31 Hellish Halloween Tales (Part Two) (Tales 9-21)

*Part Two of my story “31 Hellish Halloween Tales”. See part one in my folder “31 Halloween Tales”. Gacha Club character designs are on my wall. Enjoy!*

Tale Nine-Conductor clown Clover

In the town of Cherry Brook, in 1943, there was a little circus called: “Circe’s Cherry Circus” in the middle of the woods. It was the first ever circus that would come to the town and it was owned by Angelese Circe, known to the public as “Circe”.

There, in the circus were ballerinas, trapeze artists, clowns, animals, and one particular clown by the name of Clover. Clover was the conductor of the circus train. She drove people to and from the circus.

Clover never spoke, but always tipped her hat off to visitors and smiled. Besides Circe, she was the first person to arrive and the last person to leave. Her blue eyes had seen many horrors, horrors that she would not speak of.

For when the crowds of people weren’t around, Circe would reach into the bodies of the performers and pull out a bone, which she would eat as a snack. It wouldn’t be long before they would die and get replaced with new performers.

If anyone protested, she’d come after their families and eat their bones instead. Clover was never targeted, she was only the silent conductor.

Deep down, Clover believed in the good of mankind. She saw that Circe struggled once in her life, that Circe needed help and trust. Many times, Clover had extended her hand for friendship, but Circe only scoffed and walked away.

It went that way for a few months, until October 31st, 1943.

It was night when it happened. No one else but the performers were around. The moon was shining through the tree branches, illuminating Circe and Alexis. Alexis was a young boy, only twelve years old, who performed as a clown. Circe was trying to reach into his chest with a desperate hand, Alexis kept pushing her away, pleading with her to leave him alone.

Clover watched from the train, clawed hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. Alexis’ cries and Circe’s demands filled the night air.

“I just want your bones, Alexis. It’s not going to hurt. Just listen to me!” Circe screeched.

Alexis, who had seen friends of his die to her, only pushed her hand away and tried to run off.

Circe grabbed his hand, pulled him close and demanded in a low growl:

“Stop running.”

Alexis looked around wildly, trying to find someone, anyone, to help him. He couldn’t break free from her grip. Her nails were seeping into his skin, drawing blood. It would only be a matter of time before she pulled out a few of his bones and he would fall to the Earth, another life form destined to rot.

Wait…was that…Clover?

Clover placed a hand on Circe’s shoulder, smiling softly at Alexis. Circe turned around sharply, glaring at Clover as she did so.

“What’s the matter with you? Do you have a problem now?” Circe asked impatiently. Clover was so good with staying out of the way, why was she breaking out of that habit?

Clover simply pushed Circe to the grass. Alexis’ jaw dropped, for with the gangly figure that Clover had, she shouldn’t have been able to push Circe to the ground. But she did. She pushed Circe to the ground.

Clover pointed at Alexis and then covered her ears. Alexis didn’t understand at first, but when she did it again, he knew.

Alexis covered his ears, just as she wanted him to.

Clover gave him a thumbs up before walking over to Circe, who was just beginning to get up.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t you back at the train?“ Circe asked once she stood up, annoyed at Clover for leaving the train.

Clover faced Circe, so that they were eye to eye. Clover never, ever frowned at anyone, but in that moment, she did. Her eyes, for the first time, held burning and churning hints of despair and anger.

It was the last thing Circe saw before Clover screamed. Clover’s voice was a tantalizing, haunting, high symphony of the Heavens. From Clover’s back came white, feathery wings with tips of blood at the end that covered the writhing body of Circe. A rose pink and lavender violet light surrounded Clover, burning Circe in lavender violet and rose pink fire.

Finally, when there was nothing left of Circe but the colorful flames, Clover folded her wings back into her back, skin melding into the feathers as if she didn’t have any wings and turned to the stunned boy with a smile.

Clover extended her hand towards Alexis. Something inside him was telling Alexis not to run, to take her hand.

He accepted Clover’s hand. Clover nodded at him and again, just as he knew to stay with her, he knew that she was going to find the others and drive them away in her train.

As terrifying as it looked, Clover had saved his life. She was going to take all of the performers home.

Circe was no more.

Tale Ten-Be careful with what you wish for

In the town of Cherry Brook in 1982, there were two girls named Morrigan and Fawn. Morrigan often watched with envy as the school couples walked past them in the hallway, complete happiness on their faces. She and Fawn were both single, the only difference between them was that Fawn didn’t care much.

“They seem so happy together. Don’t you want that?” Morrigan would ask.

Then, Fawn would say:

“There’s nothing bad with being single. You don’t know what goes on with them.”

Fawn would do this in an attempt to comfort Morrigan, but it would never work. She’d watch the couples smile at each other and feel as though no one wanted her, as though she weren’t good enough.

One bright sunny afternoon, when the girls ate lunch in the courtyard, Morrigan plucked a weed from the ground and said:

“I wish for a boyfriend. I don’t care who he is, I just want a boyfriend.”

She blew on the weed and watched the little white feathery things fly in the air, away from the Earth.

…………………………………………………….

Besides the wish on a weed, the day had been normal and ordinary, without anything strange happening. Morrigan said goodbye to Fawn after school ended and both went home their separate ways.

As Morrigan walked home, she sensed a chill in the air. It was cold in October, but the chill she was feeling wasn’t natural. It felt alien, like someone was watching her.

She looked around. Not a single person in sight. Only Cape Cod houses lining the street.

“Hey you!” A voice called out.

Morrigan jumped. The voice was right behind her. She didn’t expect anyone else to be around, usually it was just her walking home in that particular street.

“I’m talking to you!” The voice said. No one else was around but her and the person.

Morrigan turned around, for the person wouldn’t stop talking.

Standing behind her was a boy, around her age, with white hair that almost covered his deathly pale face. Only one large, glassy white eye was seen through the sheath of hair. He wore a cotton blue long-sleeved nightgown that swept on the ground.

“Can you help me find my way home?” The boy asked. His voice was a hushed, ghostlike whisper.

“Sure, where do you live?” Morrigan asked. She had never seen the boy before in her life, but if he needed help, then she would give it.

“Somewhere around here. I forgot. Can you hold my hand while we walk?” The boy asked.

He forgot where he lived? How could that be so? How could anyone forget where he lived?

Nevertheless, Morrigan took his hand. Perhaps he was just confused.

…………………………………………………….

“Did you just move here? I don’t think that I know you.” Morrigan said. She and the boy were still walking to his home, not a single other person in sight.

The boy sighed, glassy eye looking off into the distance. Then, he said:

“I did. This is my first time here. I’m December. What’s your name? You look pretty enough to be an Inclementia.”

Morrigan blushed. Inclementia sounded like a foreign, mythical name, far too fairy-tale like for her.

But it was a nice thing to say.

“I’m Morrigan.” She replied.

December smiled. A sweet, charming smile that revealed sharp, white, ghoulish teeth.

“Morrigan. That’s still a nice name. Say, do you believe in faeries?” December asked.

Did she believe in faeries? Of course she did! They were creatures of the garden, memories of childhood. She loved their mystery, but she couldn’t speak of them much, because who believed in faeries in high school?

“Yes, I do. Why do you ask?” Morrigan asked him.

December shrugged.

“I don’t know. It just came into my mind. Do you like Halloween?” He asked.

Morrigan almost jumped up and down, but stopped herself. She mustn’t get too excited in front of him or else he would think that she was “too weird.”

“I love Halloween! The decorations, the costumes. It’s so much fun! For once, everyone comes together to make mischief and joy. The children may be terrified, but they’ll remember it fondly when they’re older. I know that’s what happened to me.” Morrigan said.

Just as soon as she said the words, she regretted them. What kind of a person would care that much about faeries and Halloween? He probably thought that she was crazy or annoying. He probably wished that he hadn’t said anything at all.

“Am I talking too much?” Morrigan asked.

December chuckled and shook his head.

“No, no. Not at all. I like hearing you talk, you’ve got interesting things to say.” December said.

“Thanks.” Morrigan said.

On the inside, she was bursting with elation! Fawn didn’t want to talk about the odd things that crossed Morrigan’s mind, for it was no interest to her. Fawn was a good friend, but she was too…normal. She needed to indulge a little, Morrigan thought.

“Your boyfriend is probably never bored with you.” December said.

Morrigan laughed, a beaming, cheerful sound that rivaled the sun’s radiance.

“Boyfriend? Boyfriend? Now, that’s new! I don’t have a boyfriend.” Morrigan said. No one ever cared to ask her if she had a boyfriend, so why was he asking her then?

December stopped walking.

“Well then, if it pleases you so, can I be your boyfriend?” December asked.

Where was he from, a book? The boys she knew didn’t talk that way and usually mocked Morrigan for opening her mouth and saying something “stupid”.

“Yes! Yes, of course!” Morrigan said, bouncing up and down. She couldn’t hide it any longer. After so many years of watching the other couples at her school, she would finally have a partner of her own.

“Great! Now, would you like to go to the forest together?” December asked.

Morrigan blinked. She had been so engrossed with the conversation that she hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going.

They were right in front of the Cherry Brook forest.

“Sure, why not? It won’t be long.” Morrigan said, shrugging. She had been to the forest before, with Fawn. She knew the way around. She knew the way back.

It would just be a quick excursion.

…………………………………………………….

They had been walking for a while, filling the air with many wonderful and frightening things that they spoke of.

Suddenly, December stopped and said:

“I hope you know that I’m doing this for us.”

“This walk through the woods? Yes, I know. It’s marvelous!” Morrigan gushed.

December shook his head.

“That’s not what I meant.”

December pushed back his hair and revealed pale skin sewn over the right side of his face, a side that should have shown his eye. His mouth was a jagged set of the same teeth that had grinned at Morrigan earlier, except that in that moment, she didn’t find them adorable, she found them threatening.

“I’ll think of you every time I get hungry again. I’ll remember how you taste each night. I won’t forget you, Morrigan. You won’t forget me. After you die, your spirit will be absorbed into my body. You and me will be together forever.” December said softly.

What…what? Was he really going to…eat her?

“What are you?” Morrigan asked.

“A faerie.” December said.

Before she could turn and run, December pounced on Morrigan, as a cat would with a mouse and pinned her to the ground. He plunged his claw into Morrigan’s chest, digging deep for her heart.

Morrigan screamed a choked, gargled scream filled with blood, but only the animals hiding in the forest heard her. Not a single human soul was around.

Tale Eleven-The Princess bed

Once, in the town of Cherry Brook, there was a little girl named Olympia who was staying with her at Grandma’s house while her parents were out for the day. Olympia knew her Grandma well and was excited to spend time with her.

When Olympia arrived at the front door, Grandma swept her up in her arms and gave her a fierce hug. The little girl giggled and together, they walked inside.

……………………………………………………

Everything in the house was the same, from the flower wallpaper to the ceramic floral plates. Not a single thing about the house had changed. Great.

Grandma walked up the creaky wooden stairs. Olympia followed behind her. The house still smelled like Grandma’s rose perfume. Olympia smiled to herself. The scent was so nice, so pretty.

Grandma reached the upstairs floor and waited patiently for Olympia to cross the last step. After she made it through, they continued on.

“Are the dolls happy to see me?” Olympia asked. She always slept in the doll room. There was a total of five dolls in the room. One bride, one pigtailed girl, one girl in a sweater, one girl with a blanket, and one girl in a hat. Grandma said that they were there when she first bought the house. The dolls held the trapped souls of little girls. Grandma tried to help them, but to no avail.

So, she kept them in the room they liked best, the one with the window facing the garden, and treated them as if they were her daughters. The bride’s name was Autumn, the pigtailed girl’s name was Moriah, the blanket girl’s name was Lisha, the sweater girl’s name was Texas, and the hat girl’s name was Lycia. All five girls loved Grandma as a mother and all five girls loved Olympia as a friend.

“They’re always happy to see you.” Grandma replied.

They stood in front of the painted white door, the door Olympia recognized as her room.

Olympia, who couldn’t contain her excitement any longer, turned the knob on the door.

Sunlight streamed in through the white cotton curtains. The dolls waited on the shelf for her. Unread, ancient books were kept away in a much bigger shelf. But the bed…

The bed wasn’t the usual large blue bed. It was a narrow bed with soft, silky sheets, like a ghost.

“Why did you get a new bed?” Olympia asked. Though it looked normal enough, it gave her an awful, clawing sense of dread.

“The old one broke down. This new one used to be the bed of Princess Timandra. Her family founded this town, you know. Legend has it that Timandra was poisoned and died in that bed. Spooky, isn’t it?” Grandma asked.

Normally, Olympia would have nodded, with a grin on her face. After all, she loved a good ghost story.

But for some reason, she felt…odd. Like death was closer than necessary.

“It’s alright, Olympia. It’s just a story, made to scare people.” Grandma said, placing a loving hand on her shoulder.

“Yes, sure. A story.” Olympia said weakly.

It was just a story, there was nothing to worry about. What was she going to do, embarrass herself by asking to sleep in Grandma’s room?

No. She would sleep in the doll room, as she always did. The dolls would keep her company, so nothing bad would happen.

……………………………………………………

Night had fallen. Olympia was sleeping on the soft bed, wearing her favorite white nightgown. The dolls watched her with innocent eyes, the moon shone calmly through her window. Nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Perhaps Olympia could simply drift off to sleep…close her eyes…rest for a moment…

The bed felt as though it were sinking, falling into the Earth. Olympia screamed, but Grandma didn’t come up. The ceiling was growing farther from her sight.

The dolls extended their little hands for Olympia to take. She tried grabbing Autumn’s hand, but alas, a doll’s hand is too small for a human’s.

All five of them decided to jump on the bed with Olympia. Together, they sunk to the ground.

……………………………………………………

They found themselves not below the house, but in a forest littered with dead leaves and beaming with Fall afternoon sunlight. Bare trees reached out desperately towards the sky, grasping for the beyond.

Olympia slipped off the bed, the dolls following close behind her.

She felt something poking her on the head. Olympia took the thing poking her off and pulled off a wreath of white roses.

“It’s like a Princess crown.” Olympia commented, placing the wreath back on her head. It was just too pretty to get rid of.

“Run! Get back on the bed!” Texas yelled out.

Olympia looked left and right. What were the dolls so afraid of?

“Help me…” A hollow voice whispered through the leaves.

Olympia turned her head towards the voice.

Coming at her in full speed was the shadow of a Princess, reaching out for her. Olympia turned on her heel and tried to run, but as she was doing so, the cold fingers clasped her shoulder.

It all turned to bruised blackness.

The dolls I used for the characters:

Autumn:

Moriah:

Lisha:

Texas:

Lycia:

Tale Twelve-The lost souls

In the town of Cherry Brook, in the year of 1953, there was an elementary school built over what used to be “Circe’s Cherry Circus”. It was still standing in 1972 and was supposedly visited by the ghosts of the circus every day on Halloween, but again, they were just stories. Ghosts couldn’t possibly be real.

In the girl’s bathroom, it was said that a clown named Dakota and two little conjoined twin girls named Emberlynn and Juniper visited on October 31st.

On that day, girls tried to avoid the bathroom as much as they could, for they didn’t want to come across ghosts.

Until Halloween of 1972, when Brooklyn had first arrived to the school. She knew not of the ghosts and had thought that the bathroom would be an unassuming, hospital-sanitized place.

Well, it looked regular enough, save for the vanity painted in red and white stripes and lightbulbs decorating the frame of the mirror.

It was Dakota’s old mirror, from his trailer. His trailer was parked in the spot of the girl’s bathroom long ago. The school still kept some of the old circus memorabilia to “keep it alive”. Most students thought that it was creepy and weird of the school to do so.

Brooklyn wasn’t too bothered by it, though. She thought that the vanity looked nice in the bathroom, with no idea that it once belonged to Dakota.

She walked up to the sink, to wash her hands of the mud the boys threw at her. They did it to every new kid, without a care in the world.

The water was jarringly cold, like taking off gloves in Vermont when it was winter. It nipped at her flesh, but Brooklyn didn’t pull away. She had to get rid of the disgusting, mucky mud that squished when she folded her hands together.

Finally, after a while, she turned off the sink, only remaining dirt in her fingernails. That would come off in the shower.

Wait, what was that? In the mirror? Surely not…but it was plain as day!

Two little girls joined at the hip, in dresses that were carnival colors of gold and red, smiling right at her!

“Come with us! It’s so much fun!” They said.

“Come where?” Brooklyn asked. She didn’t turn around, she thought that they were students.

The girls faded away and reappeared close behind Brooklyn, each with a hand on her shoulder.

A clown appeared with them. All three grinned with such intensity that Brooklyn tried to break away, but they all stayed.

“To the afterlife, of course.” The clown said.

Everything around her faded into circus colors that swallowed her into a cascade of the haziness of fairgrounds. Her screams were lost in the funeral pipe organ music.

Tale Thirteen-The Creepy Weirdos Festival

The thirteenth of Fridays is a rare thing, a horror phenomenon that occurs when the time is right. But when it comes, so does The Creepy Weirdos Festival. Every Friday the thirteenth, without fail, The Creepy Weirdos Festival comes to the town of Cherry Brook.

It’s a loud, buzzy carnival, filled with people, rides, food, and monsters. Every year, a teenager goes missing. The year after that, there’s a new creature of the damned in The Creepy Weirdos Festival.

Rumor had it that the teenagers were turned into monsters. Apparently, teenagers were perfect, because they were young and spry, fresh meat for the picking, just like little children, but comprehensive of bigger things, like adults.

But of course, they were only rumors. Teenagers were teenagers and monsters were monsters. They were two very different things.

……………………………………………………

It was Friday the thirteenth of September, 1991. School had just ended in Cherry Brook high and all of the students were headed towards The Creepy Weirdos Festival. Lila and Debbie had just arrived, enchanted excitement in their eyes. It was their first time there, so they wanted to make the most of it.

“What should we do first?” Debbie asked, overwhelmed by the mischievous joy in the air. There was so much to do, so much to see!

Lila grinned at Debbie devilishly.

“You, my dear friend, are the person I love the most. So, as a token of my love, why don’t we ride The Tunnel of Love?” Lila asked, giggling a tad.

“That sounds like a most wonderful idea!” Debbie boomed.

Then, both girls laughed and linked arms, skipping off to The Tunnel of Love.

……………………………………………………

When both girls had made it to the pink-painted boats in The Tunnel of Love, they sat next to each other on the burgundy velvet cushions, giggling to themselves. How silly was it of them to ride The Tunnel of Love!

“Prepare to drift off into a land of romance.” A woman said in a sleepy, lulling voice.

Romance! Ha!

……………………………………………………

For a while, there was nothing but classical music of old and a few jumpscares that were designed to make the people in the seat cling to each other.

But then, the ride stopped moving. It was just “Technical difficulties, no need to worry.”

“Say, do you think there are any monsters in this water?” Lila asked.

“I don’t know, I should probably go look.” Debbie said, a joking smile on her face.

Debbie crawled to the other side and looked down at the murky, brown water.

“Oh nooo, there’s a big, scary-AHHH!”

Debbie was cut off by a rotting, maggot filled boy pulling her into the water. She screamed, trying to break away, but he held on. Lila tugged on her arm for a brief moment, but her grip slipped.

Debbie fell into the dirt-ridden water with a crashing splash, looking the boy right in his milky, dead eyes.

“I’ll keep you safe...“ He said in a rasping, groggy voice. Debbie recoiled, for his breath smelled of dying flies.

Something was pulling on her legs. It felt like suctions sucking on her flesh, clasping onto her like leeches.

From behind the boy, she could see…tentacles?

“Don’t worry, they’re my tentacles.” The boy said.

Debbie screamed, trying to grab Lila’s hand, but his tentacles held onto both of her hands.

“Don’t fight it…”

Both sank into the rancid river below, bubbles boiling at the surface.

*This story was based off a game me and my sibling used to play every Friday the thirteenth. It was my sibling’s idea. The game was called “The Creepy Weirdos Festival.” In the game, we would celebrate Friday the thirteenth with monsters. I decided to give it my own spin. I hope that you liked this story!*

Tale Fourteen-The nightmare

There were once two good friends in the town of Cherry Brook, 1982. Their names were Aisling and Adam. They were friends with each other since childhood, but in the years of adolescence, Adam had taken a liking to Aisling. He wished to be her one and only, her cherished boyfriend.

Adam never told her, though. He kept it secret, so as not to make things weird. He dreamt about Aisling often, imagining how she felt to hug…

But he couldn’t tell her, ever. He didn’t say anything when he first realized it and he wouldn’t say anything at the sleepover.

…………………………………………………….

Adam closed his eyes, letting sleep seize him. He was at Aisling’s house, in the guest bedroom. Annora and Alarica slept in sleeping bags in the living room, Adam was in the guest bedroom. Aisling’s parents just had to comment on how “strange” it was to have a boy in the house, as if it meant anything. They gave him puzzled looks before heading out.

Why did the parents always think, without fail, that a boy liked his girl best friend because they were of the opposite gender? It was so stupid and ancient, no one thought that anymore.

Sure, Adam liked Aisling, but that didn’t change the fact that it was wrong for them to assume.

No need to worry. He just had to sleep…

…………………………………………………….

Adam was in the Cherry Brook Halloween carnival. Monsters roamed the streets, sneering at all who entered.

But the scariest sight of all was the stilt-walker clown. The clown had blue curls that framed his pale face, purple lipstick that framed his lips in a heart shape pulled back to reveal sharp, white teeth that glinted in the orange string lights. His jumpsuit was orange and black stripes, the colors of All Hallows’ Eve.

The clown ran towards him, grinning even wider. Adam couldn’t move or scream, he was paralyzed from the waist down.

Finally, the clown grabbed Adam by the shoulders and opened his mouth wide. He bit into the flesh of Adam’s right cheek and-

“Adam!”

…………………………………………………….

Adam blinked back the sleep in his eyes. Aisling was sitting on the bed, her eyebrows creased in worry. He could feel the sweat crawl down his neck, around his body. Why did his right cheek hurt so much?

“Sorry about your cheek. That was my boyfriend, Candy Necklace. He doesn’t like it when other guys show interest in me. I knew he’d do something, that’s why I came down here.” Aisling said.

What? What did…what did she mean?

“That clown is your boyfriend?” Adam asked. How on Earth could a clown monster be her boyfriend?

“Y-yeah. He is. Now, come with me, I’ll get you to the bathroom. There’s a first aid kit inside.” Aisling said.

Adam got out of bed, still surprised. How did…how…

“How did you know that I liked you?” Adam asked.

“Candy Necklace knew. He told me and I believe him, because Number One, Candy Necklace physically cannot lie, and Number Two, you just admitted it.” Aisling said.

Was she mad? She didn’t seem so. She seemed calm and collected, like it didn’t bother her at all.

“It’s okay. We’re still friends. You never did anything strange, so that’s why. Let’s just not talk about this, okay?” Aisling asked.

Adam nodded dumbly. He was lucky enough to be alive, to not have died to…Candy Necklace. The thought gave him shivers.

His eyes drifted off to the mirror on the wall. If he could just get a good look at himself…

"I wouldn't look if I were you. It's pretty bad. Come on." Aisling said.

Adam's eyes drifted off  to the mirror again, but he tore them away. His right cheek felt like fire, he didn't want to see it gored away.

He simply got out of bed and followed Aisling to the bathroom, relieved to have lived through the nightmare.

Tale Fifteen-The farm

In the town of Cord Arboretum, there was a darkened house on a hill. In that house was a siren named Poppy, a vampire named Derek, and their daughters, Carmen and Maria. Carmen was eight years old, Maria was four years old.

Only their friends knew of what they truly were. The other townspeople didn’t suspect a thing.

At the moment, the entire family was in bed, for night had come upon Cord Arboretum, the time of sleep. They were lying in bed, but they weren’t actually sleeping, no. They were awake, thoughts of daily life creeping in their minds.

“Want to go out?” Derek asked. Poppy flinched a little, she hadn’t expected to hear his voice in the quiet.

“And do what?”

What could there possibly be for them to do in such a small town like Cord Arboretum?

“Go to that abandoned farm? Who knows, it could be fun!” Derek said.

“Why? Why do you want to go there?” Poppy asked. She didn’t mean for her voice to get slightly higher, but going to the farm was just ridiculous.

“Because you’re scared of it and I want you to face your fears. Besides, it could be fun for the whole family.”

“The whole family?!”

“Yes, we’re bringing the kids.” Derek said.

“No way, they’re too young!” Poppy argued.

Why would Derek ever think that going to the abandoned farm with the ghosts of the Marsville family be a good idea?

“It’s just a house filled with the ghosts of humans. What’s the worst that can happen? We had more terrible things going on in our past.” Derek said.

Poppy thought of her teen years when she ran for her life, hid away, free ragging her chest.

“Fine. But only for a little bit.” Poppy said.

……………………………………………………

The four of them walked into the farmhouse. Dust and cobwebs were in every corner, something fell every other minute. Derek held a flashlight, Poppy held the hands of the children. While they could see in the dark, it comforted the little girls to have light present.

“So what’s the story behind this place?” Derek asked. He hadn’t been to Cord Arboretum when the Marsville family was alive and Poppy only heard of the story from Ashley, but still, she couldn’t explain the whole thing in front of the kids.

“A very bad thing killed them.” Poppy said. That was all she would say. She’d tell Derek the rest later, if they got out alive.

“What’s that?” Maria asked, a note of fear in her voice.

“What’s what?” Derek asked. He followed his eyes to where Maria was looking at and…

A hulking, morphing black ball moved and contorted, emitting the feelings of a sickness that would never end deep into their skulls.

It reached its tendrils towards the children, who shrank away, behind Poppy.

“Let’s go.” Poppy said through gritted teeth.

Derek joined her, both sized up the creature. It would take some time, but they could trap it if they just-

“It’s trying to eat me!” Maria screamed.

A black, long tentacle wrapped around Maria’s waist and tried to pull her into its venomous, infinite mouth, but Carmen kept pulling on Maria’s arm, trying to bring her close.

Poppy didn’t think. She pounced at the tentacle and bit into it, rotten liquid spilling into her mouth.

Maria fell in Carmen’s arms, shaking and sobbing.

All four made a run for it, back to the car.

But Poppy and Derek weren’t done. They couldn’t leave a creature like that in a place that could be stumbled upon. They had to kill it, without the children involved.

They needed Ashley.

*This story above was from my “Poppy” series, under my folder “Some scary-ish stories.” The origins are in my folder “More origin stories!”*

Tale Sixteen-Flesh creature

This morning was weird.

I woke up at 4:45 AM because I felt weak. Like I was about to throw up. I ran upstairs, to my parents’ bedroom so I could get help, but I threw up right in the middle of the stairs. Last night’s dinner of chorizo, all gone. We aren’t Mexican, Mom just likes to make different foods.

Mom and Dad came down to help me. Mom cleaned up the mess, Dad told me to take a shower, which I did.

But when I went in the shower, I noticed that my skin was reallyyyy white, as white as a tissue. I couldn’t believe that my parents didn’t seem to notice, didn’t seem to care.

After I cleaned myself up in the shower and changed my clothes in my room, Dad walked in with a plate of meat. It smelled absolutely disgusting, like spoiled milk. I asked him what it was and he just told me to eat it.

So I did. I ate the disgusting smelling meat and liked it. It was better than anything Mom cooked, better than anything I had in restaurants. It was salty and bitter, but nonetheless, appetizing.

I told Dad that I felt better, but he said that I still couldn’t go to school. When Mom came in, I asked her if I could go to school and she responded with:

“Not anytime soon, you little Holy Terror.”

I just stood there, slack-jawed. I could not believe what Mom had just called me.

“Goodbye, my flesh creature.” Mom said before heading off to work.

I’m currently in the car. Dad is driving me somewhere, but I don’t know where. I asked him why Mom called me those things and he said that she was just joking.

I don’t like this at all.

……………………………………………………

We’ve stopped at the Cherry Brook cemetery. It’s still early in the morning, so early that it’s dark out. The gates are locked up.

Dad opens the car door. He walks over to my door at the passenger seat and opens it.

“Come on, Annora. Follow me.” Dad says.

“Why? What are we doing?” I ask. I don’t understand what’s going on, why are we here?

“Just get out of the car.” Dad says impatiently.

I unbuckle my seatbelt and get out. Dad goes to the trunk and takes out two shovels.

“What are we doing?!” I ask.

“I’ll explain everything, just follow me.” Dad says.

I want to run. I want to go back home and sleep. This has all been a strange, woozy nightmare.

But Dad said that he’d explain it, right? He never lies to me.

So what’s the harm of following him?

……………………………………………………

We’ve climbed over the cemetery gates. Dad threw the shovels to the other side before we climbed.

Strangely enough, I can read the names on the tombstones. I can see perfectly fine in this darkness. Perhaps it isn’t so dark after all.

Dad stops in front of a grave. My friend’s grave. His name was Adam. He died a few days ago in his sleep. No one knows how it could have happened, it remains a mystery. His face was found completely destroyed, though. Again, no answer for that.

“We’re ghouls, Annora. Me, your mother, and you. We eat dead people. We’ve been meaning to tell you, but…”

“So, the meat was…”

“A dead person? Yes.”

Oh my goodness, I think that I’m going to pass out. We’re ghouls? We’re supposed to eat…dead people?

“Now, don’t be so scared, there’s nothing bad with eating flesh, it’s very healthy.”

“Do you hear yourself?! We eat dead people!” I cry out. I can’t live with the fact that I need to eat corpses to survive. It just sounds so wrong, so inhumane.

“Yes, but that’s what we are. Now, dig with me, there’s food at the bottom.” Dad says.

Okay, I hope he doesn’t mean Adam, because he was a sweet boy who didn’t deserve what he got.

Oh my goodness. He’s actually doing it! He’s digging up Adam’s grave!

“Stop! That’s my friend!” I say. I would be slightly less perturbed if it wasn’t somebody I knew.

“Your dead friend? It’s not going to make a difference if we eat someone else. Just dig up, he’s dead. He’s dirt. He’s nothing. He can’t feel anything.”

No, no I won’t. I won’t eat my friend, I would never eat my friend, he was a good person, I’m not a monster, I…

But I’m so hungry it hurts.

I take the other shovel and join Dad.

I hope that somewhere in Heaven, if it’s a real place, Adam will forgive me.

Tale Seventeen-A party with the birthday clown

It was October 31st, 1945 in the town of Cherry Brook. Mrs. Opal was driving her school of girls on the school bus to the Halloween farm. November and Primrose sat next to each other, giggling with the innocent joy all little kids had.

Everything was fine and good until the school bus came to an abrupt stop, halting their journey.

Mrs. Opal declared that all she needed to do was “Find the nearest house and ask for help.”

Mrs. Opal, bless her heart, left the door open. November and Primrose exchanged looks and ran outside, excitement and eagerness in their veins.

……………………………………………………

“Did you hear about what happened here two years ago?” November asked. They had been walking for a while and were in the middle of the woods.

“No. What happened?” Primrose asked. November paid more attention to what was going on than Primrose did.

“Two years ago, there was a birthday party in the middle of the woods. A clown celebrated it with the kids. But then, someone showed up and shot the clown, then kidnapped a few of the kids.”

Primrose felt chills running down her back. Suddenly, the trees seemed to reach out even more for the both of them.

Just ahead of them was a deserted tea party, cups and plates lying on the grass. The girls ran towards it, glad to see something familiar and delicate.

But as they got closer, they noticed a clown with his head in his hands, sobbing loudly and violently. At first, Primrose thought that it was the clown from the story, but then she realized that he might be lost.

“Are you okay? Do you need help to find your way back?” November asked timidly. Primrose watched with big eyes, hoping that he was okay.

The clown slowly lifted his head from his hands. Makeup ran down his face, his orange eyes were wide, judging them.

“No, I’m not lost.” He said. His voice sounded distant with dying tears.

“What are your names?” He asked them.

“I’m November and this is my friend, Primrose!” November said.

Primrose smiled at the clown, the clown smiled back. At least he wasn’t crying anymore. She didn’t like to see people cry, it hurt her heart.

“Hello there, November and Primrose. My name is Jawbreaker.” The clown said.

Jawbreaker lifted his long, colorful arms out in an embrace.

“Hug?” He asked.

Just like they did on the bus, the girls exchanged looks of joy. It would just be one hug for a new friend and then they would come back.

They ran up to Jawbreaker and hugged him fiercely, the warmth of his embrace enveloping them. It was nice and sweet at first, but then, it got suffocating.

The girls tried to scream, but their bones were squeezed against their organs to the point where a faint squelching sound was heard. Darkened, blurry spots appeared in the sky above them.

“My two new friends, forever and ever…” Jawbreaker said.

His high voice was the last thing they heard before their eyes closed permanently.

……………………………………………………

If one went into the middle of the Cherry Brook woods, they would find a clown and two little girls, holding hands and singing in a circle, round and round, the game never ending…

Best not to get too close.

Tale Eighteen-Marsville tragedy

It was the 1800s in the town of Cord Arboretum. Saturday Marsville was reading a book in the farm when she noticed a long, black tentacle hanging above her.

Saturday looked up.

On the wooden ceiling was a small, black tentacle creature, about the size of Saturday’s fist.

She dropped her book in surprise and ran back to her house, to tell her family what she saw.

……………………………………………………

“Mom! Dad! Sunday! Come to the farm, now!” Saturday cried out. She was in the living room of her house, telling them hastily to see what lurked back at the farm.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Mom asked softly.

“There’s a monster in the farm!“ Saturday said.

“A monster? Saturday, you know that monsters aren’t real.” Dad said.

“But they are! Look!”

Sunday looked up from his toys, eyes wide with fear. He believed Saturday, she could tell.

“Let’s just go to the farm and check it out.” Mom said.

The four of them set off to the farm, to face what hid from the world.

……………………………………………………

“That looks like mold.” Dad said when they were in the farm.

The black tentacle creature was right above them and Dad wanted to pass it off as mold?

“It has tentacles. It was moving them around, it-“

“It’s okay, Saturday. I can get rid of it.” Dad said.

“Yes, Dad’s right. Let’s go.” Mom said.

Mom had a hand on the children’s shoulder and led them away, back to the safety of their home.

……………………………………………………

Day in and day out, Dad tried to get rid of the mold, but it only seemed to grow bigger and bigger. It wouldn’t budge.

He moved all of the animals out of the barn and into the outside, for their safety. But they all died the day after they were moved.

It was the Summer, so the Marsvilles still had food left over before the worst happened.

They wouldn’t have to worry much, though. All their troubles would come to an end…

……………………………………………………

On a bright, cicada-ridden day, Saturday and Sunday were playing outside, the monster mostly forgotten. Wildflowers snaked in the grass around them, a possibility that all would fall was impossible.

Suddenly, the children began to cough at the same time. They looked at each other with desperate, coughing up blood that had hints of black.

Then, they fell to the dirt ground, small, weak bodies surrounded by snaking ropes of limp grass and sickened blood.

Tale Nineteen-Us weirdos on Halloween

My fingers are sticky and the tips are rainbow-colored

Yours are pale and covered in dirt

I laugh and lurk at every bend

Your shroud is the night sky, your hair covers your eyes

I drink screams, you drink blood

I live in striped tents reaching high

You live in mausoleums filled with souls that died

We are different, you and I

The vampire girl and her clown guy

But we are both different from them

When Halloween comes, I take your hand

Our teeth are bared

We’re ready to scare

We’re ready to kill

So here’s to us

Us weirdos on Halloween

Off to make the humans SCREAM!

Tale Twenty-End of Timandra

Princess Timandra was but a beautiful maiden

Long, ginger hair framed a pale face with glowing green eyes

Her pink gowns would sway as she walked

And every man would want to suit her

But only one had her whole heart

His head touched the sky

He made the fire in the villages fly

The giant and the Princess, something that they couldn’t understand

Something that ate at his mind

Till it tore at his soul

And he ignored his humanity

Cracked her spine

Threw her against a mirror

Shattered fairy fell to bed

Sank into the Earth

If anyone were to purchase the bed of a Princess long dead

They’d fall to the same fate

Only emptiness awaits

Tale Twenty-One-Halloween teens

In the town of Cherry Brook on Halloween night, many teens pulled out quite a fright. There were masked ones and toilet-paper throwing ones, costumed ones and clawed ones, but none were scarier than Bronwen and Lollipop.

That was what they were called. Bronwen was a red-eyed girl with long, black hair dressed in gray, purple, and black. She was pale and bared, a beautiful monster.

No one knew where Lollipop came from. Lollipop had rainbow curls and polka-dotted frenzied clothes, a colorful nightmare. He had eight arms and eight legs, he skittered and crawled.

Bronwen and Lollipop screeched and screamed, laughed and grinned. Children scattered away, leaving candies behind.

The Halloween night is theirs to roam.