back.

"But you just said "We'll leave quietly just don't hurt us!" Monica explained.

"No I didn't!"

"Oh yes you did!"

"Ummm, that was me." The man said.

"See you just said it again, Andrew!" Monica cried.

"No, I didn't!"

"Andrew?"

"Who said that!?"

Suddenly, there was a buzzing noise and the lights came back on and they were out of the darkness.

When his eyes adjusted Andrew found himself staring back at..... himself?

"Andrew!" John cried.

"Yes! Monica?" Andrew asked at he stared at the woman next to John.

"Over here." Monica answered from behind him as she stepped away from the door and walked back towards Andrew.

"Who are you?" Andrew asked, confused, to the woman by John.

"Andrew, Monica this is Roma Downey. Roma this...." John was cut off.

"Monica and Andrew, yes. I can see that but..... They're real?!"

"Oh yeah, it's all a very long story. But before we go into that what are you doing here, Andrew?"

"Well, interestingly enough I'd like to know the same thing, John. The girls asked me to watch the castle while they were away." Andrew explained.

"Well, Audrey asked me the same thing! She came up to me, asked me if Jenni had asked me to watch the castle, I said no so she asked me. I told Roma to stop by cause she wanted to visit with Chiwawa and Chimama." John explained.

"Hmmm.... it seems to me Audrey thought you were me. The girls were gonna ask you but they figured with the new season starting you'd have a lot to do." Andrew reasoned.

"Well, then that explains it all! Roma and I were just startled when we heard footsteps. But now it's all straightened out! I'm gonna go back home. See you two around!" John and Roma walked towards the door.

"Wait!" Monica cried.

"Huh? What?" John asked.

"Well, Andrew and I heard strange noises. A booming followed by a scream. Didn't you hear that?"

Roma began to giggle.

"Umm.... yeah..... well..... It was nothing, trust me." John answered quickly.

"No way! You're telling them John!" Roma insisted still laughing.

"Okay, okay. I'd borrowed a TV set and I kinda kept dropping it on my toes."

"Three times?!" Monica asked.

"Well, it was heavy!"

"Okay, well there's just one more thing. Earlier when the lights went out, which I'm assuming was just an electrical problem, the moon disappeared from the study window. How?" Andrew pondered.

"Oh, that's easy, too. The shade in there is broken. It must have just fallen and covered the window. You might not have heard it in the confusion with lights going out."

"Hmmm, makes sense but there's still just one little thing..... Why's there a secret passage in the study's floor?" Monica asked.

"Huh?" John replied, confused.

"Yeah, now that the lights are back let's go look!" Andrew suggested.

With that the four went back to the study and found.....

"Christmas presents!" Monica cried.

"This is where Jenni's hiding everyone's Christmas presents!" John exclaimed. "There's some for each of us! Let's peek!"

"No way. Perfect little angels, real or just pretending, do not peek!" Andrew insisted.

"Yeah, okay, okay. Well, Roma and I better get back to the set. Monica, nice to see you. Andrew have fun watching the house. And..... Happy Halloween!" John cried as Andrew gave him a disgusted look.

With that the group departed and Andrew was left alone to spend an uneventful week in Dyeland Castle. Or so he thought.......... until the next morning when word got through Dyeland and every last Androoler showed up at the castle to welcome Angel Boy. :-)

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