Chapter 1: The Failing Costume Shop
Seth and John sighed as they realized the massive undertaking that they had gotten themselves into. Their brand-new business, a costume and novelty shop called Screams & Laughs, had yet to bring in any substantial profits. Yet, the monthly rent never failed to drain their bank accounts, leaving mere scraps of what was once a stable financial situation.
The bustling city life provided a stark contrast to the comfortable and carefree environment that they were so desperately trying to recreate. The duo hoped that their whimsical storefront would transport customers to an alternate universe—a cluttered, vibrant, and magical space, insulated from the mundane and the everyday.
But the sad truth was that, despite their best efforts, Screams & Laughs remained a mere echo of their wildest dreams. It gnawed at them day and night, the feeling of impending doom, that any day now the hammer would fall and the shop would disappear as quickly as it had emerged And with Halloween quickly approaching, they realized just how important it was to get this latest shipment of costumes in and out to help them stay afloat.
"What exactly did you order for this round?" John asked, hoping to God that their purchase would appeal to their customers and not relegate them to the throes of certain bankruptcy.
Seth's gaze darted to the menacing stack of boxes sitting in the corner of the shop.
"Ah, well, I took a little risk this time around, I must admit." he said with a worried sigh. "I kinda ordered from an unknown vendor that was...super cheap." Seth cringed, realizing that he had potentially laid the groundwork for their imminent failure, like an eager archaeologist accidentally toppling an ancient relic.
John sighed to himself as he decided to open the boxes, now riddled with anticipation and trepidation. As he cut through layer after layer he asked Seth if he had ordered what they needed, like now.
"I hope we get out shipment of Avenger's characters and those Fortnite costumes. I heard the Spirit Halloween Store made a killing last year with those last year!" John added.
Seth's cringed and sunk deeper into his chair as if he was trying to hide his shame and failure as procuring their stock.
Just then, they both heard the sound of a truck backing up outside, followed by the clatter of a large package being unloaded. With his heart thumping, John rushed to the door and flung it open. The delivery driver greeted him with an ear-to-ear grin, as he saw the worry etched on John's face.
"I gotta delivery here for you guys...strange but there really isn't a return on the box!" The driver said with a shrug as he dragged a massive box into the store, heaving and groaning under its weight.
"What exactly is it? John asked in a quizzically tone as he eyed this strange package.
"Hey! Again...I dunno! I just deliver them...just sign here and here buddy!" The delivery driver said as he thrust a clipboard and pen towards John, scribbling his signature automatically before the driver even finished his sentence. "Well you guys have a happy Halloween!" he said with a rough and coughing laugh before hopping back in his truck and disappearing into the evening gloom.
Seth, who had been observing the exchange from his backroom desk, cautiously approached the oversized package. It was about the size of a large mirror or painting, covered in heavy brown paper, and adorned with an absurd amount of stamps and staples. The whole thing seemed-for lack of a better word-antiquated, as if it had been nearly a decade in the making before finally finding its way here.
"What the devil could it be? Seth mused, staring at the box with an increasingly perplexed expression.
With John's assistance, he slowly peeled away the layers of weathered paper, revealing a huge bis screen television that almost seemed to be futuristic and from a manufacturer they had never even heard of. The black surface was so deep and glossy that it looked like a black hole, absorbing the light in the room and emanating its own mysterious aura. The pair exchanged skeptical glances, neither quite sure what to make of this newfound mystery.
"I didn't order any television" Seth admitted with a frown. "Maybe there was some kind of mix-up?"
John shrugged. "Well, there's no point in worrying about it now. Let's move it out to the empty wall in the costume section of the store and hang it up!" John said, ever the optimist, trying to make the best of the situation.
Seth nodded, and together, they carefully maneuvered the bulky television towards its new home. It was actually somewhat easy and almost seemed to want to stick to the wall as if it belonged there. The men stared at it silently for a moment, the sleek presence of the television and how large it looked seemed to amaze them and hold their attention.
"You know, we could show a bunch of movies and stuff up there over the holidays!" Seth said, the sound of his own voice snapping him out of his trance. "Kids these days love to watch movies while their parents are out shopping, maybe we can create a whole Movie Night promotion!"
John grinned, clearly entertained by the idea. "Yeah...that does sound good! Although, we gotta make sure that we have the business to stay open until then!" John said with a laugh that barely concealed his own worries. "But for now, let\s go check out those costumes now." John suggested, with a tone of finality.
Even though the TV seemed to call out to them, the immediate needs of Screams & Laughs billowed up. Seth agreed, and they both busied themselves in their task. As they carefully opened the boxes their hearts sank as they realized that they had only been sent a few types of costumes, and none of them were family friendly. The pulled out various sexy and tiny costumes consisting of something a college girl would wear to piss off her parents.
Tiny thongs, skirts, low cut bras and sexy sweaters and tops filled the boxes from top to bottom. John and Seth exchanged worried glances as they took in the inappropriate costumes that their shop was suddenly bursting with. Who in their right mind would send such clothing to a children's costume shop? They had so far managed to keep their business tied to wholesome family entertainment and the idea of veering towards the provocative now seemed to weigh them down heavily. The struggle to make ends meet suddenly felt all the more real.
"This-this is a disaster, Seth!" John whispered, eyes wide with sheer panic, running his fingers through his dark hair. "There is no way to sell this stuff...I mean the closest college is hours away!"John breathed, trying to suppress his frustration.
Seth's brain was working at hyper speed, already scrambling to devise a backup plan while silently cursing himself for allowing himself to take such a stupid risk on a unknown supplier and vendor. Barely a month into the season, and their shop was already pissed in the corner, clutching its knees and sucking its thumb.
"Maybe we can try getting these costumes sent back and then invest in some of the traditional ones?" Seth asked, his voice betraying a quiver of discomfort. "I mean, sure, this was a bad order, but I don't think it's something that we can't handle."
"Seth....Halloween is only a few days away! I mean...really I should have gotten this done weeks ago but...fuck..."John trailed off, shaking his head before continuing, "We don't have time to send them back and then place another order for the Avengers, Fortnite or other kids costumes! By the time they get here, it'll be too late. Halloween will have already passed us by."
Seth nodded in solemn agreement, his hand absentmindedly wandering towards his chin as he contemplated this grim reality. The potential consequences of their looming catastrophe painted a vivid picture in their minds: mounting debt, bankruptcy, the ever-present fear of failing at the one thing they had dared to hope for. It was more terrifying than any ghost or ghoul that could grace the entrance of Screams & Laughs.
The gravity of the situation was not lost on either of them, and they could both feel it pulling and gnawing at the pit of their stomachs. They were just about to suggest something to each other when the sudden sound of the TV turning on somehow caught their attention. Neither one of them could remember remotely changing the channel or adjusting the volume.
In fact, they realized that they hadn't even plugged it in yet. They rushed out to the front room, their eyes wide with shock as they took in the sight before them. The once blank television now flashed a strange porno graphic film that seemed to involve a pair of gorgeous young women, one a cheerleader and the other a scantily clad college student flirting with multiple studs.
It was completely unexpected and entirely inappropriate for their little store that sold costumes for Halloween to parties of excited children.
"Okay, now this is crossing the line!" John said, his voice trembling with barely contained outrage. "We're just about to get the shop ready for kids to come in and choose their costumes and this is on our TV?"
The two of them scrambled to turn off the mysterious broadcast, but even after unplugging the TV completely, the image still lingered as if etched onto the black surface. Images of bared flesh and provocative poses continued to flicker through their minds, replacing the sobering thoughts of their current plight.
"This-this can't be happening," Seth stammered, visibly shaken and desperately grasping for a logical explanation. "There has to be a natural explanation for it, there has to be!"
Despite his protests, John couldn't help but feel a shiver of unease creeping up his spine. Something about the display wasn't just eerie—it was offbeat, unlike anything he had ever seen before. They stared at the screen, almost as if in a trance, as it continued to flicker and reveal images of the seductive women. Neither could speak now as they watched in hushed awe as these busty, sexy women showed of their incredible sexual talents.
John felt his pants start to grow tight, and beads of sweat began to form at the nape of his neck. It was hard to look away from the screen, even as he knew he ought to. The allure of the women and their displays blocked out all rational thought, replacing it with a desire he couldn't ignore. And next to him, Seth seemed to be just as captivated as he wrung his hands anxiously, his eyes wide as he took in every detail of the scene.
Just then, a massive bright flash enveloped them as if it seemed to almost blind them temporarily. As they slowly regained their vision they gasped again as they saw their entire store was now stocked from head to toe with the sultry and sexy costumed they had just received. There were naughty nurses, sexy bunny girls, horny cops and fire fighters...even a naughty devil costume.
It was impossible—they had just unpacked everything minutes ago, and there was no possible way their store could have every piece laid out and hung up for display. Even their old fun and family friendly novelties had been replaced by dildos, vibrators, edible undies and the like. What was once an innocent haven for all ages was now, at least superficially, a haven for adults who sought self-indulgence and secret pleasures.
They exchanged terrified and astonished glances, frozen in place as they tried to reconcile the scene before them while their minds continued to reel at the unexpected turn of events. Yet they both were dizzy and still incredibly horny from the strange TV they had just watched. In fact, they both noticed that directly in front of them at their feet were a set of clothing covered still in the plastic shrink wrap.
They both picked it up, not even bothering to look at what they had in their hands. They both turned to each other and shook their heads as they wordlessly went back to lock up, turn off any of their electronics before heading to the front door. John closed and locked the door fooled by the safety gate which he also locked and just like that they both went to their cars, no words exchanged with their packages still in their hands.
In fact, if they had stopped to look back for even a few seconds at their store instead of driving away to their respective homes in the cold night air, they would have noticed another change to their store. Instead of the Screams & Laughs sign that once adorned their storefront had been replaced by a sultry neon cursive letter that read "Sultry Delights".