The sky was overcast but the mood in the Goldberg household was bright and warm. All the traditions and rituals were being dutifully followed except for one which was being radically reimagined by the black sheep of the family.

The Lazarus Motel had remained in the family for three generations. While its looks had faded, it was impeccably clean and often full. Sarah Lazarus, the newest full-time manager, had only just turned off the blue NO VACANCY sign when a beat up minivan drove in from the snow.

Ask any kid in town and they’ll tell you McDougall Mansion is the spookiest house in the neighborhood. They’ll also tell you that all its original inhabitants perished mere weeks after moving in, having drowned, allegedly, in a boating accident on the pond bordering the property.

“GO CUBBIES,” the hefty man belted at his TV. Even as the pandemic raged on, Sean insisted on drinking an entire 12-pack during every Cubs game and storming into Sluggers. “This is the Chicago dream,” he thought one night, surveying his 6-bedroom, 10 roommate apartment on Roscoe.

The crew set down their bikes and slowly inched toward the fence, each kid wanting to be furthest behind. Once close enough, what they saw was exactly what they were expecting. Tied to the fence was a doll, the size of a toddler, with a grimacing pumpkin in place of its head.

As he hit ENTER, he closed his eyes. “Hi! How’s it going?” read the Slack message, the first in what Terrance hoped would be a long and beautiful conversation history. Some day they would read these messages back, but for now there was just eye contact at the cold brew keg.

Mildred rolled over in bed just enough to read the digital alarm clock sitting on her nightstand. When she saw how late it was she slowly rolled to her other side and began putting on a fluffy pair of slippers adorned with goat heads. The bed groaned under her significant weight.

Lucy trotted across the wooden floors sniffing and licking every few steps. At last! She saw a pair of sturdy human feet by the kitchen table. She walked up right behind the unknowing feet, and patiently waited for her next adrenaline rush.