Halloween

Every year, we celebrate Halloween in office. But unlike other offices which throw a grand party in which people where costumes and have a blast, we, at Marley Management celebrate it with a difference.

"Hey JD. What are your plans for Halloween." asked Pete as we jumped into the elevator.

"I don’t know Pete. It is a surprise." I said calmly without showing agitation. In our Halloween, we don't celebrate "just party", but by a competition. The rule is very simple, scare any person the most and the victim will get "Most coward Award." And if you manage to scare most people in 5 days, will get "The Scariest Award." There is one more award, "The Greatest Trickster Award", given to one who played the ultimate scariest trick of all. The reason why competition last 5 days, is because earlier we used to celebrate it on one day and everybody becomes alert. Thereby not many winners were there. Hence, the competition is now spread 5 days of Halloween week.


Day 1

Suddenly, out of blue, the elevator stopped with a jerk and the lights went off. The backup light was brought back on.

"Humm, looks like a power failure." I said calmly to Pete.

"Yes. Most certain it is...... righttttt JJJJDDD." Pete by now has lost his nerve. This is something which I always knew. Pete is scared when such things happen. Be it a roller coaster ride last year, when it stopped at bottom of the ramp.

"AHHHHHH.......... AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH..... AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH"

"Pete. Pull yourself together." said Tina, who was sitting behind Pete, during the ride.

"Yea, we are AT THE BOTTOM of the ramp. Why are you screaming?" I said out loud trying to suppress Pete voice while sitting next to Tina.

"SO WHAT!!! THE RIDE IS STILL STOPPED........AAAHHHH HELP ME.... HELP ME..." Pete was crying like a baby by now. Alexia, Pete's wife was sitting calmly next to him all the time.

"Alexia, why don’t you do something?" I asked her. "You are kidding? This is more funny part of the ride. Watching my hubby cry all over like a baby. He He He He." Finally, the ride began back and Pete calmed down. Alexia was smiling all the time during the ride.

I was waiting for the bubble to bust soon in the elevator. It wasn’t for long, just took a minute and....

"AHHHHH HELP ME... HELLOOOO... ANYBODY THERE..... HELPPPP." Pete's bubble had bust.

After a good long 4 minutes. My cell phone rang. "JD, are we done yet?" It was Tina's voice. "1 more minute Tina and then you can switch power back on." I said with an evil smile. It was Tina and my plan to scare Pete on the very 1st day of competition. Last year, Pete won the "Most Scariest Award" and "The Greatest Trickster Award." So, this time, it was a payback time.

Ding...

The elevator landed on our floor. Pete by now was like a crying baby and Tina and I were smiling. But we both knew Pete would not give up so easily. We just needed to be alert all the time.

In afternoon when after lunch, everybody was half asleep at work.

"YIKESS! WHAT IS THIS!", the boss came out of his office shouting. He was holding a plastic roach. "The one who tried to play it is very immature. A plastic roach. Ha Ha Ha. You cannot play prank on me so easily. This one will not count for I did not get scared at all." said boss laughing like a devil.

"Sir, it is not a plastic one. It’s a real one." said Tom.

"AHHHHHH.... SOMEBODY GET HIM HELL AWAY FROM ME..." the boss by now had started dancing holding away the roach as far as he could. Soon, his grip got loose and the roach fell on floor, seeing this, boss ran back into his office and started screaming from there to get the roach away from there. Good thing for us, his office is sound proof. We all gathered around his office watching his dance as he still continued in his office.

"I wonder who did it to him." whispered Tina.

"Who ever did it, sure loved our boss sooo much." said Pete.

Among all who were surprised and trying to hide our smile. There was 1 face having a grin smile. As he proudly went up to the score chat placed in our conference room and added his score. "That’s one for Tom."

The chief accountant had finally even his score with the boss; which could make it as "The Greatest Trickster Award".

Stay tune for Day 2 ...to be finished in 1 week.

JD.