“Niff how fucking many bags of candy corn do you need? Poor Baxter can barely push the cart!” Husk huffed while absentmindedly rubbing the spot on his arm where Alastor’s mic had struck him for attempting to get out of driving Niffty on her seasonal sugar shopping spree.

Charlie should have picked anyone else to pick up the snacks and decorations for the holiday party. Niffty was going to really remind everyone that they are in hell at this rate.

“All of them!” Niffty said pulling another bag of the multicolored junk out of an unsuspecting hellhound’s basket and tossing it into her cart.

Baxter’s sinister little laugh forced its way into Husk’s ears leading to the former overlord wishing he could punt the tiny man. Husk was way too sober to be in Hellmart at six in the morning.

Baxter’s voice almost made Husk’s brain implode as he encouraged this bullshit, “Niffty, I think I saw some imps back in the freezer aisle, they must have had at least a dozen bags of candied corn, perhaps we could claim their share as well?”

Niffty looked like she had skipped Halloween and Thanksgiving and went straight to Christmas as she bolted out of Husk’s view dragging the cart behind her.

“Baxter! You fucking lost her now!” Husk hissed as he attempted to follow her.

“Nonsense Husk. She is in aisle 2 looking for imps that don’t exist.” Baxter said calmly, looking at his phone while walking opposite of Niffty.

Husk switched directions and followed the other short monster, “What? Why would you lie about that?”

“I needed to ask your advice on something,” Baxter said stopping in front of some big box of overpriced seasonal kid’s toy animals, “Do you think Niffty would prefer the stuffed spider or the stuffed scorpion?”

“Excuse me?” Husk asked, suddenly wishing he was more sober because he had to have caught a secondhand high when he hugged Angel goodbye as they left.

“The woman displays the most familial behavior to you and that radio demon. Since I do not plan to have my voice added to his broadcast, I require your assistance.” Baxter explained.

“Why the hell do you need my opinion? You just sent Niffty off to aisle 2 tracking down imaginary imps! You could’ve asked her yourself!”

Baxter rolled his eyes, “That would ruin the point of the surprise you dunce.”

“And you are trying to surprise her with children’s toys?” Husk asked, the annoyance flowing from his voice in contrast to its usual drip.

The fishy little man was definitely showing his form as he looked down checking the seams on the spider. "I wanted to ask her to accompany me during Charlie’s party. She doesn't seem like the kind to like flowers. I have observed her with bugs and other creepy crawlies however and she seems fixated on them."

Husk stopped and judged the pathetic scientist. Poor dude was going to get himself stabbed.

"The scorpion."

"You are sure Husk?” Baxter suddenly seemed hesitant to accept the help he was pleading for, “I wish they just had a roach. I know she likes those." Baxter said sorting through the bin.

"Women like her, like venom. And ya know scorpions got that stinger thing. Little shits like to stab people. Just like Niffty." Husk paused after his warning, "Trust me."

He was back to feeling too sober. Advising an adult about what teddy bug to buy for another adult added to the headache sobriety was bringing on.

Baxter quickly shoved the scorpion into his pocket as Niffty came back, the cart now full of candy corn décor as well as her 40 pounds of actual candy corn. Husk was going to have to take charge and grab the actual stuff from Charlie’s list.

Husk’s arms were on the verge of falling off by the time all the candy, drinks, food, and décor were inside the hotel. He grabbed a bottle of cheap booze that he was horrified to learn was pumpkin spice flavored after he already committed to a chair in the living room.

"Hey, Whiskers!" Angel Dusk said strolling in and perching himself on the arm of the chair Husk was already melting into. “How was your trip to the store?”

Husk chuckled a little. Sore and annoyed but still laughing at the fishy idiot. “Baxter has a crush on Niffty. He has no idea what he’s getting himself into.”

“I know that already,” Angel said, fidgeting with the bag Husk had failed to see in his hands before now. “He told me a couple of weeks ago.” He gave a nervous laugh.

“What is it Legs?”

“I’ve been trying to help out as his wingman and he keeps trying to ask her out and,” the sinner was shaking his head, “she just doesn’t hear him.”

“Yeah she tends to ignore people a lot-”

“No whiskers I mean, he keeps trying the dumbest things to get her attention, and she just doesn’t get it. He tried inviting her on a walk the other day and she responded that she was already walking and just went ‘see?’ and walked out of the room.”

“Today he bought her a stuffed animal to use as a bribe for her to be his date to the hotel’s Halloween party.” Husk took his turn to shake his head at Baxter. “Like I don’t even know how a normal person would react to that, let alone Niffty.”

“Yeah... that might not go well.” The bag Angel had been fidgeting with ripped and the contents fell on Husk’s lap. Angel attempted to recover the item but Husk was faster.

He looked at the stuffed orange cat wearing a little white ghost costume. Its little ears and nose poked out from underneath. And the belly of it had a little pun that read,

‘You look BOO-tiful today!’ in black factory print with ‘Husk’ written underneath in red marker.

“Hey Husk listen it was stupid, I just saw it when I was out with Cherri and thought ‘Hey! Husk is a cat, well kind-’” The rumble of purrs drowned out the end of his rambles.

Husk was certain of two things.

1. Baxter was going to get the Jack-o-lantern treatment from Niffty.

Baxter had the Bunsen burner going for an hour at this point. The tripod had been holding up the oversized beaker so long he almost forgot they were separate pieces of equipment. The condensed milk was taking forever to cook. He had thought it would only take a couple of minutes then they could start their plan but the last forty minutes had proved otherwise.

Niffty was scuttering about his office getting every roach and spider she could find. There weren’t many. He kept his space clean. Niffty said it made him a bad boy. She said it in a different tone than she usually did. Less obsessive, more collected. She clung to him a little less and watched him from a distance a bit more. He still noticed. Especially when she would clean his lab while he worked.

Niffty would always ask him what he was doing. The day he was attempting to make a new type of acid designed to dissolve iron and harm no other metals. He made an error and instead just made a cleaning additive for removing blood stains. Niffty was amazed. Baxter ‘messed up’ a few more batches before putting the project on hold.

Until she ran out again. He helped her by making a couple of batches every time she ran out.

Then Niffty started reading his chalkboard and getting the materials he needed for experiments while out collecting groceries. He never even asked. She just saw his To Order list and did it.

This little symbiotic relationship worked well. It was just that. They restocked each other’s cupboards and shelves.

Last week something happened. Baxter had just received his new beakers large enough to boil a large enough batch of Niffty’s Blood Stain Removal Serum for him to only need to make one a week when he asked him if he had ever had a caramel apple. He had not. His parents were dentists and he was deprived of a lot of sweets earth side. He didn’t even seek them out down here. He saw them as pointless. He told Niffty just that and assumed it would be the end.

Niffty picked up a beaker and pulled out an apple from her pocket. With a small thud, she dropped it in. There was just enough space to shake it around an inch or two.

“You could make caramel apples in these beakers or even turn thirty bugs to paint!” Niffty said in that tone that once made Baxter’s skin crawl but now paints a smile on his face.

Baxter was so lost in thought he hadn’t noticed Niffty sitting back on her stool at first. They were both watching the now-finished caramel.

“Niffty, did you prepare the specimens?” Baxter joked looking at the apples that Niffty had insisted she get the responsibility of stabbing with their wooden stakes to the heart.

“Time to drown them!” Niffty declared dunking the first victim. The burning hot goop dripped on the lab table on the way back to the tray. Baxter watched as the neat freak made one of the biggest messes his lab had seen in a long time. He laughed as she pulled out her last, barely dressed apple.

“For Vaggie!” Niffty declared.

“Why is that one for Vaggie?” Baxter inquired.

“She is messy.”

Baxter looked at the table and laughed. Sticking his finger into the cooling caramel on the desk and leaving a clear fingerprint.

Baxter laughed and countered, “And you are not?”

“I am not messy,” Niffty said scooping some of the caramel into her hands forming the pliable mess into a ball, and throwing it towards Baxter who ducked right as the door behind him opened.

Charlie sat in the yard with a few dozen pumpkins, waiting for everyone else to show up and help carve the pumpkins. Each ticking moment was agonizing as she slowly came to terms with the fact it was just going to be her and Vaggie carving all of them.

Even then, she was still going to have to wait since Vaggie was helping Husk with something. Charlie couldn’t remember. Charlie picked up the first pumpkin and started cutting off the top to begin the prepping process.

“Charlie, why are you cutting vegetables outside?” Niffty said appearing out of nowhere.

“For the jack-o-lanterns?” She was certain she explained this in the meeting this morning but it would not be the first time she forgot to check if Niffty was there before starting.

Niffty looked at her with her big ol’ eye, “What’s that.”

“You don’t know what jack-o-lanterns are? Humans like you invented them! You never made them as a kid?”

Niffty ignored her and started cleaning off the pumpkins. “These don’t look very good. They are so messy.”

“Just wait until we pull out the guts!” Charlie joked pulling out the first clump of seeds and tossing them in a bowl.

Charlie didn’t notice, but Niffty had just fully decided Charlie was cool. Niffty was going to have to work hard to hide this fact. It won’t matter either way. Alastor could sense it miles away and groaned internally. He’s not really relevant though. Pumpkins though? RELEVANT!

Charlie did notice when more pumpkin guts got tossed in her bowl. Looking up she sees Niffty gutting a small pumpkin. She smiles and decides to take this as an opportunity to try and finally get through to Niffty about redemption.

~~2 HOURS LATER~~

All the pumpkins were gutted and cleaned. Pumpkin seeds separated from orange gunk. The prep tools are put away and the decorating tools are out. And Niffty was definitely staying in Hell.

“I love the jack-o-lanterns, Charlie,” Niffty said cradling one, “Where do we hide them?”

“We don’t hide them, we are going to place them for everyone to see them! But we need to decorate them first.” Charlie smiled, “Niffty, listen carefully because you are going to love this part.” Charlie showed Niffty the design guidebooks and how to freehand the art and explained which knives did what.

Niffty looked at all the fun little knives and looked up at Charlie, “You really are a princess.”

Charlie felt like she was going to cry, and so she did for a minute. Once she looked back she saw an orange slush puddle where the example pumpkin once sat.

“I think I stabbed it too much Charlie.” The princess of hell just smiled and said reassured Niffty it was alright and she could try again.

Charlie had barely finished her first pumpkin’s little cat whiskers when she saw that only four pumpkins remained. She sighed and grabbed her next pumpkin. She figured Niffty would burn through the last three before she would finish up her little spider but she was surprised to see all three still there.

She looked over to Niffty and saw her playing with a couple of chunks of pumpkin walls. Whittling away at them. Charlie was getting tired at this point and grabbed another pumpkin and made a regular old big scary smiling face.

Charlie heard the door open and was very happy to see Vaggie walking over to her.

“Sorry I am so late babe,” Vaggie said followed by a yawn.

“It’s okay, Niffty was helping me,” Charlie explained.

Vaggie looked much more awake now, suddenly looking around at the orange coating the yard, “I can see that sweetie,” She kissed Charlie on the cheek, “How did that go?”

“Great.” Charlie started on the second to last pumpkin and Vaggie took last place. They quietly worked on the last two, both making a happy pumpkin. Charlie was in a hurry and finished hers so quickly she forgot to carve out one of the eyes as she rushed to find a nice spot in the yard for it.

Vaggie wondered if Charlie did it on purpose. She looked at the other pumpkins for evidence but knowing Charlie it could be either way. Vaggie kept working on her intentional little goat horns she opted to carve out. She had time. Charlie needed to know someone was helping her on this project.

“Where did Charlie go?” Niffty asked Vaggie.

“She’s putting the Jack-o-lanterns where they are going to go.”

“I wanna pick where mine goes!”

Vaggie was trying to focus so brushed her off a bit, “Yeah, sure, go ahead.”

Niffty ran off with her Jack-o-lantern searching for the perfect place. She circled the building three times before ruling out all options and bolting inside almost knocking over Vaggie and Charlie as they placed Vaggie's next to Charlie’s happy pumpkin.

Niffty ran passed the living room through the kitchen and dining room before seeing it. the perfect place! Right on Husk’s bar.

Angel and Cherri had been sitting at the bar drinking with Husk when Niffty placed her creation right in front of the three of them. Husk and Angel started laughing immediately.

“Niff, you are gonna scare him right out of the fucking hotel if he sees this,” Husk warned, while moving it to a safer spot near the end of the bar.

“Aw, whiskers! Look! This is the most cute thing she has ever done. Like she’s don't some freaky shit for bad boys before-”

Cherri chimed in, “OH, remember when she took fur from that fuck head’s coat?”

“Val? Yeah, that was his wings.” Angel corrected.

“Yeah, well this bitch made a cute little head of an effigy.”

“what's an-” Niffty was cut off.

“What is that?” Baxter asked walking up to the bar. “Is that me?” He couldn’t look away.

“YES! I made a Baxter-lantern!” Niffty pulled him into a hug. He stood transfixed. This was the most stalker thing he had ever seen. No movie, book, true crime, or fictional, on earth or in hell. This was nightmare fuel for monsters. The type of thing people swear they would not wish on their worst enemy.