“But when you do have teeth it’ll be really important to keep them clean, as you won’t be getting any more if those fall out,” Zack said, wondering for the fifty-fourth time how the hell he’d been suckered into taking his friend’s kids trick or treating to Sunrise.
The zombie frowned. “But Mr McNeild had other teeth. He chased us with them.”
Zack nodded, debating what on earth he could say. Mr McNeild had indeed chased them with his set of false teeth and made a few odd growling noises before bursting into a maniacal laugh. The two boys had been scared enough to run, but Sadie Grace had simply stood there and stared, her normally huge eyes more enormous than usual thanks to the make-up that the mother of one of their friends had applied.
“Mr McNeild had to have all of his teeth taken out because he ate too many sweets when he was a kid. He has to wear those false ones for eating,” Zack said.
“Would they be sharp enough to eat one of us?” the ghost asked. “He said—”
“He was being silly,” Zack interrupted, not sure that Mr McNeild had actually been being silly. The expression on his face had been pretty serious. “He was playing a Halloween trick on you.”
Sadie Grace looked into her bag of sweets, chocolate and a toothbrush and then eyed him woefully. “It was more fun when we trick or treated last year.”
“Yeah, Sadie’s right. I mean, I like scaring the people here but the old house was way more creepy.” The ghost giggled.
“It was like a proper haunted house.” The zombie’s arms waved around. “Especially when we went in the cellars. Who lives there now, Uncle Zack?”
“A lady who’s turning it into a hotel.” Zack checked that the collar of his cape was still upright. He actually liked dressing up for Halloween, had done since he was a kid and it was him, Alex, Jake and Scott who were trick or treating around Severton. Last year his rather muscular skeleton had managed to entice a busty daemon back to his place. Just a little bit different from when he was a teenager.
“Can we go and scare her then? And the people staying there?” Sadie Grace said, widening her eyes as much as possible to gain maximum persuasion power.
Zack shook his head. “I don’t think there are any guests yet. The hotel’s not ready for them.” This was despite its owner having stolen pretty much all his builders. He was still stumped on what he was going to do for Christmas Day.
Christmas Day had always been a big thing at Sunrise. Even before Zack had taken over as manager, there had always been a huge event on Christmas Day. Some residents would go home with relatives for dinner or even for a couple of days; others would have relatives visit them and they might even have Christmas lunch there. Then there were those who had no one local enough, or even no one at all, and the staff at Sunrise were their family instead.
The old ballroom at the manor would be decorated in Christmas evergreens and decorations, with large firs and presents below the trees. A few days beforehand, there would be a party for the local primary school children which the residents either loved or stayed well away from—Mr McNeild had never been seen near a child through choice. Then on Christmas Eve there would be a meal, encompassing as many traditions as they could from sweets in shoes to the exchanging of books. On Christmas Day there would be organised chaos from opening presents with residents whose brains told them they were still children, to those who started on the eggnog before breakfast.
This year, that central room wasn’t going to be there and short of knocking down a wall between the two function rooms in one of the town pubs and adding an extension, Sunrise’s traditions were going to have to change.
Sadie Grace’s wide eyes shone up at his, her little mouth pouting. Her costume would’ve been a damn sight better as a devil, and then she wouldn’t have needed to conceal the horns and tail her teacher and dad were adamant she had.
“We have to walk,” Zack said. The chances were Sorrell would be in the hotel on her own and although he had no intention of really scaring her in ways he knew he could, the idea of maybe surprising her slightly was appealing. Hell, the idea of completely terrorising her was even better, but without the influence of any alcohol, he did have some sense.
Jake had torn him a new one after their visit to see the builder-thief the week before. Apparently all was fair in business and Zack should’ve had a few more manners and maybe negotiating skills, but Zack wasn’t a business man. He left the procurement side to his finance manager and kept himself busy with actual people, making the lives of his residents more comfortable and happier and ensuring his staff team had the same ethos.
“I can walk, Zacky,” Sadie Grace said and slipped her hand in to his.
Zackyfelt sticky fingers grasp his. “We go to the old house, trick or treat the lady and then we’re heading back to the village. You all good with that? No trying to persuade me to stop off anywhere else?”
“Dad said you might stop at the scout hut and pick up Kale and Letty,” the ghost said.
“Did he now?” Zack eyed the boy. He knew that had not been mentioned. Kale and Letty—real name Lettuce but no one but her parents were ever going to call her that—were daemon children even without it being Halloween. Kale was also one of Charlie the ghost’s best friends.
“Well, he said you might think about it…”
“Not happening, Charlie. It was trick or treating here and then home. Mrs Morris is babysitting you while your dad and I go out for some non-children respite.” Charlie, Sadie Grace and Harry had lost their mother after Sadie was born. Grace had been her name and initially their father, Jonny, had wanted to just call his baby girl that. After a few days, he’d opted to stick with Sadie, the name he and his wife had chosen together, and use Grace as her middle name, but the kid had ended up being called both most of the time. Especially when she was in trouble. Which was most of the time.
“I hate Mrs Morris,” Charlie grumbled. “She shouts at us if we get out of bed.”
“Which is what she should do and means she’s a very good babysitter, looking after you heathens.” Zack spotted the night shift manager, a lady called Helen who was one of his best members of staff as long as she just did night shifts. “We’re off. If anything happens, call me.”
“It won’t so I won’t. There’s nothing I haven’t handled before. Including ghosts, skeletons and zombies.” Helen rustled round in her pockets and pulled out three bars of chocolate. “Here’s a treat for the journey back.”
Three eager hands clamoured before her.
“Make sure you brush your teeth twice before you go to bed,” Helen added, ignoring the glares and Sadie Grace’s slight stomp of a foot.
Zack rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Like they need more sugar. Come on, munchkins.”
