A few minutes later and Kevin was in the car with his Dad. Dad held the wheel with one hand, his wrist resting on the top in a relaxed gesture.

"We've got to get you a costume for Halloween." He remarked with and easy charm, the car passing under a green light, sky now a purplish hue against orange, the sun setting.

Dad gave Kevin a knowing smile, as if he was saying 'this ought to be fun.' Kevin could see the bright lights of the store up ahead, and the neon sign reading 'L.A. Party Costumes' written in a gaudy font, people amassed out front looking like little black dots of pepper in the distance.

As the car got closer, the little black dots were now throngs of people, running this way and that, last minute Halloween party goers looking to score whatever they needed to go trick or treating or to host a holiday party.

"What do  you think you'll be?" Dad asked Kevin. And then, interrupting Kevin before Kevin could answer. "And remember, after this, ice cream!"

Kevin grins, and says, "Indiana Jones! I found one of Grandpa's old hats when we moved, and I made a whip out of an old extension cord. But I don't have much good for the rest, yet, like a jacket or his gun or even his shirt. Do they have stuff like that there?"

Dad put the car in park, as people all around mulled about in costumes out front of the store.

"Indiana Jones! That sounds like a great.........." Dad froze, his words stopped dead. A twitch had started on the left side of his face. One eye flickered and rolled back into his head, the white of his eye showing.

There was a twitter in Dad's breath. A husky exhale as he stared forward as if he was in a dream.

In front of the car, appearing from the side, was Ralph's Mom. The old woman didn't walk in front of the car as much as glide. She stopped in the center of car and turned towards Kevin and his Dad only two strides or so away.

"It's time John." The Old woman said, voice barely audible amid the throng of masses pushing and running about in their Halloween costumes.
This message was last updated by the player at 13:07, Fri 13 Nov 2020.

"It's time." Dad replied back in a flat, lofty tone, sounding more like a hypnotized automaton than Kevin's Dad. All trace of excitement was gone from Dad's face.

Initially, Kevin just looks confused, but it turns to panic quickly as the single eye rolls up. "Dad!"

Then, Ralph's mom is there. Kevin unbuckles his seat belt so he can reach over to shake his father, "Dad, wake up, she's hypnotizing you or something!"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:19, Sat 14 Nov 2020.

"It's OK son." Dad said in a far off voice like he was hypnotized. He didn't look at Kevin. He was staring through windshield at the old woman, a distant look in his eyes. Kevin could see that his forehead was glistening with sweat.

Outside of the car, shoppers wearing Halloween costumes were running around, oblivious to anything strange going on.

Seeing his father steering head like that, and so obviously hypnotized, Kevin says softly to himself, "She's like that snake in The Jungle Book." He avoids looking directly at her, but unbuckles himself and turns to open the car door, screaming at the top of his lungs, "HELP! I think my dad's having a stroke!"

He doesn't really know what a stroke is, but one time when he was home sick he saw it mentioned in the hospital soap opera his mom watched, and he remembered that it made people act weird. And he figures it would take a lot less explaining to get help from stranger adults for that than hypnosis.