Two Halloween Tales Read online

  Two Halloween Tales Mark C. Scioneaux Dane Hatchell

  These stories are a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2013 Dane Hatchell Cover Copyright © P.A. Douglas All Rights Reserved.

  No part of these stories may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the authors.

  From Severed Press:

  From Severed Press!

  Contents

  How Stopping a Zombie Invasion Will Get You Grounded

  by Mark C. Scioneaux

  Candy Coated Horror

  by Dane Hatchell

  How Stopping a Zombie Invasion Will Get You Grounded

  by Mark C. Scioneaux

  “I call this meeting of the Monster Hunting Club to order,” Chris Markus exclaimed as he banged a small hammer on a piece of wood serving as a makeshift table.

  Immediately the buzz of conversation inside the small, tin shed drew to a halt. Chris stood facing the crew of three boys, all sitting like Indians on the concrete floor. He was tall for his age, taller than most 11 year olds, and his dirty blonde hair was unkempt atop his head. Seated in front of him were three of his closest friends and cofounders of the M.H.C.; or the Monster Hunting Club. With the television being dominated by people hunting ghosts, Chris and his friends were intrigued if they could uncover any spooky situations in their small town. Over the past year they had had some great adventures but none resulting in a positive creature sighting.

  “Ron, will you please read the minutes from last week’s meeting?” Chris asked, as a short, dark skinned boy rose.

  Ron Webbles adjusted his glasses and spoke in a clear voice, reading off of the crumpled piece of loose leaf he held in his hands.

  “After a thorough investigation, Paul’s werebeast turned out to be his neighbor’s black cat, Tapioca.”

  “Dude, I don’t care what any of you guys say! That thing is mean and has it out for me,” Paul Gegens said as he leapt to his feet. His olive skin and dark hair were in stark contrast of Chris, even though the two were first cousins. Ron continued.

  “Also, Corey’s swamp hag was revealed to be his sister with a mud mask on her face and curlers in her hair.”

  “And I have proof!” Corey Westlie shouted as the chubby boy with curly black hair struggled to his feet and produced a photo.

  Chris took one look at the photo which showed a girl covered in green gunk and a surprised, angry expression on her face. He had to admit it was indeed the most terrifying evidence they had captured.

  “So we got nothing. No monsters as usual,” Chris said, disappointment pulled his words down. “Well, do we have any new leads? Maybe a new place to investigate? And where’s Nick? He should have been here an hour ago.”

  As if on cue, Nick Boats crashed into the room. “Hey guys, sorry I’m late!” Nick said with a shout.

  “Dude! You scared the heck out of me! Not cool!” Paul shouted and the thought made Chris laugh to himself. Nick was short and scrawny with a box hair cut. He was not a picture of intimidation.

  “And where have you been?” Chris asked as he eyed the book Nick cradled under his arm.

  “I found this really cool book at the library. I started flipping through it, and I just lost track of the time. It’s called The Art of Dark Magic,” Nick said as he handed the book to Chris.

  Chris took one look at the book and immediately got a funny feeling. The book’s cover was crude and appeared to be leather. The words were stamped to the front with black ink. There was no author or any other information printed on the book.

  “I figured maybe we could use it to pull some Halloween pranks. Like maybe do something to Mrs. Maria for giving us apples every year,” Nick said with a shudder. He hated apples; especially the non-candied variety.

  “Or maybe on Mr. Leo. He always gives us toothbrushes,” Corey said.

  “What if we brought a zombie back?” Paul asked as a smile spread across his face. “Just one. That would freak them out!”

  “Well let’s see what they have in here,” Chris said as he flipped through the book. The others watched over his shoulder as his fingers turned through the thin, weathered pages.

  He passed How to Make Items Levitate, How to See the Future, and How to Disappear. Halfway through the book he saw it: How to Raise the Dead.

  “Yes!” Ron exclaimed as he pumped a fist in the air. They all began to talk at once, a muddled sound of excited voices. Suddenly, a louder voice brought their meeting to a close.

  “Chris! Come in and help us set-up for the party!” Chris’s mom called from the house.

  The Markus’ Big Halloween Bash was a party thrown every year and one that was looked forward to with great anticipation. The entire neighborhood turned out for the event. Each year the party got bigger and wilder, and with Chris being older, it meant he was able to help with the labor of setting up.

  “All right, we’ll meet up here tomorrow night and head to the graveyard,” Chris said. “What about tick-or-treating?” Paul asked.

  “We’ll have plenty of time to do that. Let’s just see if this actually works. And if anyone wants to help me setup for the party, you’re more than welcomed,” Chris said.

  He was answered by four voices, all offering an excuse to why they couldn’t stick around.

  “Whatever. Meeting adjourned,” Chris said as he brought the hammer down on the plank of wood.

  Chris entered his home through the back door off the patio and walked into the kitchen. The kitchen and dining room had been morphed into a playground of fake spider webs, plastic skeletons, and paper ghosts. He didn’t see his parents as he rested against one of the counter tops. Without warning, a werewolf with a ferocious snarl on its face leapt from behind a wall. Chris screamed and closed his eyes.

  “Happy Howl-oween!” the werewolf yelled with a laugh and Chris recognized his dad’s voice.

  “Ha ha, very funny,” Chris said sarcastically as his mom rounded the corner from where his dad had just launched himself.

  She was balancing a metal tray in one hand and had a pumpkin tucked under her arm. She set them on the counter and pulled the mask off Chris’s dad with a quick tug.

  “Will you stop playing? You still need to arrange the tombstones in the front lawn!” “Yes, your majesty,” he said with a small salute and then a bow. All three started laughing.

  “You know Halloween brings out the kid in me,” he said as he lightly kissed his wife’s cheek before walking to the front to construct the graveyard.

  “You needed me, Mom?” Chris asked.

  “Yes I do, dear. I need you to fill the brain mold with Jell-O. There are twenty molds and they will be the centerpiece for tomorrow night’s buffet. I want to make sure they have plenty of time to set.”

  “Sure, no problem,” Chris said as he eyed the boxes of strawberry Jell-O stacked on the counter like a flimsy tower.

  Chris boiled the water and added the packs of gelatin to the liquid. The chemical smell of strawberry-flavored gelatin was pleasant to his nostrils; however his mind was miles away, thinking if it was possible to raise the dead.

  It was Halloween night, and Chris stepped outside and greeted the cold, night air with a howl. The air was crisp and the sky was cloudless as a full moon hung overhead, casting its light down and making shadows dance and come alive. He was dressed as his favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Leonardo; equipped with a plastic sword. Paul was with him and was also enjoying the night. He was dressed like a G.I. Joe with a camouflage shirt and pants to go with his plastic gun. His paren
ts had arrived at the party early to help. Chris could already hear ‘The Monster Mash’ blaring from the speakers inside his house. A mummy and a vampire walked up, and Chris recognized Ron and Nick. Nick had the book tucked under his arms. Corey was last to arrive and was dressed in a red jump suit; he was Super Mario.

  “Let the Monster Hunting Club begin!” Chris said as they walked to the cemetery.

  The cemetery was not far from where Chris lived, only four blocks away if that. Paul pushed open the iron gates and the group walked in. Chris had passed by the cemetery many times during the day and the image never scared him. At night, however, it was a completely different animal. The trees were bare of all leaves and their limbs twisted and beckoned like the claws of an old hag. The moon illuminated pale light and the headstones appeared to softly glow. Chris was sure he saw things moving behind the protruding stones.

  “I’m scared,” Ron said.

  “Don’t be a baby,” Chris said, not wanting to admit that he too was scared.

  Most of the graves in the cemetery were old and had fallen into disrepair as weeds sprung around the cracked headstones. However, there were some fresher looking graves toward the center of the cemetery. The M.H.C members stood in front of them in a tight line.

  “Well, here goes nothing,” Chris said as he opened the book and began reading from the marked page.

  “Eeshay Keeshay Komish Nomish! I call up the dead; that is my wish!” Chris shouted into the still night.

  Only silence answered them back.

  “This is stupid, and we’re missing out on candy!” Paul whined.

  An icy wind blasted from nowhere; sending goose bumps and chills running though their bodies.

  “Did you feel that?” Ron asked as he looked down at his feet.

  Before anyone could answer, the ground shook softly. Within seconds, the gentle vibration morphed into a tremendous jolt as the M.H.C members fell to the ground. Chris could see the ground split and separate over the fresher graves. Then there was silence, interrupted only by their heavy breathing. Chris was afraid his heart would bang out of his chest.

  A dull, hollow moan escaped from one of the graves. It was followed by another; and then another. The boys rose and saw a pair of gray, moldy hands shoot up from the split earth.

  Ron and Nick had seen enough and turned to run. “Wait!” Chris said. “Let’s see what happens.”

  The zombie pulled itself from its tomb and slowly shambled toward the group. Chris could see it was dressed in what was once a nice black suit. Its hair was stringy and most had fallen off of its head, which was little more than a horrific looking skull with sunken eyes. The zombie’s mouth hung open and its hands were stiff—resembling claws. As it took a step, worms and other bugs fell and scurried to find a new home.

  Chris hollered, “We woke you! You will listen to our commands!”

  The zombie looked perplexed for a moment as Chris reached out his hand. Quickly, the puzzled look disappeared and transformed into a look of hunger. It fell forward and landed on top of Chris, sending both of them to the soft dirt below.

  “Get it off me!” Chris screamed as he grabbed the zombie’s shirt collar, stopping the snapping jaws from making contact with his neck. A foul odor escaped the zombie’s mouth as it tried to bring its face closer to its meal.

  The others rushed in and grabbed the corpse by the suit jacket. They dragged the zombie off and sent it tumbling backward as Chris leapt to his feet. Their victory was only momentary as they realized they were almost completely surrounded by the walking dead. Men, women, and even a few children, all in various stages of decomposition, stared at them with hungry, dead eyes.

  “Run!” Corey yelled as the boys sped toward the gates and ran out the cemetery.

  They had made it a two blocks before coming to a stop. All bent over and sucked in as much air as they could.

  “Let me see that book,” Chris said as he struggled to catch his breath. Nick was holding onto it and handed it over.

  Chris flipped to the page with the spell he had just read. He quickly glanced over it and turned to the next page. There was an entirely different spell on the next page. Chris noticed the page in-between his fingers felt thicker and realized two pages had stuck together. He slipped a fingernail along the edges to separate the pages. Chris read the remainder of the spell.

  “Warning: Zombies will crave brains immediately after reawakening. They cannot be controlled until after they eat.”

  “Nick, you dolt!” Chris yelled. “There was more to the spell!” “Me? You were the one reading it!” Nick argued back.

  “Stop it, guys! What’re we going to do?” Paul said, his eyes wide and mouth gaping open.

  The gentle night wind carried with it the moans of the dead as they made their way out the cemetery.

  “I got it!” Chris said as an idea popped into his brain. “Paul, come with me! The rest of you, distract our undead guests. Get them to follow you back to the cemetery.”

  “What should we do?” Corey asked, not liking this idea.

  “How should I know? Just don’t get too close and be careful!” Chris shouted as he and Paul ran down the street.

  “Where’re we going?” Paul asked. “To get them some brains!”

  Chris and Paul arrived at Chris’s house and were greeted by a room full of monsters and movie stars.

  “Boys!” Chris heard his mom, who was dressed as a police woman, call from across the room. “Come say hello to your grandma.”

  “There’s no time! The zombies are coming!” Chris screamed as he ran to the food table. In the center amongst the finger sandwiches and cheese dip was a large, metal platter with a pile of red Jell-O brains. Chris grabbed the platter and watched the brains jiggle like fat slugs. He ran out the back door with Paul quickly on his heels.

  “Chris! What are you doing!?! Get back here now!” Chris’s mom cried.

  “They certainly have a wonderful imagination,” the grandma, who was dressed as the tooth fairy, said with a laugh.

  “We’re here!” Chris yelled as he and Paul entered the cemetery.

  The scene was chaotic as Ron, Corey, and Nick played a game of tag with the undead opponents. Chris counted ten zombies total as the boys weaved in and out of the wormy corpses, lightly touching them to get their attention and then retreating quickly back.

  “Dinner is served!” Chris yelled as he placed the platter on the ground. The Jell-O brains twitched and jiggled spastically.

  Ron, Corey, and Nick ran toward the iron gates and huddled next to Chris and Paul. The M.H.C made their stand behind the brain buffet. Slowly the zombies lumbered forward, seeing only the tasty looking boys ahead. Then they noticed the platter on the ground and the squishy, red brains. The zombie who had first attacked them reached down and plucked one brain that had fallen into the dirt. It brought it to its mouth, paused for a moment to study it, and then slammed it into its face. The boys could hear noisy, wet chewing as the dead jaws made short work of the soft gelatin. The other zombies joined in and soon all feasted. When the brains were gone, the zombies stood up straight, as if called to attention by an invisible drill sergeant.

  “Did it work?” Paul asked quietly.

  “Only one way to find out,” Chris said as he cautiously stepped forward. “Zombies!” he called. All of their dead eyes focused on him, causing Chris to almost turn around and run home. He fought the fear and pushed on.

  “You’ve had your fun on this Halloween night, but now it’s time for you to return home. I command you to return to your homes!” Chris said.

  The zombies began to stagger toward the open iron gates.

  “Wait! No! Stop!” Chris shouted and the undead mass halted. “I meant return to your graves and rest in peace.”

  Without a sound, the zombies immediately turned back and walked to their graves. Slowly they crawled back down into the open earth, never to emerge again.

  “Now what?” Nick asked.

  “I guess we co
ver them back up,” Chris said with a sigh. So much for trick-or-treating, he thought.

  It took several hours, but the boys got the job done.

  “So how ’bout that?” Chris said as they walked back to his house. “Our first official monster encounter, and I think we did a pretty good job.”

  No one replied.

  As they approached Chris’s house; Ron, Nick, and Corey split off and headed home. Chris and Paul stood in the backyard.

  “Dude, I’m sorry,” Chris said.

  “Sorry isn’t good enough,” Paul said as he slugged Chris in the shoulder. “You owe me some candy!” he said as he stormed off.

  Oh well, Chris thought as he rubbed his arm. At least nothing else could go wrong.

  “Chris Markus, you march up to your room this instant!” his mom’s voice cut through the night like a knife. “What’s gotten into you? Why would you steal my center piece? Was this your idea of a Halloween prank? You’re just like your father!”

  She scolded him all the way up the stairs.

  “No T.V., no scary movies, no nothing until I say so,” she yelled from the bottom of the stairs. He closed the door softly and flopped on his bed. He knew they would be laughing about it in the morning.

  Chris sat up and stared into the night. Halloween was quickly coming to an end, and he had experienced a memorable one this year. As he got under the covers and laid his head down, he realized that real life was nothing like the movies. In the movies, he would have been hailed a hero for stopping the rising zombie invasion. In real life, however, it got him grounded.

  There will be much to discuss at the next meeting, he thought as he closed his eyes and dreamed Halloween away.

  The End

  Candy Coated Horror

  by Dane Hatchell

  It was a cool, dry, autumn day in El Dorado, Arkansas. Not just any day, for this day would surrender to Halloween night.