Lucus fell fast asleep... Thinking... He dreamt about the blurry faces and eventually they came in to focus. He remembered the face talking to Bobby's mother and lots of other people that were in the room at the Halloween party too. He smiled to himself in his dreams. He was remembering happier times. Slowly he opened his eyes, and he found he was smiling. But something was wrong.
He could hear noises outside his door and beeping, like from trucks. Suddenly the floor shook and the roof started crumbling around him. "It's an earthquake," he yelled and ran towards the door. He knew the old house couldn't hold up to an earthquake. He flung open the door and fell back on his tush with fright. Standing right in front of him was... THE GRIM REAPER!!! Black as night, hooded and holding his scythe.
"Lucus Gluuuub.... I come for youuuuuuuuuuuu!"
The Grim Reaper pointed his finger at Lucus. "Me??? I'm not ready to die," Lucus cried.
"Lucus Gluuuub.... I come for youuuuuuuuuuuu! Your time on earth is done. You have done nothing with your life lately to merrit living any longer. Your time has cooooooooooooooooome!" The Grim Reaper edged closer to Lucus.
"Nooooooo..." Lucus cried. "I can change. I WILL change!"
"It is too late Lucus... Even now they tear down the last bits of your exhistance." He move out of Lucus' view and pointed to a big wrecking ball standing at the ready to finish dimolishing his house. Lucus stood up and walked over to the foreman standing near the ball. He listened as the foreman talked to another man.
"Yeah, Charlie... Lucus Glub used to live here. He died a few years back. I'll be glad to see the old house gone. It was the eyesore of the neighborhood."
"I hear he died alone and is buried on a hill in the town cemetary," said Charlie.
"Yeahh.. They put him up there, alone on that hill. Just like he was in life, alone. Do you know, not even his children came to his funeral? What a worthless man" said the foreman.
"Well... we got work to do. Let's get rid of the ole place," said Charlie.
Lucus watched as the wrecking ball took the last bits of his house down. He looked at the pile of rubble and thought... "That's my life. A pile of rubble."
Suddenly the world around him changed and he was standing on a hill in the town cemetary. Below him was a grave marker with the words...
Here lies Lucus Glub, a mean man.
With a voice that was grouchie, he was grumpy as a man could be.
Lucus Glub was a man, a mean man.
He was old and decrepet and was feared by the people was he!
Gaaaaaad.. even in death that song will haunt him. Now it is written here for everyone to see, for all eternity!
Lucus yelled "NO NOO NOOOOOOOOOOO... It can not be. I don't want to be remembered this way. I will change. Give me one more chance!" His voice echo'd in the air.
The Grim Reaper grew closer. "It is too late Lucus Glub... I come for youuuuuuuuuuuuu!" Lucus screamed and his world when black.
He fell... head first on the floor of his house. The last bits of the fire were just about out. The room had a soft glow. He could hear the clock just striking midnight.
He was alive??? He felt alive. More alive than he had in years. The door of his house was open. In the doorway stood the Grim Reaper. Lucus shuttered!!!
"Lucus Glub... You have been given a second chance. DON'T mess it up." And with that... the door slammed and Lucus was left alone.
Lucus could hardly believe his eyes... He was alive. His house was still here and he could hear voices down the street. The neighbors party was still going on. He quickly washed his sleepy face and running out the door he grabbed the pumpkin on the porch.
He knocked on the neighbors door. The house was loud with music. He had to knock louder for someone to hear him. He did not know what he would say. NO one would believe him if he told the tale of his dreams. Or WERE they dreams? The door opened.
Little Bobby answered the door. He took a step back and yelled "MAAAAA Mmmm. It's Lucus Glub!" The room got quiet, the music stopped and Bobby's mother came to the door. Everyone in the room came to the door too. They were quiet as Lucus spoke...
"I know I have not been invited to the party, and I don't blame you for not inviting me. I have been a terrible neighbor. I want to appologize for freightening the children earlier. I did not mean to scare them. Please accept this pumpkin as a gift. It is all that I have to give." And with that he handed the pumpkin to Bobby's mother and turned to leave.
"Lucus??? Please stay," she said and put out her hand. "I have some neighbors to introduce you to." She smiled. He took her hand and she lead him into the house. He met his neighbors and stayed til the party was over. He had food and punch and smiled and even danced. It was the BEST Halloween.
The next day Lucus mustered up enough courage to call every last one of his children on the phone. They ALL wanted to see him.
That evening Lucus heard a knocking on his door. He was to freightened to answer it. Was it the Grim Reaper back for him? He heard familiar voices call out to him. It was his children. They brought food and decorations. They decorated the house just as his wife had done all those years ago. Funny... with all the decorations and family about... the house didn't seem so dreary anymore.
His sons had brought paint and tools-n-such and promised to come back the next day to start fixing up the old house. Turns out Lucus wasn't hated as much as he THOUGHT he was. People DID love him. And... He loved them too.
To this day no one knows WHAT made Lucus Glub change, and to tell the truth no one really cares. They are just glad he did.
And the children??? Yes.. they still sing about Lucus Glub. The tune is the same, but the words are very different.
"Lucus Glub is a man. Yes a great man.
With a heart that is caring he's as giving as a man be.
Lucus Glub is a man. Yes a great man.
He's kind and he's generous and he's loved by the people is he."
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