The Gates Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ghost

This story starts with the Big Bang (as that seems like a good place to start) and the evils that were contained within along with all of the good things. Quite simply, there are evils beyond this world and on one Halloween night, they were on the verge of being unleashed.

On October the 28th, however, Samuel Johnson arrives at Mr. Abernathy's house dressed as a ghost and ready to trick-or-treat. With his dachshund, Boswell, in tow he plans to get a head-start and show initiative. Mr. Abernathy, confused by this plan, turns him away at the door though. Mr. Abernathy soon returns to his basement where others are waiting in black robes, standing around a five-pointed star on the floor. These people include his wife and Doris and Reginald Renfield, and all of them are bored and looking for fun, and because Mrs. Abernathy purchased a rare book bound in leather containing words in a long-forgotten language, they feel the urge to join together and chant in the basement. This does not bode well.

Under a mountain in Europe, Victor and Ed, two scientists, are playing "Battleship" while taking care of the gigantic Hadron Collider. At one point, a spark flies off the anomaly inside the vacuum and it is captured on screen. The two of them are unable to track it and when they search the past data for it, they find that someone is replacing the code onscreen right before their very eyes as if to cover it up.

What they don't know is that this is the doing of Satan himself, also known as the Great Malevolence, as he tries to plot his escape from the Underworld. This is his first move.

Answer: Stephanie

Samuel and Boswell don't want to go back home quite yet after visiting the Abernathys' and getting rejected on their early Halloween so they decide to wait out and contemplate the recent events in their lives--Samuel's parents split up; his teacher thinks he's odd; he'll have to go back to the babysitter. Things don't look up until an odd light and odour emanate from the Abernathy household at 666 Crowley Road. They have to check it out.

When they arrive, the find that the Abernathy couple and the Renfields have opened a small, blue portal in the center of the room. When Evelyn Abernathy looks in, she sees a foggy land and two gates but she is pulled in by an odd force. Samuel and Boswell watch as a figure takes her shape in the corner of the room, and while this being looks like Evelyn, it is more radiant and beautiful. The others in the basement are told that inside the portal are the Gates of Hell and that there are only four days left before they shall open it; they're pulled inside and their bodies are replicated too. Samuel and Boswell flee for their home, avoiding being seen. Of course, they run into Stephanie, the babysitter, who sends him straight to his room. Samuel tries to stay awake to tell his mother about the demons in the Abernathys' house, but he falls asleep.

Oh! And that spark from the Hadron Collider? It created a hole in the Gates of Hell, behind which the Great Malevolence waited to emerge. The opening allowed lesser demons to venture out and enact the first steps of a master plan. Unfortunately, it also opened a hole through which a creature named Nurd, Scourge of Five Deities, could be freed. This is a short-lived venture to the world of humans though. He's quickly sucked up by a vacuum and sent back.

Back in Europe, Victor and Ed try to figure out the anomaly with a man named professor Hilbert who makes it his mission to decipher the clearly recreated code (which he believes to be in a language of another universe). Of course, he turns off the hadron collider to do so, and this seriously diminishes the wormhole in the Abernathys' basement. The demon possessing Mrs. Abernathy, meanwhile, decides to explore the human world a little bit.

Answer: Under his bed

The next morning, Samuel realizes that he must tell his mother about the Abernathys, the Gates of Hell, the demons, and everything else, and when he does, he's surprised that she doesn't believe him, even though all he says is true. His mother seems to think that it has to do with his father not being around, but she says that she'll always be there for him and he doesn't need to ask for attention. Down the street, Mrs. Abernathy dines on a postal worker and the rest of the possessed bodies begin to decompose. Mrs. Abernathy fears that Samuel may know too much and that he may need to be silenced.

Samuel stays home and searches 'Hell' on his computer while his mother heads to the supermarket and, to her surprise, runs into Mrs. Abernathy who is uncharacteristically blue, soaked in perfume, and wearing quite the fancy black overcoat. She tries to be polite and lets it slip that Samuel mentioned her earlier but Evelyn steps in close and grabs Mrs. Johnson's shoulder. When she returns home, she can't remember exactly who she saw or where she went. She heads straight to bed.

Samuel tries to sleep but is distracted by a frightening squishing sound under his bed. When he tricks the creature by dangling a sock near the edge, he tells it to come out and it reveals that it's a free-roaming ectoplasmic entity. Not only that, but it's a demon, and quite new at the job. It remains under the bed though, unable to grab Samuel unless he gets off the bed. When it states that it feeds off psychic wavelengths to turn itself into the scariest shape imaginable, Samuel discovers that this trick is not easy to perform, finds out that Mrs. Abernathy sent it so that it could eat him or drag him to the depths of Hell, and convinces it that it'd be best if it left. It does.

Answer: Jellybeans

In Europe, Professor Hilbert speaks with his superior, Professor Stefan, about the existence of the portal in the Hadron Collider and he states that they know it must exist, and still be open, because they can hear it speaking. When they investigate the sounds hidden under the static created by the portal, they hear a low whispering in Aramaic which, when translated, says "Fear me..."

Nurd, meanwhile, tries to remember what happened before he was transported spontaneously between worlds. At this point, after a loud pop, it happens again. This time, on the other side, he finds himself on a road with large, metallic beasts. One of these hits him.

Samuel sees Nurd get hit by the truck from his bedroom window and thinks it's best not to say anything; who would believe him?

In his wasteland, Nurd returns only to be sent back immediately. This time he arrives in Samuel's bedroom, surprising Samuel and Boswell and causing him to cower. Soon, Samuel and Boswell realize that Nurd isn't too bad a demon and Nurd comes to enjoy the human world for its sunlight, fast-moving metal things, and jellybeans. They discuss their lives for a bit and Samuel mentions Mrs. Abernathy's house before Nurd is spontaneously sent back to his wasteland again. Samuel gives him the bag of jellybeans before he goes. When Nurd shows up back in the wasteland, he offers Wormwood, his only companion, a jellybean.

Answer: Into the toilet

At the local Church of St. Timidus (named after a rather timid man who later became a saint after he caused a cave-in, and where a Bishop named Bernard the Bad was buried many years ago) Samuel approaches Reverend Ussher, who isn't really pleased to see him, and asks him if he believes in Hell. This question doesn't go too well and the Reverend is pulled away. Before Samuel leaves, Mrs. Abernathy beckons to him from near a church wall and he decides to go over to speak to her. She asks him some questions and he tries to be brave, even when she says she'll kill his dog and threatens him with eternal damnation. He's able to pull himself away from her before she departs. Since no one will listen, he decides someone his own age might better understand.

At home, Samuel gets a call from his father who (surprise!) doesn't believe him either. When his Mom takes the phone, she discovers that Samuel's dad wants a divorce and that he's buying a new house. She asks Samuel to go to bed early and not to read about demons and Hell.

That night, Samuel and Boswell awaken to find a lurking darkness in the room. Boswell bites it while Samuel grabs it with his hands and the two of them wrestle with it before carrying it to the bathroom and flushing it speedily down the toilet. When they look outside, they see a figure similar to Mrs. Abernathy fleeing down the street.

The next morning over breakfast, Samuel watches a small, portable television in the kitchen and hears a report about the energy lost from the Hadron Collider in Switzerland. When he finds out the time of its occurrence, he decides to find a way to call them-- these things can't be coincidence. When he checks their website he doesn't find a number; he finds an 'Ask the Experts' submission form. He fills it in, scans a picture he drew of the portal, and sends it in.

Samuel meets with two of his best friends, Tom and Maria, and tells them everything. Even though it's hard to believe, they decide that the only way to prove that it's all true is by going to the Abernathy house before they head out trick or treating. It is Halloween now, after all.

Answer: Mrs. Renfield

As it starts to get dark out, Samuel, Tom, Maria, and Boswell head to the Abernathy household to investigate and they all agree that something feels odd. When they approach the basement window, Maria is the first to notice that it and the other windows of the house are covered in a blue tinge, almost like a security system. The three humans head to the back of the house while Boswell waits, tied to a gate. At the back, they look inside to find the bodies of Mr. Abernathy and Mr and Mrs. Renfield sitting, bloated, in the living room. This is when Mrs. Abernathy returns to find Boswell leashed to the gate. Boswell is able to escape just in time before her pincers nip at him and while he hides under a car, she emits a high-pitched squeal, alerting her fellow demons. The kids are able to escape Mrs. Abernathy and the other three demons by distracting them with a rock and broken bottles; they head out the garden gate and down the street. Mrs. Abernathy realizes that it's still not quite time to usher the Great Malevolence into this world, but the time is close at hand. Heading to the basement, Mrs. Abernathy is forced to dispatch Mrs. Renfield in an attempted power struggle. Mrs. Abernathy is easily able to overcome this and she tells her master that the time must be soon as a child has spread the word.

A certain Dr. Planck appears at Samuel's house upon the request of the scientists at CERN. He asks to see the Abernathy house and wanders over on his own accord. When Mrs. Abernathy answers the door, he smells rotten eggs and sees the blue glow in the basement. She tells him to run, so he does. In Switzerland, the Hadron Collider starts back up on its own.

In the basement at 666, the portal opens wider and the gates begin to melt away. The first wave of demons, no more than skulls with wings, emerge and Mrs. Abernathy instructs them to kill the three children. Back at Samuel's house, they're attacked by these very creatures but Tom fends them off with a cricket bat. Samuel's mother finally believes his stories about demons from Hell.

Nurd returns to Earth just as more demons begin to emerge from the portal. Beginning his visit with a trip into a manhole, he recovers to steal a Porsche from a local dealership and hurries down the road.

Answer: Halloween candy is stolen

Demons soon start cropping up all over town. Some the size of taxis try to eat locals (but find it difficult to do so when confronted with foul perfume) while others call the humans offensive names and trample flowerbeds in an irritating manner. It becomes clear, however, that the humans can easily, even accidentally defend themselves. At the local church, the long-buried Bernard the Bad rises from his tomb as gargoyles descend from the roof to herald the end of the world.

Nurd, driving his stolen Porsche erratically and through a number of red lights, gets the attention of the local police, who maneuver to keep him at the side of the road. Thinking that Nurd is wearing a Halloween costume, they don't recognize that he is, in fact, a demon. After realizing that Nurd has no license and that the car is stolen, they take him to the station.

Another couple of demons make their way to the local pub and indulge in some local fare (including free beer). This, of course, leads to demon insobriety and not world domination as initially planned. Mrs. Abernathy is highly disappointed with these two (among other demons) and decides that the Johnson boy must be to blame. Luckily, she knows what frightens him most.

Answer: Spiders

The local police station finds itself under attack by winged, lizard-bodied women and Nurd remains en route in the back of a police cruiser. The cops holding down the fort manage to fight off these hideous creatures with little more than perfume and a pointy hat. In the cruiser, Nurd spots some strange goings-on along the way and proves to the cops that he's a demon by splitting his head in half. The cops are very confused and shocked by this but Nurd explains that Hell is breaking free and he can be of use to them (possibly because he can return to Hell). He says that there's a portal nearby consisting of blue energy shortly before the police radio is destroyed by a bolt of the very same matter.

Samuel, his mother, Maria, and Tom continue to fight off Mrs. Abernathy's demonic creatures at the Johnson household while at the local church, Bernard the Bad continues to rise from his tomb. Unfortunately the stone on top is a bit heavy. The vicar and verger watch as more of the dead-- mostly mean people-- come back to life outside. These people just happen to be criminals buried off the consecrated church grounds. Go figure.

Mrs. Abernathy seals off the town with an invisible barrier in preparation for the Great Malevolence's return and she instructs what was once Mr. Abernathy and Mr. Renfield to hunt down Samuel and bring him face to face with his greatest fear: spiders.

Dr. Planck returns to the Johnson household just as the power in the town flickers out. Samuel recounts the past few days and the scientist realizes that if this is truly a wormhole, there must be a way to put an end to it. They all decide that there must be a way to make the portal unstable and that this can likely be done by sending something through to the other side. They just need to find a way to do it...and someone willing enough to go.

Answer: Tea and a biscuit

Back at the church, the verger and the vicar deal with a pyramid of skeletons breaking into the windows before focusing their attention on a newly-risen Bishop Bernard (the Bad) who finally escapes his tomb. Luckily, he's been dead for many years. A single blow splits him in half before they whack him with pokers and stop his advances. The police arrive soon after, hitting several skeletons on their way. When they come to help the men in the church, they find that Nurd is getting away. Ah well...

Nurd decides it'd be best to get back to his desolate wasteland. When the Great Malevolence does emerge from Hell, it'd be a good idea to stay banished where he was and not suffer for eternity. On his way to somehow get back, he washes himself off in a pond already occupied by a rather friendly demon and he eventually makes his way to the blue energy at Crowley Road where creatures that appear as none other than the Great Malevolence's lieutenant's minions walk the street. Nurd hides behind a bush which turns out to be on the Johnson property and Samuel invites him in. Samuel's mother shows sympathy for Nurd by offering tea and a biscuit, and he begins to cry. Judging from Nurd's teleportation stories, they all hatch a plan to stop the Great Malevolence from showing up. All they need is a car.

The plan is cut short when Mrs. Abernathy's assistants, also known as Ba'al's minions, also known as the servants of the Great Malevolence's lieutenant, arrive.

Answer: Nurd

The gang decides to place Nurd under a blanket with two holes cut out for eyes and to enact their plan, they use Samuel's father's car. Nurd departs with it and comes across Ba'al's toad demon, Naroth, who jumps onto the hood and spits an acidic substance on the windshield. When Nurd stops the car abruptly, he's able to make short work of the demon by running it over.

Back at the house, Samuel is forced to confront the spider demon, Chelom, who embodies one of his greatest fears. Luckily, Tom and Maria have already sprung into action. Using a toy bow and sharpened arrows and a solution of ammonia and water, they kill the creature before it can do any damage. Mrs. Abernathy is furious with this.

Nurd prepares to enter the portal with the Aston Martin given to him and he sees Samuel approach Mrs. Abernathy who, in her rage, converts to her true form as Ba'al and threatens to destroy him. The demon lieutenant attacks Boswell, tossing him into the air and breaking his leg, and Samuel, in fear and anger, throws a brick at it. The brick lands in Ba'al's mouth and surprisingly begins to asphyxiate it. This provides Nurd with the distraction he needs, allowing him to drive the car into the portal and reverse its flow, sucking all of the demons (including Ba'al) back to Hell.

Everything slowly returns to normal, although odd occurrences still keep happening in the local pond. One month after Halloween, Samuel sees the figure of Mrs. Abernathy in a mirror as she writes out 'this is not over'. Nurd and the Aston Martin make it back to his 'kingdom' in one piece. He and Wormwood decide to go for a joyride to see what lies beyond their infinite desolation.