Halloween Number One

Unfinished story ahead! "Tonight we have to avoid completion of things, like, y'know ..." - Pen Finishing an article? This story is not finished, and due to the creator's schedule, it may need waiting. I suggest to all you readers that you be patient or make a suggestion with this story.

"Halloween Number One" is a new episode of Pencil 2.O, and until recently, there has been neither number nor date associated. In this episode, the family celebrate the first Halloween in the city

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Outside the school auditorium

• Zorah: This is so stupid!
• Yaretzi: No it's not! It's awareness, and I love awareness.
• Helvetia: Yes, it's for a very good cause. That's what they say.
• Zorah: You know what it's about?
• Helvetia: Non.
• Yaretzi: Hey, there's Saye!
• Zorah: With her friends, so don't bother her.
• Yaretzi: Okay.
• Zorah: Yo, Saye, girl, I see you hanging out there!
• Saye: [stepping out of queue] What are you two doing here? I'm with my friends.
• Popsicley: Yeah, she's with us.
• Yaretzi: Do you know what this meeting is for?
• Saye: I don't know. But it's probably going to be boring.
• Boat: [loudly] And if she did know, she sure as day wouldn't tell you!

[Nearly everyone stops speaking and they stare at her.]

• Chocolatey: Oh my tree sap.
• Minola: Have you ever stood up for yourself?
• Boat: No. I don't think I have!
• Shelly: Good for you, power to the people!
• Boat: Suddenly I'm embarrassed.
• Zorah: Ricky, you are, like, shadier than I am. What's this all about?
• Rickoberto: Don't know, my brother hasn't given the deets. I said det—
• Zorah: I know what you said.
• Popsicley: Come on, Saye, I've got seats next to Bdoulayé.
• Chocolatey: You only like him for his giant freezer!
• Saye: Like I said, it's probably going to be boring anyway.

Home

• Saye: The best speech ever!
• Javier: The use of rhetoric in his voice was all too convincing for my taste.
• Pen: Kids, I take it you enjoyed classes, eh?

[A. R. I.]

• Salvador: Pen, something interesting happened in school!
• Pencil: Based on 'ow y' ne'er says stuff like this, it mus' 'a'e been interestin'!
• Saye: Ah, how was your day, Mum?
• Pencil: I did a good thing!
• Citlali: Really, what was it?

[Enter Match, who is focused on her phone.]

• Match: Turn right at, like, 80 centimetres.
• Ximena: Aunt Match!

[A. R. I.]

• Ximena: Your phone's supposed to be speaking to you!
• Pencil: I invited 'er o'er fer tea.
• Match: Hey, kids! You haven't heard? Like, Meeple are having a contest about who can be the first, like, Kenyan voice assistant. And I'm totally, like, auditioning!
• Pencil: I've been 'elpin'e with 'er articulations.
• Sio: Then why doesn't she sound like you?
• Pencil: Er...

[She sits on the couch.]

• Zorah: Good luck with that.
• Javier: Anyway, the guy at the speech was so cool!
• Qalam-Rassas: He told us what to do!
• Citlali: And we listened.
• Pencil: [getting up] Well, wot kind o' speech is so grand as ter 'a'e th' 'ole school brainwashed?
• Saye: Ladies, gentleman... The day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, we shall have our first Nairobi Halloween!

[The children all howl like they're observing the moon.]

• Pencil: Wot? A Nairobi 'Alloween? Thet's when we decorate minimally an' tell the local kids we h'ain' 'ome! Wot's to make o'er this?
• Zorah: Well, Mum, you might be the problem.
• Javier: Yes, when you go to the North American neighbourhoods, they take it seriously.
• Pencil: I'm sorry, but we h'ain' from North America.

[Match and Pen clear their throats, attracting Pencil's attention.]

• Pencil: Oh, sorry, fergot me geography fer a moment.
• Qalam-Rassas: Come on, Mummy!
• Pencil: Fine, alright. We can celebrate 'Alloween if y'wants to. 'Ow d'ye people o' Canada do'e? D'ye decorate an' do little costumes?
• Pen: Oh yeah.
• Match: Times, like, a brazillion. Like that guy I'm, like, seeing right now. Oh João...
• Sio: I think Halloween at our house is a great idea! The speech guy says it all.
• Saye: Yeah, you remember what he said at the end of the speech!
• Qalam-Rassas: "Stay here; it's not home time."
• Saye: He said, "Go forth and shop for costumes." That means all the stores will be crowded!
• Citlali: And we'll be shopping with everyone else, where people will be looking at me and I can finally make it famous in a Hollywood film, oh, please can we go?
• Match: We can wait another day. Like, like tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 30

Parti's Party Store

• Match: Hey there, gorgeous.
• Pencil: Oh, stop thet!
• Match: Eh.
• Pencil: So, this shop wasn' 'ere yesterday, innit?
• Ximena: No, it's very new.
• Cil: Goo!

• Citlali: No, Cil, she meant "goo"—I mean, "new".
• Pencil: I taste suspicion 'ere.
• Pen: Oh, Penc, lighten up. I did some research and Halloween is a thing in Britain.
• Ximena: Grandpa would be proud.
• Pencil: Not exactly. 'E's too busy rantin' about 'ow 'Alloween's made fer the devils.
• Salvador: That's a good costume idea!

[Meanwhile, with the kids.]

• Saye: Nurse, nurse, suggestive nurse, suggestive nurse, suggestive nurse. Aunt Match, why the heck are there so many of these?
• Match: Because, y'know, like, if you find a costume, you got to make sure everyone will think it's pretty. Do you have to be a nurse, like, anyway?
• Saye: No, but all of my friends are going as nurses. We're going to be the hospital alliance. The Hospitalliance!
• Match: Omg, like, peer pressure, girl! Just like the good old days.
• Yaretzi: Who should I be?
• Zorah: How about I be an angel and you be a devil?
• Salvador: That one's taken.
• Yaretzi: How about we go as each other? We are the only twins of the same gender.
• Zorah: Yeah, I can learn to act happy and dumb.
• Citlali: The shades, the tiara... It's perfect! I'll go as me times a hundred!
• Javier: Why exactly am I the mad scientist?
• Qalam-Rassas: You wouldn't want to be a football player.
• Sio: Or Beatnik.
• Javier: Now I'm just mad.

[Enter Pencil.]

• Pencil: 'Ow're me costume-seekin' kids doin' so far?
• Sio: Great!
• Yaretzi: We've all picked out our costumes!
• Salvador: Except Mona.
• Pencil: MONA!

[Enter Ximena. She is shining very brightly.]

• Ximena: Here I am!
• Pencil: Oi, turn thet thing off! I think you're drainin' the power o' th' entire store.
• Ximena: Sorry!

[She turns the lights off.]

• Ximena: This is my Christmas tree costume. If we're going to be trick-or-treating, we're going to need a lot of light.
• Pencil: Mona's right. To the cashier!

Outside

• Pencil: Thet was fun!
• Pen: You should have seen the look on his face when you said we were all in the same family.
• Salvador: We know.
• Zorah: Mum made us smile.
• Citlali: Weren't we awkward?
• Pencil: Come on, let's go to the decorations store next!
• Saye: You go on, we're going home with Dad.
• Qalam-Rassas: I'm tired!
• Match: 'Kay, meet you back home!
• Pencil: Not with the way we shop, eh?
• Match: Ha!

[The two groups walk in different directions.]

Thursday, October 31

Morning

• Sio: Good morning!
• Javier: There's my cliché parents!
• Saye: Why aren't you wearing your Halloween costumes?
• Pencil: I don't know, why h'ain'ee wearin' yours?
• Saye: Because we don't wear our costumes until it's night!

[Enter Yaretzi and Zorah, dressed as each other.]

• Yaretzi: I'm Zorah! I cackle and make potions in my room!
• Zorah: I'm Issie. I am always happy for some reason.
• Pencil: Oh, ain' the twins so h'adorable? Besides the potions comment.
• Pen: Why so early, girls?
• Citlali: Dad, you can't just insult their sense of fashion. And anyway, they didn't even get their voices, like, right.
• Yaretzi: We're having a contest.
• Zorah: The first one to take away this dumb, I mean, a-ma-zing costume has to give half of her candy to the other.
• Pencil: Thet's very cute.
• Javier: You know, Mum, grown-ups have to have a costume too.
• Pencil: Wot? 'O told you thet? The speech man?
• Sio: How did you know?
• Ximena: It looks like you'd better go to the Parti Party Store and pick something out!
• Pencil: Oh, alright. Pen, you're goin' with me.
• Pen: Why?
• Pencil: Wan' me to pick somethin' fer'ee, acos I've got somethin' in me mind.

[She raises her eyebrows up and down.]

• Pen: On second thought, I'll go!
• Pencil: Shall we?
• Pen: Saye, you're in charge!
• Pencil: [going] 'Ello, Match.
• Pen: [to Saye] Never mind!
• Match: Kids!
• Kids: Aunt Match!
• Ximena: You're here early!
• Match: Like, totally.
• Salvador: Did something bad happen to Uncle Eraser?
• Match: No, he's just visiting Bafuworld for the day.
• Javier: No way! That's the biggest WC in the EAC!
• Match: He should be back, so I can, like, give him his Halloween costume.
• Yaretzi: Give?
• Match: Well, Zorah, every year, like, your uncle went as the same exact thing. A paper bag.
• All: A paper bag?
• Sio: Why?
• Match: Like, symbolism or some junk. Omg, we're going to have the best night ever together! Especially me and my, like, fellow nurse.
• Saye: Aunt Match, I've already changed my mind. We are now going as the beautiful non-dead.
• Zorah: It's undead, I know some of them!
• Yaretzi: Yaretzi wouldn't know stuff like that.
• Zorah: Oh, poo.
• Match: So, like, where are your mum and dad going?
• Saye: Halloween shopping!
• Salvador: They forgot old people need to dress up.
• Match: Omg, those old people.
• Citlali: Aunt Match, you're, like, like our mum's age!
• Match: At least I remembered to dress up. So, what do you, like, want to do?
• Qalam-Rassas: Video games?
• Salvador: I'm down!
• Javier: As long as it's educational; we're missing school today!

[The boys hurry downstairs.]

• Yaretzi: I want to watch the Good News channel.
• Zorah: No I wouldn't! Unless you're really me.
• Yaretzi: I mean, I'll go outside and throw rocks.

[Exeunt.]

• Saye: And I'll be on the phone.
• Citlali: I'll be listening in.

[Exeunt.]

• Match: Well, Mona, it looks like it's just you and me.

[Beat.]

• Ximena: Hooray!
• Match: Looking forward to your costume?
• Ximena: No. I hate it.
• Match: Omg, like, why? Christmas trees are so in... I think.
• Ximena: But it's not me. I just chose it because I didn't want to feel left out.
• Match: The fear of that, eh? Don't worry. I'll make you a costume that will, like, totally make your brothers and sisters jealous.
• Ximena: Aw, thank you!
• Match: No worries. So let's get started on this thing!

Afternoon

• Match: Omg, Mona, thanks for bonding with me!
• Ximena: What?
• Match: Presenting... your new costume!

[She shows... something.]

• Ximena: Yay, thank you!
• Citlali: What is it?
• Match: She's a Viking... [dreamily] whose male versions were part of, like, the hottest pillaging team ever.
• Zorah: Aunt Match, shame on you!
• Salvador: There are children here!
• Cil: Goo!
• Sio: Hey, it's Cil!
• Match: Oh yeah. What's he going to be?
• Javier: Mother heeded his request, so he's going to be a—
• Cil: Ghoul!

[Enter Pencil and Pen.]

• Pencil: 'Ello, 'ello, 'ello, 'ow're me kids doin' today?
• Match: There you are! These kids have been, like, avoiding me all day.
• Saye: Aunt Match!
• Pencil: Oi, why do thet?
• Match: It's okay, Mona and I were working on her, like, costume.
• Ximena: I look great!
• Pencil: Nice unicorn-astronaut thing, Match.
• Pen: That's what it was? I thought it was the spirit of the 1960s.
• Saye: So Mum, Dad, what are your costumes?
• Pencil: I'm goin' as a witch!
• Match: Omg, is it a suggestive witch?
• Pencil: Why'n'ale's e'erythin' t'ee's suggestive? It's normal, I swear!
• Pen: Yeah, because most witch dresses are three sizes too small.
• Match: Alright, then, like, what's on yo, bro?
• Pen: What's tall and thin...
• Salvador: You?
• Pen: And wears a suit...
• Saye: You when you sing opera?
• Pen: And has white skin?
• Javier: Privilege?
• Pen: You really don't recognise this?

[He pulls out a Slender Man costume, here known as Blender Man. The kids gasp.]

• Zorah: You're Bl—Bl—Bl—
• Yaretzi: Blender Man!
• Zorah: His followers don't finish his name.
• Yaretzi: I mean, Bl—Bl—Bl—
• Pencil: It's nice, innit? I chose'e fer'e.
• Zorah: Except you didn't get the face right.
• Javier: Studies have shown that Blender Man is faceless.
• Pen: Come on, why would anybody want to cover this?
• Pencil: Well, we've got the costumes. Wot more shall we do h'ere it's time?
• Sio: The guy from the speech told us to stay still until 18:21.
• Pencil: Why?
• Sio: That's the time the sun sets!
• Pen: Sounds promising. Penc, want to help me get the candy ready?
• Citlali: What candy?
• Pen: This!

[He opens a counter that is full of candy.]

• Salvador: You had this without us noticing?
• Pencil: Thet's where Match an' I were yesterday! Not only've we got candy, but we've chocolates, fruit bars, all o' the foods you could get away with eatin' jus' fer today.
• Sio: May we eat them now?
• Pencil: Wot, no! You're all goin' off fer th'Alloween! [to Pen] 'Ow's thet?
• Pen: Most people don't say "the Halloween". [to the kids] Your mum's right, the amount of candy we give should be equal to the amount of candy you get!
• Salvador: What is this, maths?
• Javier: Oh, I hope!
• Pencil: Now geh'n' get yer costumes fer the time's almos' 'ere!

[Exeunt. A few minutes later, there is everybody in their costumes.]

• Match: [inspecting] Nice, nice, nice, like, cool, nice, like, like... Saye, oh my, like, woodsicles, what is that?
• Saye: I told you, it's the non-dead.
• Zorah: Un-dead!
• Yaretzi: Yes, the un-dead!
• Match: It looks nice for you.
• Saye: Aw, thanks!
• Match: Now what do you say we get the show on the road!
• Qalam-Rassas: Can Mum and Dad come with us?
• Pen: We'd love to—
• Pencil: But we're busy 'andin' out the sweets ter all o' yer friends.
• Match: Onward... march!

[Exeunt. Pencil sees Pen biting into a chocolate bar.]

• Pencil: Pen, you're not supposed ter eat the sweets!
• Pen: I can't help it! We'd better get some guests in right away.

[There is a knock on the door.]

• Pencil: I'll get'ee!

[She looks through the door and sees their neighbour Helena outside.]

• Pencil: Omg, it's 'Elena.
• Pen: Does she want anything?
• Pencil: E'ery year she h'asks me to go to church with'e fer All Saints' Day.
• Pen: We've lived here for two years, why hasn't she come when I'm around?
• Pencil: Acos las' year we spent 'Alloween in thet 'aunted 'ouse an' the year before you were at the pub!
• Pen: That explains it.
• Pencil: Open the door whils' I hide!
• Pen: Okay.

[She opens the door.]

• Pen: Helena! [pronounced improperly] Habari za mchana!
• Helena: Good evening, Mr. Schreiber, habari za familia?
• Pen: Er...
• Helena: Je, mke wako nyumbani?
• Pen: [agitated] Oh, she's here!
• Pencil: Dude!

[The door opens, revealing Pencil dressed as a witch. Helena screams.]

• Pencil: Oh dear, hii sio jinsi inavyoonekana!
• Helena: Mimi niende sasa, siwezi kuwa mbele ya mchawi!
• Pencil: Wait, please!
• Helena: Nitawaombea.

[Exit Helena.]

• Pencil: Now you see why me dad ne'er celebrated 'Alloween, eh?
• Pen: I've suddenly lost my appetite for sweets.

[She elbows him playfully.]

Outside

• Citlali: Saye, what time is it?
• Saye: My phone says... my friends are getting closer.
• Citlali: That didn't have anything to do with—

[Yaretzi screams.]

• Match: Nice Halloween spirit, whoever you are!
• Yaretzi: Oh no, my horoscope!
• Zorah: [scoffs] Uh, Zorah wouldn't scream about her horoscope.
• Yaretzi: I mean... hoo, ho, bro, this horoscope of mine.
• Javier: [reading off] "Today is the day of the Flicker-o'-Sky."
• Yaretzi: Which means, it should be nighttime in—

[Immediately, the sky switches from day to night.]

• Zorah: Zero seconds, yay!
• Salvador: Can you stop being positive?
• Zorah: You want to be included in this bet, O demon?
• Salvador: No.
• Zorah: Then shut up—I mean, please do be quiet for my selfish needs, hooray!
• Match: Easy there, Martha and Megan.
• Javier: It's dark outside; I'm getting the heebie-jeebies!
• Salvador: That's racist!
• Match: It's, like, a bit dark.

[One by one, the houses on the neighbourhood light up with decorations.]

• Citlali: Wow. This is lovely!
• Sio: I've never seen Nairobi like this since last Christmas.
• Saye: I could stay here forever!

[Phone alert sound.]

• Saye: Omg, they're here. Gotta go!
• Citlali: [going with her] So do I!
• Saye: What?
• Match: Stay safe! [to the others] Alright, it looks like it's just the one, two, three, four... seven of us. Remember that, like, number, eh?
• Javier: This will be fun.
• Match: When I say "se-", you say "-ven!" Se!

[Silence.]

• Match: Se!

[Silence.]

• Match: Omg, like, no fun!