Jirohnagi
Braava Braava
Heya One and all, all and sundry, welcome to the 25th round of results for the Writing Competion. This last month we had 5 entries for it and i'd like to thank each of the entrants for taking the time to enter, as ever i shall post the stories alongside each entrants names, below. But first The Results.
The Theme of the month was:
Festival of Spirits
From the above poll which ran from the 24th til the 30th we can see that the winner is none other than
Morbid Minish
Congratulations on winning the 25th round of the Writing Competion @Morbid Minish.
Thank you one and all for coming and again a special thanks to the entrants for sending in some stories, i hope you enjoy the next month til the Writing Comp returns to us all once again.
For those who wish to read the entries again, this time appended with the writers names they shall be below:
Halloween.......festival of harvest.....festival of Costumes......festival of Spirits as many think. 1 day , 24 hrs ,1440 minutes . Changing your perspective on this festival one could tell that their whole life was Halloween.
Let's take a peek into one such guy and his life .
Gasps opens his eyes
waaauuuuuggghhh waaauuuuuggghhhh I go
Dr. Frankenstein picks me up, holds me upside down , hits me twice on may back
"He's OK . may he inspire love and abolish fear and cruelty from the face of earth."
He put me back in a weird looking box
Three years later.....
I walked into a haunted house with my granny. Inside a dingy and dilapidated room sat Jabba .
"Good Morning! what's your name? "
A lot of Jabba's cronies glared at me
"L-l-Loki.are you fine Sir? "
Jabba beams and says something to my granny. While we were heading through the gate I saw a man......I smiled at him . He didn't smile back. His face was emotionless, you could have called him the living dead. His eyes partially covered with his hat showed nothing except void.
The first day of haunted house:
As we walked in the first day, we saw a lot of Witches and Angels alike. I was really hoping to be in one of the Angels' room ...... Granny stopped. I looked up.A mean face smiled annoyingly sweet
"Awww such an adorable kid! Come on in I'll take care of you heheheee."
My granny left me there,and I was convinced only after a long coaxing
She turned to me "Now git to that seat on the first row. and don't be so adamant! It ain't good for you. "
I was made to sit with this guy ,let's call him Skull kid.
Now after a few hours I realised Skull kid didn't talk to anybody, Neither did I .
"Hi !nice to meet you I'm Loki" . A smile appeared on his face ,I relaxed.
For many days we both had fun together, chatted away until we get busted by witch, pushed each other in swing, played lock and key and spooked around. After a few days two other fairies joined us. That year went well until........I was made to sit with Tingle .I gritted my teeth and clung on grimly for that year.
two years later ,
A few years later
There were four of us OL .Jack , Clown , Loki , and woody. I and Clown were legendary pranksters. OL. Jack was round and has a craggy smile as his name says. Woody was a guy who was admired by all . Everyone admires Woody , jealous of woody which lead to our distancing. Then came an annoying guy called Buzz. He was the greatest show-off our haunted high school has ever seen. Jack became his side kick Now there were only two of us left.
I realised it was a crucial period of my life and adviced Clown that we keep away from others and work hard for some months. And I went my way . Clown didn't listen he made his own buddies and started to have fun . I was alone for a few months before getting absorbed into the spookiest gang in our Haunted high school. There was Dracula, Mummy, Vampire, Werewolf and myself.
It was not long before my grades fell . At that point I saw........Zelda!. A beauty she was........I started walking towards her. A savage beauty.
At midway I felt a hand on my shoulder. SPIDEY! . No one in HHS knew much about him . But I heard he was nice.
"Hey Spidey! "
"Hi Loki. What was the ambition you were talking about that day?"
"Hmmm.....Becoming the greatest asset of Indsgard and....... out-shining my cousin Thor!"
"So were are you heading now?"
I gestured my hand towards Zelda
"So?......"
I thought for a moment. "I'm not Link! I'm Loki.......I'm not a Hylian in the first place."
Spidey removed his mask . I was shocked to see a goofy pair of goggles and braces. We could help each other out. So I joined him and worked real hard.
*****
I got my Spook Score a month later . I had scored 408/500 . Everyone were expecting me to score 450+ . That was a clear disappointment to all including me. I was glad I worked with Spidey otherwise It would have dropped even more.
My cousin Thor returned from USgard to check on me
"What've you done Loki? "
he thundered. I stood speechless..........
*****
Where were we? Ah....Halloween yes..the festival of Spirits not costumes.........
“Mommy can I go out and play with the other kids?” A small hand grasped at the shirt dangling beside her and started tugging. The woman glanced to where the child was pointing, seeing a group of children running around, laughing, without a care in the world.
“Sweetie, we go over this every day. Your body isn’t well enough to join them. Besides, who needs them when you have your amazing mom here to play with?” A smile quickly grew across the woman’s face and her eyes widened, as hands reached out and started tickling the little girl. Giggles rang through the air from the both of them until they just couldn’t handle it anymore and finally collapsed to the floor trying to catch their breath.
As she cradled her daughter, Olivia wished she could give her more. As much as she loved spending every day with her daughter; taking care of her, playing whatever silly new game she invented, watching her become the beautiful girl before her; she knew that Isabelle would be having more fun with the kids her own age. After all, childhood is the best part of a person’s life but spending it cooped up inside with your mother all day doesn’t make for all the magical memories she would have otherwise. Despite how much she tried to make Isabelle’s childhood something to look back on fondly, she felt she had already failed even though the circumstances were out of her control.
Weeks went by, the days filled with the same things over and over. Isabelle would long to go out and join her neighbors in a round of tag or hopscotch. “Just for five minutes,” she would beg. But the answer remained the same, even though it broke Olivia’s heart each and every time she had to deny her daughter. Until one quiet fall day.
Olivia stood at the window, watching the red, orange, and yellow leaves paint a scene as they swirled across the ground. The trees were mostly bare, making the branches look like long skeletal fingers reaching towards the sky. A thick layer of leaves covered the ground, blanketing the earth to keep it warm from the brisk fall air. As she surveyed the calm neighborhood, she heard the familiar yearning sigh from Isabelle and knew what was about to come next. She turned around just as her daughter was begging to go outside, yet once again.
She walked over and crouched down, bringing herself at eye level with the girl. “Good news Izzy! I think you should be well enough to get to go out for today.” Olivia watched the girl’s face, seeing it go from disbelief at what she just said, to pure, unbridled excitement. Seeing such childlike wonder made her happier than she had been in quite a while.
“Do you know what today is as well?”
Isabelle shook her head, her brow furrowed trying to think of what her mother was talking about.
“It’s Halloween, silly!” Olivia laughed as she produced a trick-or-treat bag from behind her bag and presented it to Izzy.
“You mean I get to go outside AND I get to have all kinds of candy?”, her small voice shrieking at the mere idea.
“Yep. But we have to find you a costume first. How ‘bout we look around the house and see what we could use for one.”
Before she could blink, a tiny blurr whizzed out of the room to begin the search. It wasn’t long until she was running back to her mother with a roll of toilet paper in hand. “I know! I can be a mummy!” she said as she thrusted her arms out in front of her and imitated a mummy’s walk.
“I think that’s a perfect idea,” Olivia responded and started to wrap Isabelle in the tissue. After a lot of twirling and a couple of rolls of toilet paper, a mini mummy finally stood before her.
“Look mummy, I’m a mummy!” Isabelle exploded in laughter at her own joke and Olivia couldn’t help but join in. They had finished the preparations just in time, as Izzy soon spotted a vampire, ghost, and fairy princess walking down the sidewalk with treat bags in tow. “Can I go now mommy?” she asked with an eager look in her eyes.
“Just one second. I know you’re excited to be with kids your own age, but I still need to make sure nothing happens to you, so I’ll be chaperoning. Let me just grab my costume and then we’ll be ready.” Isabelle waited patiently as her mom donned a witch mask and grabbed a broom as a prop. “There, all ready!”
Izzy bolted towards the door and flung it open, taking just a second to soak in the outside world she had been waiting to explore for so long before she scurried down the driveway and joined a group of kids walking past their house. Olivia quickly followed behind, but stopped just outside the doorway. She turned to look behind her and surveyed the charred remains of the building that once stood in that spot.
The burnt rubble was a painful reminder of the fact that Isabelle would forever be stuck as a child, confined to the place where she lost her innocence forever. Except for one day out of each year. The day where no one will notice a mother and daughter with burnt faces, because they can hide behind masks like everyone else. All Hallow’s Eve, the festival of spirits, where ghosts can join the living for the day.
In the nearby parking lot there were only a few abandoned cars parked. One stood out because the engine was running, and a faint tune softly emanated from it:
"You cheated, you lied, you said that you loved me..."
"Ugh, I had enough of the song with just the first verse!" Marie thought to herself.
She turned the station on her car radio immediately to find something that wouldn't remind her of the current woes she was experiencing. "I still can't believe that dirty-rotten, no good piece of **** of a man was screwing every broad he met! I don't know why I expected anything different from him! I partially blame the free love movement, but I guess I'm a hippie myself. I still have some old fashioned morals I adhere to as well, I guess…" she lamented to herself. That song by the Shangri Las had got her all worked up and sad again. There was at least one silver lining on the horizon, however.
Tuning the radio, she came across a station playing "The End" by The Doors. "Much better!" she quietly murmured to herself. "This is the end, my friend!" She quietly sang along. "Oh yes, this will surely be the end for you, Frank, once I'm done!" Marie said aloud with a crazed intensity, then she continued silently singing.
* * *
Hours earlier in the day, Marie and a few of her friends were finally coming down from an acid trip at someone's apartment located close to Bourbon Street. What they had done all night, and how they got there was a rather hazy matter, in retrospect, but they were much more concerned with living for the present anyway, and focusing more on what they saw while tripping; so this wasn't concerning to them at all.
"I had such an awesome vision, man! Like, I was standing on a mountain, I felt myself leave my body and I grew golden wings. I started flying through the cosmos, ya know, and like, I understood the vastness of it... Then I realized we're all part of something really amazing." Brett said, as he repositioned himself on the couch, before he looked as if he would nearly slide off it. Brett was a very skinny, pale young man, with long brown hair and a scruffy beard. He was shorter than the average 23 year old male. He had grey eyes, notably bloodshot, because he hadn't slept for days, and neither had anyone else in his group of friends. He noticed some Tomato sauce on his jeans and blue striped T-shirt which he tried to wipe off, but only smudged it deeper into the fabric, he sighed afterward. On the floor near him, a blanket moved, their friend Jacob was covered by the blanket. He repositioned himself from lying on his side, to his back. He could be best described as looking exactly like Paul Mcartney, the resemblance was striking indeed, and he even had his hair cut like The Beadles styled theirs years prior.
"Wow, that's awesome Brett." Jacob responded, "Remember these trips, man, because these are deeply spiritual experiences and they mean something!"
He sat up, still remaining on the floor covered by the blanket because he was nude. "Ya know, I was thinking since we're here in New Orleans, we should check out one of those voodoo rituals! Maybe talk to one of those voodoo priestesses, because I heard they have ways of finding the deeper meaning in visions that we can't." Jacob suggested. "By the way, did you have a bad trip again, Marie?" he said, turning to look at her.
Marie was sitting on the couch beside Brett. She brushed her brown hair out of her face, which was long and stretched down to her shoulders, then pulled down her white Cream shirt, because it was folded up slightly. "Well, yeah…" Marie replied. Lately every time she tripped the experience would go bad; this had only been going on for a few weeks, but it was starting to become intrusive on the fun of it all. She silently reflected on her most recent trip.
She vividly saw 7 floating tombstones which created a circle in the air. In the skies above them, a calamitous thundercloud formed, and powerful lightning bolts struck the ground in the middle of the tombstone formed circle. The lightning left a large hole from which a neon red liquid began to spew forth. Swiftly, the liquid flowed out creating a red neon river that stretched the length of the universe itself. The thundercloud dissipated, behind it the full moon had been hidden, but now it could be seen in its golden brilliance. Unexpectedly, the moon began to take on the same neon red color of the river. While all these events transpired, Marie felt a sense of foreboding. At the beginning of the vision it was there, but not yet strong. As the vision continued, it grew more fierce; until finally it overtook her as she began to tremble uncontrollably. When the moon turned neon red, she suddenly stopped trembling. Now she was petrified with fear, because somehow she knew she wasn't alone. The other presence had such an evil aura that Marie felt as if she was dying infinite deaths. She wanted to cry out for help, but her vocal chords had betrayed her. As she opened her mouth to scream, there was only silence. Just as she began to accept this terrible fate, she felt relief as reality slowly came back into focus.
One may wonder, why continue to subject one's self to such horrors? "A bad trip is better than the drabness of reality" Marie thought, in an attempt to justify why she even continued getting high, despite the bad trips. Truthfully, she was worried about them. Bad trips can happen, but she had never heard of someone having them successively for a long timeframe.
"I think we could maybe find some answers to get you having good trips again!" Jacob said.
"That would be cool." Marie responded, as she stood up and pulled a pack of cigarettes and a match book from the left pocket of her jean shorts (which we now call Daisy Dukes). She struck a match and lit a cigarette. There was now another movement from beneath Jacob's blanket. A nude woman sat up, stretching with a yawn.
"Oh, good morning everyone!" She said, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Everyone only had a faint memory of her name: Jessica.
"Good morning, Jessica!" Jacob replied, and everyone else mimicked him. "Thanks for letting us crash here!" He said.
"Oh, no problem, it's my pleasure; you all are a group of cool cats!" she said with a smile. "Are you guys hungry?" Jessica inquired, "I can make us some eggs!"
"That sounds wonderful!" Jacob said enthusiastically.
* * *
Later that afternoon, the group set out from the apartment. Jessica refused to go along with them to any of the voodoo houses, Jacob tried to change her mind, but she would not budge on the matter. They decided to walk around Bourbon Street first to ask for directions to any Voodoo establishments. Most people gave strange looks after the query, or seemed outright bothered. One woman even grabbed Jacob's red flannel shirt, causing it to unbutton, while pleading with him not to go to such a place. He buttoned it back in place as the group continued walking.
"These people sure are superstitious!" Brett remarked in bewilderment.
They continued down the street filled with various stores, Jazz clubs, bars, and risque nightclubs. There was a wonderful sweet aroma of seafood being cooked in the air, with an underlying smell of spice as well that they couldn't quite distinguish, which they assumed was what the locals simply called Cajun seasoning. The street was bustling as well, there was a symphony of chattering alongside the clomping of footsteps along the sidewalks. Eventually the group came across a few other hippies walking out of one of the clubs. They talked for awhile and got some directions to a house where a Voodoo woman lives between Burgundy and Dumaine Street, really only a short walk from where they currently were. Jacob thanked the group and they parted ways.
After about 30 minutes, they arrived at the house. It didn't look much different from any of the other houses on the street. It was an old white painted Victorian-era house. They climbed up the steps onto the front porch and knocked on the door, there was no answer at first.
"M-maybe nobody is home?" Brett stuttered.
"Are you getting scared, Brett?" Marie jeered.
"Well between Jessica objecting to coming, and those people freaking out at the mentioning that we were looking for a house like this; I'll admit I have an eerie feeling." Brett revealed.
"Just, like, take a chill pill, man!" Jacob responded and knocked on the door one more time; this time the door opened. They were quite shocked that a young dark skinned woman opened the door wearing torn jeans and a Jimi Hendrix "Purple Haze" Shirt, they were half expecting an old hag to answer like the typical portrayal of witches.
"Hello, my name is Jacob, these are my friends Marie and Brett, we…" the woman cut Jacob off.
"I know why you are here; you're interested in Vodou, right? I can help, but not for free." She said.
"We don't have much money. I think we do have some weed though" Brett spoke up.
She smiled, "That should be fine, come in."
The interior of her house was very nice, and looked ordinary, not at all full of slaughtered chickens and human skulls, which is what people typically think about with voodoo. She led them into a guest room with a couch, there were also two arm chairs near an elaborately designed fireplace that had a small log with a smoldering flame inside, she placed a few more logs into it and stirred the coals to stoke the flame as the group sat on the couch.
"My name is Zaline, you must refer to me as Mambo Zaline because I am a Vodou Priestess, and you must address me properly or risk angering my ancestors." She instructed, "Now, what service do you wish of me?"
"We were hoping you could help us out with the meaning of some visions." Jacob responded, he had a look of fascination now that there were in the presence of a legitimate practitioner of Vodou.
"The realm of visions is a difficult one to navigate, but you are right to believe there is a deeper meaning to them. I will attempt to discern the portents of the visions with the help of my spiritual connections."
Both Brett and Jacob looked at Marie, her visions were certainly more pressing than theirs, afterall. Marie described the vision she saw while tripping, she had never told Brett or Jacob the details of the bad trips prior, it was clearly startling to them, but Mambo Zaline showed no reaction, instead, she looked into the fire, then began to perform a mystifying dance. During the dance, she began to chant in Haitian Creole, a strange language to the group:
"Zansèt, vizite nou, ban nou repons yo. Konekte nou nan domèn nan pi lwen pase!" Mambo Zaline chanted.
The chant intensified, her dance became faster, and the fire seemed to be growing higher and higher. Slowly a climax had begun to build, at this point Mambo Zaline was shaking as if possessed, the entire group was in complete awe. They felt a slight unsettling feeling, but they dared not stop her now. The ritual ended with a burst of fire escaping the fireplace that caused the group to flinch. Mambo Zaline collapsed in front of the fireplace. Suddenly, the house felt normal again.
The fire subsided back down to a smolder as Madame Zaline slowly got up, and sat in the armchair by the fireplace. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and drank a cup of water that had been on a small table next to the armchair.
After the refreshment, she addressed Marie, "The spirits would not tell me much, just that it is my fate to guide you in your hour of need."
"My hour of need? What does that mean?" Marie questioned in a confused tone.
"It's best not to think much about it, these types of fortunes tend to happen in the distant future, and it would be my duty to find you if you were far away. I'm sure though that your visions will become less troubling from this point on" Mambo Zaline reassured her.
She then focused on the visions Brett and Jacob described to her, she did not perform any rituals to discern their visions, and the interpretations were not left ambiguous like Marie's was, but they weren't very interesting. After her work was complete, Mambo Zaline left the room momentarily to get a bong, she took a few bong hits, and passed it around.
* * *
By the afternoon, they had departed from Mambo Zaline's house and decided to go along with Jessica to a party. While hanging out Jessica pulled Marie aside, "Do you want to drop a tab?" She asked.
"Sure!" Marie said enthusiastically.
They took some acid and re-joined the party just as "Magic Carpet Ride" by Stepphenwolf began to play, and the party erupted into a frenzy of dancing. Everything was going great for Marie well into the evening, until she spotted a familiar face: Frank, her former boyfriend! They had recently broken up on a conflict of ideals, Marie felt they should be faithful to only each other, but Frank was too involved with the free love movement and used that as an excuse to have polygamous relationships. Marie was so appalled by him being at the party that she decided to run outside. By now the acid started to slowly kick in, and her first thought as it happened was that she would torture and murder Frank for what he did. Remember, Marie is a legitimately good person, it's just that sometimes acid makes you think strange things, and even do them. She got into Jessica's car and drove away, parking near the river at Moonwalk Park, trying to get a grip on herself.
After listening to "The End" by The Doors, Marie had fully slipped into drug-induced delirium — there was no stopping her from murdering Frank tonight, and she knew exactly how to do it. Mambo Zaline said she would help Marie in her hour of need, well this was certainly it, Marie thought. She drove to Mambo Zaline's house, and before she could knock on the front door, Mambo Zaline opened it.
"I knew you'd be back, child. You've come here with the bloodlust on you, and that's exactly what I need to fulfill my desires for tonight." Mambo Zaline said as they stood in the parlor. Marie could see ghostly figures flying through the house, and within Mambo Zaline there appeared to be spirits possessed within her, but this was likely due to the acid trip which was gradually becoming stronger
"You see, years ago I summoned a beautiful spirit of great power. It instructed me on the process of a long forgotten ritual to summon it into our world, bringing about an age of Utopia!" Mambo Zaline said, with a gleam in her eye. "Do as I say, and your desires shall be fulfilled as well."
* * *
Mambo Zaline drove Marie to a private graveyard, it was almost midnight, so the full moon was near the middle of the sky. A fog was spread through the graveyard hovering on the ground between the various tombstones. Marie could see a swarm of spirits floating through the graveyard.
"Today is the Festival of Spirits, the realm between the living and dead is at its thinnest on this day each year, now with you I can perform the ritual summoning at the stroke of midnight!" Mambo Zaline said with a sinister smile. She led Marie to an area that had 7 tombstones placed in a circle, just like in the vision during the bad trips. Mambo Zaline lifted her jeans on her right leg, pulling a small sheath from her boot. She took a stone knife out of the sheath and swiftly grabbed Marie's left arm, cutting her wrist. The blood dripped down onto the ground within the tombstone circle. Then, Mambo Zaline hit Marie's head, knocking her unconscious.
When Marie awoke she was tied and bound by ropes, and was lying inside the tombstone formed circle. Mambo Zaline built a fire and was performing a ritual dance nearby with the stone knife in hand. Marie could see many of the spirits entering the Vodou Priestess' body throughout the ritual. Just like at her house, the fire grew larger and larger as Mambo Zaline chanted, to Marie it was just a foreign language like before, actually Mambo Zaline had given over to such possession that she was speaking in strange unheard tongues. Within the fire that grew larger and larger it looked as if horned figures were dancing in the flames.
Horrifically, the tombstones began to levitate, maintaining their circle while in the air; exactly like in the vision. Storm clouds began to form and a rush of strong wind hit Marie's face. She became petrified when a demonic spirit emerged from the fire. It's evil presence was so intense, Marie's heart was pounding uncontrollably, she tried to scream but she was gagged. Mambo Zaline approached Marie, her eyes no longer had pupils. With an evil smile, she raised the knife and it was struck by lightning, with the blade red hot she stabbed Marie's heart with Marie releasing a muffled scream. With her body lifeless, the clouds parted with the moon at its highest point in the sky. Blood gushed up from Marie's wound and the sun turned red, it's rays shone down onto Marie's body as the demon approached it…
* * *
"Marie! Marie!" Brett screamed in a terrified tone. He was holding her, crying on the floor in the living room of Jessica's house. Jacob and Jessica were crying as well, with expressions of disbelief.
Marie took a breath, slowly opening her eyes, which surprised them, they all smiled and hugged her.
"I can't believe you pulled through! We found you lying on the ground lifeless, we thought you tried killing yourself by cutting your wrist, plus we thought you might have overdosed…" Brett cried, and he kissed Marie's cheek. "Do you feel ok?" He asked, wiping the tears from his face with his right hand.
"Yeah, I feel fine I think… Great even!" She said softly, as she examined the cut on her left wrist. "I guess I must have done some pretty crazy stuff while I was high and alone here." She said to the group. She consoled Brett by giving him a passionate kiss, he was surprised but did not object, he had always secretly liked her. With the kiss his body began twitching, and he collapsed onto the floor. She pulled out a bloody stone knife out of her pocket, approaching Jessica and Jacob, cornering them in the room. "Don't worry, everything is going to be perfect in this world now, starting first with me taking that son-of-a-***** Frank to burn in Hell!" She said with a smile. Jacob closed his eyes, "If this is a bad trip, I hope it ends soon!" He thought.
A chill ran through the air of the small town of Heiligen. It was usually a sleepy, quiet town, but there was one night each year when it became bustling and full of energy. That night was All Hallow’s Eve, and Heiligen had a special way of celebrating their harvest.
A young boy looked upon the changes to his town in wonder. He had never gotten to see it done up quite like this before, for thanks to a certain rule, he could never attend the celebration until now. His tenth birthday was just last week; perfect timing, he thought. Young children weren’t allowed to attend, because they were too young to understand the impact of what they would see. But now, young Lest was finally of age.
His eyes sparkled with fancy at the decoration. The air above his head was aglow with hues of orange, purple, and green. Wisps of glitter danced around the streetlights. Ethereal streamers hung from lines drawn over the roads and between the buildings. A cool, sticky mist hugged the ground tightly up to his knees.
On every street corner, on every windowsill, sat pumpkins and gourds and bales of hay. Baskets of vegetables sat on benches. The fruits of the harvest were on display for the whole town to see, and this year had been especially bountiful. Even the fountain in the town square had been adorned with shining, colorful sprays of water and light.
Pink and purple lotus flowers floated on the river that cut through the town, and candlesticks with flames of every color lined the stone railings next to it. Just the same, Jack-O-Lanterns sat on every doorstep outside of every house, lit up with beautiful fire and lights from within. The cobblestone roads were already packed with patrons, excited for the festival to begin.
Lest was nervous. His parents weren’t far, and he knew he’d be safe with them, but he couldn’t help but wonder why he had to wait so long to attend. Without fail, he didn’t see a single person younger than himself on the streets. He had begged his parents each year since he was old enough to talk, and each year they told him the same thing; “It’s still too soon for you to meet them.”
Them. The curiosity was agonizing. He’d heard so much about them ever since he was little. The friends from the other side, who join Heiligen for the annual Crossover Festival on All Hallow’s Eve. This one night of the year was the only night when Lest’s world and what lied beyond could join together, and for centuries, the townsfolk of Heiligen and the ever-mysterious them celebrated this bond as equals.
There was so much to be known about them. Lest had heard they can come in all kinds of shapes, different colors, and different sizes. They had different cultures and ways of living, to be sure. He had seen their likeness in picture books, of course, but seeing the real thing was going to be so very different. He waited years for this opportunity, and now a lump from his stomach jumped into his throat every time the big clock at the town square counted down another minute to showtime.
Lest wandered toward the fountain in the square. He could see his parents from that spot, and he could sit down on the edge. His knees were starting to feel weak. His head was racing with thoughts. His curiosity would finally be sated. He wasn’t sure if he were ready. Now that the day had come, he could see why the grownups made the kids wait so long. It must have been a maturity thing, he thought. With all the shaking his body was doing, he thought maybe it couldn’t hurt to add another year to the age limit.
Before he could finish sorting out his thoughts, the town bell was struck and the clock rang out. It was time. The Crossover Festival had begun. Lest involuntarily stiffened up. The grownups all around him started to cheer. The other kids, some his age and some a little older but not quite grown up yet, started waving their limbs around excitedly. Lest began to feel like he was losing his nerve. He stood up and started walking toward his parents.
And at last, they arrived.
Lest stopped dead in his tracks. He could see one now, standing just in front of him. Then another appeared, and another still, and even more. They were showing up so naturally, blending into the crowd, that Lest hadn’t even noticed at first. He was kind of expecting their arrival to be a little more dramatic. Yet, here they were, all the same, almost as though they had been there all along.
It was just as Lest had heard, they really did come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. He wasn’t sure if he could tell which were the grownups and which were the kids at first, but he began to notice the smaller ones were the kids from the way they talked. The big ones chatted with the grownups from Lest’s side, and they shared in brews and sweets and other delights made here in Heiligen. They had brought their own brews and sweets from their side, as well. They looked so strange and unique to Lest.
The air came alive with fervor and excitement. Street bands played energetic ditties and vendors showed off their harvests. Goods passed between all kinds of guests and locals, sharing in their bounties. The night sky became electric as the glitter and colors danced even more brilliantly than before. Lest was nearly overwhelmed, and yet, all the same, every single being in attendance looked to be having fun.
A cheery smile and a wave from his parents while chatting with one of them set Lest at ease. The atmosphere of the festival was melting away all his worries. He took a big gulp of the fresh, festive air, and took in all the delicious scents and tastes it was tinged with. He turned on his heel, and then found himself face to face with one of them that looked to be his own age. He was pretty sure it was a boy, like himself. The two of them shared a moment of awkward silence before Lest finally dredged up the courage to speak.
“... Hello.” he said in a quiet voice.
“... Hi.” said the other boy.
After another moment of silence, Lest spoke again. “It’s... Uh, it’s nice to meet you.” He tried his best to smile, and to his relief, the other boy smiled back.
“This is my first time meeting someone from the other side.” the other boy said. “This is my first Crossover Festival. I just turned ten recently.”
“Me too!” Lest said, starting to gain a little steam. “I have to say, you humans don’t look as scary as I was imagining.”
The other boy laughed. “Yeah, you ghouls and ghosts aren’t so bad yourselves! Wanna check out the festival together?” he asked.
“Yeah! Let’s go!” Lest said excitedly.
The two boys took each other’s hands. Lest’s green flesh felt tingly when he touched the human boy’s warm skin. It was an odd feeling. He was used to the clamminess that came with his parents’ soft touch. It looked like the experience was odd for the human boy, too, but he kept right on smiling.
The pair began to stroll through the town. They passed a pair of ghouls drinking drafts of fizzing ale with humans. They passed skeletons dancing while their human friends playfully drummed on their bones. Gargoyles perched on the rooftops, throwing candy down at their guests with a laugh. Vampires shared a fresh baked strudel with their visitors. Werewolves were getting a kick out of their human buddies scratching them behind the ears. Ghosts and the human kids played hide and seek. Witches and old human ladies gossiped about who could raise a vegetable better. The undead dragged their feet behind the human friends they went to dinner with. Everywhere Lest looked, the humans were fitting right in with all the townspeople he knew.
It was almost like a dream. But, if it were, Lest didn’t want it to end. He made his very first human friend, and he wanted to treasure it for every moment he could. After all, the Crossover Festival only came around once a year, and Heiligan’s way of celebrating was very special indeed.
The Theme of the month was:
Festival of Spirits
From the above poll which ran from the 24th til the 30th we can see that the winner is none other than
Morbid Minish
Congratulations on winning the 25th round of the Writing Competion @Morbid Minish.
Thank you one and all for coming and again a special thanks to the entrants for sending in some stories, i hope you enjoy the next month til the Writing Comp returns to us all once again.
For those who wish to read the entries again, this time appended with the writers names they shall be below:
FESTIVAL OF COSTUMES SPIRITS
Halloween.......festival of harvest.....festival of Costumes......festival of Spirits as many think. 1 day , 24 hrs ,1440 minutes . Changing your perspective on this festival one could tell that their whole life was Halloween.
Let's take a peek into one such guy and his life .
Gasps opens his eyes
waaauuuuuggghhh waaauuuuuggghhhh I go
Dr. Frankenstein picks me up, holds me upside down , hits me twice on may back
"He's OK . may he inspire love and abolish fear and cruelty from the face of earth."
He put me back in a weird looking box
Three years later.....
I walked into a haunted house with my granny. Inside a dingy and dilapidated room sat Jabba .
"Good Morning! what's your name? "
A lot of Jabba's cronies glared at me
"L-l-Loki.are you fine Sir? "
Jabba beams and says something to my granny. While we were heading through the gate I saw a man......I smiled at him . He didn't smile back. His face was emotionless, you could have called him the living dead. His eyes partially covered with his hat showed nothing except void.
The first day of haunted house:
As we walked in the first day, we saw a lot of Witches and Angels alike. I was really hoping to be in one of the Angels' room ...... Granny stopped. I looked up.A mean face smiled annoyingly sweet
"Awww such an adorable kid! Come on in I'll take care of you heheheee."
My granny left me there,and I was convinced only after a long coaxing
She turned to me "Now git to that seat on the first row. and don't be so adamant! It ain't good for you. "
I was made to sit with this guy ,let's call him Skull kid.
Now after a few hours I realised Skull kid didn't talk to anybody, Neither did I .
"Hi !nice to meet you I'm Loki" . A smile appeared on his face ,I relaxed.
For many days we both had fun together, chatted away until we get busted by witch, pushed each other in swing, played lock and key and spooked around. After a few days two other fairies joined us. That year went well until........I was made to sit with Tingle .I gritted my teeth and clung on grimly for that year.
two years later ,
A few years later
There were four of us OL .Jack , Clown , Loki , and woody. I and Clown were legendary pranksters. OL. Jack was round and has a craggy smile as his name says. Woody was a guy who was admired by all . Everyone admires Woody , jealous of woody which lead to our distancing. Then came an annoying guy called Buzz. He was the greatest show-off our haunted high school has ever seen. Jack became his side kick Now there were only two of us left.
I realised it was a crucial period of my life and adviced Clown that we keep away from others and work hard for some months. And I went my way . Clown didn't listen he made his own buddies and started to have fun . I was alone for a few months before getting absorbed into the spookiest gang in our Haunted high school. There was Dracula, Mummy, Vampire, Werewolf and myself.
It was not long before my grades fell . At that point I saw........Zelda!. A beauty she was........I started walking towards her. A savage beauty.
At midway I felt a hand on my shoulder. SPIDEY! . No one in HHS knew much about him . But I heard he was nice.
"Hey Spidey! "
"Hi Loki. What was the ambition you were talking about that day?"
"Hmmm.....Becoming the greatest asset of Indsgard and....... out-shining my cousin Thor!"
"So were are you heading now?"
I gestured my hand towards Zelda
"So?......"
I thought for a moment. "I'm not Link! I'm Loki.......I'm not a Hylian in the first place."
Spidey removed his mask . I was shocked to see a goofy pair of goggles and braces. We could help each other out. So I joined him and worked real hard.
*****
I got my Spook Score a month later . I had scored 408/500 . Everyone were expecting me to score 450+ . That was a clear disappointment to all including me. I was glad I worked with Spidey otherwise It would have dropped even more.
My cousin Thor returned from USgard to check on me
"What've you done Loki? "
he thundered. I stood speechless..........
*****
Where were we? Ah....Halloween yes..the festival of Spirits not costumes.........
Haunted Memories
“Mommy can I go out and play with the other kids?” A small hand grasped at the shirt dangling beside her and started tugging. The woman glanced to where the child was pointing, seeing a group of children running around, laughing, without a care in the world.
“Sweetie, we go over this every day. Your body isn’t well enough to join them. Besides, who needs them when you have your amazing mom here to play with?” A smile quickly grew across the woman’s face and her eyes widened, as hands reached out and started tickling the little girl. Giggles rang through the air from the both of them until they just couldn’t handle it anymore and finally collapsed to the floor trying to catch their breath.
As she cradled her daughter, Olivia wished she could give her more. As much as she loved spending every day with her daughter; taking care of her, playing whatever silly new game she invented, watching her become the beautiful girl before her; she knew that Isabelle would be having more fun with the kids her own age. After all, childhood is the best part of a person’s life but spending it cooped up inside with your mother all day doesn’t make for all the magical memories she would have otherwise. Despite how much she tried to make Isabelle’s childhood something to look back on fondly, she felt she had already failed even though the circumstances were out of her control.
Weeks went by, the days filled with the same things over and over. Isabelle would long to go out and join her neighbors in a round of tag or hopscotch. “Just for five minutes,” she would beg. But the answer remained the same, even though it broke Olivia’s heart each and every time she had to deny her daughter. Until one quiet fall day.
Olivia stood at the window, watching the red, orange, and yellow leaves paint a scene as they swirled across the ground. The trees were mostly bare, making the branches look like long skeletal fingers reaching towards the sky. A thick layer of leaves covered the ground, blanketing the earth to keep it warm from the brisk fall air. As she surveyed the calm neighborhood, she heard the familiar yearning sigh from Isabelle and knew what was about to come next. She turned around just as her daughter was begging to go outside, yet once again.
She walked over and crouched down, bringing herself at eye level with the girl. “Good news Izzy! I think you should be well enough to get to go out for today.” Olivia watched the girl’s face, seeing it go from disbelief at what she just said, to pure, unbridled excitement. Seeing such childlike wonder made her happier than she had been in quite a while.
“Do you know what today is as well?”
Isabelle shook her head, her brow furrowed trying to think of what her mother was talking about.
“It’s Halloween, silly!” Olivia laughed as she produced a trick-or-treat bag from behind her bag and presented it to Izzy.
“You mean I get to go outside AND I get to have all kinds of candy?”, her small voice shrieking at the mere idea.
“Yep. But we have to find you a costume first. How ‘bout we look around the house and see what we could use for one.”
Before she could blink, a tiny blurr whizzed out of the room to begin the search. It wasn’t long until she was running back to her mother with a roll of toilet paper in hand. “I know! I can be a mummy!” she said as she thrusted her arms out in front of her and imitated a mummy’s walk.
“I think that’s a perfect idea,” Olivia responded and started to wrap Isabelle in the tissue. After a lot of twirling and a couple of rolls of toilet paper, a mini mummy finally stood before her.
“Look mummy, I’m a mummy!” Isabelle exploded in laughter at her own joke and Olivia couldn’t help but join in. They had finished the preparations just in time, as Izzy soon spotted a vampire, ghost, and fairy princess walking down the sidewalk with treat bags in tow. “Can I go now mommy?” she asked with an eager look in her eyes.
“Just one second. I know you’re excited to be with kids your own age, but I still need to make sure nothing happens to you, so I’ll be chaperoning. Let me just grab my costume and then we’ll be ready.” Isabelle waited patiently as her mom donned a witch mask and grabbed a broom as a prop. “There, all ready!”
Izzy bolted towards the door and flung it open, taking just a second to soak in the outside world she had been waiting to explore for so long before she scurried down the driveway and joined a group of kids walking past their house. Olivia quickly followed behind, but stopped just outside the doorway. She turned to look behind her and surveyed the charred remains of the building that once stood in that spot.
The burnt rubble was a painful reminder of the fact that Isabelle would forever be stuck as a child, confined to the place where she lost her innocence forever. Except for one day out of each year. The day where no one will notice a mother and daughter with burnt faces, because they can hide behind masks like everyone else. All Hallow’s Eve, the festival of spirits, where ghosts can join the living for the day.
A full moon lit up the dew covered grass as orange bongs hung over a sprawling festival plaza adorned with roses and dandelions. The Festival of Spirits would begin in the morning but a peaceful silence surrounded the area in the stillness of the night.
Several enticing aromas filled the air as the bakers still prepared for a full day of celebration. It was an important day not only for those who would be attending the ceremony but also for those who had long passed.
It was an annual tradition to honor the departed in the Festival of Spirits. Memories of lost loved ones were celebrated as the townsfolk prayed for their departure into the next world. It was said that the river man would escort them to another realm of happiness.
Kids dressed up as various colored skeletons and paraded around the town to ask for pastries and other baked goodies. The adults loved to dine in on the cakes as well but they also each received a healthy serving of steak with red wine.
Night turned to dawn and the celebration kicked off.
The still bongs from the night now rang across the town and added a liveliness to the town. The celebration was now in full swing.
Kids took to the streets early as cats purred and dogs barked running amidst the streets and the smell of baked pies filled the morning air.
Red, red wine aligned the tables in the center of the town. The steak would soon arrive to take its place alongside the alcoholic favorite.
Even among the jubilance of those preparing, there was an understanding about what needed to be honored and those not busy preparing were off in the nearby cemetery praying for those who had departed. This was their day and they needed to be remembered.
Orange leaves fell off the trees as masses of people moved from one grave to another with flowers left behind at each by the family members of the deceased. The people of the town felt a strong unity towards each other and left no grave behind. No one would be forgotten in their collective memory.
Once the trek has been completed, they returned to the town to partake in their feast. The little children had already been seated by the sweets in advance. Everyone prayed one more time to thank for the meal and began to feast in. As much as the Festival of Spirits was a celebration of the dead, it was also a blessing to thank for those still living and the great times spent together as well as those still ahead.
When all was said and done, the stillness of night returned to the town. But it was different than the night before. People now had more great memories adding value and richness to their lives as well as a fondness for those who had come before them.
Several enticing aromas filled the air as the bakers still prepared for a full day of celebration. It was an important day not only for those who would be attending the ceremony but also for those who had long passed.
It was an annual tradition to honor the departed in the Festival of Spirits. Memories of lost loved ones were celebrated as the townsfolk prayed for their departure into the next world. It was said that the river man would escort them to another realm of happiness.
Kids dressed up as various colored skeletons and paraded around the town to ask for pastries and other baked goodies. The adults loved to dine in on the cakes as well but they also each received a healthy serving of steak with red wine.
Night turned to dawn and the celebration kicked off.
The still bongs from the night now rang across the town and added a liveliness to the town. The celebration was now in full swing.
Kids took to the streets early as cats purred and dogs barked running amidst the streets and the smell of baked pies filled the morning air.
Red, red wine aligned the tables in the center of the town. The steak would soon arrive to take its place alongside the alcoholic favorite.
Even among the jubilance of those preparing, there was an understanding about what needed to be honored and those not busy preparing were off in the nearby cemetery praying for those who had departed. This was their day and they needed to be remembered.
Orange leaves fell off the trees as masses of people moved from one grave to another with flowers left behind at each by the family members of the deceased. The people of the town felt a strong unity towards each other and left no grave behind. No one would be forgotten in their collective memory.
Once the trek has been completed, they returned to the town to partake in their feast. The little children had already been seated by the sweets in advance. Everyone prayed one more time to thank for the meal and began to feast in. As much as the Festival of Spirits was a celebration of the dead, it was also a blessing to thank for those still living and the great times spent together as well as those still ahead.
When all was said and done, the stillness of night returned to the town. But it was different than the night before. People now had more great memories adding value and richness to their lives as well as a fondness for those who had come before them.
The 7 Floating Tombstones and the Neon Red River of Blood
New Orleans, Louisiana; 1970. The day of the Festival of Spirits had arrived. It was a foggy evening, the Sun had just set, and the Full Moon had risen. The reflection of the moon was cast in the rippling of the water in the Mississippi River alongside the Moonwalk Park in the French Quarter of the city, where an old steamboat had recently passed by. Soon, the water calmed and the reflection of the large, bright moon was undisturbed. The nearby street looked rather normal for that time of evening; a few people would walk along the path by the river, but for the most part, the area was abandoned.In the nearby parking lot there were only a few abandoned cars parked. One stood out because the engine was running, and a faint tune softly emanated from it:
"You cheated, you lied, you said that you loved me..."
"Ugh, I had enough of the song with just the first verse!" Marie thought to herself.
She turned the station on her car radio immediately to find something that wouldn't remind her of the current woes she was experiencing. "I still can't believe that dirty-rotten, no good piece of **** of a man was screwing every broad he met! I don't know why I expected anything different from him! I partially blame the free love movement, but I guess I'm a hippie myself. I still have some old fashioned morals I adhere to as well, I guess…" she lamented to herself. That song by the Shangri Las had got her all worked up and sad again. There was at least one silver lining on the horizon, however.
Tuning the radio, she came across a station playing "The End" by The Doors. "Much better!" she quietly murmured to herself. "This is the end, my friend!" She quietly sang along. "Oh yes, this will surely be the end for you, Frank, once I'm done!" Marie said aloud with a crazed intensity, then she continued silently singing.
* * *
Hours earlier in the day, Marie and a few of her friends were finally coming down from an acid trip at someone's apartment located close to Bourbon Street. What they had done all night, and how they got there was a rather hazy matter, in retrospect, but they were much more concerned with living for the present anyway, and focusing more on what they saw while tripping; so this wasn't concerning to them at all.
"I had such an awesome vision, man! Like, I was standing on a mountain, I felt myself leave my body and I grew golden wings. I started flying through the cosmos, ya know, and like, I understood the vastness of it... Then I realized we're all part of something really amazing." Brett said, as he repositioned himself on the couch, before he looked as if he would nearly slide off it. Brett was a very skinny, pale young man, with long brown hair and a scruffy beard. He was shorter than the average 23 year old male. He had grey eyes, notably bloodshot, because he hadn't slept for days, and neither had anyone else in his group of friends. He noticed some Tomato sauce on his jeans and blue striped T-shirt which he tried to wipe off, but only smudged it deeper into the fabric, he sighed afterward. On the floor near him, a blanket moved, their friend Jacob was covered by the blanket. He repositioned himself from lying on his side, to his back. He could be best described as looking exactly like Paul Mcartney, the resemblance was striking indeed, and he even had his hair cut like The Beadles styled theirs years prior.
"Wow, that's awesome Brett." Jacob responded, "Remember these trips, man, because these are deeply spiritual experiences and they mean something!"
He sat up, still remaining on the floor covered by the blanket because he was nude. "Ya know, I was thinking since we're here in New Orleans, we should check out one of those voodoo rituals! Maybe talk to one of those voodoo priestesses, because I heard they have ways of finding the deeper meaning in visions that we can't." Jacob suggested. "By the way, did you have a bad trip again, Marie?" he said, turning to look at her.
Marie was sitting on the couch beside Brett. She brushed her brown hair out of her face, which was long and stretched down to her shoulders, then pulled down her white Cream shirt, because it was folded up slightly. "Well, yeah…" Marie replied. Lately every time she tripped the experience would go bad; this had only been going on for a few weeks, but it was starting to become intrusive on the fun of it all. She silently reflected on her most recent trip.
She vividly saw 7 floating tombstones which created a circle in the air. In the skies above them, a calamitous thundercloud formed, and powerful lightning bolts struck the ground in the middle of the tombstone formed circle. The lightning left a large hole from which a neon red liquid began to spew forth. Swiftly, the liquid flowed out creating a red neon river that stretched the length of the universe itself. The thundercloud dissipated, behind it the full moon had been hidden, but now it could be seen in its golden brilliance. Unexpectedly, the moon began to take on the same neon red color of the river. While all these events transpired, Marie felt a sense of foreboding. At the beginning of the vision it was there, but not yet strong. As the vision continued, it grew more fierce; until finally it overtook her as she began to tremble uncontrollably. When the moon turned neon red, she suddenly stopped trembling. Now she was petrified with fear, because somehow she knew she wasn't alone. The other presence had such an evil aura that Marie felt as if she was dying infinite deaths. She wanted to cry out for help, but her vocal chords had betrayed her. As she opened her mouth to scream, there was only silence. Just as she began to accept this terrible fate, she felt relief as reality slowly came back into focus.
One may wonder, why continue to subject one's self to such horrors? "A bad trip is better than the drabness of reality" Marie thought, in an attempt to justify why she even continued getting high, despite the bad trips. Truthfully, she was worried about them. Bad trips can happen, but she had never heard of someone having them successively for a long timeframe.
"I think we could maybe find some answers to get you having good trips again!" Jacob said.
"That would be cool." Marie responded, as she stood up and pulled a pack of cigarettes and a match book from the left pocket of her jean shorts (which we now call Daisy Dukes). She struck a match and lit a cigarette. There was now another movement from beneath Jacob's blanket. A nude woman sat up, stretching with a yawn.
"Oh, good morning everyone!" She said, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Everyone only had a faint memory of her name: Jessica.
"Good morning, Jessica!" Jacob replied, and everyone else mimicked him. "Thanks for letting us crash here!" He said.
"Oh, no problem, it's my pleasure; you all are a group of cool cats!" she said with a smile. "Are you guys hungry?" Jessica inquired, "I can make us some eggs!"
"That sounds wonderful!" Jacob said enthusiastically.
* * *
Later that afternoon, the group set out from the apartment. Jessica refused to go along with them to any of the voodoo houses, Jacob tried to change her mind, but she would not budge on the matter. They decided to walk around Bourbon Street first to ask for directions to any Voodoo establishments. Most people gave strange looks after the query, or seemed outright bothered. One woman even grabbed Jacob's red flannel shirt, causing it to unbutton, while pleading with him not to go to such a place. He buttoned it back in place as the group continued walking.
"These people sure are superstitious!" Brett remarked in bewilderment.
They continued down the street filled with various stores, Jazz clubs, bars, and risque nightclubs. There was a wonderful sweet aroma of seafood being cooked in the air, with an underlying smell of spice as well that they couldn't quite distinguish, which they assumed was what the locals simply called Cajun seasoning. The street was bustling as well, there was a symphony of chattering alongside the clomping of footsteps along the sidewalks. Eventually the group came across a few other hippies walking out of one of the clubs. They talked for awhile and got some directions to a house where a Voodoo woman lives between Burgundy and Dumaine Street, really only a short walk from where they currently were. Jacob thanked the group and they parted ways.
After about 30 minutes, they arrived at the house. It didn't look much different from any of the other houses on the street. It was an old white painted Victorian-era house. They climbed up the steps onto the front porch and knocked on the door, there was no answer at first.
"M-maybe nobody is home?" Brett stuttered.
"Are you getting scared, Brett?" Marie jeered.
"Well between Jessica objecting to coming, and those people freaking out at the mentioning that we were looking for a house like this; I'll admit I have an eerie feeling." Brett revealed.
"Just, like, take a chill pill, man!" Jacob responded and knocked on the door one more time; this time the door opened. They were quite shocked that a young dark skinned woman opened the door wearing torn jeans and a Jimi Hendrix "Purple Haze" Shirt, they were half expecting an old hag to answer like the typical portrayal of witches.
"Hello, my name is Jacob, these are my friends Marie and Brett, we…" the woman cut Jacob off.
"I know why you are here; you're interested in Vodou, right? I can help, but not for free." She said.
"We don't have much money. I think we do have some weed though" Brett spoke up.
She smiled, "That should be fine, come in."
The interior of her house was very nice, and looked ordinary, not at all full of slaughtered chickens and human skulls, which is what people typically think about with voodoo. She led them into a guest room with a couch, there were also two arm chairs near an elaborately designed fireplace that had a small log with a smoldering flame inside, she placed a few more logs into it and stirred the coals to stoke the flame as the group sat on the couch.
"My name is Zaline, you must refer to me as Mambo Zaline because I am a Vodou Priestess, and you must address me properly or risk angering my ancestors." She instructed, "Now, what service do you wish of me?"
"We were hoping you could help us out with the meaning of some visions." Jacob responded, he had a look of fascination now that there were in the presence of a legitimate practitioner of Vodou.
"The realm of visions is a difficult one to navigate, but you are right to believe there is a deeper meaning to them. I will attempt to discern the portents of the visions with the help of my spiritual connections."
Both Brett and Jacob looked at Marie, her visions were certainly more pressing than theirs, afterall. Marie described the vision she saw while tripping, she had never told Brett or Jacob the details of the bad trips prior, it was clearly startling to them, but Mambo Zaline showed no reaction, instead, she looked into the fire, then began to perform a mystifying dance. During the dance, she began to chant in Haitian Creole, a strange language to the group:
"Zansèt, vizite nou, ban nou repons yo. Konekte nou nan domèn nan pi lwen pase!" Mambo Zaline chanted.
The chant intensified, her dance became faster, and the fire seemed to be growing higher and higher. Slowly a climax had begun to build, at this point Mambo Zaline was shaking as if possessed, the entire group was in complete awe. They felt a slight unsettling feeling, but they dared not stop her now. The ritual ended with a burst of fire escaping the fireplace that caused the group to flinch. Mambo Zaline collapsed in front of the fireplace. Suddenly, the house felt normal again.
The fire subsided back down to a smolder as Madame Zaline slowly got up, and sat in the armchair by the fireplace. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and drank a cup of water that had been on a small table next to the armchair.
After the refreshment, she addressed Marie, "The spirits would not tell me much, just that it is my fate to guide you in your hour of need."
"My hour of need? What does that mean?" Marie questioned in a confused tone.
"It's best not to think much about it, these types of fortunes tend to happen in the distant future, and it would be my duty to find you if you were far away. I'm sure though that your visions will become less troubling from this point on" Mambo Zaline reassured her.
She then focused on the visions Brett and Jacob described to her, she did not perform any rituals to discern their visions, and the interpretations were not left ambiguous like Marie's was, but they weren't very interesting. After her work was complete, Mambo Zaline left the room momentarily to get a bong, she took a few bong hits, and passed it around.
* * *
By the afternoon, they had departed from Mambo Zaline's house and decided to go along with Jessica to a party. While hanging out Jessica pulled Marie aside, "Do you want to drop a tab?" She asked.
"Sure!" Marie said enthusiastically.
They took some acid and re-joined the party just as "Magic Carpet Ride" by Stepphenwolf began to play, and the party erupted into a frenzy of dancing. Everything was going great for Marie well into the evening, until she spotted a familiar face: Frank, her former boyfriend! They had recently broken up on a conflict of ideals, Marie felt they should be faithful to only each other, but Frank was too involved with the free love movement and used that as an excuse to have polygamous relationships. Marie was so appalled by him being at the party that she decided to run outside. By now the acid started to slowly kick in, and her first thought as it happened was that she would torture and murder Frank for what he did. Remember, Marie is a legitimately good person, it's just that sometimes acid makes you think strange things, and even do them. She got into Jessica's car and drove away, parking near the river at Moonwalk Park, trying to get a grip on herself.
After listening to "The End" by The Doors, Marie had fully slipped into drug-induced delirium — there was no stopping her from murdering Frank tonight, and she knew exactly how to do it. Mambo Zaline said she would help Marie in her hour of need, well this was certainly it, Marie thought. She drove to Mambo Zaline's house, and before she could knock on the front door, Mambo Zaline opened it.
"I knew you'd be back, child. You've come here with the bloodlust on you, and that's exactly what I need to fulfill my desires for tonight." Mambo Zaline said as they stood in the parlor. Marie could see ghostly figures flying through the house, and within Mambo Zaline there appeared to be spirits possessed within her, but this was likely due to the acid trip which was gradually becoming stronger
"You see, years ago I summoned a beautiful spirit of great power. It instructed me on the process of a long forgotten ritual to summon it into our world, bringing about an age of Utopia!" Mambo Zaline said, with a gleam in her eye. "Do as I say, and your desires shall be fulfilled as well."
* * *
Mambo Zaline drove Marie to a private graveyard, it was almost midnight, so the full moon was near the middle of the sky. A fog was spread through the graveyard hovering on the ground between the various tombstones. Marie could see a swarm of spirits floating through the graveyard.
"Today is the Festival of Spirits, the realm between the living and dead is at its thinnest on this day each year, now with you I can perform the ritual summoning at the stroke of midnight!" Mambo Zaline said with a sinister smile. She led Marie to an area that had 7 tombstones placed in a circle, just like in the vision during the bad trips. Mambo Zaline lifted her jeans on her right leg, pulling a small sheath from her boot. She took a stone knife out of the sheath and swiftly grabbed Marie's left arm, cutting her wrist. The blood dripped down onto the ground within the tombstone circle. Then, Mambo Zaline hit Marie's head, knocking her unconscious.
When Marie awoke she was tied and bound by ropes, and was lying inside the tombstone formed circle. Mambo Zaline built a fire and was performing a ritual dance nearby with the stone knife in hand. Marie could see many of the spirits entering the Vodou Priestess' body throughout the ritual. Just like at her house, the fire grew larger and larger as Mambo Zaline chanted, to Marie it was just a foreign language like before, actually Mambo Zaline had given over to such possession that she was speaking in strange unheard tongues. Within the fire that grew larger and larger it looked as if horned figures were dancing in the flames.
Horrifically, the tombstones began to levitate, maintaining their circle while in the air; exactly like in the vision. Storm clouds began to form and a rush of strong wind hit Marie's face. She became petrified when a demonic spirit emerged from the fire. It's evil presence was so intense, Marie's heart was pounding uncontrollably, she tried to scream but she was gagged. Mambo Zaline approached Marie, her eyes no longer had pupils. With an evil smile, she raised the knife and it was struck by lightning, with the blade red hot she stabbed Marie's heart with Marie releasing a muffled scream. With her body lifeless, the clouds parted with the moon at its highest point in the sky. Blood gushed up from Marie's wound and the sun turned red, it's rays shone down onto Marie's body as the demon approached it…
* * *
"Marie! Marie!" Brett screamed in a terrified tone. He was holding her, crying on the floor in the living room of Jessica's house. Jacob and Jessica were crying as well, with expressions of disbelief.
Marie took a breath, slowly opening her eyes, which surprised them, they all smiled and hugged her.
"I can't believe you pulled through! We found you lying on the ground lifeless, we thought you tried killing yourself by cutting your wrist, plus we thought you might have overdosed…" Brett cried, and he kissed Marie's cheek. "Do you feel ok?" He asked, wiping the tears from his face with his right hand.
"Yeah, I feel fine I think… Great even!" She said softly, as she examined the cut on her left wrist. "I guess I must have done some pretty crazy stuff while I was high and alone here." She said to the group. She consoled Brett by giving him a passionate kiss, he was surprised but did not object, he had always secretly liked her. With the kiss his body began twitching, and he collapsed onto the floor. She pulled out a bloody stone knife out of her pocket, approaching Jessica and Jacob, cornering them in the room. "Don't worry, everything is going to be perfect in this world now, starting first with me taking that son-of-a-***** Frank to burn in Hell!" She said with a smile. Jacob closed his eyes, "If this is a bad trip, I hope it ends soon!" He thought.
Crossover in Heiligen
ZD Writing Competition: Round 25
Theme: Festival of Spirits
ZD Writing Competition: Round 25
Theme: Festival of Spirits
A chill ran through the air of the small town of Heiligen. It was usually a sleepy, quiet town, but there was one night each year when it became bustling and full of energy. That night was All Hallow’s Eve, and Heiligen had a special way of celebrating their harvest.
A young boy looked upon the changes to his town in wonder. He had never gotten to see it done up quite like this before, for thanks to a certain rule, he could never attend the celebration until now. His tenth birthday was just last week; perfect timing, he thought. Young children weren’t allowed to attend, because they were too young to understand the impact of what they would see. But now, young Lest was finally of age.
His eyes sparkled with fancy at the decoration. The air above his head was aglow with hues of orange, purple, and green. Wisps of glitter danced around the streetlights. Ethereal streamers hung from lines drawn over the roads and between the buildings. A cool, sticky mist hugged the ground tightly up to his knees.
On every street corner, on every windowsill, sat pumpkins and gourds and bales of hay. Baskets of vegetables sat on benches. The fruits of the harvest were on display for the whole town to see, and this year had been especially bountiful. Even the fountain in the town square had been adorned with shining, colorful sprays of water and light.
Pink and purple lotus flowers floated on the river that cut through the town, and candlesticks with flames of every color lined the stone railings next to it. Just the same, Jack-O-Lanterns sat on every doorstep outside of every house, lit up with beautiful fire and lights from within. The cobblestone roads were already packed with patrons, excited for the festival to begin.
Lest was nervous. His parents weren’t far, and he knew he’d be safe with them, but he couldn’t help but wonder why he had to wait so long to attend. Without fail, he didn’t see a single person younger than himself on the streets. He had begged his parents each year since he was old enough to talk, and each year they told him the same thing; “It’s still too soon for you to meet them.”
Them. The curiosity was agonizing. He’d heard so much about them ever since he was little. The friends from the other side, who join Heiligen for the annual Crossover Festival on All Hallow’s Eve. This one night of the year was the only night when Lest’s world and what lied beyond could join together, and for centuries, the townsfolk of Heiligen and the ever-mysterious them celebrated this bond as equals.
There was so much to be known about them. Lest had heard they can come in all kinds of shapes, different colors, and different sizes. They had different cultures and ways of living, to be sure. He had seen their likeness in picture books, of course, but seeing the real thing was going to be so very different. He waited years for this opportunity, and now a lump from his stomach jumped into his throat every time the big clock at the town square counted down another minute to showtime.
Lest wandered toward the fountain in the square. He could see his parents from that spot, and he could sit down on the edge. His knees were starting to feel weak. His head was racing with thoughts. His curiosity would finally be sated. He wasn’t sure if he were ready. Now that the day had come, he could see why the grownups made the kids wait so long. It must have been a maturity thing, he thought. With all the shaking his body was doing, he thought maybe it couldn’t hurt to add another year to the age limit.
Before he could finish sorting out his thoughts, the town bell was struck and the clock rang out. It was time. The Crossover Festival had begun. Lest involuntarily stiffened up. The grownups all around him started to cheer. The other kids, some his age and some a little older but not quite grown up yet, started waving their limbs around excitedly. Lest began to feel like he was losing his nerve. He stood up and started walking toward his parents.
And at last, they arrived.
Lest stopped dead in his tracks. He could see one now, standing just in front of him. Then another appeared, and another still, and even more. They were showing up so naturally, blending into the crowd, that Lest hadn’t even noticed at first. He was kind of expecting their arrival to be a little more dramatic. Yet, here they were, all the same, almost as though they had been there all along.
It was just as Lest had heard, they really did come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. He wasn’t sure if he could tell which were the grownups and which were the kids at first, but he began to notice the smaller ones were the kids from the way they talked. The big ones chatted with the grownups from Lest’s side, and they shared in brews and sweets and other delights made here in Heiligen. They had brought their own brews and sweets from their side, as well. They looked so strange and unique to Lest.
The air came alive with fervor and excitement. Street bands played energetic ditties and vendors showed off their harvests. Goods passed between all kinds of guests and locals, sharing in their bounties. The night sky became electric as the glitter and colors danced even more brilliantly than before. Lest was nearly overwhelmed, and yet, all the same, every single being in attendance looked to be having fun.
A cheery smile and a wave from his parents while chatting with one of them set Lest at ease. The atmosphere of the festival was melting away all his worries. He took a big gulp of the fresh, festive air, and took in all the delicious scents and tastes it was tinged with. He turned on his heel, and then found himself face to face with one of them that looked to be his own age. He was pretty sure it was a boy, like himself. The two of them shared a moment of awkward silence before Lest finally dredged up the courage to speak.
“... Hello.” he said in a quiet voice.
“... Hi.” said the other boy.
After another moment of silence, Lest spoke again. “It’s... Uh, it’s nice to meet you.” He tried his best to smile, and to his relief, the other boy smiled back.
“This is my first time meeting someone from the other side.” the other boy said. “This is my first Crossover Festival. I just turned ten recently.”
“Me too!” Lest said, starting to gain a little steam. “I have to say, you humans don’t look as scary as I was imagining.”
The other boy laughed. “Yeah, you ghouls and ghosts aren’t so bad yourselves! Wanna check out the festival together?” he asked.
“Yeah! Let’s go!” Lest said excitedly.
The two boys took each other’s hands. Lest’s green flesh felt tingly when he touched the human boy’s warm skin. It was an odd feeling. He was used to the clamminess that came with his parents’ soft touch. It looked like the experience was odd for the human boy, too, but he kept right on smiling.
The pair began to stroll through the town. They passed a pair of ghouls drinking drafts of fizzing ale with humans. They passed skeletons dancing while their human friends playfully drummed on their bones. Gargoyles perched on the rooftops, throwing candy down at their guests with a laugh. Vampires shared a fresh baked strudel with their visitors. Werewolves were getting a kick out of their human buddies scratching them behind the ears. Ghosts and the human kids played hide and seek. Witches and old human ladies gossiped about who could raise a vegetable better. The undead dragged their feet behind the human friends they went to dinner with. Everywhere Lest looked, the humans were fitting right in with all the townspeople he knew.
It was almost like a dream. But, if it were, Lest didn’t want it to end. He made his very first human friend, and he wanted to treasure it for every moment he could. After all, the Crossover Festival only came around once a year, and Heiligan’s way of celebrating was very special indeed.
