Autumn Essence

Dancing on the breeze of the cool autumn air,
Are leaves and baby bats flying in pairs.
The sun begins to set and moon starts to rise,
Children hurry home, as dinnertime is nigh.
Laughing and running, the kids enter the doors,
Only to be met and greeted by prancing puffadores.

After a dinner of veggies, potatoes, and spicy sausages,
The children want stories and hold their parents hostage.
With a tired grin, father begins to tell a tale,
A scary tale, one that begins with a ghostly wail.
The children giggle, wiggle, and kick off their sandy socks,
But a stern look from mother tells them to listen to father talk.

Again, father begins, telling of a haunted shack,
One with a door that rarely opens and closes with a SMACK!
The kids all gasp and the vulnyx kitten yawns,
As mother points out onto their dark lawn.
"I saw something!" she quietly exclaims by the door,
While all the children race to get up off the floor.

"Oh yes, maybe that was her," grinned father from his seat,
Causing the kids to race back, pets hot on their feet.
"Who?" they ask in hushed whispers all around,
Then father became serious and cast his gaze upon the ground.
"Witch Doctor Hexamora," he said with a grunt,
Winking to mother who still stood by the front.

Father continues the story in a scary voice,
He said he could stop, it was their choice.
They urge him to go on as they carve a purple pumpkin,
With a goofy smile to look like a country bumpkin.
"The real fear is not from a witch doctor," says mother,
Father agrees, "She's right, you should be afraid of another."

"Years ago, in woods near to our home,
Was laid to rest, a figure said to still roam.
He was a soldier and fierce, foreign and dark,
His grave is forgotten and known only by a mark.
On nights much like this, moonless and cold,
He and his steed claw free from the dirt and mold.

Together they stampede through the night,
Claiming heads and causing quite some fright.
He is known now only by one name,
And feared by many who know his dark fame.
If you're caught outside at night without a plan,
You best be prepared to meet the Headless Horseman."

Sandy Socks, the Vulnyx Kitten, waited anxiously at the dusty window of the Haunted Shack. Her paws perched on the windowsill, taking the occasional glance behind at the elderly couple who lived there with her. The couple were feasting on steamy stew to warm their bellies against the autumn's chill. The Vulnyx licked her fangs at the old memories of stealing away with Spicy Sausages from the chopping board when the old woman would look away while making this dish in bygone days.

She strained to hear any noises outside through the dingey panes as the old man spoke of the tale of the Headless Horseman, and how a group of brave adventurers had once pranked him, by replacing his head with a Purple Pumpkin! She flicked her tail mirthfully at their laughter and wished she could have seen such a sight.

After supper the old woman returned to the blanket she had been knitting, as her husband remarked that he had seen Witch Doctor Hexamora in town today at the local store, when he had gone in to get apples and caramel. She was looking for fruit to feed her Baby Bat, but the store made her leave her new friend outside while shopping so he had agreed to watch it for her while she shopped! Sandy Socks yawned and went through the motions of grooming her fur, impatiently waiting for her favorite part of the night.

Soon, soon enough they arrived! A group of Prancing Puffadores ran up with pumpkin shaped pails hanging from their mouthes, accompanied by costumed children who shouted Trick or Treat! She sprinted to the door, stopping just short. Poised in the shadows, coiled and tense.. she watched, and waited. The old women picked up a bowl filled with sweet treats, and opened the door, marveling at each child's costume as she placed a handful into their buckets and bags.

Suddenly, Sandy Socks pounced out at them, letting out a Ghostly Wail! The children shrieked, and the Puffs let out startled yips as the group ran off into the night together. Some were laughing, some were crying out in alarm! Sandy Socks looked on, smugly, as the old woman laughed. "Did you hear that dear, the littlest one said See, I told you this place was haunted by a big scary ghost!" She shook her head, chuckling a bit as she sat the candy dish down. "Big scary ghost indeed!" The man mused, absently patting a small urn on the mantle as he retired to his easy chair with a book.

Sandy Socks purred with contentment, and followed the man along to the comfy chair, giving a sideways glance at the mantle as she passed. The engraved words were illuminated in the dim firelight. 'Sandy Socks: Beloved friend and companion. Gone, but not forgotten'. Any minute now, the next group would be along.. and she was going to live up to those words all night!

This elderly woman named Ms. Owens lived all alone except for four sylesti pets that brought her great joy. Three were puffadores and the fourth was a little vulnyx kitten. The puffadores were greatly annoyed by the kitten who was recently introduced. They loved their owner dearly and the thought of her love being divided further was something they couldn't accept.

One day they were all outside playing while Ms. Owens was decorating for the Fall Festival. Even though visitors were seldom, decorating was something she enjoyed doing each year for every festival. She was currently busy with a purple pumpkin recently dried from being painted. Instead of carving she was painting a face.

"Are you all having fun", asked Ms. Owens to her sylesti companions. "Don't forget to include your new friend in your games."

The puffadores had not been doing so. The vulnyx was playing on it's own and would glance occasionally at them. Finally the puffadores decided that they would go a bit further out in the woods. They'd make sure that the vulnyx couldn't find them. And so three prancing puffadores went off into the woods on their own. But while they were having fun, they didn't pay enough attention to which directions they had gone. Sooner than they expected the sky was darkening. They looked every which way. But instead they seemed to become more and more lost.

Finally night had come and they heard a ghostly wail. They shuddered at the sound. Fear gripping their hearts. Wandering aimlessly as the night sky was obscured by clouds, they began to smell something. It was the enticing smell of spicy sausages they were sure. Thinking that Ms. Owens must be preparing the traditional seasonal treat, they dashed through the trees thinking they must be close to home after all.

Instead, they came across what looked like a haunted shack. But the smell was so wonderful and they were so hungry. They carefully approached hoping to take a glance within. There was a ghostly blue light within the shack. Was someone home? As they reached the building they found a nearby stump and were able to take a peek inside.

"My, I have three little puffadores as guests it seems", came a voice from within. "I am Witch Doctor Hexamora. Come inside little ones. I have some spicy sausages that I'm sure you'd love."

The door seemed to open all on it's own. The three puffadores were scared still but the thought of someplace warm and hot food was too appealing. They entered to find Hexamora sitting by a fire emitting strange blue flames. Sausages were roasting over the flames. Hexamora had a little baby bat nestled in her hair. It gazed at them making squeaking noises.

"Now, now. Please relax. What wonderful timing as I have a guest coming soon and we can all enjoy a meal together." Only a few minutes must have passed when there was a knock on the door. "Ah, good. He's already here."

The door opened and from the outside appeared a horrifying appearance. A man dressed in back with a flaming pumpkin for a head! This was the legendary Headless Horseman who stood before them.

"Three little puffadores," murmured Hexamora. I haven't had a chance yet to try to steal mojos from puffadores. I've certainly would never have imagined to find a group of three!"

The puffadores knew they had to escape! But they were between the witch doctor and the Headless Horseman! What could they do? Then a shape came from the still open door and leapt at the Horseman. The Horseman was startled and turned trying to shake off what had jumped at his back. The little vulnyx kitten! Hexamora was taken by surprise as the Horseman's pumpkin head fell and he blindly flailed and ran into her. They tumbled to the floor.

The vulnyx kitten jumped off and ran up to the puffadores. It was time to make their escape and they ran as fast as they could. The vulnyx seemed to know the way home, and the puffadores were all grateful and happy to have been saved. It was so very late but eventually they saw a warm glowing light in the distance.

Finally, they were home. They entered the yard and saw the purple pumpkin now sporting a silly face and a pair of old sandy socks held on by sticks for ears. The puffadores barked and the vulnyx kitten made it's little roaring meow. The door opened and Ms. Owens opened the door. She leaned over and hugged them. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I was so worried!"

The puffadores felt quite guilty for their behavior. They knew they hadn't treated the vulnyx kitten well and despite that the kitten had still rescued them. And they never meant to hurt their guardian so much. From that day on they all played together every day.

I had to cut out about a hundred odd words to get this under the limit when it was done. That was tricky. Anyway, I hope it's considered PG13 and not too too graphic. If it is I'll remove it immediately.

All Hallows Eve was a strange, fantastical night. Unearthly creatures slipped through the cracks in reality, painting the nights with mischief, horror, and wonder. The sky was tinted oddly, all distorted impossible shadows and angles. Here, a face with no mouth seeming to give a ghostly wail right into your ear, there a hissing vulnyx kitten, skittering away from a putrid smelling purple pumpkin as it lurches across the ground. All good sensible folk packed it in for the night. In fact even the less respectable members of society such as Witch Doctor Hexamora had closed themselves up tight in their little houses. Their doors locked tight, their hands tensed as they kept an a wary eye on shuttered windows.

Only the truly reckless, the depraved, the unstable individuals with heart wrenching pasts and gut wrenching wishes ventured out into the night. Not even silly prancing puffadores of gents or ladies looking for a thrill. No, this night belonged the devils, the demons, the haunted souls of the living and the dead.

There was a strange sort of camaraderie in this night of revels and misery. Passing strangers in the night offered each other smiles, all too sharp and numerous of teeth. The man on your right could be the Headless Horseman himself, or a simple farmhand motivated by something ghastly. It was a night where a baby bat could become a monster, and a monster could be broken down beyond repair, incomprehensible of what had befallen them.

It so happened on this night, a young woman was making her way through the forest. She had a destination, of course. The soil was loose and coarse as she beat her path, the branches heavy and sharp. Soon she was a bit of a ragged mess, from her torn face to her sandy socks. She pressed on and eventually after several scrapes she was looking at it. Her breath came out in a slowly, vapor dispersing as her eyes locked on the sight shed been coming for all night, all this wretched night.

"So this is it. The famous haunted shack, the house of a thousand woes." The woman licked her lips as she finished her quiet musing, stepping forward rapidly on tired and unsteady feet. She shouldered the heavy door open and stepped inside. Her nose wrinkled at the stench that hit her. It was something like rotted wood, spicy sausages, old blood, and ozone. She rolled her shoulders and continued inside, her eyes scanning the slouching walls and broken furniture. When she made it to the center of the room she set a bundle on the floor with almost unnatural gentleness as she let her coat fall down heavy behind her.

She was on her knees a moment later, taking a hold of her bundle and opening it slowly. She pulled out candles, matches, a book, and then her hand brushed against the final item and her body seemed to tense. She let out a deep breath as she pulled out a tattered old fashioned looking stuffed bear. She shook her head slowly, looking again at the walls of the room where she saw glass glinting dimly over what must be picture frames. She spread the cloth out wide, placing a candle on each corner and then letting the ancient bear rest in the middle. She lit each candle and picked up the book, the cover was old and frayed, though not nearly so much as the bear. She opened the book to the first page. "This is a true story. Of death and destruction, a family torn apart and a childs innocence shattered. This is the story of the infamous Patterson family murder..."

The woman continued to read the slim book even as she began to hear unusual noises in the house. A gust of wind in the wrong direction as she spoke of the family's father, without a job and turned to drink. A broken glass as she spoke of a mother resentful of their misfortune, terrible to her own children to make herself feel better. The house gave a lurch and she had to grit her teeth as she heard a childish cry of frustration and anger as she spoke finally of the daughter. The daughter who had been found with her neck twisted wrong, stuffed bear still in her hands by her father, sober for once. There had been a fight, the other children afraid, the mother insisting the clumsy girl had slipped. She had been buried, her things all sold off. And that had been it. The house rocked dangerously again, a piece of furniture violently over turned. Until a month later the rest of the family was found, all around the house in a perfect circle, their necks as crooked as the daughters had been. The town had been afraid and kept it quiet, selling the house again. But the owners would always be found the same way. The house was haunted.

The woman laid the book down as she looked up and saw the furious specter not far off from her. She was a little girl. Crooked pig tails and freckles, but too pale, see through. "I'm sorry about what happened to you, it was wrong. But you have to stop. I brought you your bear." The girl looked with her blank eyes at the bear and suddenly she was right in front of the woman. Looking right into her eyes, arms just solid enough on this one night to take the ragged bear.

"That story wasn't right lady, it wasn't. I never hurt Stephie or Jack or the others. Only mama and Papa. Only ever the mamas and papas who came here. Thank you for Bearie...I'll go now. But don't trust them lady, don't trust the mamas and papas. They're mean." The girl turned and then she was gone, the candles flickering out. The woman placed her head in her hands and sighed. It never got easier.

Crouched below a large bush, a Vulnyx Kitten hid, lost and scared. It somehow strayed a little too far away from home. She knew she shouldn't have gone; her mother always told her to stay close by, especially on Halloween Night. However, a baby bat caught her attention as it fluttered across the trees. She had been too distracted to realize just how far she'd gone. Taking a few steps forward, a loud ghostly wail shrilled through the forest chilling her right down to the bones. She ran as fast as she could but the sound seemed to only get louder and closer. Her heart raced as she dashed through the shrubbery and dove right into a hallowed out tree. Inside was what appeared to be sandy socks which meant someone had been there before.

But then, up ahead, she saw a Haunted Shack with the funniest site. Prancing puffadores bounced around a purple pumpkin merrily as if they didnt have a care in the world. Feeling emboldened, the kitten crept forward. As she neared the shack, the delicious smell of spicy sausages filled her nose and made her forget her fears. She tried to get the puffadores' attention but instead they disappeared into the shack. Maybe she should join them? It seemed safe enough. Upon entering, she came across the Witch Doctor Hexamora! Hexamora quickly used her magic to slam the door close and trap the little kitten inside. The kitten tried to find anyway to escape, climbing to the highest point and trying to open a window only to be met with...the headless horseman.

Phew! Reading through all of those stories took me a few hours, but it was definitely an enjoyable few hours! I just want to say thank you to all of you that participated, I loved reading all the creative stories that you wrote! Some of you even made some very impressive poems, which I absolutely loved! It was extremely hard for me to pick out winners, as I am sure you can tell with how many place winners there were!

Thank you again! And please be patient with us while we hand out the forum titles and prizes! If you won a prize that you need to pick out please wait until I PM you.

Winners are listed alphabetically and are not indicative of which story I preferred more. Click the usernames to be taken to the stories.

1st Place

1,000,000 Gold
1 Fall Festival Basket
3 2014 Visible Fall Festival Themed Pet
10 Lucky Tickets

Asviloka
Entropy
Flute
Hundenelsker
Kyokai
Lolidragon
Xavion

2nd Place

750,000 Gold
2 Visible 2014 Fall Festival Themed Pet
10 Lucky Tickets

Emgeal
Fallyn
Junbae
Savynn
Xovinx
Zelly

3rd Place

500,000 Gold
10 Handfuls of Candy
1 Forum Game Item

Amirell
Donmino
Flightofthedragon
Yugena