Things that go bump in the night

The thrills and chills of another Halloween in Genoa City! What spells would be cast on some of our favorite zombies? Which black sheep desired to be the lamb to Chelsea's Mary? And Stitch finally revealed that he did not kill his father! Who else figured it out? To learn more, read this week's Two Scoops.

Oh, yes, it is that fabulously fun, fancifully festive, and fantastically frightening time of year again...Halloween! It's time to let all of our imaginations run wild, to feel the thrills and chills given by things that go bump in the night, and to, of course, eat tons and tons of candy. Who doesn't look forward to that every year? People have different ways of celebrating Halloween, whether it be by dressing up and collecting bags full of candy, by dressing up and handing out goodies to goblins and ghosts, by dressing up and going to the neighborhood party or haunted house, or by dressing up and sitting alone in a dark room, watching monster movies. Well, you know, some folks are just strange like that, which would mean that Halloween is right up their alley.

I will admit that I have "costumed-up" myself a time or two in the past. One year, my husband (my boyfriend at the time) and I wrapped ourselves up with gauze bandages -- pinned to our clothes -- and dressed as mummies for a party. His vision was to make ourselves so unrecognizable that none of our friends would know us...and we succeeded! The party was complete with dancing and a prize for the winner of the best costume, and all our friends were there. He had the mummy idea, but I knew it had to be obvious that we were also a couple. I decided to be a cheerleading girl mummy to accomplish that goal. My guy slapped a mop-head on my head for hair, I put on a skirt over the bandages and I had my pom-poms ready to go. I also wore sunglasses so no one could see my eyes, which would have been a dead giveaway to our friends.

After seeing Faith all decked out in her grandmother Niki's rhinestone tiara, I tried to remember if I had worn a tiara on top of my gorgeous mop-hair...but I don't think so. Anyway, we went to the party, and sure enough, no one knew it was me because I made sure to change my style of dance and everything else that I would normally do. Unfortunately, while I was dancing, a good friend of mine accidentally stepped on my bandaged shoe, and I started to unravel. It was pretty funny really. I was dancing and unraveling at the same time. Needless to say, we didn't win the contest. Not long after that, I saw the video of the song "Everlasting Love," by Howard Jones, which showcased two mummies in love. Awww...that song still reminds me of that very special Halloween night to this day.

My future hubby had other wacky ideas for costumes, and for another Halloween party, we both dressed as ninjas. Unfortunately, we could hardly breathe because of our masks, so we eliminated those pretty quickly. Probably his easiest and most convenient costume idea was to throw a paper bag over each of our heads. Thankfully, he had thought to cut holes out for our eyes and mouth so we could see and breathe. We did not need yet another ninja catastrophe! He had drawn a caricature of a lady's face on my bag and a man's face on his. It was fun, and no one knew it was us. Ha, we must have had some nave friends back then. We have toned it down since then, I am sorry to say. I never once thought of being a zombie princess though. Galloping ghouls, what a fun idea, Faith!

Faith was certainly excited about Halloween but I found it sad that Nikki had to lie to her granddaughter. I mean, really, Nikki took her "candy" to cover up for the bad taste in her mouth? At least she was honest enough to admit that she had formed a bad habit that she was trying to stop, well, except, of course, that she wasn't really trying to stop it. Oh, those piddly little ole details. Sure, I can understand that Nikki has been a little stressed, but she is giving way too much credit to Ian for that because she actually started drinking again before she attempted to smoke Ian out of hiding. In my opinion, Nikki used alcohol to internally hide from the fact that her so-called loving husband had not been around when she so desperately needed him.

It's not like Nikki has been taking any huge measures to cover her tracks, if she's even taken any at all. It's almost like she wants Victor to finally see her and to realize how much she is drowning without his support. But Victor being Victor, he can only see what he wants to see, or in this case, he is blinding himself to what he doesn't want to see. Geesh, he must have taken lessons from Neil. Victor has been so busy trying to ruin his son's relationship with his intended that dear Vic hasn't been able to take any time on his own floundering love life.

Victor demanded that Nikki had no more secrets, and he practically made it sound like Nikki would need his permission to do anything in the future. Almost like being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, except for the age factor, of course. So, instead of trying to see what was really going on with Nikki, Victor just flung accusations at her and declared that he could no longer implicitly trust her. Leave it to Victor to use the word "implicitly." Well, buddy, Nikki was right in that trust goes both ways. It's no wonder she stormed out of the house (probably with flask in hand.)

And, not surprisingly, Nikki ran straight to the person who would offer her the type of comfort that she relished -- alcohol. At least, Maureen had a handy-dandy slogan prepared, "A little drink to relax...no harm done." Seriously, does Maureen really no have a clue that Nikki is an alcoholic, or is she just being deliberately obtuse? Does Maureen want a drinking partner that badly that she is purposely ignoring all the signs that the last thing Nikki needs is a drink? But this is coming from a lady who probably killed her own husband and let her loving son take the rap for it, so what can I say? That pretty much indicates the kind of morals (or lack of) that she has. I sure hope that Nikki doesn't befall the same fate.

Stitch pleaded with his mom to let the truth come out about his father's death so he could have a chance for a life with Victoria and the baby. Ben wanted to tell Victoria and the whole world that he did not kill his "old man," but Maureen would have none of it. She wanted to forget about the past...the very past that kept coming back to "haunt" Stitch. Okay, those were my words, not his.

Nikki overheard their conversation, and after Stitch left, she questioned why Maureen wouldn't want the case reopened to clear her son. Maureen's response was to hand Nikki a drink and stress that she knew she could rely on Nikki's discretion. Wow, now that's a sneaky combination of bribery and blackmail. Maureen bribed Nikki with the liquor that she craved while she also hinted that she, at any time, could reveal to Victor that Nikki was drinking. Classy.

Really, Ben has covered up for his mother long enough. Why should he have to pay his whole life for a crime that she committed? I have heard of unconventional love but this is ridiculous. And it's horrible that the unconventional love was on Stitch's part, not Maureen's. Why would a mother do that to her own son? As a mother, I always did everything to protect my sons.

Even when Victoria confronted her directly, Maureen only commented that if Victoria loved Stitch enough, it wouldn't matter what he had done, and that all Victoria needed to know was that "Benjy" had a good heart. Come on, Maureen, babycakes, get your act together and fess up! Seriously, I wonder if Maureen has a maternal bone in her entire body. Hey, bones...that reminds me again of Halloween!Victoria searched for Abby at the brand-spanking-new Jabot lab but found a confidential file that Ashley had carelessly and conveniently left behind on a table instead. When Ashley caught her with the file, Victoria claimed that she was too ethical to look inside it. Hey, are you sure you're Victor Newman's daughter? Victoria seemed to want proof that Ben was a good man, although she denied it to Ashley. Somehow I doubt if Ashley would ever encourage Victoria to be with Stitch, not only because Ashley would be on Team Billy but also because the lady has designs on Ben herself. And Ashley definitely has the resources to pursue and capture Stitch. We got the answer to the riddle of who paid for Stitch's bail. It was Ashley to the rescue!

What a great idea Ashley had that she and Ben travel to Madison on business, where they could be alone together. Nobody can strategize like Ashley! So, it was rather surprising that instead of attempting to seduce Stitch, Ashley advised him to listen to his heart regarding Victoria. Of course, Ashley is a wise lady, and she would realize that any feelings between Stitch and Victoria would need to be resolved first before she could pursue a relationship with him herself. Ashley revealed that she had also once taken the blame for a crime that she hadn't committed. Ashley was smart enough to realize that Stitch hadn't killed his father. Patience and cunning will work wonders for this lady.

Phyllis paid a visit to Sharon, which was spooky enough on its own, and related that her recollections about the past seemed to have as many holes as Sharon's did. It was like the blind leading the blind, and Phyllis even remarked that "we only see what we want to see." Apparently, Phyllis' visit was to clarify that since she was back, Sharon would no longer need to befriend Summer...or something like that. Really, we all know that this is just leading up to the reveal of the big secret one day, some year, down the road. Can't we just reveal it already?! This had dragged on long enough, and we need something big to shake things up in Genoa City. Oh, wait...Nick and Sharon are getting married on Halloween, so you know that secret has to come out to prevent that from happening. There's hope yet!Shoot, even someone who's not a psychic can see that Sharon has plenty of trouble in her future. "Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble." William Shakespeare's Macbeth really sets the mood for Halloween. Just a week ago, a friend of mine recorded an online radio show of Macbeth. I was the voice of one of the servants, but my husband got the fun role of the drunken porter. He has such a unique voice.

But everyone knows that the most entertaining part of the play comes from the three witches -- and these are not good witches like Glinda of The Wizard of Oz or Samantha Stephens on Bewitched. They are fun witches, nonetheless, and I wish I could have been a witch...not that I'm whining. Anyway, I thought it was funny that Phyllis pretty much insinuated that Sharon was a wicked witch -- but apparently, she wasn't a fun witch like in Macbeth.

Sharon ensured that Faith would dress as Little Red Riding Hood, rather than as a zombie princess, by hiding Faith's tiara. Man, that's just not right! Dressed in her precious costume, Faith did look like a delicious morsel that any wolf would love to eat. Somehow that just doesn't sound right in this day and age. Oh, when times were so much more innocent.

While Mariah took Faith out trick-or-treating, Sharon was almost "spooked" enough to postpone her marriage to Nick -- again, thanks to a yet another Cassie dream. Almost. Thankfully, she decided she just had pre-wedding jitters, so Nick and Sharon proceeded with their future together filled with "joy and sparkle." And Sharon was all decked out for her most recent wedding in a sparkly and elegant dress to go with the sparkle in her eyes.

Even when Victor stopped by and predicted gloom and doom, which was so appropriate, since it was Halloween, after all, Nick and Sharon stuck to their guns and were determined to marry. Mariah even got in the spirit and pointed out to Faith how much in love their parents were. Wow, has Mariah come a long way! She even looked happy in the wedding photo shots. I am glad to see this side of Mariah, and I hope to see more of it. I also want the young lady to keep her edge, though, because it differentiates her from Cassie. Mariah is not Cassie, and it would be a mistake to turn her into a carbon copy of her twin.

Kelly, Avery, and eventually Abby were all right in that Jack needs to tell Phyllis the truth about Kelly before she learns about it through another method. Like say...online. Jack really lucked out the last time when Phyllis was Googling and Yahooing all over the place to get updated on the happenings in Genoa City. How she missed that juicy tidbit of information, I'll never know.

I do know that Jack doesn't want to hurt anyone, but in this case, he has no choice. His only choice is which fair damsel he will pick to share his life and his love...and which one he will hurt. And he had better do that soon before they both reject him. If Jack picks Kelly, Avery was dead-on when she said that the longer he waits to tell Phyllis, the more he will hurt her. I have this strange feeling that he will pick Phyllis, though. I can't say why. I just feel it in my bones. My shakin', rattlin' bones. Ha, another Halloween reference!

Once Phyllis learns that truth, at least her anger could be directed elsewhere for a while, besides against Summer and Austin. I think Austin is growing weary of "the wrath of Phyllis" already. That didn't take long. As much as Summer wanted her mother to return to her, she sure didn't want Phyllis' rage back. Seriously, who would? After Summer regretted lying to her mom, which only made everything worse, Nick agreed, "Yeah, it always does." What? You mean that you are just now figuring that out?! If only Nick and Summer would remember that lesson the next time they feel the need to cover or protect someone they love but nah...that will never happen. The secrets and lies must continue!

I loved it when, after hearing that Nick and Dylan were long-lost brothers and that Dylan was Nikki's son, Phyllis referred to the Newmans as "a regular Brady Bunch" and just one big happy family. Yeah, that sounds like the Newmans all right. Now, they just need Alice the maid, and they are all set. (RIP, Ann B. Davis.) I am sure Victor and company have plenty of servants, who, I am sure, were the ones that made the "homemade candy." But there was no one like Alice. She was always so cheerful and friendly and had the best advice, which the Newmans sure could use in spades! But I guess, even when they get good advice, they don't heed it. It would just be wasted on them.

Phyllis tried to drag the truth out of anyone that was in her vicinity, and her next target was a catty Abby -- well, she was dressed in a spotted cat shirt and ears anyway. Ha, Abby was funny when she first talked to Phyllis as if she were slow. You know how much Phyllis appreciated that. Luckily for Abby, Phyllis was desperate for information, and she requested that "Miss Heiress" pull no punches. Once Abby updated Phyllis about Mariah, Phyllis felt that Nick had "benched" Summer and that Sharon was playing "the Cassie card" again.

Sharon then opened her door again to a fuming Phyllis who said, "Trick-or-treat." I doubt if there is anyone left out there in soapland that believes for one minute that Nick and Sharon's wedding will come to fruition. As much as I love them together, all the signs point to it never happening. Nick has declared so many times that nothing will stop them from marrying that it has become a guarantee that a roadblock has been set in place. Which roadblock will actually prevent their wedding is the only question.

The "hair-raising" thing is that Summer saw her brush at her grandfather's house. It was the hair from that very brush that Victor had used for testing in Sweden. But if Summer had brushed Faith's hair, the sample hair that was used could have come from either Summer or Faith. And even if it was Summer's and not Faith's hair, does that mean that Faith can't be Nick's daughter too?

Why do we keep having to question Faith's paternity? I love her as Nick and Sharon's child, and I want her to stay that way. At her young and tender age, she would be devastated to learn that Nick was not her daddy, not that he would love her any less. But no more of this! Please, let Faith remain Nick's little girl. Shoot, next thing you know, Victor will be questioning Noah's paternity. His hatred for Sharon knows no bounds!

Aren't Billy, Chelsea, and the headless mannequin delightful together? What a cute family dynamic. Before he moved into Chelsea's place, Billy thought a few changes were needed to her closet and her bed. Billy had no idea what he was asking. Never, ever mess with a lady's closet! That's just asking for trouble, my friend. Double, double toil and trouble...yeah, yeah, we know. I rather liked Chelsea's suggestion of a giant slide instead of a stairwell. What fun!

Jill sure let Billy know what she thought of his idea of moving in with Chelsea, who had once been married to the "monster" that had killed Delia. Ooh, another Halloween reference. They just keep on coming. Anyway, to put it mildly, Jill did not approve, especially after she heard Billy declare that he loved Chelsea.

During their little visit, Chelsea went to the nearest neighborhood church to bid a fond farewell to her not-so-dearly departed husband so that she could move on with her life. Isn't it rather ironic, though, that Chelsea believed that a church was the appropriate place to talk to Adam, when just about everyone else in Genoa City had considered him to be the devil incarnate? Why else would she be wondering about thunder and lightning striking after she announced that she wanted to be with Billy? She sure wouldn't expect that kind of gesture from a heavenly being.

Chelsea's goodbye to Adam freed her so she could declare her love for Billy...but who's the strange lady in heels, gloves, and scarf, lurking around in the church? Why, that's Kelly Sullivan, of course, now sporting brunette tresses. Hey, that explains why ghost Connie suddenly decided to change her hair color on General Hospital, when she appeared to Sonny the prior week. My husband and I laughed as we noted that even ghosts like to pamper themselves with a new color for their "do." It will be intriguing to see what Kelly's Sage has in store. Was she the one who sent the monogrammed hanky back to Chelsea? And what does Sage have to do with Adam?

Oh, before I move on, what a great idea Chelsea had to trick-or-treat as Mary with her little lamb, Connor! Sorry, Billy, you wouldn't have done that tiny lamb-hood justice, even if you do have "a thing for bonnets and bloomers." And Mr. Black Sheep, that was not a "b-a-a-a-a-d" costume, it was adorable! Connor did somewhat resemble ventriloquist Shari Lewis' most popular puppet, Lamb Chop. And Johnny was so cute dressed as a monkey. I am not sure that I get the connection between Johnny's monkey and Billy's ninja warrior or karate kid or whatever he was supposed to be...but does it really matter? Chelsea, Connor, Billy, and Johnny get my votes for best costumes in Genoa City on this Halloween night.

Speaking of lambs, I thought Lauren's reference to Colin as being a wolf in sheep's clothing rather hysterical and very true, even if Jill didn't agree. Honestly, Jill always searches for the good in Colin, even though he often seems to have it deeply buried underneath. For such a "brilliant" guy, Colin sure has concocted some terrible schemes that could have gone horribly wrong for Jill. And it appears that his next plan has to do with Joe Clark's project.

Dylan questioned if he should be concerned with Joe's return into Avery's life. Or at least it seemed that way to Dylan, since Joe just wouldn't go away. Dylan had better beware, since Joe actually intends to renovate the very area where Crimson Lights is located. Joe learned that the small business owners of the area did not own the land and the buildings, so those became his targets. Dylan's landlord informed him that he had sold the building and that Crimson Lights had to clear out in two months. Could this be Joe's method of revenge on Dylan and Avery?

Lauren believed that both she and Jill were personally and professionally content, but little did she know about Michael's medical condition. Why doesn't Michael just tell Lauren the truth so she can be there to support him? I know he was trying to protect her and he didn't want her to worry in case it was nothing, but still! He needed her, and she would want to be there for him. He can't just make his troubles disappear. Even Lauren's skimpy nurse costume couldn't chase those away. Troubles. Oh yes, there's that word again.

For heaven's sake, would Michael really rather have Lauren believe that he was having an affair than have her learn that he may have a medical condition, possibly one as serious as cancer? That's outrageous! Only on soaps. At least Michael pleaded with the lab to speed up his tests, but come on, he didn't have to wait for the results to come clean with his wife. Kevin was right in that Michael was a fool for love, but he also was being foolish in not being honest with Lauren. They love each other, and together, they should be able to conquer anything that comes along. Their strength is in their love for each other.

Although Lily suspected that Hilary was pregnant, she couldn't have been further from the truth, thank goodness! No, being with child was not the reason that Hilary couldn't eat and was a nervous wreck all the time. Unfortunately, Lily couldn't keep her big mouth shut, and she spread the word to Neil, who dreamed of finally providing Moses with a sibling. And try as hard as he could, Cane could not stop that runaway train.

So while Neil was planning his future with a supposedly growing family, Devon did everything in his power (which he has a lot of, along with money) to convince Hilary to continue their affair. But first Devon and Hilary had to "trick" Cane into believing that they were done with each other. Then their "treat" would be turning their fantasy of continuing to be together into a reality.

Now this is a really good plan: Devon and Hilary are going to continue cheating on the one person who has given them more love than they had ever known before. Sure, to repay Neil for his love and loyalty, let's just make him look like a complete and total fool. Great idea, you two. Gosh, even though Neil was disappointed to learn that Hilary wasn't pregnant, he decided that the time was right to give Hilary the family that she had always wanted. Uhh...you might want to rethink that, Neil.

Other notable (or humorous) items that happened during the week:

After Victoria wondered how she could have been so wrong, stupid, blind, and gullible to have trusted Stitch, Ben claimed that he didn't fool or trick her. Of course he didn't, Victoria. It wasn't Halloween yet!

Leave it to Nick to come up with some creative names for drinks at the Underground for Halloween: pina ghoulada, morgue-arita, and blood-thirsty Mary. Now those are some freaky concoctions.After Chelsea mentioned ghosts, goblins and "things that go bump in the night," Billy reminded Chelsea that Halloween started out as All Hallow's Eve, which is a time before All Souls' Day, an opportunity for all souls to find peace. Maybe the nightly spirit was a very-much-alive Adam, still searching for the peace that he craved.

Abby was funny this week, for a change, when she exclaimed that people everywhere would want to go into a year-long coma to look as good as Phyllis. Hysterical!

Victor was the perfect big, bad wolf to Faith's Little Red Riding Hood. His grumpy growl was a perfect foil for the cheery smile of the cute, perky young girl.

I hope you enjoyed your Halloween, no matter how you celebrated. Until next time, please stay tuned.

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