This story was previously published on Uncharted Waters on 10/31/2004

A Harry Halloween

By Keri Teach

It had been a long time since Harriman Nelson of the famed Nelson Institute of Marine Research could remember that he'd been home on Halloween much less any other holiday. There had been a short lull in incoming assignments otherwise much like most other holidays he and the crew of the mighty submarine Seaview would be out at sea on a lengthy deployment. Though the admiral preferred to be at sea and away from the office climate of the Institute he had to admit that being home was a nice change of pace.

He had an innate love for children though he had none of his own. He looked forward to being able to hand out goodies, (which his secretary Angie had purchased for him earlier in the week) and see the different costumes worn by the Trick or Treaters. He sat back in his favorite reading chair with a biography on the life of Horatio Hornblower. Reading books, especially biographies, was his favorite form of relaxation.

It was getting dark outside and he could hear the squeals and laughter of approaching children. Just as he was starting to get comfortable the doorbell rang. Harry smiled. He arose from his chair and walked over, opened the door to greet a short human form draped in a white sheet with two holes cut out for eyes and both arms outstretched, small hands holding open a pillow case a third full of assorted candy.

"Trick or treat!" exclaimed the ghostly figure in a much higher pitched voice than Harry was accustomed to hearing. Harry judged by the sound of the youthful voice that it was a small boy concealed under the sheet maybe 5 or 6 years old.

Harry looked out past the small form noticing an adult female shadowy figure that he didn't recognize standing out by the street curb. He figured she must be the child's mother. Looking down at the child standing patiently before him Harry smiled and said, "Well, it looks like you're going to have a pretty good haul little fella."

Just as Harry turned to grab some of the candy from a bowl he had set up just inside the doorway, with his back towards the open door he heard the ghost speak in a "much" deeper and sinister sounding voice say with a devilish snicker, "Trick or treat, Admiral Nelson." Before he could turn around he felt something stinging him in the back of the neck and almost immediately he fell unconscious to the floor.

~*~

Gradually the admiral began to stir. He could feel himself slowly beginning to awake though he could feel a sharp throbbing pain in his head and his vision was so blurred it was impossible to recognize his surroundings. It seemed the more he tried to focus his eyes the worse the pain became. Harry decided perhaps it would be best just to keep his eyes closed and hopefully the pain in his head would subside though not being able to see where he was made him feel very uncomfortable.

Harry began to hear voices. Though he thought there was something familiar about the voices it was just as impossible to focus on a single voice as it was to get his eyes to focus. The voices seemed to echo and bounce off the walls around him to where he couldn't identify how many voices he was hearing. He was becoming painfully aware that apparently someone had drugged him but he had no theory as to who or why.

After some time had passed Harry's vision was beginning to improve and the voices he heard earlier were becoming clearer and more recognizable. The pain seemed to be finally subside in his head. Looking up he was able to recognize the familiar face of his closest friend and Captain of the Seaview, Lee Crane hovering over him and standing next to him was his secretary Angie. Both had expressions on their faces of deep concern.

Harry bolted to an upright sitting position grabbing the back of his neck as the throbbing pain returned with a vengeance. Lee put his hand on the admiral’s arm, telling his friend, "Now take it easy, Admiral."

"I'm alright I tell you! I'm alright!" Harry shouted back in a very cranky tone as he was now rubbing his throbbing head with both hands. Now fully recognizing his surroundings he realized he was home, sitting in his reading chair, a book on the life of Captain Horatio Hornblower lay askew on the floor next to his chair and it was bright daylight outside.

First seeing Angie and then Lee …”What are the two of you doing here?"…”What has happened?” Harry asked in a hushed voice.

Angie responded, "Admiral, you didn't show up for this morning's meeting with the financial backers for next week's mission to the Arctic, and when you didn't answer your phone, well, I got worried and called Lee."

A concerned Lee Crane looked at his friend and asked, "Admiral, are you sure you're OK? Maybe you had too many trick or Treaters last night. I noticed your candy dish is pretty empty.”

Harry looked back at his friend and said, "Really Lee, I'm fine now".

Harry began to remember the goings on from the previous night. The throbbing in his head was finally starting to go away. Harry glanced over at his secretary. "Well Angie, I hope you were able to reschedule the meeting with the financiers."

Angie answered back, "Yes sir, it's been rescheduled for two o'clock this afternoon. It's a quarter to eleven now."

Harry glanced at his watch and said, "Guess I better get washed up, shaved, and change into uniform. Then we all better head over to the office."

As Harry headed down the hall towards the bathroom to grab a quick shower he began to think about his evening at home on Halloween. Was he the victim of some devilish kidnap scheme that somehow failed, or had he only dreamed it happened? The headache and groggy feeling as he awakened earlier felt real enough. Would he share his mystery tale of what happened on Halloween night with his friends? Harry thought, maybe.

Then again... maybe not.

Fin.