Mist Harbor

            Halloween was fast approaching, it was the day when people celebrated with costumes, tricks and treats. It was when the barrier between the world of the living and the dead was weakest and it was also the day when Samantha Gould’s husband, Rumford, was killed.

            Samantha ‘The Crimson Hand” walked briskly, her black, hard soled boots clacked against the cobblestone path. The sounds of her footsteps echoed through the alleyways of the dreary city of Mist Harbor. Fallen leaves gathered along the gutters and in alleys. There was little sound in the city that night except for footsteps, distant conversation, the sound of dried leaves being crunched underfoot and the scraping sound they made when the wind blew them across the stone walkways.

            Light rain drizzled over the city, trickling over anything that wasn’t covered by rooftops or tree branches. Mist harbor had several spots in the city spaced out for planting trees and while the population stagnated the tree growth boomed. Tall trees dotted the city landscape, with leaves of bright orange and yellow. With each breeze the branches would shake loose a few warm colored leaves. The leaves danced as they drifted slowly to the ground. Clusters of leaves floated through the air like autumn snow, while the gentle rain pattered the ground. The citizens of Mist Harbor missed the delicate balance of earth, wind, and water, as most of them were indoors getting warm or asleep.

            Samantha wore a long black cloak with her hood up, black leather gloves, a deep red shirt and black pants. Her green eyes shone brightly through the darkness in a supernatural way. She walked with purpose through the run down alleys but with every step forward a stranger took two steps towards her. The stranger moved quickly with menacing intentions. The dark and foggy back streets of the city were the perfect place for criminal activity and anyone could lose their life if they weren’t careful.

            Soon the stranger was right behind Samantha when he drew a dagger. He stabbed his dagger forward but his hand stopped an inch from her back. A glowing green eye peered behind the stranger. “You should be more careful with sharp edges” growled a menacing voice from the shadows. The attacker screamed, followed by crunching sounds and blood spilling out into the gutters and drains. “You are getting slow” Samantha chided, continuing to walk without missing a step. “Sorry my love, I guess I am getting old” Replied the voice, this time the voice was soothing and sweet. 

            Samantha made her way to the docks just as a large cargo ship arrived. She stood there patiently and unflinching as cold wind blew in from the sea. The ship’s captain waved when he saw Samantha. The gruff old man smiled at her and she returned with a slow nod. The crew unloaded crates of pumpkins, ale, wheat and lumber as the captain met with Samantha. 

            “It wasn’t an easy find, but we found it” Said the captain of the cargo ship. “You don’t need to give me the hard sell, I know it is rare and I know you have it. So how much do you want for it?” Samantha asked impatiently. The captain smiled, the corner of his lips moving the hairs in his bushy beard. “Well I-“ The captain began to say but stopped. He looked behind Samantha and saw a figure standing just outside the docks, covered by the shadow of a building. The figure was medium height, dressed in a cloak and had glowing green eyes and a ghoulish face of half bone and half skin. The captain had to look twice to make sure he saw it correctly. The dark of night clouded the vision and when the captain looked again, the figure was gone. “I-I’ll take whatever you think is fair” Said the captain, who no longer wanted to stay in this port.

            “Captain, the men are requesting shore leave” Said the first mate of the ship. The captain turned to the first mate and with a pale face “Like HEL- I mean, no. We have a schedule to keep. Tell’em that we will stay at the next port and the first round is on me” Replied the captain.

            Samantha paid the captain what she thought was fair and received a large heavy pouch. The captain hurried off to his ship and as soon as the rest of the cargo was unloaded and paid for, he set sail for the next port. Samantha gave a devilish smile “You just enjoy scaring people, don’t you” She said to the air. “I get bored being just a shadow sometimes” Replied a voice, carried on the wind.

Samantha was usually reserved and quick to smirk or say something sarcastic but her lover’s words stabbed at her heart. Rumford was being playful but there was truth in his words. Samantha often claimed she didn’t have a heart and when people used to tell her that Rumford was too good for her, she would agree.

            Samantha was dwelling on the past as her hands opened the large pouch that the ship’s
captain gave her. Inside the pouch was a round, pumpkin shaped, stone. It was the size of  a babies head and about as heavy as a baby head made of solid stone. The stone had a Jack-O-lantern face on the front. This wasn’t any generic Jack-O-Lantern face, it was the twisted and pointed face of the Hallows End Jack O Lantern. In the town of Halloween and monsters was a Jack-O-Lantern that was larger than a horse. It looked like a pumpkin but never wilted and always had a flame burning brightly at its core. This small stone pumpkin was the key to the center of Hallows End.

            Samantha and Rumford Gould knew they would have to return to Hallows End one day and it was this Halloween when Samantha would finally deliver vengeance to the one who murdered Rumford.