Here it is everyone! the final Halloween story. This one is three pages long, so get a cup of coffee or cider, relax and enjoy!
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Night gently creeps in as the sun goes down and the lights are lit in the town of Hallows end. A gentle breeze makes the autumn trees sway and Jack-o-lanterns dot the landscape. The Great pumpkin lantern sits proudly at the center of town. With a large grinning face and a light that keeps the surrounding haunted forest at bay.
It was another cool autumn night in Hallows end and Halloween Jack and his friends were celebrating. “Heres to another great year of Halloween fun!” Shouted Trick, the lovable party girl. She was dressed in a revealing witches costume this year and held her glass of dark red wine high to toast. Halloween Jack raised his glass of pumpkin beer in the air and cheered. He was already drunk. Tonight he wore his orange cloak, black pants and shirt, striped black and orange boots and sturdy leather gauntlets with pumpkins on them. His black hair was a mess and the battle scars on his face stretched as he smiled. The third friend, Horror Bill just smiled at the two and sat silently drinking blood from a cup. He had a long black coat with pockets full of knives and various weapons.
The laughter and celebration continued on until a cold wind blew through creepy old house of Horror bill, where the friends had been partying. A cool breeze was fine, a chilly rain was expected, but a cold wind was unusual. “Ha! When did Hallows end suddenly become Frost peaks?” Laughed Jack. He chuckled drunkenly to himself for a few seconds before stopping and noticing the wind was getting worse. “This looks serious…” Trick muttered. Jack stood up from his chair, shaky at first then walked out the door. He looked up and saw snow starting to fall. He held his hand out as a snowflake landed gently into his gloved hand. “What the fucks this?” Jack said annoyed and sobering slightly. In the distance and snowstorm was brewing and it looked like it was heading toward town. “We need to check this out. I can’t have snow, its not even Halloween yet!” Jack declared.
The three friends ran into town, going to check on the Great Pumpkin Lantern. If it ever froze or had its fire put out the whole town would be engulfed in darkness and Jack wasn’t about to move to Cherry blossom hill, Ocean front retreat and sure as hell not going to Frost peaks. The storm was closing in and it was headed right for the center of town. All of the towns people hid in their homes as the storm got closer, leaving Jack and his friends the only three who seemed ready to stop whatever it was bringing the storm with it. “Snow never comes down this way, someone has to be responsible. I say we go into the storm and find out who it is. Then Horror Bill can eat him” Jack told his friends. Bill let out a quiet “Yes!” then the three ran from the town, headed right into the storm.
On the outskirts of town, two strangers waited. Orange and black portals pulsed behind them. The first was a man, undead with green hair and black clothing, carrying shovel. The second was a girl, looked shy, wore gothic clothing, had pale skin and red eyes. They talked at the snow began to fall around them. Jack stopped and smiled “did you guys come to defend the town?” the two turned and smiled when they saw Jack. “Yes. Its not just this town, but Halloween itself is in danger. I cannot have that. It is the one night a year I am free from my curse. I am the Gravedigger. Call me Graves” Graves replied. “without Halloween I will never see my love, John again. I’m Dylena, by the way. This day means so much to me, I am willing to fight” Dylena said. Jack smiled “Good to meet you. If Halloween is in danger we have to take this seriously” Jack said.
Up ahead the snow worsened, at the center was a man dressed in red, strange wizard from a far away land. “Your Town and the ‘Holiday’ that you celebrate is a disgrace. Letting fear and monsters run wild is dangerous and I am taking upon myself to protect everyone from you” Said the ice wizard, his voice booming and floating on the wind. He waved a striped red and white staff through the air and suddenly the ice and snow began to form into a monster. Frost the snow monster, growled as he sprang forth from the ground. He chewed menacingly on a pipe smoking pipe and wore a black hat.
Halloween Jack was about to inform this ice wizard of the error he had made, how Halloween wasn’t a dangerous Holiday but seeing the giant snow golem appear, Jack decided to let his sword do the talking. He pulled a jagged blade from his belt, adorned with a silver pumpkin on the hilt. Trick looked like a witch, but didn’t have any magical powers, Horror Bill was dangerous to humans, but was more of a predator than he was a fighter. “Jack, honey. I think we will wait this one out. Try not to die!” Said Trick as she scampered off with Horror Bill. Grave on the other hand was immortal and Dylena had enhanced strength and speed common among the people of her world.
Graves ran forward and flew into the air, Frost brought down his boulder sized fist to crush the Gravedigger, but Graves simply went transparent, went through the fist, turned solid and whacked Frost with his shovel. “You’re meddling with my only chance to see my family each year!” He yelled at the ice wizard. Frost stumbled backward. Dylena ran across the snowy ground with lighting speed and the grace of a cat. She pulled on a small rope tied around her waist and flicked it, it transformed into a thorny whip, which she used to lash the Snow monster with. Her eyes glowed and her gaze was fierce. “I will not go back to being an outcast. I have found a home and I plan to stay” She yelled, lashing wilding.
Jack smiled “I wonder if these two would like to replace my other friends” he chuckled then lunged forward with his sword. He stabbed it into the snow monsters chest, then slashed upward, cutting the beast up the middle. Ice shot out the wizards hand and struck Dylena, she fell to the ground, small icicles had pierced her skin then melted away. Jack was distracted and was hit with an uppercut from the snow beast. Graves struck downward with his shovel slicing off Frost’s arm. Jack got back to his feet and ran straight at the Wizard instead. Beating him was the only way to end this. Jack threw his sword, then jumped into the air. The wizard shot a blast of ice and wind to deflect the sword but couldn’t stop Jack as he came flying down. Jack pulled off his gloves, revealing a pair of shadowy claws. Jack’s face twisted into a nightmarish grin as he brought his claws down, slashing the wizard across the face and down his torso.
The Wizard gasped as he hit the cold snowy ground he looked at his golem for help. Frost had just punched a surprised Gravedigger across the field, but was now being choked and toppled by a wounded but very angry Dylena. She held her whip tight, as it wrapped around Frost and sliced him with the barbs. “Any last words, Nick?” Jack said with an evil smile. “How did you know my name?” Asked Nick, the saint of Frost peak. “I figured it out pretty quick” Jack replied, his claws dripping with blood. “Spare me, I am sorry. I need to take care of the people of Frost peak” he gasped. Jack seemed angrier at this reply. “what about the people of Hallow end? What about the lives you tried to ruin by attacking the Great Pumpkin lantern?!” Jack yelled. “From the peaks all I see of your town is darkness and all I hear are screams. It sounds like a horrible place” Nick replied. “From way up there, how can you truly know how a place is? Maybe you should try to spend a day in Hallows end before you decide to wipe it off the map!” Jack said kicking the old wizard. Halloween Jack just put his glove back on and turned away. “Get your snow monster and get out of here” He said.
Nick slowly stood up and waved his hand. The snowstorm died away and Frost disappeared into a cloud of light flurries. “I will leave this place. But we will meet again. I have not fully decided that your town is worth sparing” Nick said. Jack just growled in reply. The old wizard vanished in a gust of cold wind and transported back to his happy home in Frost peaks.
Dylena sighed, “Is it over?” Jack nodded. Graves floated back to the battlefield. “If Halloween is safe, then I will return to my Graveyard. I have work to do and a family to support” he said. Graves waved and gave a smile before stepping into a dark portal. Dylena smiled and hugged Jack. “we made a great team. Lets do this again sometime! Well minus the whole, destroying Halloween thing” she said. Jack laughed. “Next year, for sure” He said. A large transparent window appeared in the air, showing images of another world. “I better get back, John worries. He’s adorable like that” She said, then blushed and walked through the window, disappearing from sight.
Jack reached into his belt and pulled out a bottle of amber liquid. He had a long walk back to town and he planned to get good and drunk on his way. He would tell his cowardly friends that the danger was gone and with luck there would be enough time left over to celebrate the rest of Halloween night with cold drinks and a hot meal. Jack slowly walked away from the bloody snow covered field and toward Hallows end a land of Autumn trees, pumpkins, apple cider and Halloween.
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