By: Chet Duke and Hilery Davenport

Note: Second Generation Story

“Dad, hand me that pumpkin knife please.” Breyer said sitting on the porch with his father Bo Duke, his girlfriend Hilery Davenport, Luke Duke, and Amanda Drake.

“Hey Breyer, whatcha doin’ over there for a design? Anythin’ I can help with?” Hil questioned him trying to peak over his shoulder.

“Sure honey, come and stick your hands down and pull the guts outta this pumpkin for me.” Breyer smiled sarcastically and received a smack in the face by a hand covered in wet slimy pumpkin innards from his dad. Hilery sat down and began laughing. She was the only one without a pumpkin and a wicked idea come to her.

“Hey Breyer, honey, I ain’t got a pumpkin, can I have yours to carve,” she asked as sweetly and innocently as possible. Breyer gladly handed over his pumpkin; he felt childish carving it anyhow. He felt childish about the hole costume party and carnival.

“Thank ye,” Hilery giggled and took the pumpkin with pride. Within’ minutes, a work of art was being carved. It was a complex Jack O’ Lantern face starting to be made. “So, whatcha all wearin’ for the party?”

“I’m going as a vampire.” Bo said the older Duke grinned widely.

“I’m going as a farmer.” Luke said concentrating on his pumpkin. Breyer just shrugged.

“Hey um Luke, you are or um, was a farmer!” every laughed at the Davenport girl’s comment.

“I myself am going as a Revolutionary War soldier, fifer division,” Hilery said smugly. “When I was growing up I had been in a fife and drum corps for a while,” she smiled then added, “so I can play the songs for the costume too.”

“Your right, I’ll find something to go as,” Luke said laughing. Breyer didn’t care.

“I don’t like Halloween.”

“Your kidding Breyer!” Hilery yelled nearly droppin’ the pumpkin.

She was completely shocked. The young woman loved the parties and such. What was wrong with this man she called a boyfriend!?

“What? I just don’t like it Hil, sorry if it rains out your holiday but really, I just don’t like it.”

“Oh . . . Hey Luke, I got an idea, why don’t you dress up as a ghost, all ya need to do is throw a white sheet over your head!” Hilery laughed trying to take her mind off Breyer.

“Ah . . . how ’bout we don’t and say we did? I just need some time to think about it, OK?”

“Alright cuz.”

“Right Luke, it takes forever to pick for most people.”

“Whatever,” Breyer sighed.

“Hey, come on cheer up, before I make you,” Hilery grinned. Bo and Luke both looked at her and knew what she was thinking. They took a few steps away as she tackled her boyfriend and began tickling him.

Breyer laughed and giggled but not for very long. He got up off the leave covered ground and sat back down on the porch to stair out into the withering corn fields. He was silent, thinking about the ghost costume and who the Ghost had been. Just out of the blue, Breyer got up and went out to the barn that his brothers car had sat in for almost a year. Breyer opened the shed door and pulled back the leather cover on the ’70 Dodge Charger causing dust to poof into the sun burning air.

The white and orange paint shimmered and shined like the day it had been waxed, but to Breyer the car looked dead and pale like the ghost it was named after. The car hadn’t been run in a year, not since his brother Chet ran away and hadn’t been heard of since. Hilery came up behind him and rubbed her boyfriends shoulders in an understanding notion.

“We all miss him, it feels like he has been gone for years.” Hilery said wrapping her arm around him and looking at the car as well.

“Wish I knew why that jerk ran away, he was a coward . . . I don’t care what people say he was a coward!” Breyer spit the words at the old car as if it was the vehicles fault.

Inside they all knew what had run Chet off, loosing his cousin and best friend had done something to his head. Loosing his sight had taken away his plans of the future too. He had wanted to be a N. A. S. C. A. R. driver like his father and it was all taken away from him in the snap of fingers.

Chet had dropped out of school and never finished after the accident. He hated who he was, how he looked and how his body was so scared. Although the women had still looked his way.

Amanda his girlfriend still hung around with the family and awaited his return. Even though most believed he would never come back, the other towns folks said he had fallen apart and died from inside out. The Dukes, Davenports and all that had really known Chet believed he was still alive somewhere but, why he hadn’t contacted them and told them where he was going couldn’t be explained by anyone.

“I’m sorry Hil, I just . . . I just don’t know. You’re right, it has seemed like forever and all. You think things would still be this way if they hadn’t been in that accident or anything?” Breyer asked sighing. He and his brother had never gotten along, but they had known each other since long before they were born. After all, they were twins, causing it to be so that without one in the others life made it seem incomplete.

“Don’t worry, we both know he will be back eventually. I mean, how long could he go without his car before and after the accident? This past year has been the longest he has been gone.” She leaned against him hugging him.

“Hilery, Cooter’s here with that air filter you needed to fix Jumper!” Amanda yelled dashing off the porch towards the barn seeing the tow truck pull up. She stopped still in her tracks and looked at the car then turned away. The pain was severe for her.

“Come on Brey, put the tarp back on so we can go sit back up on the porch. If you want you can help me with Jumper.” She said grabbing the tarp. Together they put the covering back on the vehicle and walked out of the barn. Amanda had already sat down on in the chair she had been in before Cooter had arrived. If your wondering why she had been so quiet earlier when everyone was talkin’ ’bout the costumes, it was because she had been like that for about a year.

She would talk but only when necessary, Chet leaving without a word like he did that night a year ago on the 31st of October had hurt her something terrible. Amanda watched as Breyer and Hilery worked on Hilery’s car Jumper, there were so many things to do to get ready for her favorite holiday. Halloween had been Chet’s favorite holiday too; he had loved going to parties and handing out candy to little kids and most of all dressing up in a costume.

He had loved being able to be someone he wasn’t for one night out of the year, maybe that was why he left when he did. Maybe he thought even a costume couldn’t hide who he was now, Amanda thought to herself so carefully. She got up and got her sewing, making her own costume was fun and dressing up like the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz was gonna be even more fun.

The afternoon pasted by quickly, Hilery and Breyer finished working on Jumper and continued to prepare for Halloween. Luke decided to go as a rap singer, he found some sun glasses and very baggy clothes and with a hat on backwards he fit the part. Old sneakers added to him, a shaggy leather coat and he was all set. Bo on the other hand bought his costume, the red dye running from his fake vampire teeth was going to be horrifying to any young child.

Only two days until Halloween night, two days until the Halloween party & carnival and all the Dukes and Davenports including old Cooter were preparing a costume.

The following day, Hilery and Breyer walked into the old shed to tune General Lee’s Ghost to carry on tradition. Chet had tuned Ghost every day of Mischief night. When they threw open the doors, the couple gasped. The mighty charger wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Before they could react, a scream was heard in the old rickety farm house. They both ran to the porch and through the door, into the kitchen. Amanda was out cold on the floor, her sowing box on the table with her costume.

“Amanda?” Hil questioned her, patting her face gently. The young woman had fainted from something.

“Here let me try hon,” Breyer said and dumped a pot of water on her. The Drake girl woke up the second the icy cold water hit her.

“What happened ‘Manda?”

She thought about the Davenports question and slowly looked at her and Breyer. “I opened my sowing box and there were a bunch of spiders in it. Some were daddy long legs.” She said. The only man in the room was lookin’ through the box already. He could see some of the spiders still there, and there were some plastic ones too.

“I think someone played a dirty joke on you,” he looked at her as he spoke. “I wonder if it was the same person who took Ghost.”

“What?”

“Ghost is missing is what he is saying Amanda.”

It was like poof! The car gone, and the three friends sat on the old farm house porch pondering the missing car and the spiders.

“Who do you know would have pulled a trick like that?” Breyer asked Amanda handing her a cup of ice tea.

Amanda just shook her head, she didn’t know and the possibilities that popped into her head were impossible.

Hilery just started laughing suddenly. The joke on Amanda reminded her of a joke someone else had pulled on her once.

“What’s so darned funny, it was horrifying!” Amanda said to her friend with a worried look. Breyer looked to Hilery in the same questioning way.

“Nothin’. A few years ago when I had first come to Hazzard ol’ Chet had pulled that same joke on me. Backfired on him cause I never got scared, just too dang curious,” she giggled.

Both Amanda and Breyer became silent and looked deeply concerned at Hilery. “Well, we all know Chet’s outta the question.” Amanda said solemnly looking at Hilery.

“I know, if he wasn’t I would have said it was him. Whoever it was must be lot like him,” she whispered. Chet had been one of her best friends.

Just then a familiar car pulled in the drive, a black ’71 Dodge Charger. A tall familiar face stepped out, Wheeler Duke stood up tall and straight stretching from his long drive. The Night of Rage, Rage for short, gleamed in the bright morning sunshine

“HEY WHEELER!” Hilery and Amanda both ran down the steps and gave him a bear hug. Right then a theory stuck Hilery.

“Wheeler, did you stick those spiders in Amanda’s sowing box and take ghost?” Hilery asked.

Wheeler looked at the girls like they were crazy, he shook his head know and hugged Breyer who came down from the porch.

“You didn’t? We thought it was you when you pulled up ’cause who besides Chet would do something like that?” Amanda asked.

He shrugged and pulled his duffle bag outta his car and started up for the house. “Oh speaking of Chet . . . is his bed still empty?” Wheeler asked grinning with road tired eyes.

“Yeah, but you would have to talk to Dad about that one Wheeler. What are you doin’ back in Hazzard anyway?” Breyer looked at his third cousin with questioning eyes.

Wheeler grinned. “Its All Hollows Eve in Hazzard County 2002 . . . I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said and entered the peaceful old farm house.

“Ya know Wheeler, folks don’t call it All Hollows Eve anymore,” Hilery smiled as Bo pulled up. The man looked like he had seen a ghost . . . well he had seen General Lee’s Ghost go by him a few miles before he got home.

The windshield had been muddied so he couldn’t see who it was. Besides the man had been in a costume so he wasn’t recognizable.

“Dad, you alright.” Breyer asked his father in a worried tone. Bo looked at his son and looked all around him, closed his eyes shook his head and spoke.

“Ghost passed me on the road on my way home, I couldn’t tell who it was because first off, the windshield was gunked up and the person was wearing a costume of some sort. It looked like an old racing costume or something . . . almost like the one Chet used to wear. I guess my son had fans.” Bo said, his voice clearly shaken. Didn’t I just say that?

Everyone looked at each other, there was no way it could have been like Chet’s racing suit. The suit had been torn and bloodied in the accident, it had been practacally cut off Chet and his helmet had been severely cracked and beaten.

“You don’t think it’s a . . . a ghost do you Bo?” Hilery whispered holding Amanda’s hand, the question clear on her face as well.

Bo shook his head and shook the question from his mind. “No such thing . . . ” his words trailed off at the sudden hard wind that blew and whistled by them all.

The teenagers all felt shivers go up and down their spines from it. “I don’t think it was a ghost,” Breyer told them confidently. “I think it’s just a fan of Chet’s. He ain’t dead . . . . We might be fraternal twins but sometimes twins just . . . just have a way of knowin’ ya dig?”

Wheeler had returned from the house and was there when the cool wind kicked up. He nodded in agreement to what Breyer said about just knowing. Still everyone stood looking at each other starting to shiver.

“Yeah . . . Can I go get something from Jumpers trunk? I got Breyer the perfect costume,” Hilery grinned. Breyer eyed his girlfriend suspiciously.

Everyone looked at her and shook there heads; Breyer agreed and awaited his girlfriend to return with the costume.

She jogged down the stairs and opened the trunk only to jump a little then double over laughing causing everyone to run over to her. There in the trunk was a couple of corn snakes.

Everybody joined in her laughter at the corn snakes, a new question suddenly made them silent though. Where had the snakes come from and how did they get there?

“Musta been the same person who hid the spiders in Amanda’s sowin’ box,” Breyer said. Bo looked at him questioningly.

“And took Ghost.” Hilery added.

“Uh, can someone please explain what is going on?” Bo asked them.

Everyone shook there head No. No one could explain what was going on or who was pulling all the pranks. Everybody looked at each other wondering if the person was among them.

“All we know is someone took Ghost and is playing pranks on us Bo,” Wheeler said. “Oh and um, could I stay here for a while?”

Bo crossed his arms and nodded his head yes to Wheeler staying. But gave everyone a questioning look. “Come on, I bet the person who’s pulling all this is right here right now. We all know there’s a limit to the pranks, just don’t let it get outta hand.”

“Well, it sure as heck ain’t me,” Hilery muttered then remembered why she had come out to the trunk of her car in the first place. She reached in and pulled out a clown costume.

“Oh no, no way,” Breyer said backin’ up lookin’ at the costume like it was something that was diseased. “No way I’m going as a clown Hilery Davenport.” Breyer said and crossed his arms in his father’s stubborn notion when he couldn’t back up anymore.

“Aww, come on Breyer, please,” She gave him a puppy dog look and he still shook his head no. Everyone else was fighting not to laugh.

“Have you got any better ideas?” Amanda asked giving him attitude in return.

“Yeah, I think the clown costume would be funny, you are a clown at heart anyway when you are tryin’ to hide your intellect,” Hilery grinned hugging him . . . or trying to atleast cause he moved away from her, still not liking the costume which was in her hands.

“Sure whatever you say babes, I’m not going as a clown. I think I’m gonna go rent a Merlin costume in town for cheap.” Breyer said as he walked away towards the old barn where his car was parked.

Hilery smiled and winked at Amanda after he turned his head. She forced herself to tear up and begin to pretend to cry.

“Aww Hil, it’s OK, men are just stubborn brats who don’t know how to please their girlfriends sometimes, Shhhh,” Amanda pretended to comfort her.

“Nice try.” Breyer said, his voice sounding cold as he continued to walk away with his back to them.

“JERK!” Hilery yelled at him. “I tried. The costume shops are all sold out too! I seen the clown costume and thought you would like it! It was also the last costume they had, your lucky it was even in your size!” Hilery yelled and turned heal, walkin’ towards the woods to sit and think by herself.

“Just because you don’t like Halloween don’t mean you have to rain on her parade Breyer,” Amanda told him.

Breyer went into the house instead. Mad, he let the screen door slam behind him. “I hate Halloween” he yelled in a voice so angry few had heard it.

“I hope this don’t hurt their relationship,” Bo muttered following his son inside.

“Get out Dad, I wanna be alone!” Breyer yelled but instead he stormed out the door. “Forget it, better off I’ll leave!”

“Breyer, I would rather you went and talked to your girlfriend!” he ran to the door and yelled at his son while he walked across the yard.

“Well, I’m sorry that my f****** brother ruined Halloween for me!!!” Breyer shouted at his father as he got into his ’69 Camaro.

Bo just shook his head and looked towards the woods. Things were gonna start happening and they weren’t going to be good.

“So, who wants to go talk to her?” Amanda asked.

Wheeler didn’t say anything, he just started for the woods where Hilery was. He came up and sat down next to her and put his arm around her.

“Wheeler, what has gotten into him? I mean, this is the first time he has ever treated me like this . . . ” She sniffled.

“I don’t know.” Wheeler said and he pulled her close to let her literally cry on his shoulder.

While Hilery was crying her heart out, Breyer was over on Pond Road speeding along and out of no where came General Lee’s Ghost. It seemed to be challenging him to a race. It had pulled up behind him and revved the engine. The horn blowing.

He was shaking with fear and ground his teeth in anger, the morning sun had passed and the evening darkness was approaching as the engines roared together. Ghost pulled up next to Moon Light and revved up hard; Breyer looked at the driver.

Chet’s white racing suit had been blackened from the firery accident and the shield of the helmet was down and tinted so dark it was completely impossible to see the face of the driver.

“What the?” was all Breyer had been able to say before the white and orange flamed vehicle started to pull ahead of him.

Breyer hammered the gas of the Camaro and it sped up to be beside Ghost. Breyer could say anything he just stared at the white car as it grew darker.

He was scared to the core. What was going on? Had Chet really died that night he disappeared and came back to wreak havoc on his family? He shook those thoughts from his head and finally picked up the CB mic. He knew there was no way that was Chet. Chet had been destined not to return from his brothers knowledge.

Breyer looked down for only a split second to reach for his radio, then looked back up and slammed on the brakes bringing the yellow and blue Camaro to a screeching halt. The Ghost was gone. Breyer opened the door and stood looking all around him the dark of the night. The car had disappeared in split seconds and the night was silent even beyond the soft idle of Moon Light’s engine.

Breyer felt his knees weaken as the mist that had become prevalent swirled around them. He quickly looked around again and jumped back into Moon Light, heading for home. He had to tell his dad and everyone else what happened even if it chilled him to the bone.

He thundered into the driveway almost hitting the General Lee. He kicked up some dirt and was out of the car before it completely shut off and fell into park gear. Breyer dashed in the house door slamming behind him.

“Where have you been? Oh, and I got some bad news, Hil dumped you for your smartness towards her.” Bo said bearly acknowledging his son as Luke and he played cards.

Wheeler sat watching TV he gave his cousin a smart a** attitude look, but the look dissipated as he noticed how pale Breyer looked. The boy was on the verge of fainting.

Breyer plopped down on the sofa breathing hard he put his hands on his face. “I saw . . . Ghost.”

“Did you catch him and the loco who took him?” Luke asked as he and Bo walked over to the sofa to make sure he was OK.

Breyer wiped the sweat from his brow and shook his head in silent no. Suddenly he got up and rushed to the toilet and puked.

Everyone looked in the direction of the bathroom and back at each other. “Luke, go get the Pepto Bismol and a spoon, I’ll go make sure he’s OK.” Bo said, then added, “Wheeler, go get a moist wash cloth cause I’m gonna get him to lay down when he is done, it’ll help him calm down.” Each of them walked into the direction they needed to after nodding to Bo.

“You gonna be OK Breyer?” Bo patted his sons back as he got sick again.

He stood up and looked at his dad. “Something’s going on, I saw the driver of the car. . . . ” Breyer shook letting his words linger in the air as everyone around him froze in there tracks.

“Come on, you need to lay down,” Luke whispered helpin’ him to his feet after he fell backward into a sitting position again, then gave him the medicine for his stomach. Everyone helped the confused, scared, upset Duke to his bed where he was forced to lay down. Wheeler put the cloth on his forehead.

“You wanna take it from the top and tell us what happened?” Bo gently asked his son, placing a bucket by his bed just in case.

Breyer shook his head no, it was no use there was no explaining it. “Something crazy is gonna happen at the Halloween party tomorrow night, I’m gonna be there.” Breyer said looking up at his father.

“Yeah, well, your gonna be without a date. Hilery told me after you ran off while I was in the woods talkin’ to her she was dumpin’ you.”

“This isn’t about her and I, this about my brother.” Breyer said and prepared to get up out of bed, removing the damp cloth. “You don’t understand.”

“We know but . . . are you saying you don’t care that she dumped you?” Luke asked shocked.

“I didn’t say that, I just said that this has to do with my brother.” Breyer said and got to his feet, finding a costume was now his goal.

“Hey cuz, don’t forget Hilery did get you a costume and from what she said, everyone was sold out already,” Wheeler told him. He made a sour face and gave him a dirty look.

“Yeah, she left it here when she left, said something about she didn’t care what you did with it,” Luke shrugged.

“Well . . . I guess I ain’t got much of a choice do I?” Everyone shook their heads. “Oh well.”

“Hey y’all, I got the extra candy I had stashed over my house,” Amanda said walkin’ in, then screamed. There at the window was something that looked like two huge red glowing eyes. Everyone looked and seen them just before they disappeared.

“Wheeler, stay here with Breyer and Amanda, Bo, come on, let’s go check it out,” Luke told everyone, practically dragging his cousin out the door.

As the cousins ran out the door, Ghost flew by them and down the drive. “Should we go after it or should we look around out back for clues?”

“I think we should go look out back for evidence as to who that might have been and how they did whatever they did. Besides, it would be nearly impossible for us to chase that car in the dark and not get into an accident or somethin’ . . . that and it’s Mischief Night. Come on.” Luke said, this time not dragging his cousin behind him.

“Alright Bo, let’s start lookin’,” Luke said when they got to the side of the house near the window.

It was dark so it was hard to see. It was clear the two tree’s were toilet papered with toilet paper and party streamers though. The bushes were silly stringed too in black and orange.

“Hey Luke, look over here,” Bo called to his cousin lookin’ down. There on the ground were two flash lights with red cellophane covering the lenses. On them, were two black spots like eyes drawn on them.

“Well, we atleast know what those things were now. We better go inside and get a normal set of lights to check the barn . . . Yeash this guy made a huge mess.”

Bo and Luke walked back to the house and into the room. Everyone started laughing at what had been found, well everyone but Breyer.

“I thought I heard Ghost’s engine after y’all walked out,” he said to them.

“Yeah. The car flew by like a bat out of Hadies as we walked out. Listen, we are going to get some regular flash lights and check the cars and all. We’ll be back in a bit.”

“OK Luke,” Wheeler spoke as he nodded. The others followed suit.

Outside, Bo and Luke found the air let out of all the tires of the vehicles, the windshields with soap graffiti all over them, the hoods covered in silly string like the bushes, and everything was egged badly.

“Whew, this guy sure knew what he was doin’,” Bo breathed. This guy was good, danged good.

Bo and Luke then opened the door to the barn cautiously. They were scared as to what might jump out at them so they entered just as slow. Bo flashed the light around the room slowly; he hadn’t been so scared in years, maybe since he was a little kid at Halloween. Suddenly he herd a big “EWWW” from Luke behind him and turned to look. He found his cousin covered in the slimiest night crawlers ya ever did see.

“Luke . . . what the . . . uh oh!” Bo said looking up at the ceiling as a concoction of half paint, water streamed down on him followed by feathers, covering him.

“You had to ask!” Luke said spitting angrily and pulling worms off himself.

“Well, how’s I supposed to know.” Bo answered he too spitting feathers and foul liquid.

Both older Dukes started to make there way across the yard for the house to get cleaned up with Luke in the lead. He walked in a funny manner, obvious that the worms had gone south down his pants and shorts.

Suddenly . . . they screamed.

A rake with a bloody half decomposed human skeleton flung up from the ground and came eye to eye with Bo and Luke Duke.

Wheeler sat straight up in his chair. Something was wrong; it wasn’t normal for Bo and Luke to be screaming their heads off.

“Breyer, Amanda, I’m going to go out and check on Bo and Luke,” he said and got up. He walked out the door of the old rickety farm house, only to nearly run into them. They were petrified, although, if I ran into a half decomposing body which just sprang up out of the ground like some zombie rising from the grave, I would be followin’ suit.

“Gang way!” Luke yelled running inside.

Bo wasn’t far behind yellin’, “out of my way!”

Wheeler just looked at them as they ran by him. He had nearly wound up on his bottom from them nearly hitting him. Under normal circumstances, they were two of the bravest people he knew which said something. He picked his flashlight up, which had been knocked out of his hand, and shined it around the dark yard. He raised his eye brow when he seen the body stickin’ up.

With great caution, he moved in the direction of the monster. He pointed the light at it lookin’ it over well.

“Jease, looks real enough,” he muttered, then added, “no wonder why Bo and Luke were running. If ya were scared enough you would think it were real . . . especially in the dark.” The Duke shook his head and walked back to the house . . . with incident. He hit a trip wire the elder Dukes were fortunate enough to miss, and it triggered a really watery mud concoction to dump itself on him, covering his brown shirt and dark blue jeans.

“Crimeny,” he said wiping it from his face. Wheeler wiped his boots on the welcome mat and walked in. First thing he did was removed them, then walked into the bedroom.

“Yikes, I ain’t walkin’ out that door till morning!”

“Breyer, you aren’t the only one.” Amanda giggled. Three of five people who had been there had been gunked. Five of five people had been scared silly that night.

“Well, I’m gonna go get changed and showered, and Luke, don’t worry, that was only a dummy that jumped up at you. Looked real enough though.”

“Yeah, we done beat you to that Wheeler. I just got out while you was outside, and your going to have to wait, Bo’s in there now. Worms in the trousers aren’t very comforting if ya know what I mean.” Everyone laughed at Luke’s comment. “Yeah, you was out there long enough lookin’ at that thing.”

Now when Hilery went out to check on Jumper, she was greeted by a fluorescent glowing skeleton, causing her to scream.

Jumper had received the same treatment as the cars over at the Duke farm, only she wasn’t egged.

“And here I thought storin’ you in the garage would keep you from this treatment,” Hilery said sadly to her car. The rumbling of a car engine caught her attention. She opened the office door instead of the bay doors and was scared at the sight that greeted her. Ghost was out there, glowing in the street lamp with the engine revving.

Just as quickly as it had disappeared in the mist when racing Moon Light, the orange and white ’70 Dodge Charger’s back wheels started squealin’ and smokin’. The car flew around the corner leaving a heavy layer of rubber where it had pulled from.

The young Davenport girl ran to the corner where the car had disappeared and looked down the road. There was no sight of it in the fog that had shrouded the small town. Shaken, Hilery walked back to the garage, and stayed there for the rest of the night.

~THE NEXT DAY~

The Dukes awoke to a completely trashed house, the night before had been truly terrifying to every one, young and old.

It was clear, someone had busted in that night. The table had an even bigger mess of mud all over it. The bedroom doors each had a fake spider hanging down from them. Graffiti paint of all colors covered the walls and the bathroom mirror had a message simple stating in blood red, slightly runny paint, “I’M . . . BACK!!!!” is what it said and the lookin’ glass was shattered on the corners.

Breyer’s already weak stomach didn’t feel much better seeing that when he went in to use it. Bo, Luke, Amanda, and Wheeler didn’t know what to make of it either.

“Bo, Luke, I’m gonna call Hilery. Breyer, you had better behave.” Amanda said walking towards the CB.

“Oh I’ll behave no problems there Dad, I gotta see if she can help me with that clown costume anyhow.” Breyer said looking carefully at the writing, the paint had been very runny and had dripped onto the sink counter. “Hope she don’t expect much outta her X-BOYFRIEND!”

“Breyer, calm down buddy,” Luke said patting his back as the young Duke finally broke down crying over the loss of his girlfriend. He had had too much on his mind to really let the impact hit him last night, but now it was hitting full force.

“Maybe you should call her on the phone son,” his father suggested, waving Amanda over from the CB before she could make the call.

Breyer went out side and sat on his pride and joy in the warm morning sun shine, ignoring his father. That girl had met the world to him though. When this was all over he vowed to get her back if he had to get down on his knees in front of all Hazzard County, he’d get her back.

He pulled his coat closer to him as a chill blew in the air again. He looked up as Luke sat down next to him.

“You know Breyer, maybe you should try to talk to her, I mean, yeah, at first you might be wasting your breath, but you know what? I think in the end you’ll get her back if you try to talk to her a few times; show her you care.”

“I can’t Luke, I got to find out what’s going on and where my brother is. Its torn both Hilery and I apart ever since he left.” Breyer said looking at the older wiser Duke hoping he would understand somehow.

“I know, but you were also drawing comfort from each other. Just call her.” Luke said handing him the cordless phone.

“I cant . . .” the young Duke said looking away. He was hurt and his pride was hurt too much to call her; the time wasn’t right in his mind.

“OK, but the second you feel that you have to, do it. Now I’ll call her, tell her what has been going on, but if she comes over, you can atleast talk to her,” he told him, dialing the number.

After a few minutes on the phone, he turned to look at his cousins son again and patted him on the back gently. “She’s on her way over to help us out. She had a slight problem over at the garage last night too.”

“What you thinks going on Luke?” Breyer asked a little relieved. He looked at Luke hoping he knew the answer although he knew he didn’t

“Only one person knows and that is the person who took Ghost. I mean, who ever it is, is playing cruel jokes on all of us. I think that person is the same one who has been vandalizing us and everything. Chet never pulled anything near as drastic as this, so we know he is out of the question,” Luke told him.

“He’s gone Luke and ain’t never coming back, he’s probably dead,” Breyer said standing up and turning his back on the older Duke. There was no explanation to what Chet had done, leaving and all the way he did and everyone knew it just as well as Luke.

“You never know . . . I thought you said yesterday he wasn’t dead, that twins just had a way of knowing?”

“I lied just to make Hilery feel better. I think she might have loved him as much or more then she loves me, there’s no doubt in my mind there.” Breyer said with his back still towards Luke.

“Oh,” Luke spoke softly. “Come on, lets go inside before you catch a chill. That jacket you have on isn’t heavy enough for how cold it is out here.” The elder Duke moved to turn to go inside then added, “I’m sure Amanda could fix some hot chocolate for everybody for when Hilery gets here.”

“Sounds good.” Breyer followed Luke inside, they almost got silly stringed on the way in my a booby trap that hadn’t gone off the night before. Someone was truly out to get them.

“Ya think there are anymore Wheeler, Bo, and myself hadn’t tripped?” Luke laughed.

“Dunno.” Breyer shrugged. “Hope not.” Before anything further could be said, Hilery came in the door and tripped over something under the welcome carpet. She sat up on the floor and pulled the object outta the wood floor, it was a white deer horned pocket knife.

“Uh, look familiar to anyone else?” She questioned holding it up. “I’m beginning to wonder just who our prankster really is . . . what in the heck happened outside?” she asked before lookin’ ’round. “Looks like you guys’ cars got the same treatment Jumper got, that is why she looks the way she does,” She mumbled, gesturing to the teal ’68 Shelby Mustang through the window.

The whole family looked at her like she wasn’t kidding the slightest, the question was aching them all. It couldn’t be Chet they all knew it, It just couldn’t be.

“What happened in here anyway?” She questioned finally surveying the room. “Looks like a tornado hit this place.” She added before her eyes fell to Breyer. “Well, no hello?” She asked him flatly.

The Duke crossed his arms and looked at her. “Howdy!” He said coldly to her, he had the clown costume one of his hands. He had been trying to figure it out.

She shook her head and sat down on the other side of the table. “So, Wheeler, you got a date for the party tonight?” she asked sweetly fixing the collar to the shirt he was wearing. He began to get twitchy and nerves. His eyes went to the elder Dukes and the _expression on his face was saying HELP! Everyone knew she was just trying to make Breyer jealous. Wheeler finally took her hands off him as gently as he could and he purposely flipped his collar back up and walked away from her and sat down on the sofa.’

“Uh, Hil, why don’t you leave the boys alone and help Amanda with her costume, or even better, if you can keep your cool long enough, help Breyer with his?” Bo asked lookin’ at his son to see if he would tolerate it.

He nodded and everyone started suiting up. The big party/carnival was only a half an hour away.

Hilery bit back her tongue long enough to roughly help Breyer put the clown suit on and paint a scary, insane face on him. The wig wound up with a ton of hair gel in it makin’ it all slightly spiked instead of curly. When she gave him the mirror, he was shocked about how it looked. He looked like a clown that had come out of the fiery pit of Hades itself, but he was happy; the costume would work out good. Everyone else was almost set too. It was almost time to go and the cold wind had found its way through the old house and rattled everything, causing everyone to hurry. About five minutes before they left, Cooter showed up.

Hilery’s costume looked like it was really out of the past with her hair pulled out and braided and the tri-corn hat on. The hunting coat was a bright white color and looked warm. A black leather belt buckled around her waist and a white haversack at her side with a black and gold instrument called a fife (for those who don’t know, the fife is a member of the flute family). Her pants were white and a pair of dark black mens dress shoes adorned her feet. She used the magic of make up to make her face look ghost white.

Wheeler was dressed as a Frankenstein, complete with the nobs temporarally put on his neck with a special adhesive. His face with green tinted white paint covering it along with the backs of his hands.

Bo’s face makeup made his face look pale too and the red dye running down his face looked treacherous. He looked as if he could pass as the real thing if they existed. The long fangs made him look even more blood thirsty. His cape made him seem even more authentic.

Luke though looked the funniest of all. No one could picture him in the costume, but there he was in it. The over sized black jeans with a pair of white sweats underneith made him look like an old city boy and the over sized red shirt added to the character. His cap, which was black as his pants turned backwords made him look slick. The racing glasses were perched a top his head and the torn up sneaks on his feet.

And last but not least, Cooter was wearing an excecutioners robe which was long and black. In his hand he held a scythe and his face was covered by a pull down skeleton mask.

“Hey cousin, promise me you won’t dress like that one the daily bases!” Bo joked lookin’ at his rapper garmed cousin.

Luke laughed and silently promised him he wouldn’t ever have to worry about it. They were all ready and piled into two cars, half in Jumper and half in the General Lee. But Breyer got into his own car and drove by himself.

On the way though, ghost shot out of hiding in the woods, horn blaring.

“Uh Bo, Company,” Luke said lookin’ back.

Ghost led the way to the Boars Nest, the most of the way there. He had slide back a couple times and tail gated the old General Lee. Everyone was nervous and slowed up backing away from the car.

“Uh, Country Girl, Rage, and Crazy C. callin’ Moon Light and Lost Sheep, anyone got any idea what the heck is going on?” Hilery called over the CB, a little shaken that Ghost was even up ahead. The others couldn’t even find their voices. That car was linked to what had been going on, and was being driven by the prankster, but who it was, no one was quite sure.

“If we knew we would have told ya honey.” Breyer answered back as he rammed the back side of the big white Dodge Charger. The cars driver jammed the brakes and Moon Light took a near head on beating from it.

“Breyer, I ain’t your honey anymore!” she snapped over the radio. The driver to Ghost heard it, having had his CB on the same channel.

“Hey, you OK son?” Bo asked over the airwaves.

“Yeah, I think so,” he muttered as Ghost pulled away, speeding down the road to lay in wait for when they passed him again.

They passed by the car, it stayed were it was and didn’t proceed to follow. Everyone sighed in deep relief, they we still shaky when they pulled into the Nest’s parkin’ lot.

“Come on, let’s get inside and see if we can find Rosco and tell him what’s been going on,” Bo told them all. He had already tried reporting Ghost as missing but to no avail. No one objected to going inside either, heck everybody ran nearly falling over each other to get inside. But before they did, the white and orange car pulled up slowly to the drive, but didn’t enter it. Everyone could see it there, plain as day. What it was waiting for, not a soul knew.

It was so unreal, Ghost just setting there idling, the driver unknown except for the dirty tricks.

Breyer was the last one in, and he stood numbly lookin’ out the door’s window. Was the driver going to grace them with his presence? His eyes occasionally glanced at Hilery wondering if when this was over if he was going to get her back. He shook his head from the thoughts and went back to the window.

The car still sat there idling, almost as though it was waiting for something, but nothing happened and slowly it pulled away and disappeared into the darkness. Breyer returned in side and about 20 minutes later a man in a white racing suit and visor tinted helmet walked in.

All who had been pranked looked to the door. One by one they stood up from their tables and walked towards the mystery man.

He stood and looked from person to person, the helmet moved as he looked at the Dukes, the Davenports and Amanda.

The first to speak was Breyer, and his voice was void of any emotion. He feared if he showed any, he would break. The fact his ex girlfriend was standing next to him didn’t make matters any better, just worse.

“Who are you,” He asked.

The driver took his gloves off and put Amanda’s hands in his and pulled her close to him.

The young woman pulled away some. She was unsure and confused.

“I wanna know who the heck you are and I already have a man even though I haven’t heard from him in a year!” she shouted.

“Answer the question,” Hilery told him, lookin’ at him harshly, preparing for a fight.

Amanda went as white as Ghost, she looked at the drivers hands carefully then back at the helmet. It was glued together with a rubbery adhesive, it was burnt in some places much like the blood stained suit. Although hesitant and angry she put both hands on the sides of the helmet, he let her prepare to remove it.

His hands came up and removed hers gently. The man reached up when he was sure her hands were going to stay where they were and he pulled the helmet off. No one could believe it, Amanda was on the verge of fainting and many had looks of disbelief on their faces. It couldn’t be but it was.

Chet Duke dropped the ravin helmet on the floor and pulled his girl into his arms and hugged her so tight, she didn’t say anything to him. Chet looked at his brother, Breyer’s eyes were filled with sheer shock.

“Oh my God . . .” he whispered, lost about what else he should say.

“Hey brother,” he said to Breyer. The next thing said was directed to all of the group. “Sorry ’bout tormentin’ y’all but I couldn’t help myself, don’t worry, I’ll clean it all up.” Chet grinned, grabbing his brother into a hug and then released him. He repeated the process with all his family, then his friends much to the cheers that echoed the room welcoming him home. When he finally came to Hilery, his mind drifted off to earlier, to the conversation he had heard on the CB.

“What happened between you and Breyer,” he asked her softly. Her eyes misted and she told him everything. He just shook his head sadly. Finally he moved away from her and over to his brother to get his side of the story.

Chet crossed his arms and looked at his brother waiting for an explanation, Breyer just stood there looking at him. They stared at each other, Chets slate gray eye glaring through his brothers eyes searching him inside out.

“Listen, I can explain bro,” he finally said. “I sorta got a little too hot under the collar, I mean, you leaving wasn’t easy on anybody and I guess I was takin’ it really hard, I mean we had been together our whole lives plus before you left. I guess I was takin’ the pain of the anniversary of that out on Hilery and I shouldn’t have. I should have atleast tried the costume, seein’s how I actually do like the way it looks on me,” he gave a weak smile with tears in his eyes. Chet just took him softly into a comforting hug.

“Come on bro, you need to go talk to her,” Chet said softly. The sad look on his face though made him stop. Breyer watched as his twin’s face lit up with it’s trade mark smile.

“What’s so gosh darned funny?”

“That costume suits you, ya know that?” A small smile touched the corner of his lips from the comment and he nodded.

“Thanks, glad you like it, in case you haven’t heard, Hil picked it out.”

“Yeah, I heard.” Chet whispered as they approached Hilery.

“Hi,” Breyer mumbled weakly. Her eyes met his as she looked up. She knew what that friend of hers that had just came barreling’ back into town was up to, just by the look on his face, his posture, and his presence.

“Hello,” she replied, still eyeing them. “What brings yous two over here this evening?”

Breyer looked from her to his brother and back again. “Can I buy you a drink?” A look of disappointment clouded his _expression. After he was sitting, his brothers hand made it’s way to his shoulder, a way of showing support. He sighed and began slowly. “Hilery, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for being . . . oh how do I say it, a smart alick?” The young woman giggled at his comment.

“Your forgiven Breyer,” she said when she finally gained her composure.

“One other thing,” he added, bearly audible. “Would you be my girlfriend again?”

Her eyes misted over and she nodded. “Yes, I’ll be ya gal again ya clown,” she said giggling again. He took her into his arms gently and gave her a soft kiss, his lips barely brushing hers. When she moved back to sit down, Breyer let out one heck of a rebel yell that Chet had to cover his ears from. All the Dukes, Cooter, and Amanda came over and began to whoop and holler. Hilery pulled her fife out and began to play Turkey in the Straw and most of the folks present started to square dance to it.

About a week after the party, out in the pasture of the Duke property, two couples sat on a sheet picnicking together. On a blue and yellow sheet sat Breyer and Hilery, the whole dispute behind them, and on the orange sheet partially over lapping the other, sat Chet and Amanda, still trying to catch up on what they had missed in each others lives . . . .

*~ THE END ~*