Viewing day

Under a beautiful dark purple night sky full of stars and a glowing green moon sat Dylena. She lay sprawled out on the ground. The purple shade flowers and pale blue grass was soft and smelled sweet as always. Dylena was excited tonight because it was the one day a year that the window would appear outside of town. In the rather average land filled with boring spirits and shadow creatures, one day a year a magical window would open and show another world. A place that looked wonderful and scary all at the same time.

Dylena stood up and stretched, he mind unable to think of anything else besides seeing the magical window again. Others knew about this window and there was a yearly celebration that counted down to midnight. Then in front of all the villagers magical images would flash before them bringing wonder and excitement. Dylena was odd though, she loved the holiday more than anything else. She would decorate her home and even dress up in her best cloths for the occasion. And when it was over, she thought about how wonderful it would be next year. The day was celebrated as “viewing day” the day to view the unknown and try to learn the secrets of it all. Dylena’s interest or even obsession in the window came mostly because of how she looked. Unlike the other attractive glowing spirits or the sleek shadows. She was pale, taller and made of a more solid material. Some villagers would boast that they were so light they could float, but Dylena was more like a skinny tree, solid and bound to the ground, cursed to only travel by walking with her legs. So since she felt like an outcast she hoped that during Viewing day she might eventually spot someone or something that looked like her. Each year she hoped, but each year she was disappointed.

This was a new year though and Dylena raced down the hill to town. In only a few hours the Viewing would begin and she wanted to be ready. She quickly went to her house and changed her clothes. She changed from the typical linen body wrappings that most people wore to a lovely black dress with small glowing lights she would put in her long black hair. The dress was to make her look elegant like the shadows and she hoped the soft lights made her more attractive to the spirits and wisps of the town.

Then she heard the horn and music started to play. Dylena’s red eyes flashed with excitement. Then she ran from the house and into the town square to meet up with everyone else. From there the town would march out to the viewing spot, singing songs about the mystery of the window and playing their little holiday drums. Dylena sang at the top of her lungs and smiled as they all marched. Once on the outskirts of town the town’s people gathered in a circle around the spot they expected the window to appear. They talked and ate various holiday foods. Some creatures could only ingest mists or vapors but more enjoyed solid foods, various meats and cake would be served that night for everyone to enjoy. Despite being a bit of an outcast, Dylena had a few people to talk to and was friendly to everyone. She enjoyed her various colored deserts and a sweet meat of a forest dweller. Which looked like fat monkeys.

As the night grew late the people sat eagerly waiting for the Viewing. There was a rumble, then suddenly a flash of light. The villagers made happy squealing noises as the window began to form. Dylena looked in wonder through the portal. It showed images of a dark blue night sky, the pale white moon, green ‘grass’. Large trees made of wood, colored in bright orange, red and yellow leaves. Everything was solid, like her. The people were strange though. They almost resembled Dylena’s shape, but they wore cloaks and hoods, strange colorful clothes and some even carried weapons. The creatures of the window not only looked different than the people of her world, but they also looked different from eachother. How odd it was to see a group of creatures and no two looked alike. One had a large orange head with hollow eyes, some were covered in white cloth. Some had faces of pink skin others had rubbery demon faces. It was terrifying and fun all at the same time.

After a few hours the window started to fade. The villagers sighed and began to walk off. Dylena stayed though. She usually stayed until every last trace of the window was gone for good. This night though after everyone left, the window stayed open, half faded but still visible. Since the crowd was gone Dylena could get as close as she wanted for the remaining time she had with the window. She even tried to touch it, hoping that one day it would be more than just an image.  Others have tried to interact with it, but none have been able to touch. As if it didn’t exist. No sound, smell, taste or touch, just the sight of another world through a hole in the air. Dylena put her hand up to it, wishing she could visit this land, wishing the night lasted a little longer. Her hand passed through the window as always, she closed her eyes and sighed.

When she opened them though, the world looked different. The Sky was dark blue not purple, the stars didn’t scream into the night and the moon was a pale white or yellow. Dylena’s mind raced, as it became a possibility that she had crossed over into the window world.

John Nasher was getting too old for Halloween, or at least that’s what his friends and even parents said. He was sixteen now but loved Halloween and tried to get the most out of it every year. He would still do parties and dress up but this was his last night to trick or treat. Even at sixteen he felt too old to be trick or treating. His friends agreed to go with him though and the free candy was nice. So here it was, his last Halloween as a ‘kid’. John walked out of his house wearing a vampire costume, Pale skin, a cloak, red eye contacts and fangs. He looked pretty great. He walked down the street of the little suburban neighborhood and was going to meet up with his friends when he saw a strange glow. The glow faded then suddenly there was a quick flash. John could see again he saw a beautiful girl standing in the street wearing a gothic black dress, shiny stuff in her hair, pale skin and the same red contacts that he had. “Nice costume” he said to her. He was startled but didn’t know what else to say. “Whats your name?” John asked. The girl looked around as if seeing the world for the first time, when she looked at John she smiled. “My name is Dylena, nice to meet you”

Halloween Friends

Hello everyone, this month i am going to write a Halloween themed story every week. it might be directly Halloween related or just creepy or spooky. here is my first attempt at light rhyming story. Next week will be an actual story. so enjoy!

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Deep in the haunted forest, past the vampire’s castle and through the graveyard, lives a man named Halloween Jack. Not a pumpkin, but a man, with scars on his face and an orange cloak on his back. He carries a long curved blade and laughs wildly into the night, carefree with his friends but strong in a fight. With next to him are his two friends, Trick and Horror Bill, one is a flirt the other likes to kill.

Halloween means something different to different people. Halloween Jack, likes the fun, mischief and fantasy of it all. To him it’s a night when anyone can be anything they want. When life gets a little more exciting. Pumpkin glow brightly, witches fly and almost anything can happen. He likes to fight, to dance, drink, laugh and play tricks. That’s how Jack, gets his kicks.

Trick or Treat, is an attractive girl, who is a bit of a flirt. She dresses like a witch or a cat, but always has a short skirt. She enjoys the fun of it all, the same as Jack, but Trick prefers parties, the night life and exposing her…personality for all to enjoy…

Horror Bill, is a gruesome man, he likes to scare people and fight when he can. Bill wears a long black coat and carries a bag full of knives, there’s no rhyme here, he just walks around with knives and a black coat. His face isn’t scarred or scary, but he has a psychotic grin that makes people wary. But like some, Halloween is a time of blood and severed heads, a time to murder people as they sleep in their beds. To drag screaming teens out of their homes by their hair, then to knife some poor fool who hit him with a chair.

Despite their differences they are all friends, enjoying the holiday to their own personal ends. So if you go through the dark scary forest, find the Jack o lanterns and bright autumn trees, you might run across one of these three. Though for your sake I hope its not Horror Bill. With Halloween Jack or the fun-loving Trick you may have more luck, one likes to laugh, the other likes to f…find enjoyable ways to spend an evening.

So as October rolls around everyone can celebrate this fine season in their own way. Lets enjoy Halloween now before it gets kicked aside for the next holiday.

The Harrowing Storm Part 2

Arthur didn’t share his fathers views on many things, but mainly their view on the locals were vastly different. If there really were monsters coming from the storms, he would be risking his life to save people that his father claimed were no better than apple trees. Arthur couldn’t remember a defining moment when he started to sympathize with the villagers, but he could remember throughout his life anytime his father put them down, Arthur would think “but they are still people”. Despite class difference and money, they were still all people. He might not have spent much time with them, but he would protect them to the best of his abilities.

            Over the years Arthur had trained with a skilled warrior and personal protector of the family, Sir Gunther. Gunther had fought in many battles for the kingdom, but now enjoyed a less stressful job as the Harrow’s guardian. Arthur remembered years of training with Gunther, as the old knight passed down all his wisdom to the young lord. Despite the land being a peaceful place, Lord Harrow thought his son should know how to fight, in case Arthur was ever attacked and didn’t have a guard near by.

            So trained for combat and mind set on protecting his people, he waited in the village till nightfall. The villagers were a little scared at first when they saw his stride into their village, covered in weapons but after he explained he was there to protect them, they invited him into their homes. He stayed with the village elder and had dinner with his family. During dinner they all talked and shared stories, Arthur learned more about the village that night than he had in the all the years living in the castle. Arthur felt reassured that he was doing the right thing and saw the gratitude for his protection in his peoples eyes.

            After the dinner the children went to bed and Arthur sat by the fireplace with the elder, waiting for the storm to come. “I can’t thank you enough for coming down here to protect us, please at least let me help you fight” Said the elder, who wasn’t so old that he couldn’t swing a sword. Still, someone had to lead the village and Arthur didn’t want to have to worry about him during the fight. The conversation grew more tense as the night went on, as both men waited for the storm to arrive, bringing the shadow monsters with them.

            Suddenly a crack of thunder was heard and lighting flashed through the sky. Arthur stood up and gathered his weapons. He waited by the door, staring out the window. Soon it began to rain, a light sprinkle of water soon turned into a downpour. Arthur wore extra layers and a blue cloak with his family’s royal symbol on it. He stepped into the rain and readied his weapons. He was ready for the rain, now he would be ready for a fight.  Clouds loomed overhead, rain soaked the earth and the thunder let out a deafening roar. If Arthur didn’t know better, he would assume he would be fighting the storm itself.  Then he spotted something creeping out of the darkness. Hidden by the cover of the night and the sound of the storm, small shadow creatures invaded the village.

            The creatures were like large monkeys in shape and besides their glowing eyes they lacked any real features. All of the villagers stayed in their homes and the creatures quickly spotted the only human around. The shadow creatures didn’t make sounds, no signals or squeals of delight over the thought of a meal, they just all crept closer. Lighting flashed and the area lit up for a split second and for that split second the creatures were gone. As if they only existed in the darkness, invisible or maybe nonexistent in the light.

            Arthur fired his crowsbow at one of the creatures before they could organize an attack. The crossbow bolt flew through the air and struck one of them in the head. The creature gestured like it was screaming, but only the distant crackle of thunder could be heard. The beast fell to the ground and its purple eyes faded into the night, the shadowy outline of a body following behind it. Relieved with the knowledge that these things could be killed, Arthur raised his sword and shield and charged into the group of them. He was surrounded on all sides, but if he lashed out and thinned the numbers on one side quick enough, he would be able to turn and fight the other side before they got to him. This would take speed and a great deal of luck.

            A group of the shadow apes jumped into the air attempting to land on Arthur, he countered by holding up his shield and butting them back while they were mid-air. He then put all his force into a long slice, cutting several of the creatures along the midsection. As he fought it seemed the creatures grew in number. It was too late to retreat and Arthur would see this to the end.

            Arthur slashed and hacked the shadow creatures, slicing their limbs off. Sometimes this would kill them, other times they would just grow new limbs. Their behavior was also unpredictable. At first they would rush at him, then they tried jumping on him, next they began jumping around and attacking randomly to confuse him. As he killed them, their strategies would get better. Also their claws were razor sharp and though he blocked most of their attacks, anytime they got one through his defenses, they would leave deep burning wounds. His shield was also starting to wear down as they seemed obsessed with jumping on it and slashing it with their claws. Arthur was wearing armor, but it didn’t cover ever inch of skin and if his shield broke the shadows would be able to strike him more often. Maybe they planned it, but Arthur didn’t want to give them credit or admit that they might be smart enough to plan things like that.

            Arthur moved around the battlefield and swung his sword like an old pro and he killed more shadows than he could count. He was feeling pretty confident about the battle, but then his shield finally broke. One of the shadow creatures threw another one and hit Arthurs shield with such force, the worn down thing shattered. Arthur grabbed a hand axe and threw it into the crowd of shadows, loud thunder rumbled, which happened every time he killed a shadow creature. The Rain poured down as hard as ever. Making him feel heavy and tired, but he continued on. Next he reached into his belt for his one handed war hammer. He could crush a skull with it, so he figured it would be enough to crush a shadow creature. He swung both weapons through the air, slicing and crushing anything that came near him. Arthur fought bravely and continued on but was loosing blood and getting tired from fighting for so long.

            His vision started to get blurring, but then he spotted lots of little lights appear. Candles being lit and movement could be seen through the rain and mist. Thunder roared and the purple eyes surrounding Arthur began to dwindle. It was the villagers, not all of them, but the ones who could fight. They carried axes, shovels, hammers and pitchforks. They watched as Arthur fought to protect them until they couldn’t bare to watch any longer. Since Arthur narrowed down the creatures numbers, the villagers had a real chance of winning, especially if they worked together. Thunder and lighting cracked and boomed. Then the cheer of humans filled the air “Git back to hell with ya!” cried the blacksmith swinging a giant hammer, crushing one of the shadows to bits.

            Arthur’s vision finally gave out and he collapsed. When he finally woke up, he was in a bed surrounded by smiling faces. “We won, you saved us” The elder said as he pushed his way through the group of people to see Arthur. “Thank you, M’lord” Arthur just smiled and fell back to sleep, he was too exhausted to stay awake for too long.

            It was true that the village was saved, the shadow creatures of the storm had been repelled and they never returned. Arthur returned to the castle with news of what he had done and what he had seen. He tried to encourage other nobles to look at their peasants as people to be respected. Lord Harrow wasn’t sure what to believe, but he did know that his son put a stop to the trouble in the village and for that was as proud as a father could be. As for the monsters, no one knows where the creatures came from but they do know if the creatures came back Arthur Harrow would protect them. Eventually Arthur inherited the land and kept it safe as he saw fit. He would tell the story and try to prepare his children in case the creatures ever came back. He would make sure all would know to be ready for the dangers of the Harrowing Storm.

The Harrowing Storm Part 1

Here is this weeks story, sorry its late. also there wasn't a story last week. I was sick...again. but a little thing like the hospital isn't going to stop me from writing the stories i love.

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In Castle Harrow, owned by Lord Harrow, was a young man named Arthur Harrow. The castle was built on land given to the Harrow family for their years of service to the king of the land. Young Arthur was a knight and at an early age completed his knight training two years faster than other noble children from the surrounding areas. Arthur was as charismatic as he was strong. This combination served well both as a fighter and as a noble. He often impressed his father’s friends with clever remarks or insight into the world. Though seeming wise and worldly, Arthur had never been in a real battle nor had he left the castle more than a few times. Usually he only left the castle to go to other castles with his father. All his learning was from books, royal messengers and castle gossip.

The kingdom thrived, as did the Harrow land. Besides the castle, the land had a very small village. The village was useful for farming, trading and being a buffer between travelers and the castle. Lord Harrow didn’t need to feel bad for turning away lost travelers from his castle when there was a perfectly good village just down the hill. Arthur had been taught to look after the village and in turn the village would provide a service to the castle. Since Arthur would one day take over the piece of land, he needed to know important things like managing a castle and dealing with advisors or the village elder. Though Lord Harrow looked after his people, it wasn’t because he was nicer than most nobles, it was simply because he had to protect his investments. His castle looked after the village in the way a gardener looks after a fruit orchard. So Arthur learned not to get too attached to any of the villagers, as it would be strange if a farmer was attached to an apple tree. Everything had its place.

One day, while talking with his father, a messenger brought word that a villager had died, they found the body in the forest torn apart by an animal. This was probably the work of wolves and this wasn’t the first time either. It was said that the poor fool went missing last night, but because of a storm that same night no one could go look for him until morning. Lord Harrow ordered any wolves or wild animals near the village be killed. In a situation like this villagers experienced with hunting would be paid by the Lord to kill the dangerous animals. Arthur thought the situation was a little strange, as he never heard of a wolf attacking someone during a storm, on top of that, no adult would go out into a dangerous forest at night, when a storm approached. The villagers knew better. Though this was all strange, it could just as easily been wolves, so he dismissed the thought from his mind.

As time passed the reports of dead villagers continued, there was even talk of the deaths being caused by a monster. Lord Harrow dismissed these claims, saying that just because the hunters couldn’t find and kill this wild beast they make up stories about a monster so as not to bruise their pride and peasants will believe anything. The deaths weren’t taken too seriously either, because on average a villager would go missing every couple weeks. Three or four missing peasants wasn’t call for alarm, especially in such a dangerous time. Arthur remembered his father say one time over lunch. “When I was a young lord, I remember when we would lose three or four peasants a week”

The trend continued though, it was always when it rained and always at night and the tale of the monster became more descriptive and talked about. Much more concerned than his father, Arthur went out to the village to talk to some locals. After a few minutes of villagers bowing and groveling when they saw Arthur, he was eventually able to get some answers out of them. As a side note, Arthur didn’t really enjoy the groveling peasants as much as his father did. After talking with everyone he could find, he learned that the stories matched up and some had even seen the beast, or rather beasts. Whenever it rained, shadow creatures that moved like apes came into the village. They were a little shorter than humans, but had glowing purple eyes. Purple eyes that would shine out of the mist and rain, then before you knew it, someone was being dragged into the forest to be devoured. It sounded like a nightmare, and unfortunately for the villagers, it was all too real.

Arthur returned to the castle and tried to persuade his father to send extra protection to the village when it rained. Even if it wasn’t the work of monsters, something was killing people. After being refused repeatedly by his father, Arthur took upon himself to investigate. There was going to be a big storm coming in three days, biggest it had been in a while. So Arthur gathered, weapons and some armor and tried to make a plan. He would wait that night in the village and see for himself what really was attacking the village, then he would put a stop to it. Arthur, fitted his armor with straps so he could carry a crossbow, two swords, a throwing axe and a shield, as well as dagger he kept in his boot. He would be ready to fight a bear, a pack of wolves or if need be, shadow monsters. The time had come to see what Arthur was made of and see if he could truly protect his land.

Autumn cabin

Its autumn and I look out the window of my rustic vacation home. The fresh breeze blows through the orange and red trees. My little cabin home is located a few miles away from a sleepy mountain town. I am close enough to a town for convenience but far enough away to enjoy nature and truly relax. My cabin was made with the same style in mind, it has modern comforts but has a rustic that blends with the surrounding forests. I have indoor plumbing, electricity, running water, coffee maker and Wi-Fi, everything a man could need. I got heating, but rarely use it, instead I use the woodstove, to give the place that nice wood smoke smell. Flannel shirt and a wood stove is really all I need, though its nice to know if that doesn’t cut it, I still have electric heat. Its funny now that I think about it, I’m in nature, enjoying it and I bring all these modern devices with me. Its like watching animals in the zoo, I like them, but I also like those bars that keep the majestic tiger from ripping me apart and feeding my entrails to its young. I guess camping with electricity and heating is sort of like that. Some might complain that if I’m going to enjoy nature I should fully enjoy it, sleep on the ground and cook with a fire and such. I tell them if they want to fully enjoy a lions they should let one chase them and see how much fun that is.

The coffee is done brewing and I scamper excitedly across the living area to the kitchenette. The cabin is noticeably smaller than any house, its more the size of one of my apartments from college. I bring comforts with me into the woods, but I’m hardly living in the forest with a mansion and a forty-two inch screen TV. So anyway back to the coffee. I pour myself a cup, a new breeze bursts in from my open window and I sigh. I’m enjoying this too much. If I enjoyed stupid little things like wind and coffee anymore, it would be illegal or at least fanatical. So I bring my beverage to the table and sit on the couch. I have everything set up, my laptop, pen, paper, coffee, cell phone (turned off) and a comfortable seat. I start to type away, hoping to capture the feeling of the season and the nearby town for an article I’m writing about travel. This cabin is perfect for work and vacation alike.

As I enjoy the comforts of the cabin and the relaxing sounds of nature, I am struck with writers block. I sit blissfully the world so peaceful, but a nagging feeling at the back of my mind as I struggle to write a two page article. I just hope that if I can think of something little, I might be able to pad the rest out. I pace around the couch for a few minutes and scratch my face as I think. I hope some fresh air might clear my head so I go out for a walk. Its early autumn and the trees are barely green and have mostly changed into orange, yellow and some red. I need to write about the area and about travel, but I can’t help but get swept away by the fall scene before me. Even if I tried to work in the city, the cool air would find me, besides then I would be distracted by the less pleasant city noises.

Then I get an idea and run inside. I immediately begin typing on my laptop. I work for hours without stop, just trying to get the blasted work written and done with. By the time I finish its dark and I go over what I wrote. I smile at how clever I am. Instead of really writing an article about traveling in this area, I wrote about how nice the autumn was while traveling in this area. It was almost what my editor wanted, but my using autumn, I was able to fill half of the article with autumn sounding words, like warm colors and cool breeze. I figured if I wrote about the fall and mentioned enough scenery and calming environments, people would enjoy it and I could get off without writing an actual short story…I mean article. Now I think I’ll treat myself to another cup of coffee and think about Halloween for a while.

This week

No story this week. Sorry everyone. I do try to keep a steady flow of stories for everyone's reading pleasure, but i am sick this week and unable to write anything. a new short story should be up next week.

Ultimate quest

The village burns all around him as Shadowblade runs through looking for survivors. Sudden he sees an old man standing near a destroyed building. “Shadowblade, the village has been attacked by Bandits, we need to know who they were working for. Go out and kill the bandits and find any traces of who might be responsible” Says the old man. After the short transaction the old man falls silent. The young hero Shadowblade turns and leaves the village, running across the Golgari plains to find the home of the bandits. As he runs his map points the way. The bandit camp is just over the horizon. Shadowblade spots the camp and runs in, without a word they all attack on sight. A group of bandits attack swarming on all sides, Shadowblade swings his mighty sword of the volcano tribe. The bandits slashed frantically at Shadowblade with their crude weapons, but he counter attacks with a whirl blade attack, sending all of the bandits flying in different directions. Once scattered, Shadowblade deals with them individually. He cuts each one down as they approach and if they too many came at him at once, he would use his sword stun to keep the extra bandits out of the fight until he could properly deal with them.

Once they all had been defeated Shadowblade picks their bodies for treasure and information on who really ordered the attack. The hero found a scrap of paper with battle plans on it. So he hastily took the paper back to the old man. The man thanked the Hero and said that the real enemy was ‘Arkthon the coldbringer’ evil wizard and champion of the bandits. Shadowblade then ran off to the icy mountains to find the coldbringer. He climbed up the conveniently near by mountain, dodging falling rocks and fighting lesser ogres along they way. It was a treacherous journey, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

Finally the brave hero Shadowblade reached the top of the icy mountain, the cold wind blowing and picking up snow as it went. It was difficult to see, but suddenly Arkthon appeared. Frost and cold drifted off his body and ice seemed permanently infused to his shoulders and chest. This would be a difficult battle, but luckily Shadowblade had his fire sword.

“You will not stop me, Shadowblade” The Cryomancer yelled over the sound of the blowing wind. Shadowblade did not reply. He charged at Arkthon with his heroes charge and swung his might sword down at the Coldbringer. The fiery sword struck and caused massive damage to Arkthon’s ice armor. The Coldbringer returned with an ice blast, knocking Shadowblade backward and almost throwing him off the edge of the mountainside. The hero regained his balance and ran at Arkthon, ready for another assault. As he ran he pulled a bottle from his traveler bag and drank it, his strength increased and he used his swords special attack. Having stored up enough energy from the previous fights, Shadowblade unleashed his volcanic devastation attack. He slashed in the air causing fire to launch from his sword. The flame twisted through the air, building in size as it went. Finally it hit the Coldbringer, sending a burst of fire in all directions. The flames melted all the ice in the area and brought Arkthon to his knees. “Curse you…Hero…*cough*…I will…have my revenge” Gasped Arkthon, then he collapsed.

Marvin leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. It was 3am and he had to be at work in five hours. “I better get some sleep” He grumbled. Marvin set down his video game controller and watched as his character “Shadowblade”, gained a level then the game auto-saved. Marvin took the game from his console, put it back into his box and shut everything down. He stretched, looked at the clock again and cursed himself for staying up so late trying to beat one last mission. Marvin went to bed, and Shadowblade sat, waiting to return to his adventure and save the kingdom in the “Ultimate quest”

Autumn Wishes

Branches sway on the breeze with colorful leaves, all red, yellow and orange. As I drive I look at the forest that slowly closes in on the highway, the road slicing through an ocean of gold and ember. I get images of warm baked goods and honey. The cool air and the trees, this scene alone is enough to inspire countless daydreams.

            I look out my window into the night sky, I look at the stars sparkling so bright. Wind blows in through my open window, bringing a chill and the sent of wood smoke. The neighborhood homes have their lights on, a warm orange glow that repels the darkness and the cold. It is inviting and comforting. Inside one house a family has their fireplace lit, their chimney puffing out fragrant smoke. Another house someone is baking. The smell of apple and pumpkin with various spices drifts gently from the kitchen window that’s open just slightly.

            I sit in my house and think of years past. Coffee sits simmering in the kitchen, the simple scent adding the symphony of fragrances. Autumn comes, it always starts with a cold breeze out of nowhere. Then the trees change, as if by magic, from green to a variety of warm colors, almost balancing out the chill in the air. Holidays come and go. Halloween has always been such a joy, the one time of the year I feel alive, truly. Every year, no matter how old I get, I dress up and decorate the house. These days I can do little more than turn on my plastic Jack-o-lantern and light a pumpkin scented candle, but I do enjoy the thrill I see on the faces of my grand children as they visit me wearing their costumes. I always answer the door wearing my mask of the year and scare them, they start to giggle and my daughter looks at me with a disapproving half smile.

            Music hums gently through the air, quiet, calming and a little sad. Various classical tunes I listen to every year. Of course when company comes by I have my “100 best Halloween songs” that I play. Though I would say its more of the 50 best, and 50 so-so Halloween songs. Besides the music, the cold air and even the baked goods, I love this season because it helps me reflect on the year so far. Some people might think the end of the year is the best time to reflect, but I prefer not to wait till the last minute to do things. Besides, it’s the autumn that puts things in perspective. Something in the air makes you look back and reflect.

            When I was kid it was different. The cold air gave me energy, as did all the sugar from candy and pie. The excitement of dressing up like a pirate or superman and the thought of stuffing your face with turkey on thanksgiving. I didn’t care that summer was over and school started, summer was always too hot and made me tired. The gentle air of autumn brought life into spirit.

            Autumn has always been my favorite season and I feel like I spend half the year silently wishing for another breezy fall afternoon. Gladly trading every summer just to get a little closer to the best time of the year. Seasons greetings and Autumn wishes.

Arix and the sunken crypt

Arix walked slowly through the dark corridors of the underground tomb. Once he got into the sunken crypt he lowered himself down deeper into the giant hole in the floor of the crypt. Once he was underground he discovered that directly below the crypt was a tomb. The underground tomb also belonged to the Hidonon family. It was rumored that the family held many secrets and Arix was determined to find out what they were.

As he walked he heard faint whispers and sounds of footsteps deeper in the tunnels. Either some other adventurer got here before he did, or he was going to have to deal with another monster/creature that wanted to kill him. Oddly enough he was hoping it was a monster. It was much easier to deal with a cave creature than it was competing for glory with another adventurer. Having another adventurer around made the whole area seem less dangerous and took the thrill away also Arix wouldn’t be able to say he was the first one to explore the tunnels under the crypt. So he walked on, keeping his torch up and scanning the darkness for any sense of danger or competition.

The tunnels were lined with engravings and coffins that slid into little doors built into the walls of the tunnel. The engravings were mostly just peoples names and how old they were when they died, normal stuff you would find on a tombstone. Arix kept an eye out for mysterious warnings or any sign of hidden secrets. All of the tunnels eventually led to one central point. It was a giant underground room, built like a stadium but looked more like a sacrificial chamber. Arix held his torch up high as he looked at giant room. The walls were made of carved stone, all with incredibly detail images and writings. Strange symbols, skulls and arcane writing stretched over every wall. Arix had a feeling this was the secret he was looking for. At the center of the room was three torches, the fire was purple, blue and green, one color slowly fading into the next as it burned.

Arix walked closer to get a better look at the torches when suddenly heavy smoke spewed from the flames. The smoke circled around and finally took on a form. A tall thin man, wearing black robes now stood in front of Arix. “come to join your friend?” asked the man. Arix looked confused but then noticed further into the room was the body of another adventurer. “Damn, someone DID get here first” Arix cursed under his breath. Then stopped to think “oh, also hes dead” Arix added grief adding to his voice. He knew adventuring would be dangerous, but never thought that other people might also be adventurers and never came back. But seeing the dead man on the floor made his fathers warnings seem more real. When Arix looked back, the thin man was smiling. “Yes, you’ll do. Your so full of life, your soul will feed the fires” Then the man lifted his hand and skeletons came up from the ground to grab Arix.

Arix whirled around and bashed his torch over the head of one of the skeletons. The undead minion burst into fire and crumbled to bones. The second skeleton kept a slow pursuit as the frightened adventurer ran for his life. “Why are you doing this? Who are you?” Arix asked as he ran in circles around the Arena like room. As he ran more skeletons appeared to capture him. “I am Arlend Hidonon, the founder of the Hidonon family and immortal necromancer” Replied Arlend. “so you kill people to stay alive?” Arix asked. He reached into his back and pulled out his hammer, which is more for practical uses, but used it as a weapon by hitting one of the skeletons with it. The force of the hammer cracked the skull, releasing a tiny-trapped spirit. “I take the souls of every Hidonon who has ever lived and died, also the soul of anyone who stumbles into my tunnels. There are many entrances to this location and I draw in the occasional grave robber. But this place is built to harness souls of the dead, not so I can stay alive, but so I can return to life. I am no more than an echo, a shadow of my former self. With enough souls I will be reborn as the most powerful wizard in the world!” Laughed Arlend.

“Using those torches and this stadium” Arix said as he smashed another skeleton. “Yes, exactly” Arlend replied in delight. “Thanks for clearing that up” Arix replied. He reached into his bag, pulled out his fire bomb gun and shot at the three standing torches. The small explosion and the fire that spread from it, toppled the torches and broke them on impact. Souls started to rapidly escape, rising up from the floor and leaving for the afterlife. Arlend screamed and his skeletons all collapsed. Arix fired another shot at the engravings, disfiguring the ancient text and hopefully ruining any chances to restart the soul harvest. Arlend faded away, though Arix wasn’t sure if he was really gone or not. Either way, it was time to leave. He quickly made his way back through the tunnels. He didn’t have enough explosives to destroy the stadium, but he hoped he ruined enough to stop Arlend.

After following one of the tunnels out for a half hour, Arix finally reached one of the exits, a cave mouth on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Arix sat down and stared at the water, He needed the rest. Even though he didn’t get any treasure, at least he was still alive and better yet, he had another great adventure.

Final hours

            I sit in my living room, lost in thought. The room is dimly lit, only a small stand lamp is on, I sit comfortably in the center of the couch, in front of me is a coffee table and on the other side of the table sits Death. He waits patiently, also sitting comfortably, but in a high back chair, matching the pattern on the couch. Death had walked in only a little while ago and sat down, a solemn look on his face. I was surprised to see that he looked like a man, not a skeleton. He wore a bowler hat, thin wire sunglasses, an old style three-piece suit, nice shoes and black leather winter gloves. He also had on a long flowing overcoat. His coat moved and swayed as if it were alive and every so often I could hear whispers from the dead coming from inside his coat. Surprisingly still, I was not afraid of him, I welcomed him into my home as if we were old friends. He didn’t say a word, he just sat, staring at me, hands on the arm rests and feet flat on the ground. His thin pale face not showing any emotion and he didn’t seem to be in a hurry, so he sat, waiting on me.

Some may say its best not to keep death waiting and to that I ask, “why?” It’s not like he can make me any more dead and I am confident that my place in the afterlife has already been secured long ago. So Death waits patiently. I might be inclined to stand up and follow him out of my home, but instead my mind wanders. It drifts back into my past. I’ve heard your life flashes before your eyes when you die, well maybe, but only if you’re in a hurry or didn’t have an interesting life. My life gently drifts in and out of my mind, like an aroma, a delicate breeze in the air that I can’t quite get a hold of.

Rain pours outside, I listen to it and relax as I am slowly being pulled back into the past. Rain falls rapidly from the night sky, I remember looking outside from the airport. My flight is delayed due to bad weather. I think about Charlotte waiting for me in Seattle, we were going to meet and I was going to propose. As the rain beat down on the building I felt my future with her being washed away. She didn’t know I loved her, not like that. We might have been dating, but I don’t think she ever truly knew how I felt. I didn’t get there till the next day. So much was dependent on me being there on time. Tears trickle down my cheek as I open my eyes, snapping back into reality. Death still lingers, still waits. He seems like a nice enough guy, I don’t know what all the bad reputation is about.

            It’s a funny thing memory, how I can remember one fleeting moment, some small detail like my friends shirt being a vibrant blue this one time at a pool party, but I can’t for the life of me remember yearly events, birthdays, anniversaries, ect. I remembers July the tenth, pool party at the house of my friend Roger. It was exactly three days before he got married. Though if you asked me when his anniversary was, I wouldn’t be able to tell you, unless I thought of the pool party days before. I remember thinking, this is the last time I will be able to see him as a free man. Last time we get to hang out and act stupid like we used to. He asked me what I thought about his future wife, I lied and said I liked her, it was the first time I ever lied to Roger.

            My thoughts drift across my entire life, I could recall every happy memories or tragic tale in my life, but I don’t feel like it. I’m not one to dwell on the past. I think over all, I had a good life. I have few regrets and I never once had to beat anyone up. I think that’s an accomplishment considering the hardheaded people I had to deal with throughout my life.

            Time has no meaning for me now, I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here recalling my past, but I think its time to go. Time to see what the afterlife has to offer and find out if it’s as big of a deal as everyone says it is. So far, I’m not impressed. So I stand up and as if knowing what I was about to do, Death stands up at the exact same time. He smiles, happy I’m finally done reminiscing. I walk across my living room to the exit of my house, Death follows, his black coat flickering like flames and swaying as he moves. I open the door to my house, I stare out as the outside has been replaced with an endless vortex. Its hypnotizing and calming. I look back on my life one last time, smile at Death and step through the door. Death exits behind me, the door shuts and the room goes dark.

Arix and the new adventure

            It had been months since Arix had escaped the horrible giant spider like monster from the caves and made it home safely with his prize, the now named “Arix Gem”. This was the first Gem seen of its kind, the material, light red color and strange calming glow were unique. Arix was tempted to keep the Gem, but decided to sell it to fund more adventures. He was able to find a rare jewel collector and made a small fortune from selling it.  If he kept finding rare treasures he could make a living off adventuring and even retire when he was too old to continue on. Even though he had only experienced one big find, it was such a great success that it would fuel his enthusiasm for a while.

            Arix stashed most of his money at home in a safe location and brought the rest with him to buy supplies or information. He packed up his bags, got his maps and tools and once again set out from his village to find another adventure. Despite the sizable profit made from selling the gem, Arix’s parents didn’t want him to go back out. His mother worried about his safety and his father thought this was just a scheme to get out of doing ‘real work’.

            The next target was the sunken crypt. During an earthquake that happened months ago the crypt sank into the ground, pulling the treasures and secrets of the royal “Hidonon” family with it. The earthquake that sank the crypt had also sent shockwaves out and shook the tunnels that Arix was in while trying to escape with his precious glowing gem months earlier.

The roof of the crypt was still partially exposed, as it hadn’t fully been pulled underground. Other hopeful treasure hunters and grave robbers had broken a hole in the exposed roof so they could get into the crypt. The problem was even if you dropped in through the ceiling and entered the crypt, most of its contents were pulled even deeper into the earth, into depths others dare not go. Only someone with a defective brain would enter a crypt, then climb down miles into the belly of the earth to find long lost secrets and treasure that might not even exists. Though it seemed incredibly stupid and dangerous, Arix planned on making the trip down into the crypt tunnels, both for adventure and because he was sure the Hidonon had treasures sealed away with their last of their bloodline. As the family died out, they took everything with them and a hundred years later, Arix was going to find out what they had.

            As Arix neared the sunken crypt he began to have doubts, facing danger for treasure was all well and good, but what he was doing was grave robbing. Grave robber didn’t have quite the same ring to it as Adventurer. He shook off the guilt though, the crypt had collapsed into the earth, it was fair game, besides the dead have no need for money or trinkets. With his excitable smile returning to his face, Arix walked on.

            He finally found the crypt near an old graveyard. He knew the crypt’s location when he saw a bit of roof poking up from the ground and dirt moved around like someone had been digging there. Arix ran up to the spot, the digging hadn’t been recent, so he was free to enter without worrying about other treasure hunters. It seemed the real grave robbers had already been through here and when they realized everything was pulled into the earth, they left. Arix was a true adventurer at heart, the fact that anything of value was now resting in unexplored caverns made him want to go even more.