Sammy the scarecrow jumped startled when he heard a loud knock. It was the middle of the night and nobody ever visited him, so it was really unexpected.

He sighed and rose from his cushy armchair. It was his favorite piece of furniture, and he loved to relax on it while watching over his thirteen kittens. Sammy wasn't some sort of old crazy cat scarecrow, though, he just really, really loved those kooky kittens. Even when their mischievousness resulted in some sort of gigantic mess.

Sammy climbed the ladder that led to the entrance of his burrow. Some had called him crazy for living underground, but who would sell a house to a cognizant scarecrow? They'd be too busy questioning the meaning of life and their definition of "people". Plus most door to door salesmen don't bother trying to knock on some random trapdoor in the middle of the forest, so that was nice.

Opening the squeaking hatch at the end of the ladder, Sammy came face to face with a big, ugly mask. He almost lost his footing from the scare, but in the end he managed to hold on.

"Uh... Hello. Is there anything I can help you with?"

The masked visitor didn't say a word. The segmented eyes of the mask seemed to study Sammy, and he was getting nervous. A moment of silence passed between them, and right when Sammy began considering simply closing the door, the visitor handed him an envelope and turned around.

"What...?" Sammy looked down at the envelope confused, but then looked back up to see where that awful, awful mask went.

The answer was a shed. A very suspicious shed that had apparently been built by the edge of Sammy's property at some point between his afternoon walk and that night. Without him ever noticing it. That was just impossible.

For a brief instant Sammy felt the urge to go and investigate, but right then the shed burst into flames and turned into a blazing bonfire.

The scarecrow banged his hatch closed and hurried down the ladder, knowing that his home was safe from the fire. Unfortunately for him, his kittens had been very mischievous indeed and had managed to jump onto the chandelier, setting it in motion.

Before he had the chance to climb down more than a couple of rungs, the swinging chandelier hit Sammy and he lost his grip on the ladder.

As he fell, the scarecrow let out a screech similar to that of a neurotic Nytekrie, and landed with a resounding thud on the floor. The cats surrounded him, meowing worriedly, but Sammy knew it was the end. His head rolled weakly to the side, and his last breath was a laugh.

On the ground beside him, right in his line of sight, the envelope laid open. It was a party invitation for a graveyard ritual. The only guests would be the spirits of the recently deceased.

On a crisp autumn evening, filled with fright and dread,
"A night brimming with fun and fantasy!" is all that was said,
as two young Vulnyxes happily scamper into the dark,
feeling perfectly content playing at their local park.

Bear in mind, these are young ones about:
They do not know that they should not be out.
For you see, tonight is a night unlike any other,
and these kooky kittens should have stayed with their mother.

Jumping and rolling and playing around,
one young Vulnyx spies something on the ground.
"Whats this?" he chirps as he paws at the paper,
"It's a party invitation!" he exclaims as his breath turns to vapor.

"It's getting late and cold," whines the other Vulnyx kit,
"Cmon, lets go, the road home is barely lit."
They turn to go and leave their fun,
as it is time for bed and they are done.

Wait, whats that up there? Just ahead in the trees?
A blazing bonfire rages in the nighttime breeze.
Popping and crackling; fire's light dancing on the leaves,
bringing with it snarls, growls, a sigh and a wheeze.

A large shadow appears, just beyond the blaze.
The kits look frightened, only staring as if in a daze.
But wait, it has sticks for arms and hay out its' shirt;
"It's just a scarecrow!" laughs kit one, stamping the dirt.

"Did you see that? It moved! Just now, it did!"
Eyes wide, they scan the area for a place to be hid.
"Why yes, how observant. I'm a Cognizant Scarecrow, its true,
and you've stumbled into a precarious area, so watch out, you two."

The Scarecrows warning came not too soon,
as a masked visitor appears beneath the moon.
The air grows thick and dense as the autumn fog rolls in;
the stranger laughs a quiet laugh, menacing and thin.

As the Vulnyx kits turn to run and flee from this place,
they realize the area is different -- it has been erased!
The two now stand shaking in a spooky cemetery,
where a graveyard ritual is in full swing, gruesome and scary.

They shouted at each other, giving in to fear,
"Quick, lets go! We need to get out of here!"
Through the fog and dark, a suspicious shed is seen;
Its gnarled, weathered wood, splintered and menacing.

With both shoving and tugging, the door flew open wide.
They hurry and scramble to quickly get inside.
It's a small, dusty room with a flickering light.
And in the corner is a trapdoor, barely in sight.

A few tries and they pry open the squeaky hatch,
which leads to a narrow tunnel, pitch dark without a match.
For hours, the little ones walked through the damp,
until finally they see some light ahead coming from a lamp.

The tunnel ends and their narrowed eyes go wide,
as they adjust to the light and the wonders inside.
It is a giant room! Gilded in marble and gold,
the beauty of this mansion begins to unfold.

Slowly, they venture into this new, shining world;
ready to explore as new promises of a life unfurl.
With each step all fear from the evening vanish more;
as they wander, they find themselves facing a huge door.

The entryway looms with its gothic touches,
and the stairs winds upward to cobwebbed clutches.
Directly above, faintly sparkling, is a swinging chandelier;
its crystal gently tinkling and whispering so near.

"Who is in my house, my home, my nest so dear?
Come out, come out," a voice cackles, "there is nothing to fear!"
A twitchy eye follows a sharp beak of a nose;
bedraggled feathers right down to his toes.

A neurotic Nytekrie indeed he must be,
the kits turn around to yet again flee.
"Not just yet!" squawks the great old bird,
"Where's your invitation?" but his request goes unheard.

The Vulnyx kits are running scared,
sprinting back as fast as they dared.
Through the tunnel, out the shed,
into the graveyard, and over the dead.

"Little ones, little ones!" They hear a faint cry,
"Where are you, my babies?" the call raised to the sky.
The mists begin to fade, the local park is revealed;
"We're here!" the kits yell as they dash across the field.

A hearty embrace between Momma and babes,
to soothe the memories of a night filled with close shaves.
Back home in their den; cheeks plump and rosy,
"We love you, Momma!" they smile, all nice and cozy.

"I love you too, my little ones. Now its time for bed,"
said Momma Vulnyx giving a kiss on each Vulnyx kits head.
The young kits fell asleep quick and fast,
all fears from their adventure fading to the past.

__________________________

Really enjoyed writing this as it was challenging but I loved how it turned out. I hope the read was enjoyable. 786 words~ Thank you for this contest!

Edit: I always have to re-add quotation marks >.<

I wanted to play with different fonts so I did my story as a Google Doc. It ended up at 969 words

Hope you enjoy, it was a lot of fun to write ^_^

Mitzi clicked her silvery beak uneasily. The Neurotic Nytekrie had heard every story about the cursed woods there was to be told. Most of that was the fault of Maggie, her vulnyx friend, who played frequent babysitter to her rambunctious cousins. Those Kooky Kittens loved scaring each other with spooky stories, told around a Blazing Bonfire at night. The latest one was something about a Cognizant Scarecrow, that comes to life at midnight. Why at midnight? Nobody knows. Mitzi was pretty sure that paticular tale was just the youngsters imaginations running wild, but what about the tales of the darkness that seemed to come alive around you? What about the one with the Masked Visitor who was supposed to hand you a letter from the beyond? Those were the stories that sent chills straight through Mitzi's jet-black feathers.

All those stories.. and yet, somehow, here she was, creeping through the woods, casting weary glances over her shoulders, wings held tightly against her sides, braced at any moment to fly away. Maggie.. Maggie could fly, right? She had those fluffy feathers on her back for a reason, surely. "Hey Maggie, can you fly with those things?"

The fiery red vulnyx cast her a sideways glance of annoyance. "What kind of a question is that? Don't tell me you're scared already! Look, we're almost there, and I didn't come this far, just to get beat to that hidden treasure!" Maggie's tail flicked behind her, ears narrowing in on every little crunch of an autumn leaf beneath their footing. She might not have been quite as confident as she let on to Mitzi, but she sure wasn't about to show it! Ever since they got the mysterious Party Invitation that had led them on this treasure hunt, Mitzi had been dragging her paws.. Did Mitzi have paws? Well, whatever it was her raptoresque companion walked around on, that invitation was the most exciting thing that had happened to them since the time they snuck out of the hatchery together and went on an adventure in Esior! Now they were both practically all grown up, it was time for a new adventure.

"I don't know, Maggie.. I haven't heard or seen anyone else out here.. don't you think that's strange? If there really is a hidden treasure in this manor in the woods, and someone sent out a bunch of anonymous invitations about it, shouldn't we be racing others? Shouldn't we.. at least hear them?" Mitzi had admittedly never been as brave as her brightly hued red and white companion, but then again, she had also never fallen into a frozen pond and needed to be rescued by a disapproving sylvorpa when they were hatchlings, either. Sometimes Maggie didn't really look before she leaped, and this treasure thing really did seem too good to be true.

"You worry too much, Mitzi! Adventure awaits us now, and the world is a wide open place full of it!" Mitzi couldn't help but cringe, and wish her feline friend wouldn't be quite so loud in her revelry of the freedom of adolesence. "We can take care of ourselves! We've got our claws, and my fangs, and your.. uhh." Maggie paused to stare at Mitzi's beak appraisingly, before shrugging her feathered shoulders a bit. "Well, you've got claws at least, so one out of two isn't so bad."

"Heey, i'll have you know my beak is plenty sharp." Mitzi protested, but Maggie carried on. "I can see it now.. a treasure chest full of chocolate coins! Besides! What's the worst that can happen? We run into some Graveyard Ritual to bring back the dead, and the whole place becomes infested with zombies like Umbra?"

"Wh-why did you say that? "Ye-yes! That is maybe the worst that could happen! Gah! Does everyone in your entire family have to love scary stories so much?!" Maggie's pep talk had not really helped, but her continued banter for the rest of the journey about how telling scary stories was a long held family tradition did help to distract from the eerie quiet of the forest around them.

Maggie was in mid sentence when she suddenly gasped. "Mitzi, look! We made it! And I don't see anybody else!" Much to Mitzi's horror, the vulnyx went charging at the front door, pawing at the handle with all her might. So much for being cautious! "It's rusted shut, we gotta find another way in."

"I don't think that's such a good.. hey!" The nytekrie loped along reluctantly as Maggie went darting around the side of the house upon spotting a cellar door. It took all of their combined might to raise the massive Squeaking Hatch, only to find.. a pile of hay and some sleeping qitari foals? Blinking in confusion, the two hastily retreated, and a brief arguement broke out about the possibility of finding a wrong manor house in the middle of a cursed forest, before Maggie insisted they try the back door instead.

This door creaked just as badly as the cellar had, revealing a house of broken down splendor, blanketed in dust and decay. The dining room greeted them with a lit fireplace and Swinging Chandelier, which was enough to make even Maggie rethink this whole treasure idea. Maybe.. maybe they should go, while slumbering qitari foals were the only creatures they had yet to find. "You're.. probably right you know, Mitzi.. I uhh.. I bet those qitari's parents claimed the treasure already, or live here.. we should.. just go."

Mitzi didn't have to hear that, twice before tearing off towards the back door, her talons dancing across the floorboards. Catching their breath outside as Maggie carefully eased the door shut behind them, The two friends were petrified into silence by a clattering sound coming from the Suspicious Shed behind the house. Staring wide eyed, they shrieked and fled as the pumpkin headed figure flung open the door, bellowing. "More Sylestis!? ARGH! This is the worst. Vacation. EVER! Curse you, Nightmare Lord!"

Honestly, Etica didn't know why Kwan had seemed so excited about this party. The party invitation was a dull charcoal grey, and the location was a fairly suspicious shed. Now, as Etica was facing the shed, he could see a sign worn down by time, and probably spray painted over by angsty teenagers. It read: "Kooky Kittens" and honestly, Etica was growing more concerned by the second.

A blazing bonfire set the mood, making it seem as though a graveyard ritual was taking place. It lit up the cognizant scarecrow, giving the eyes of the soulless thing a gleam. Etica didn't know what the holders of the party were thinking; a large bonfire plus a wooden shed did not bode well in anyone's soul. Well, anyone but Kwan's and Sasha's, apparently.

It may have been a Halloween party, but Etica refused to dress up. Sasha was dressed as a neurotic nyterkrie, and Kwan was just a masked visitor because he made his 'costume' last-minute.

Sasha dragged both Kwan and Etica into the surprisingly spacious shed, then started stealing the food. Once a thief, always a thief, Etica supposed. Kwan went to 'explore' the place, calling Etica to follow him. All Etica noticed was that the swinging chandelier above head was made of glass and would surely kill someone, never mind the fact that it was lit with actual candles. Seriously, what was it with teenagers and fire? Would it have killed them to use lightbulbs? Or at least have shoved anti-fire measures somewhere? Geez. Etica's friends would be the death of him, not that he'd ever admit that they were his friends in the first place.

Etica shook his head, then slowly, a fond grin spread over his face. Kwan was his childhood friend after all!

It was really quite unfortunate when Etica ended up falling through a squeaking hatch that gave way to a closed coffin.

Wait... Had this actually been a graveyard ritual?

Amelia loved scaring and pranking friends. During the shorter days of Fall when the days were short and the nights were long was the perfect time for her to do something absolutely spectacular. She had talked her friend Eric, who was very good at enchantments, into letting her use his home not far from Sweet Blossom Orchard to have a party that was sure to terrify. She especially made sure to send a party invitation to Linda who would naturally come along with her neurotic nytekrie Chicken.

The plan was for them to all sit around outside for a while around a blazing bonfire telling scary stories to each other when they would suddenly hear the sound of a squeaking hatch. Of course she'd get them all to investigate the source of the sound. This would lead to some fun pranks that Eric set up in advance like a swinging chandelier and a suspicious shed with his vulnyx's kooky kittens hiding inside making noise.

Amelia came early to help with the preparations. It was strange though. The door was unlocked? She called out for Eric and heard nothing. Where could he be? The party guests would arrive in just a few hours. She decided to work on setting up food and drinks for the guests. Surely he was gone for only a little while, but the sun eventually sank from the sky. She collapsed into a comfortable chair thinking to rest a little while waiting.

She woke suddenly to the sound of banging on the door. How long had she been asleep? She answered the door thinking it had to be Eric but instead there was a very tall man wearing a mask.

"You're friends with Eric,?" the masked visitor asked.

"Yes. Do you know where he is? Are you a guest for tonight?" Surely this had to be a friend of Eric's that he had invited to come along to play a part in the night's mischief.

"Come with me. Eric's is in a lot of danger."

"Danger?"

"Yes, those cultists who've been invading Umbra's Veil lately. They've been appearing even here in Astryl's Tranquility. Seems they found Eric out in a cornfield all alone."

She was absolutely shocked but more importantly she was worried for Eric. "If you know where he is please take me there right now."

It was about a half hour traveling through the dark woods with this masked man that she began to question if she made the right choice. What if this man was connected with Eric being kidnapped? What if she was walking into a trap? They came upon the corn field where Eric was supposedly taken. She felt a chill run through her when she began to ask herself how this man knew Eric was taken from here. The mysterious man avoided any of her questions and just kept walking through the night air like he was a part of it. There in the middle of the cornfield was where Eric was setting up what would seem like a cognizant scarecrow. In reality it was just something enchanted with a limited vocabulary that truly had no life of it's own but was sure to spook at least a few people. They stopped to examine bent and broken corn stalks and foot prints that came from the north.

They followed the tracks and the cornfield turned back into forest. After some time had passed, Amelia could see lights. Strange colored lights. Red and blue and green. The masked man took her hand suddenly and pulled her off the path to follow the ground steadily rising before them until they came upon a cliff overlooking a clearing. Below them was what appeared to be a graveyard. Strange hooded figures seemed to dance in a circle while chanting. This had to be some sort of graveyard ritual by the cultists! And then she saw Eric in the middle of them all. He was tied to a pole and a robed figure stood before him with a knife raised.

"Eric!", screamed Amelia. All the cultists stopped and turned towards her. "We have to save him!" she had turned to say to the masked man who was no longer there.

The cultists were moving slowly towards her. She turned to run. She thought that maybe she could get them to chase after her and then she'd try to circle back somehow to save Eric. She started to descend down the hill that formed the cliff only to find more of the robed figures. She cried out as her ankle twisted as she tried desperately to find some other way to escape.

"Okay, this has gone far enough!" The voice sounded like Linda's. "I thought the plan was to just to give her a bit of a scare but this is ridiculous!" The cultist removed her hood to reveal herself to indeed be Linda.

"Linda?" Other cultists began to remove hoods to reveal her friends that she'd invited to the party. "What's happening?"

"I'm sorry, Amelia. It's just that some of us were thinking that as much as you love to prank people that maybe this year we'd prank you. It wasn't meant to get this crazy though."

There wasn't much of a party after that. Most had left instead of walking back to Eric's home. An uncomfortable silence enveloped those that did go back. Amelia's ankle was still a bit sore despite the healing magic that was promptly performed on it. Everyone agreed afterwards that they'd be sure not to let jokes and pranks go too far. However, there was one unusual thing though that no one could figure out and that was the identity of who played the masked visitor. Supposedly it was supposed to be one person but then they said they were too busy and someone else took their place. Only when asked, that person ended up saying something similar and so on. In the end, that remained a mystery.

The Journals of Vaeri Silverwind

Day 1 - Even after twelve months; I still feel sad, angry and mystified. Greatly mystified... what happened to my sister, Kyra? Last year, at this time, she and four other Sanctuary Guards turned up missing. Only Kyras Qitari, Pippin, was found along with a scrap of Kyras journal.
That tattered remains of a journal is what sparked me on this quest to try and find some answers to my sisters disappearance. Captain Aleisa finally gave me Kyras journal, after keeping it under lock and key for eleven months! Why? I dont know, she sure as heck wouldnt tell me! Now I know why Kyra always said she was a witch! I set what remained of the journal on the table and sat down. No sooner did I sit, when my Kooky Kittens decided to jump on the table and attack the journal, thinking it was a brand new toy for them. One scratched at the cover, as another knocked it off the table. As it hit the floor, the scratched cover ripped a bit more and I could see a bright yellow slip of paper. I carefully enlarged the rip and extracted the slip, turns out it was Party Invitation. This was pretty shocking, partly because my sister never mentioned the invitation, and also because the invitation was dated for 3 days hence, on All Hallows Eve. The date was the year anniversary of my sisters disappearance. Shocked, I looked further down the invitation, all that was on it was where it was being held, Umbras Veil, and the time, midnight. Seriously, is that a misspelled word, Veil instead of Vale?
So that is why I am sitting out in the middle of nowhere, trying to find this Umbras Veil. I am lost; I brought Pippin, hoping he might be able to help me find where to go. But just after nightfall, as I started to look for a safe camping place, Pippin started bucking and threw me into the bushes. Poor guy was startled by a Neurotic Nytekrieflying right out in front of him, stupid krie! I spent the better part of the next hour trying to find Pippin in the dark! I finally did, but soon realized that I didnt recognize any familiar landmarks in the dark. Better try and get some sleep.

Day 2 Still lost no path to be found. Nothing looks right. Spent the day trying to find a direction, my compass isnt working, it just spins. No sun to follow, just clouds. Where is this Umbras Veil ? I camped in a small meadow, surrounded by large oak and maple trees. After I got the fire started, I heard a twig snap! I whirled around, with my knife in my hand. I saw nothing behind me, as I slowly turned back to the fire I was startled to see a Masked Visitor standing on the other side of the blaze! At that moment, Pippin gave a frightened whinny. I turned to look, then turned back. The visitor was gone. What the heck???

Day 3 I finally feel like I am going in the right direction. All because a Cognizant Scarecrow, yes, it was knowledgeable! He was pointing in the direction of a path that I hadnt noticed after searching for hours! Pippin and I started down the path, we found a gate and sign, warning all travelers to beware, that the area was known as Umbras Veil and that it was unguarded and unprotected; put up by the Ethernian Legionnaires! I wanted to proceed, but it quickly became dark. I think a storm come! But, I wont let that deter my search! Tomorrow is the day on the invitation; I have to find out what this all about!

Day 4 I want to write this down, before proceeding. Everyone needs to know, DONT FOLLOW ME! Pippin and I followed the path for quite a few hours, everything looked wrong on this path. Colors were muted, sound was muted, no birds or even that silly krie! It was getting dark and I noticed a Suspicious Shed off the path. After searching around for a door, I found nothing; no door, no window, nothing but wood walls and a roof! Since, dark had descended on the forest, I thought it might be best if I just camped and got something to eat. That is when I heard a creak and scraping like boards rubbing together. I turned and saw a Squeaking Hatch open at the bottom of the shed. Slowly I crept up and crawled thru the small hatch. You cannot imagine my horror and fear as I looked up and saw a Swinging Chandelier, in a very large room. Much larger than the size of the shed! The chandelier was large and completely black glass. The candles that shown thru were red with a deep red flame, a coffin was under the light it wasnt a shed it was some kind of evil crypt! Quickly I backed out of the hatch, into another horror! A Blazing Bonfire, but instead of a bright yellow and orange warm looking flame, it was deep red. Just like the candles inside the sheds (or should I call it a crypt?) room. Around the bonfire, tombstones had appeared and strange apparitions performed a weird Graveyard Ritual as I watched in fear! I recognized some of the figures, as being Sanctuary Guards. One in particular could be my sister, but I am not sure. Everything is bathed in a red glow. Masked figures were along the perimeter. I am going to try and sneak in for a closer look, but first put this journal in Pippins saddle bag. Pray to the Gods for me, I am so very scared right now!

***************************************************************************

Missing Person Report by Captain Aleisa Redwitch

Interviewed friends and family associated with missing person, Vaeri Silverwind. All were clueless on where she went. I was informed that she had taken the found pony, Pippin, with her a few days before she was reported missing. A journal was found in the saddle bag, last page was missing. Attempted to track and locate. Tracks for Vaeri ended at a path leading to an area called by the locals as The Vale. Pippins tracks were found going in both directions on the path, but disappeared at the point Vaeris did.

On a personal note, the Guards were shocked to discover Pippin wandering again, with his latest owner missing. He is one unlucky Qitari! Or maybe he is lucky?

In the chaotic light of the blazing bonfire, the shadow of the masked figure twisted and squirmed like the dance of a neurotic nytekrie. Watching the figure approach, paralyzed in fear, three vulnyx cubs huddled together; trembling from cold and terror, they made no sound. Their eyes were transfixed on the stranger. As the figure drew closer, it reached into its coat....

"Wh-what are you doing?" One of the cubs whimpered.

Without a word, the stranger's hand emerged, holding a card. When none of the cubs reached out to take it, the figure set it slowly on the ground in front of them, and as quickly as it had come, retreated into the unknown depths of the trees surrounding the cubs' hatchery.

After a pause, one of them spoke.

"Sh....should we see what it is?"

Another cub answered. "What if the paper is poisoned? Don't touch it..."

The braver of the three cubs snorted. "No way some random dude would walk out of the trees just to poison us. I'm gonna see what it is." He slowly approached the card.

The other two huddled closer together, watching their brother intently as he nosed at the mysterious delivery. "What is it?" they inquired in unison.

"It looks like...some sort of party invitation?" The cub's ears twitched in confusion. "Dear guests, please accept this invitation. Join us at the cemetery in Umbra's Veil at midnight. Refreshments will be provided." He nosed the card over to the other side. "There's no name on it."

"Umbra's Veil?" One of the vulnyxes whined, covering her eyes with her front paws. "That place is supposed to be really dangerous!"

"And haunted!" added the other.

Their brother rolled his eyes. "Come on, there's no such thing as ghosts. And I don't know about you, but I wanna know about that weird dude in the mask." He turned toward the trees. "This bonfire is boring anyway."

One of his sisters whimpered. "No, don't go! They're probably doing some evil graveyard ritual or something! You're gonna get boiled into a potion or turned into a toad!"

"I'm still going," her brother called, setting off in the direction of the Veil. The girls looked at each other hesitantly. When his tail disappeared between the trees where the masked figure had vanished, they took off at run, following their brother in pursuit of what they just knew was a really bad idea.

===

When they reached the graveyard, the cubs looked around from the cover of a large bush.

"I don't see anybody," one of the girls whispered.

"Shut up," the brother snapped. "Look at that weird building - maybe there's someone inside?"

The other sister stomped her paw on her brother's tail. He had to cover his snout to keep from crying out. She glared at him. "We did NOT come all the way out here for a stupid suspicious shed."

"Well, I didn't ask you to come at all!" the boy hissed, missing his sister's tail in an attempted revenge-stomp.

"Of course you didn't ask!" She growled. "You just ran off by yourself, easy prey for any wicked witches or murderous ghosts or...or...I don't know, cognizant scarecrows! Anything could have just swooped in and eaten you!"

"Ugh, that would be better than being stuck with y-"

"Shhhh, guys, look!" the youngest sister shushed her bickering siblings - a skill she had developed quite well.

As their eyes turned toward the shed, a shape emerged from the ground to the side of the door. A dark figure stepped forward and closed a squeaking hatch behind it.

"That's gotta be mask dude," the brother whispered, crouching low to the ground.

The older sister crouched next to him. "What's the plan?"

"We gotta get over there!" He followed the figure with his eyes. "Let's go now, while mask dude isn't inside!" As quietly as they could, the three cubs slunk through the tall grass and bushes toward the mysterious hatch. They weren't ten more steps from the door when all of a sudden...

"Welcome, treasured guests," a loud voice said, much too close for comfort.

The cubs whirled around to find themselves face to mask with the stranger who left them the invitation.

The brother growled. "Who the heck are you?"

"I am your host this evening. I hope you find the experience enjoyable." The cubs could hear the smarmy smile in the stranger's voice. With little choice, they were ushered through the hatch and down into the room under the shed.

To their amazement, the room was enormous, packed with sylesties young and old, and decorated luxuriously - with sparkling candelabras and swinging chandeliers, elegant sculptures, and a grandiose fountain in the center.

"What the..." the boy trailed off.

His sister replied, equally puzzled. "I have...no idea."

They stood motionless for a while, taking in their unexpected surroundings. When they finally thought to address the masked figure, the stranger was nowhere to be seen. Upon closer inspection, nearly every sylesti in the room appeared to be just as confused as they were - though it was comforting that none of them looked like they had been boiled or turned into toads. Cautiously, they approached a friendly-looking qitari who seemed to be enjoying herself, eating from a plate of fresh-looking fruit by the fountain.

"Excuse me," the oldest sister said. "Can you tell us...what...this place is?"

The mare smiled. "Nope!"

"Uh..."

With a small laugh the qitari downed an apple slice in one bite. "All I know is that it's much nicer than my human's overcrowded stables!" She didn't seem like she had much more to say to them. The cubs wandered toward an empty table.

"Maybe nobody knows what this place is," the youngest sister said.

"Yeah," her brother agreed. "Maybe we should just...try to...enjoy the experience like mask dude said? Come to think of it, I'm pretty hungry...that food looks really good."

As he finished his sentence, the cubs' table was suddenly full; plates of delicious-looking food of all kinds appeared like magic in front of their eyes. They stared at it, shocked.

Without a word the brother snatched a perfectly smoked fish off a plate and took a large bite. His sisters watched hesitantly, waiting to see if he would survive the first bite. He closed his eyes.

"It's..."

"What?!"

"It's amazing," he purred, diving back into his meal. It seemed like there was nothing else to do - the sisters joined him, sampling a little bit of everything. It was all perfect - like nothing they had ever tasted before.

===

The next thing the cubs knew, the sunlight was filtering through a window in their hatchery. Sleepy-eyed, they tried to take in their surroundings.

"What the..." the brother asked groggily.

"I....have no idea," came his sister's puzzled reply.

"I'm so sleepy," the youngest whimpered.

That moment, their human's voice called to them from the doorway.

"You kooky kittens, you've been sleeping for so long I was worried you ran off! You slept right through breakfast!" The human scratched their heads, giving each one a pat before heading back out the door.

The cubs looked at each other.

"Maybe it was a dream?" the oldest sister said, doubt in her voice.

The youngest nodded. "Yeah, must have been."

"I don't think so," their brother shook his head.

He pulled a fish bone out from between his teeth.

Susan sat at her her computer staring at the screen. The list of words sat on the blank page where she had pasted them...

Cognizant Scarecrow
Blazing Bonfire
Graveyard Ritual
Neurotic Nytekrie
Suspicious Shed
Party Invitation
Squeaking Hatch
Masked Visitor
Swinging Chandelier
Kooky Kittens

Shed been staring at the words for an hour, nothing was coming to her, it was writers block of the worst kind. Glancing at the lower right hand corner or her screen she saw that she only had a couple hours left until the contest deadline. She really wanted to head back into the Festival Zone to hopefully grab a few more boss items, and if she was lucky a themed pet or two. Perhaps she should just give up on the Spooky Story contest.

Well, maybe a snack will help she thought. As Susan got up to head to the kitchen she heard a scratching at the door. Suddenly she felt cold all over, and the dark room, lit only by the computer screens soft glow, seemed ominous. She stood, frozen with indecision.

The scratching grew louder, it became a frantic scrabbling. Then it suddenly stopped. Susans heart raced. Its probably nothing, she chided herself, just go look. As she took a step toward the door Susan heard the faint sound of a child crying. The thought of a lost child out in the cold November night pushed aside all of her fear and Susan rushed to the door and threw it open.

There on her porch was a little girl, barefoot and wearing a ragged slip, a naked ragdoll hung from one hand and lank black hair hid her downturned face. The child's shoulders shook with silent sobs. Susan reached out to her.

And then she saw the child wasnt crying at all, she was laughing. It raised its head to reveal a pale visage, a mouth filled with jagged fangs and eyes as flat, round, and black as buttons. Its high pitched giggle seemed to echo through the night and Susan was paralyzed as the black eyed monster crept toward her.

There once were three Vulnyx, Flicker, Sol, and Nikko, and all three were born on Halloween. These kooky kittens were always getting into trouble, it used to drive their owner Vivian crazy, but one day they vanished without a trace.

Sol! Vivian calls as she walks through the forest surrounding her stables, Flicker! Nikko! Where are you guys!? Getting no answer Vivian sighs and keeps looking, eventually coming across a scarecrow. You havent seen a couple kittens scamper by, have you? Vivian asks, not really expecting an answer, however to her shock the cognizant scarecrow raises one straw arm and points to the left. Thanks! With a grin Vivian takes off, hoping she will have kittens back to their mother soon.

Sometime later Vivian finds a suspicious shed; the rickety old structure looking like it will collapse on her head the moment she stepped foot inside. She is about to keep going when she hears a faint mewing from inside. Flicker! Vivian exclaims as she rushes inside, paying little attention to her own safety. Flicker! The girl calls again, squinting as she tries to see in the poor lighting. Finding no sign of the hatchling, Vivian wanders father in, nearly tripping over the handle to a trapdoor. Vivian hears movement under the door and takes a deep breath, hoping it is Flicker in there and not some less friendly sylesti, before she yanks open the squeaking hatch. A dark blur tackles Vivian to the ground and she prepares for the worst, until she hears purring. Flicker, Vivian mutters with a smile, holding the terrified kitten close as she heads home.

With Flicker safely back with her mother, Vivian heads back out to find the other two, hoping they are safe. On her doorstep she finds a note, telling her to come to the graveyard. Why the graveyard? Vivian mutters as she treks through the forest once more, sending a quick prayer to her ancestors hoping they will forgive her for trespassing in their final resting place. Sol, Nikko! Vivian calls as she carefully walks around the tombstones. Suddenly a blazing bonfire roars to life before Vivian and she stumbles back with a yelp, her heart beating out of her chest.

Complete the ritual, a masked man says as he steps out of the flames, a scarp of dark fur dangling from his grip.

Nikko! Vivian gasps, glad to see the hatchling is unharmed, but hating that the man is holding the vulnyx so close to the fire. Picking up the ancient looking scroll labeled Graveyard Ritual, Vivian realizes this man is trying to resurrect the legendary Banshee Nytekrie. Against her better judgement, Vivian tosses the Nytekrie Skull into the bonfire, turning the flames a ghostly blue. The Masked Visitor disappears as quickly as he came, leaving Vivian and Nikko to deal with the revived beast.

Nikko! Vivian exclaims happily as she scopes the kitten into her arms just as the nytekrie lets out an ear-splitting roar. The neurotic nytekrie lunges at the two, Vivian wincing as sharp talons dig into her arm despite her best effort to dodge the attack. Realizing there is only one way to stop the nytekrie, Vivian sets Nikko down behind a tombstone and runs toward the fire. Come and get me you overgrown chicken! Vivian yells, smirking when she hears another shriek from the creature because she knows that means it fell for her trap. Making it to the fading bonfire with only seconds to spare, Vivian grabs a grave marker and thrusts it into the fire, splitting the skull in two. The Banshee Nytekrie lets out a roar before it starts to fade, its soul free to return to its resting place once more.

Thats a relief, Vivian mutters to herself, blinking in confusion when a piece of paper lands on her head. A party invitation? she questions after looking at the paper, could that be where Sol is? Nikko just glances up at Vivian, tilting her head to the side in confusion. Come on, Vivian chuckles as she picks the kitten up and starts toward the address written on the card. At the end of her journey she finds a decaying mansion that has clearly seen better days. Hesitating for only a moment Vivian pushes open the doors, the rusted hinges squealing in protest. Sol! Vivian calls as she looks around, but the only answer she receives in some jingling right above her head.

An amused meow makes Vivian look up, only to see the young hatchling hanging from a swinging chandelier. Get down here Sol, Vivian orders and the vulnyx chuckles before he glides down and lands on her shoulder. Now lets go home, Vivian says and the two hatchlings meow in agreement as the three head home, ready for a nap after their long day.