TWENTY FIVE & SIX
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510 as the butcher wrestled to get the cleaver free. They left the room and were engulfed in a low mist.
Three beautiful women danced around a bubbling cauldron. One of the pretty witches was gliding back and forth on a swing. She laughed, told them they had been warned and told them not to return. The others laughed, whispered and pointed at the exiting mortals. George became Lisa’ s savior. He smiled at Eddie as he put his arm around her waist. Lisa held him close.
Eddie looked over the sea of black t-shirts with the fluorescent green claw marks down the shoulders. The front and back carried the“ Fear Factory” logo. The sound track ended, announcing everyone was out of the haunted house.“ The monsters inside await your response,” Eddie yelled over the din. A cheer and a round applause arose from the crowd and was answered by a cheer from within. Frank approached with his entourage.“ I hope you don’ t mind me taking these helpful young men out for pizza?” Frank asked. Justin and Ryan were holding the hands of Frank’ s daughters. Eddie nodded his head.“ Do you have your house key?” Eddie asked Justin.“ Yes sir,“ Justin answered. George took Eddie aside.“ You have to let me take you and your dates out to dinner. That was incredible,” he said, loud enough for Sam and Tanya to hear.“ We are starved,” Sam said grabbing Eddie’ s arm.“ We will follow you,” Tanya said, taking his other arm.“ Cool,” Eddie said.
They enjoyed a wonderful meal filled with laughter, good food and drinks. Tanya and Eddie sipped their margaritas. As they got ready to leave Tanya asked Sam for her car keys.“ Are you going to let your husband drive me home?” Sam laughed.“ No. Eddie is driving your car and he is going to follow us,” She said, handing Eddie the keys to the Porsche.“ Girl talk!” Sam exclaimed and wrapped her arm around Tanya as she steadied herself on the walk across the darkening parking lot.
Sam raved about what a success the“ Fear Factory” was going to be on the short drive home. Tanya drove through the gated property and parked.“ You have to see the new pool we installed,” Sam pleaded and took the keys from the ignition. Tanya nodded. Sam took her keys from Eddie, after he parked next to Tanya, to unlock the front door. She led them through the quiet home. The pool was a luminous, color changing paradise surrounded by tropical trees. There was a waterfall at one end and a Jacuzzi at the other.“ How does it do that?” Tanya asked.“ Fiber optics. Isn’ t it cool? I can have the pool green, the Jacuzzi red and the waterfall purple for Christmas,” Sam said.“ It’ s beautiful!” Tanya exclaimed.“ This house didn’ t have a pool?” Tanya asked, looking at the expanse of property. In the dark she could see a lighted private road and a couple of large buildings farther back.“ Old, square and boring. We took it out and had this beautiful one replace it. You two are the first to see the finished project,” Sam said. Eddie was looking at the Jacuzzi. Getting ready for this show had just about killed him.“ Do you want to get in?” she asked.“ I didn’ t bring a swimsuit,” Tanya answered a little disappointed.“ But you have an extra t-shirt and unless you are not wearing underwear, you can just wear your jeans home,” Sam made her case.“ What about Eddie?”