Two things were clear–the ghosts’ Halloween was ruined, and it was all Bartholomew’s fault.
Halloween being an especially special occasion, a family of five phantoms took their annual trip to the Washed Away Laundry.
A quick rinse was just what they needed to restore a snowy glow to their ghostly gauze.
They drifted through the closed door of the closest swirling washer.
The soap bubbles tickled at the hems of their sheets. And through their ghoulish giggles, they failed to notice–detergent wasn’t the only thing frothing through the machine.
From the pocket of a short jacket labeled with the long name “Bartholomew,” an indelible, inky problem bloomed…
For, you see, Bartholomew had not emptied his pockets. And furthermore, he had not replaced the cap of his favorite marker in his favorite color.
Red.
Once the ghosts recovered from the dizzying spin cycle, they noticed with horror their now-scarlet garments.
Together they wailed as they wafted outside, their newly dyed attire blending into the crimson fall foliage.
So empty your pockets, my friend, before you start the machine. And this is extra, especially true, if you wash your clothes the night before Halloween.
