Tag Archives: halloween

Trick or Treat a Fool to Eat – final

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Continued from part one:

“I talk to them from the bushes. They can’t see me hiding. At first they think it is funny, someone they know, then they get scared and their voices start to shake. They always run away, sometimes whimpering! It is lots of fun, but it is over much too quickly. I can’t do it often, because they might catch me if I do it too much.”

Over too quickly? How long will it take before I am over too quickly? THINK I screamed inside my head. “How would you like to talk to someone, who no matter how scared they become will not let you stop talking to them?” After a short pause it said, “That never happens.” I noticed it’s breath did not smell good and my shoulder was hurting. “What if I show you how it can be done?”

“How?” I had only one chance to do this, or I was going to be dead. “With a cell phone”, I squeaked got out between waves of panic. “What is a cell phone?”, it asked. “This is a cell phone, you use it to talk to people. You can talk to them and scare them as much as you want.” I pulled out my cell phone and opened it. “See it works like this”, I said as I held it against my ear. “I have seen them on my food; they are no use to me”, It said.

“But they are useful, you see, you can talk to someone who won’t get away, no matter how scared they get.” Slowing down slightly and then stopping it said, “I don’t believe you.”

“Look, here, you press these places and the person answers who will keep talking no matter what you tell them.” With eyes that looked more interested in playing with a toy, than being hungry it said, “Let me see it work.”

I dialed a number and waited for the ring. When they started speaking I said, “Hurry please, wait, someone else wants to talk with you”, and I held out my cell phone. It took the phone and after a few seconds learned how to hold the phone so it could both talk and hear as it held on to me.

It started talking innocently enough, almost a friendly voice. After twenty seconds or so, its conversation started to change. Its voice undulated between silky and sinister. I did not like listening to it talk, and I was terrified of hearing what it was saying.

After what seemed to be forever it took its hand off my shoulder. It became fixated with the conversation it was having. I stood like a statue, too scared to move. Another moment or two went by. It was becoming excited by having someone listen to it for so long, hearing what it was going to do to the person it was speaking to. Another time space went by, and it was so engrossed in the conversation, it turned slightly away from me releasing its hold from my shoulder. It wasn’t interested in food at the moment.

I moved so slowly at first, it felt like I was not really moving. It felt like minutes were flying by and I had moved maybe a foot. I took a little step. It ears flicked but it did not turn to face me, focused on the conversation.

Another little step, and another, and before I knew it I was running like I had never ran before. I didn’t know it was possible to move that fast! I was running so hard, I was scared I was going to fall face first in the road!

I was running back towards the center of town into the light. I was too scared to look back. The mess in my pants was starting to chaff, but I didn’t care. I did not care that I stunk, I ran as fast as I could looking for a house with lights on.

I saw a car pulling into a driveway, and ran towards it, praying that Thing was not behind me ready to crush my skull with its paw. The Man and Woman in the car were scared, both from my story and my looks and smell. I begged them to let me in the house with them. Once inside I asked where their phone was because I wanted to call 911. As I was explaining to them I had an emergency, I heard a gun shot, then another.

I received a summons in the mail to appear in court back in that Little Town, or pay a hefty fine. My Cell Phone Company sent me a final bill and cut off my service on the grounds I was abused their service. The State Police and 911 Emergency Services sent me a certified letter containing a large bill for misuse of the 911 emergency system, and threatened severe legal action if I did not pay immediately. The letter never mentioned what had happened.

When I called the State Police and the 911 Systems Manager, they both agreed I was a public nuisance and I should go to jail. They finished stating the fines could become more serious if I did not pay them immediately, and legal action would follow, meaning jail time.

I know the 911 operator who took that call from my cell phone feels a shiver of fear every time their phone rings whether they are working or not. I know I am lucky to be alive. I sold some things as fast as I could, took out a loan, and quickly payed off my new bills all in the same day.

My cell phone and 911 saved my life! I never want to go within five-hundred miles of that Town again. I tried to get another cell phone from another company, but it seems I am banned from all area providers without any real explanation or recourse. I try hard not to think about that night.

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Trick or Treat a Fool to Eat

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If you have been hanging out here any length of time you know I enjoy walking, and I enjoy being out walking at night, going against some occasionally strongly worded advice about the dangers of walking at night. Except for this particular night, and maybe one or two other nights, I have never felt like I would rather in my house cruising the net.

After driving all day, I stopped for the night in a smallish midwest town. I had been driving for longer than I wanted to think about, and all I wanted was a bed and a pillow. Or so I thought. I stopped on the edge of what appeared to be the older (cheaper) part of an old town. The part of town where the homes and businesses were decayed a little more than the rest of the uneventful looking town. Did I mention it was Halloween Eve?

I got what seemed to be a very good price for the night, a little under $25.00, and they promised a soft bed with clean sheets and towels, hot water, and  a continental breakfast in the morning, if I were up no later than nine o’clock. I was happy with the soft bed, clean sheets and towels, and hot water. They could keep their watered down coffee and stale donut.

I carried in my small bag and backpack which holds my laptop and a few books in it. I locked the door behind me, opened my bag took out my tooth brush and tooth paste and went to try out the shower. The water was hot, the shampoo was okay, and the towels worked as advertised.

Now I was hungry. I dressed and headed out the door to see what was open. I walked heading to where the newer part of town was, or where I thought it should be from the lights and sounds of cars in the distance. I figured there had to be a little coffee shop, or diner in the town, as it was still almost light out, they should be open for at least another hour.

Dinner was uneventful, roast chicken, potatoes, corn, coffee, and water. Too much coffee it turned out. By the time I was ready to leave, I was feeling the caffeine kicking in. So much for a long days drive. I decided to walk around and see what the town offered.

It was pretty much like any small town, a few streets, and small open city center turned into a day park. I walked around the outside of the little park, looking in the windows of the closed stores, seeing what they may have in the windows that was unique. Turns out there was not much I could see that I wanted. Most of the stores had displays of items people use on a regular basis. There was no undiscovered bevy of interesting trinkets in any of the windows.

I decided it was time to head back to the hotel, so I turned down the street towards the edge of town. As I walked I noticed the town did not spend a lot of money on street lights. That was okay as the walk over was level and uneventful. About the time I thought I was almost to the hotel, the town ended and turned into a county road heading somewhere.

I realized I turned the wrong way when I left the diner. I decided I could hook a left and come out around the street where the hotel was. There was tired tarred street with abandoned houses on the left side, and woods on the right, but no street lights. The good thing was there was no traffic either. I headed down the road, liberally taking up my fair share of the pavement as I walked.

About fifty yards down the road, I thought I heard walking behind me. I slowed down and it slowed down. I sped up and it did too. I was about to turn and see who was following behind me when what looked and felt like a large furry paw came to rest on my left shoulder.  “Keep walking”, a voice said. Adrenaline kicked in almost immediately and I started to walk faster in spite of myself.

The paw like hand had claws at the end. “A little slower if you please”, it said. I almost filled my pants as I made myself slow down and partially turned to see who ever thought they were being funny. What I saw in the darkness was not funny at all. It looked like a large dark cat walking on two legs. Only it was in the shape of a very strong person.

As I tried to comprehend what I was looking at, it said in that voice it had, “Trick or Treat,  a Fool to eat!” That was it, whatever muscle I had used a few seconds earlier holding back my pants from being filled gave way, and I was a soggy mess from my waste down. “They always do that”, it said in that same disquieting voice.

I didn’t know what to do as the hand-paw grip tightened ever so slightly. Think, think, I told myself. Yah, think when I could hardly keep from collapsing in a quivering stinky, soggy mess on the ground. Think I commanded myself!

“Trick or Treat”, ha, ho, how do you know about “Trick or Treat”? It was the best I could do in the middle of a panicked terror. “I have been doing this a long, long time”, the voice echoed. Oh no! I thought to myself, it has been doing this a long time. I am dead! Any second will be my last.

“What do you like to do when you are not doing this”, I asked? “Scaring people”, came the reply, “I like to scare people”. Think! I shouted inside my head. “How do you scare them”, I asked?

“I talk to them from the bushes. They can’t see me hiding. At first they think it is funny, someone they know, then they get scared and their voices start to shake. They always run away, sometimes whimpering! It is lots of fun, but it is over much too quickly. I don’t do it often, because they might catch me if I do it too much.”

To be continued….

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Night After Halloween

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outhereI heard it as I walked. I saw its shadow slide into dark corners when it thought I was not watching. Every now and then I could see it move from the corner of my eye. It followed me for blocks as I walked down one dimly lit street after another.

I wanted to walk faster to get away from it, but I knew that was impossible. It was keeping a distance from me so maybe it was not sure yet. Maybe it was waiting for a moment when there were no lights and no cars.

Then it would strike. The noises it made grew louder as it grew bolder and moved closer. It was hurrying to get into position to strike. Now almost beside me. No, wait it was to my right. A few seconds earlier it was on my left. It can move very fast when the streets are dark.

I walked faster. It was no longer trying to be sane. It knew I heard it. Had it decided I was it? I could feel the hair on the back of my neck starting to stiffen. I wanted to yell out, but who would hear?

If they did hear would they bother to go to a window or door and look out? I doubt it, they would not want to be involved. They would choose to remain distant. They and theirs were safe and accounted for, what did I matter.

It was a mere feet behind me now. My heart was beating wildly, and I was beginning to pant from moving ever faster. My feet seemed to barely touch the ground, but it wasn’t fast enough. I could hear it catching its feet on the uneven surface. Maybe it wanted to raise my fear level a little higher?

Through the fog of my panic I had a thought. They don’t like the light, and they don’t want to be seen. If I could just make it to the light I would be okay. Only another one-hundred feet and I would be safe. Could I make it? It sounds like it is right next to me!

I gave up walking fast and started to run. I could hear it starting to move faster too. Its feet hitting the pavement as it hopped towards me. Only another few seconds, that is all I need to get to the light!

I reached into my jacket, pulled out my cell phone, and fumbled trying to open it. In mindless terror I pushed the camera button. It was taking forever. It was inches away from me. I could feel its closeness like hot foul breath on my neck. I threw my arm backwards and prayed I pushed the camera button to make the flash go off.

It hissed loudly sounding only inches from my ear! The flash worked! It slowed and loped off into the darkness. Temporarily blinded by the light of a neon flash on a cell phone! I made it to the light. Traffic was picking up, and I knew I could get away from it before its eyes healed from the flash of light.

As an after thought I looked to see if I got it on camera. The rational part of my mind said it was the leaves falling from the trees. The rest of my mind knew what it really as because it remembered ten thousand years worth of well founded fear.

night terror

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Gratefulness in small servings

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I had the pleasure of giving out some candy again this Halloween. As I remembered the people who one way or another put up with me as a “Trick or Treater’, I am blessed to be able to give out candy to the kids who choose to show up at my door step.

When I was young we did things a little differently. We carried fire crackers, soap, and wax, and eggs with us. It would be a bad time for anyone who did not give us what we thought was our rightful share of candy. Houses were egged, or toilet papered, windows were soaped or waxed, and occasionally a fire cracker was dropped inside the entry way.

Perhaps I did not run with the best crowd on Halloween, but that is how it was where I lived as a child. Some adults were just as bad. They would go out of their way to terrify children who dared come to their door. This year was amazingly different.

It started with an almost two year old in a fluffy golden suit, sort of like a snow suit with a fluffy golden hood with ears. Next to him was a little boy of about four. The little boy told me, “I am a scarecrow”. I had noticed he did look a lot like Scarecrow from “The Wizard of Oz”, but how could he know about that movie.

He repeated that he was a scarecrow. I replied, “Yes, and a fine looking scarecrow too!” He was not put off by me. He is a Lion pointing at the littler boy. “Oh, I see that now, and he is a fine Lion”, I replied. Then a little girl stepped out from behind them, and the little boy said, “And this is Dorothy”. It became clear to me, they did know about the Wizard of Oz – which happens to be one of my favorite all time movies.

I told them they looked very nice, and someone worked very hard on their costumes. From farther back, the Father and Mother stepped forward, and I repeated to them what I said. The Father said something agreeable, and the Mom smiled and beamed with happiness. They too were in costume. I asked if they wanted some candy too, and they politely declined.

Their visit and the time they took be sociable filled me with warm fuzzie’s, and I thought what a wonderful family, how creative, thoughtful, and how polite, letting whoever answered the door to be a part of their family, if only for a moment or two.

I was even more taken back as older kids without parents showed up for candy. Thank you sir, have a nice Halloween sir. Good evening sir, thank you for the candy. Even two older girls who looked a little risqué, thanked me for the candy, wished me a good night, and a happy Halloween.

What I experienced this Halloween led me to thinking; perhaps my generation has done some good in the world after all. I also realized I felt grateful for such a magical time, and on one of my favorite nights of the year! I almost felt guilty for the way my friends and I were all those years ago, almost….

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Ghosts, vampires, and imaginary playmates

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Over the years I have seen many strange apparitions. Halloween is only a few days away and it feels like a good time to write about them.

As a child I had two imaginary playmates. Playmates that were always in my backyard. The first wore a white sailor’s uniform. The second wore a sailor’s work uniform, which was blue jeans and blue shirt. I did not know about uniforms of course, or what they were, but the youngest man told me. There was a third figure, but it stayed out of site, and the two men told me not to go looking for the third figure. I do not know if it was a man, woman, or something else. I could tell it watched me sometimes, but I never tried to talk to it, or go see it there in the woods.

They would walk out of the woods into my back yard, or sometimes they were already standing out on the grass. They never stood, say in the picnic table, the clothes line pole, or walked through them. It never seemed odd to me as a child that these two men were always there. Or that they would talk to me, and I could talk to them. They also never played with me, just told me things and talked with me. Occasionally, they would tell me it was time to go into the house, but never anything of importance.

They went away after a few years, and I never knew why. I remember waiting for the snow to melt, and the ground to dry up, so my parents would let me play on it. I went out in the yard, and waited for them to come out and play with me, but they didn’t show up. I was kind of sad, my only friends had left, and I had no one to play with. I made it through not having them around without any lasting effects.

There were the vampires, demons, and ghosts that every person sees at one time or another in my life. I have seen three figures crouching in a bedroom all in western dress from a previous period. In England one morning, I drove in my car behind a woman riding a bicycle up a hill only to have her disappear on the back side of the hill. This with the road sunk six or seven feet below the cornfields’ on both sides of the road! There was a ski trip with a black dog with boar tusks sticking out the sides of its mouth, on the very top Mammoth Mountain. This was February, and there was over twenty feet of snow on the ground, not to mention six thousand feet of altitude from the nearest car, and miles from the nearest house! There were other sightings over the years, but enough of this for now.

What is most interesting about every apparition I have ever seen, is the forms they have taken on. There was never any Alien, any Chucky, or Freddy. They were all things I have either seen in person, picture, or imagined. As I grew through the monster phase so did what I would see, as they changed back into human form, with the exception of the dog and a few others.

I know that anything I see will always be what I have seen, or imagined. Not because I am seeing what really is, but because what it is either projects itself as something found in my memory, or my mind changes what I see into something that I can comprehend. I think that for whatever it is I may see, it is easier for it to take an image from my mind and project that image. I think this may be true from both an energy conservation standpoint, and my comprehension ability. I can not see what I have never imagined. I know we have much more to fear from flesh and blood human beings than anything that appears and disappears.

The next time something appears in front of you, do not get scared – get curious – unless it is Halloween, then RUN!

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