history 

This is where Emma and Edward live.

They live in a hotel because….

well…here’s the story.

Long ago, this place was the Underspell Mansion.

The man who built this house was Emma and Edward’s

Great – great - grand...

                                                                …somebody-or-other.

In any event, He was rich. They are not.

That’s why their parents rent out rooms and call it a hotel.

It’s the kind of place that looks very fancy – from a distance.

But up close, the paint is faded, the wallpaper is peeling off

and there’s a nasty mold growing in the basement.

You might think that would keep people away,

but it doesn’t.

During the summer, the hotel is packed with tourists.

They come to visit the ocean tide pools,

annoy the local wildlife

and attend the annual Crumbling Cliff Festival.

During the rest of the year, the hotel is closed, as it is today.

Emma and Edward prefer it this way.

But the Hotel will be open one more time this year, for the

Hotel Underspell’s

Haunted Hotel Party.

Emma and Edward are not looking forward to this.

At all.

The Hotel’s “haunted house” is actually quite FAMOUS.

But it’s NOT famous because it’s so good.

It’s that BAD.

No… really.

Think I’m kidding?

Here’s just an idea of what I’m talking about.

In the lobby, there will be the

“Terrifying Brain Monster”

…which is a bowl of pink yarn.

I mean, really. The only sign that it’s supposed to be a brain is,

well – a small SIGN that says “brain.”

The downstairs bathroom will feature the

“Dreaded Sea Monster”

which is a very old goldfish named Bubbles…

and “the Haunted Hallway” is,

yes -  just a hallway.

(I’ll spare you the picture.)

This Haunted Hotel stuff was dreamed up by Emma and Edward’s parents.

They’re nice people, but a bit nutty.

It all started when Mrs. Underspell began dressing up the family cat for Halloween.

Things only got worse from there.

Poor Edward is dreading, once again, spending Halloween

as the “Ghastly Ghoul”

or worse yet, the “Mysterious Mummy.”

Either way, October 31st will find him wrapped in hotel sheets,

toilet paper or something equally embarrassing.

The only thing worse is Emma’s job.

For the last four Halloweens, Emma has been the “Wild Werewolf Child.”

It involves growling a lot and wearing a horrible costume

made of smelly old throw rugs.

Last year, two small children kicked her and one bit her.

It was slightly better than the year before.

Thank goodness the throw rugs are very padded.

As usual, Mr. Underspell will happily put on a ratty green wig

and play the part of “Madame Medusa: fortune teller to the stars”

I’ll spare you the details.

Mrs. Underspell will have the time of her life.

She’ll take plenty of photos, serve apple cider and hand out every last bit of candy

while the neighborhood kids TP their front yard.

 The Underspell twins have grown to hate Halloween.

A lot.