Oct. 17, 2024

Haunted Hearts (Part 2) - "Ghostly Gala Jitters"

Haunted Hearts (Part 2) - "Ghostly Gala Jitters"

As Mystic Falls prepares for its annual Ghostly Gala, Emma and Jack find themselves unexpectedly paired to organize the town's most anticipated Halloween event. Amidst a whirlwind of spooky decorations and costume planning, the two single parents...

As Mystic Falls prepares for its annual Ghostly Gala, Emma and Jack find themselves unexpectedly paired to organize the town's most anticipated Halloween event. Amidst a whirlwind of spooky decorations and costume planning, the two single parents navigate their growing attraction while sharing glimpses of their pasts. Their children, Zoe and Max, cook up schemes to bring the adults closer together. The night of the Gala arrives, filled with enchanting decorations and eerie surprises. As midnight approaches, Emma and Jack's magical evening takes an unexpected turn, leaving them both wondering about the thin veil between friendship and something more.

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is available commercial free on any player. Just look for

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Caloroga Shark Media.

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Hello and welcome to Romance Weekly. This episode is titled

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Haunted Hearts, Part two Ghostly Gala Jitters.

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Emma stared at the mountain of Halloween decorations, threatening to

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engulf her dining room table. Fake cobwebs, plastic skeletons, and

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an assortment of eerily realistic rubber bats spilled onto the floor.

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She sighed, wondering for the hundredth time why she'd agreed

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to co chair Mystic Fall's annual Ghostly Gala. Mom, have

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you seen my witch's hat? Zoe's voice rang out from upstairs.

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Check under your bed, Emma called back, pushing aside a

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tangle of orange lights. Her fingers brushed against something smooth,

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an envelope she didn't recognize. Curious, she pulled it out.

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Inside was an invitation, embossed with silver spider webs. You

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are cordially invited to Mystic Falls Ghostly Gala, where the

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veil between worlds grows thin and magic fills the air.

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October twenty eighth, eight pm. Town Hall Costumes mandatory, bring

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a guest if you dare. Emma's stomach fluttered as she

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remembered the conversation that had led to this chaos two

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weeks earlier, at the PTA meeting following the Halloween Carnival.

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We need two volunteers to organize this year's ghostly gala,

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Principal Hawthorne announced, his bushy eyebrows raised expectantly. The room

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fell silent. Emma slouched in her chair, hoping to become invisible.

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I'll do it, a familiar voice rang out. Emma's head

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snapped up to see Jack Cooper, looking annoyingly handsome in

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a flannel shirt. His hand raised, Principal Hawthorne beamed excellent.

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Now we just need one more. Before Emma could stop herself,

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her hands shot up. I'll help, she blurted out, immediately

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wondering what possessed her to volunteer for yet another Halloween event.

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Jack caught her eye across the room, flashing that infectious

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grin that made her heart skip a beat. Looks like

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we make a good team, Miss Johnson. And that's how

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Emma found herself drowning in Halloween paraphernalia. With Jack Cooper

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due to arrive any minute to finalize their gala plans.

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The doorbell rang, sending Emma into a panic. She scrambled

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to shove decorations aside, creating a small clear space on

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the table. I'll get it, so, he thundered down the stairs,

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her witch's hat askew. Emma heard the door open, followed

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by excited chatter. She smoothed her hair, took a deep breath,

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and stepped into the hallway. Jack stood in the entryway,

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his dark hair tousled by the autumn wind. Next to

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him was Max, clutching a familiar looking pumpkin. Hi, Emma,

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Jack said, his warm brown eyes crinkling at the corners.

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Hope you don't mind, but Max insisted on coming along.

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He's got a surprise for Zoe. Max stepped forward, holding

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out the pumpkin. Remember the one that exploded at the carnival. Well,

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Dad and I fixed it up for you, guys. Zoe

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squealed with delight, taking the pumpkin carefully. It's perfect. Come on, Max,

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let's go put it on the porch. As the kids

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dashed off, Emma found herself alone with Jack. She gestured

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toward the dining room. Shall we tackle this Halloween hurricane.

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For the next hour, they sorted through decorations, trading ideas

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for the gala. Emma was surprised at how easily conversation

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flowed between them. Jack's enthusiasm for all things spooky was infectious,

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and she found herself getting caught up in his elaborate

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plans for a haunted photo booth and a midnight masquerade dance. So,

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Jack said casually, as they untangled a string of ghostly lights,

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Have you thought about your costume for the gala? Emma froze.

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In the whirlwind of planning, she had completely forgotten about

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her own outfit. I am not really, she admitted. I'm

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not big on dressing up. Jack's eyebrows shot up in

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mock horror. Not big on dressing up at the ghostly gala.

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That's practically sacrilege and mystic falls. Emma felt her cheeks

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grow warm. I just I guess I've never found the

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right costume, something that feels like me, you know. Jack's

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expression softened. He set down the lights and turned to

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face her fully. What if we brainstorm together, There's got

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to be a perfect Halloween alter ego for Emma Johnson

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out there. As they tossed around ideas, everything from literary

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heroines to infamous historical figures. Emma found herself relaxing. Jack

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had a knack for making her laugh, for seeing possibilities

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where she saw obstacles. What about you, she asked, eventually,

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what's your go to Halloween costume? A shadow passed over

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Jack's face. Ah, well, I usually go as a classic monster, Dracula,

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Frankenstein's Monster, that sort of thing. It was kind of

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a tradition. With he trailed off, his eyes growing distant,

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Emma's heart clenched, remembering what Zoe had told her about

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Jack's late wife. With your wife, she asked softly. Jack

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nodded a sad smile, tugging at his lips. Sarah loved

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Halloween even more than I do. If you can believe it,

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she always said. There was magic in the air. On

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October thirty first, without thinking, Emma reached out and squeezed

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his hand. She sounds wonderful, she was, Jack said, his

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fingers intertwining with hers. For a moment, they stood there,

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connected by shared understanding and the whisper of something more.

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The spell was broken by a crash from the living room,

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followed by twin exclamations of oops from Zoe and Max.

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Emma and Jack sprang apart, both laughing nervously. We should

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probably yeah, definitely, Jack agreed. As they went to investigate

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the damage. Emma felt a warmth spreading through her chest.

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For the first time in years, she was actually looking

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forward to a costume party. The next few weeks passed

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in a blur of gala preparations. Emma found herself spending

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more and more time with Jack, their planning sessions often

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stretching late into the evening. They fell into an easy rhythm,

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complimenting each other's strengths and balancing out their weaknesses. Emma

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discovered a talent for organization and logistics, while Jack's creative

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brought their haunted ballroom vision to life. Together, they transformed

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town Hall into a spectral wonderland, complete with floating candles,

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a graveyard lounge, and a dance floor that seemed to

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ripple like mist beneath your feet. As the big night approached,

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Emma felt a mix of excitement and nerves. She had

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finally settled on a costume, a celestial themed gown that

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made her feel equal parts elegant and mysterious, but a

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part of her worried about seeing Jack outside of their

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planning bubble. Would things be different at the gala. The

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night of the event arrived, Crisp and clear stars twinkled

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overhead as Emma made her way up the town hall steps,

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her silver flecked gown shimmering in the moonlight. She paused

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at the entrance, taking a deep breath. Look like you

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could use this, a familiar voice said. Emma turned to

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see Jack, looking dashing in a Victorian style suit complete

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with a sweeping cape. He held out a glass of

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what looked like smoking punch. Thanks, Emma said, Taking a sip.

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The sweet, spicy liquid sent warmth spreading through her. You

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clean up nice, mister Cooper. Let me guess Dracula. Jack grinned,

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revealing a pair of remarkably realistic fangs. The one and only,

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and you must be the night Sky personified. Emma laughed,

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doing a little twirl. Close. I'm going for Queen of

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the Cosmos too much, not at all, Jack said, softly,

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his eyes twinkling. It suits you perfectly. They stood there

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for a moment, the sounds of the party drifting out

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around them. Emma felt that familiar flutter in her stomach,

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stronger now than ever before, so Jack said, offering his arm.

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Shall we brave the ghostly gala together? Emma smiled, linking

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her arm through his. I thought you'd never ask. As

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they stepped into the transformed town hall, Emma gasped. Their

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vision had come to life in spectacular fashion. Ghostly projections

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danced across the walls, while enchanted looking instruments played a

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haunting melody. Costumed partygoers twirled on the misty dance floor,

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their laughter mingling with the spooky sound effects. We did it,

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Emma breathed, taking it all in, we make a pretty

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good team. Jack agreed, squeezing her hand. For the next

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few hours, Emma found herself swept up in the magic

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of the night. She and Jack made the rounds, accepting

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compliments on the decorps and joining in the various Halloween

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games they had set up. Emma was surprised to find

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herself actually enjoying the costume contest and the bobbing for

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poison apples station. As the clock neared midnight, Jack pulled

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her onto the dance floor. I believe I promised you

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a dance, my cosmic queen, he said with a bow.

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Emma laughed, letting him spin her into his arms. As

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they swayed to the music, She felt a sense of

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contentment wash over her. Here in this moment, everything felt right.

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Jack's eyes met hers, and Emma felt her breath catch.

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He leaned in his lips just inches from hers. Suddenly,

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a blood curdling scream rang out. Emma and Jack jumped apart,

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turning to see a figure in a tattered white dress

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standing in the center of the room. Beware, the figure wailed,

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its voice echoing unnaturally. The veil is thin, and the

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spirits walk among you. For a moment, the party fell silent.

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Then someone started to applaud, and soon the room erupted

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in cheers. Bravo. Principal Hawthorne called out, what a wonderful

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addition to our ghostly gala. Who was responsible for this

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surprise performance? Emma and Jack exchanged bewildered looks. That wasn't

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part of our plan, Emma whispered, no. Jack agreed, his

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brow furrowed it wasn't. As the party resumed around them,

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Emma couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted the

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almost kiss hung between them, electric and unresolved, and the

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mysterious apparition. Was it just an unplanned performance or something more.

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One thing was certain, this Halloween season was far from over,

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and Emma had a feeling the real magic was just beginning.

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Romance Weekly is a production of Calaroga Shark Media executive

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producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast

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