At that moment, Mr. Randy, fully decked out as Satan, had just finished guiding a group of tourists.
With a theatrical "Mwahahaha!" echoing through the smoke, he reappeared at the entrance.
He cracked his whip with exaggerated flair, lowered his voice to a gravelly growl, and addressed the new arrivals. "Welcome to the 'House of Nightmares.' I am Satan, your guide..."
The perfectly timed background music, combined with Mr. Randy's committed performance, immediately grabbed everyone's attention.
In a way, there was a reason why the "Angel House" next door was a ghost town. Compared to the dry, boring confession setup over there, Mr. Randy's show was obviously way more entertaining.
"Follow me. I will take you to witness the sins of humanity..." Having captured the crowd, Randy kept up the gravelly voice and ushered them into the small theater.
Georgie was right on Veronica's heels, following her toward the "House of Nightmares."
Distracted by her, he didn't notice the obstacle on the ground and nearly face-planted.
Fortunately, Mr. Randy had quick reflexes and caught Georgie just in time. Breaking character for a split second, he offered a warm reminder: "Watch your step, folks. Don't trip over the cables."
Next, under Randy's guidance, the group moved from the "Pride" theater through the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Interesting little skits, accompanied by "Satan's" narration, gradually pulled the audience into the experience.
Of course, Georgie wasn't really paying attention to the show; his eyes were glued to Veronica.
Thanks to his relentless attempts at flirting, he had finally gathered some intel on her. She was from a single-parent home, a student at Medford High, and currently a senior.
Just as Georgie was unilaterally deciding that he and Veronica were getting closer, Mr. Randy led the group to the final unit: Lust.
Randy: "Lust is humanity's most primal impulse. However, excessive lust spreads disease... It can ruin your life..."
Veronica, who had previously been planning to give herself to a stranger just to get revenge on her boyfriend, suddenly snapped out of it as she listened to Randy's speech. A wave of fear washed over her.
Thinking about the disastrous consequences of "lust," the girl was consumed by terror.
Then, to Georgie's shock, Veronica turned around and bolted out of the "House of Nightmares." She followed the signs and ran straight toward the "Angel House."
---
Inside the "Angel House," Mike was surrounded by a swarm of girls. It was so packed that Missy, the actual little angel, had been squeezed out of her spot.
However, let's be real—none of these chattering girls were there to pray or repent.
One look at their faces told you everything: they were strictly there for the eye candy that was Mike.
"Was my event planning a total failure?" Mary asked dejectedly, sitting in front of an empty chair.
The situation inside the "Angel House" was nothing like she had imagined.
Mike, as her "ace," had indeed attracted a crowd, but these weren't the souls Mary wanted to save.
"Just give it a little more time," George said from behind her, trying to be supportive.
But judging by the look on his face, even he didn't have much faith in his wife's confession booth idea.
Just then, a distraught Veronica stumbled into the "Angel House."
You could tell by the look on her face that she desperately needed help.
As the girl approached, Mary, who had been waiting forever for a "customer," straightened her posture and put on a gentle, welcoming smile.
But just as Veronica was about to reach Mary, she caught a glimpse of the handsome Mike standing in the crowd out of the corner of her eye.
Then, under Mary's expectant gaze, Veronica swerved hard and made a beeline for Mike.
"Why is this happening?" Mary's smile froze on her face. She was starting to think that asking Mike to help might not have been such a bright idea after all.
Standing behind her, George had officially run out of ways to comfort his disappointed wife.
On the other side of the room, Veronica pushed through the crowd, threw herself at Mike's feet, and began a tearful confession. "I have sinned... I shouldn't have tried to cheapen myself just because someone else made a mistake..."
Feeling Mike's gentle gaze on her, she continued, "And I shouldn't fight with my family. I know my father only wants what's best for me..."
After listening to the girl pour her heart out, Mike gracefully dodged her attempt to grab his hand. He offered her a holy, serene smile. "God forgives you."
In that moment, Mike seemed to practically glow, leaving the surrounding girls completely mesmerized.
Georgie, who had just rushed to the entrance, arrived just in time to see Veronica looking at Mike with total adoration.
Crack.
That was the sound of a heart breaking.
Georgie knew his date night was dead in the water.
He turned around and walked away, dejected. From that moment on, he stopped believing in God.
Also from that moment on, Georgie joined Sheldon in the ranks of staunch atheists.
"What's wrong with him?" Pastor Jeff asked. He had just arrived at the "Angel House" entrance, dressed in a flamboyant showgirl outfit—likely Carmen Miranda given the fruit—and watched Georgie walk away.
"Never mind. I'll just go give Mary the good news," Jeff shook his head and sashayed into the room.
Pastor Jeff had come specifically from the main fundraising hall to tell Mary that her event was a smash hit and had brought in a ton of donations.
"Mary, we did it! Do you have any idea how much money we raised?" Jeff asked, strutting over to her with a wiggle in his step.
Ever since his second marriage to Robin, the happily married Pastor Jeff had really started to let his freak flag fly.
"No, this event was not a success," Mary said glumly, trying her best to ignore his eye-searing costume.
"Why not?" Jeff didn't get it. He continued happily, "You don't know the numbers we pulled in."
"It's not about the money," Mary said, still bitter that no one had come to confess to her.
"It is about the money! Money allows God to better care for his flock," Jeff argued. He started walking back out, adding, "There are still a lot of believers in the hall waiting for me to entertain them, so I'm off."
Mary watched Jeff's retreating, swaying backside and looked away in disgust.
"Oh, by the way, Mary." Jeff stopped at the door, plucked a grape from the fruit basket on his head, and tossed it to her with a wink. "Here's a reward for your hard work."
"Eww," Mary caught the grape. As soon as Jeff was gone, she immediately tossed it to her husband behind her.
---
Time ticked by. By the time midnight rolled around, Mary hadn't received a single "customer." She was feeling incredibly low.
Mike, on the other hand, had finally managed to persuade the rambling, repenting Veronica to go home, effectively ending his work for the night.
Still wearing his magnificent angel costume, he left the church and headed toward Karen's house.
Rumor had it a surprise was waiting for him there.
Meanwhile, Sheldon was out with Dan and the Billy siblings, knocking on doors.
Unfortunately, not a single person who opened their door recognized who Sheldon was supposed to be. He was deeply disappointed.
"Don't be sad, Sheldon. A lot of people got my costume wrong, too," Dan tried to comfort him.
"It's not the same," Sheldon shook his head seriously. "Your costume is unprofessional. It's normal for people to mistake you for Dumbledore."
True enough, Dan's mish-mash wizard outfit had confused a lot of people.
However, even being mistaken for Dumbledore meant Dan got plenty of treats.
Billy and his sister, whose costumes were easy to guess, had also hauled in a massive amount of candy.
Only Sheldon, whose identity remained a mystery to the neighborhood, was still empty-handed.
"Okay, let's try one last door. Maybe this time they'll recognize you," the kind-hearted Dan said, encouraging him.
"I suppose," Sheldon nodded mechanically.
In truth, he had already given up hope of being recognized.
"Trick or treat!!!" x4
The four kids knocked on the door of a secluded house.
A woman in her fifties wearing glasses opened the door. Her eyes lit up when she saw Sheldon. "Are you a little Carl Sagan? You look just like him!"
It was safe to say this lady had definitely done some reading on science.
Hearing her words, a smile slowly spread across Sheldon's face.
He threw his arms up in the air, cheering in the middle of the street as if he had just achieved a monumental victory.
If you're enjoying these stories, consider leaving a comment, review, or vote.
You can also visit the Pat** on at: belamy20
Anime & Comic Fanfiction
Naruto: I Have an Attribute Panel
Naruto: Uzumaki Avenger
Grind is My Ninja Way
HxH: Kurta Survivor
One Piece: Phantom Troupe
MCU: I Am Frieza
Fairy Tail: My Contract System
Fairy Tail: I'm Just a Support
Fairy Tail: You Call Yourself a Dragon Slayer?
Symbiote Boy Daily
Hollywood & Entertainment
Challenging Hollywood
Actor in Hollywood
Hollywood Glamour (Female MC)
Hollywood Legendary Action Star
Hollywood Legend Never Dies
Hollywood Ability Panel
Hollywood: The Roleplayer
Reborn Scumbag: King of Music
Life, Sports, & TV Crossovers
Life: American TV Show
The Viral King of the South Side
American Young Sheldon
Shameless Dexter
NBA: Grind to NBA King
Reborn Russian Tycoon