text: Halloween night in the town of Castle Falls is always one of the biggest events of the year, and this year should not disappoint. As darkness fills the night, children dressed as their favorite princess, witch or wizard, superhero, and ghastly ghoul begin infiltrating the neighborhood in search of the next door to knock and scream out “Trick or Treat!!!” for the delight of the next holder of candy and treats. The people of Castle Falls are a festive bunch and they take pride in celebrating their holidays, and it is not uncommon for neighbors to compete for each year in who has the most elaborate decorated yard or home. Halloween is among the top each year! “Here we are at the home of Jasper Jenkins, last year’s winner of the best-decorated yard,” Melissa Green of Channel 8 said holding her microphone in hand speaking to the people of Castle Falls in a live broadcast. “As you know Jasper won with his creative scene of skeletons and zombie rising from their underground crypts in the front yard,” she added. “What can we expect this year Jasper, are you going to retain your title,” she asked holding the mic to Jasper’s face. “Well, I hope to have great things in store this year, so we’ll see,” answered Jasper. “Well, there you have it, Castle Falls, we’ll have to wait until later to see who will hold this year’s crown. Until then, this is Melissa Green with your news for you, Channel 8,” she said smiling at the camera. She then directed her cameraman to grab some video of the activities going on around them. Unseen by anyone were two figures hovering high above hidden in the darkness of the night sky. Two witches, Lenora and Matilda, are sitting on broomsticks hovering and talking. “Where is Grace,” said Lenora hastily to Matilda. Matilda, gazing down and smiling at all the children, teenagers, and adults moving from door to door, replied with a shrug of her shoulders, “I don’t know, you know she’s never on time.” Just then with a woosh overhead came Grace swooping in on her broom laughing and cackling loudly as she circled her two friends so close it made Lenora lose her balance forcing her steady herself firmly. “Heedeehoo ladies,” cackled Grace. “Are ye ready for a bit ‘o fun tonight?” “Oh, you silly wart! Why are you always such a whacky git,” said Lenora. “Lennie, are you sure you’re sitting on that thing, or is it stuck up your butt again,” asked Grace laughing. “C’mon ladies... it’s Hall’ween night! This is our night, our grand night, and we’re gunna give this town an experience they’ll ne’er forget,” Grace said excitedly! Grace stopped circling her friends and came to rest and hovering next to Lenora smiling at her she gave her a little nudge on her shoulder and a wink of the eye. Lenora acted like she didn’t notice and looking out into the sky. “Lennie,” Grace said playfully. Lenora still staring out deep into space, gave a quick glance toward Grace from her peripheral. “You silly git,” said Lenora, also while breaking a slight grin. The three looked down over the town giggling and pointing at the townspeople. “So where are we anyway,” asked Grace. Matilda with eyebrows raised and a confused looked on her face said, “Falling Castle... no, Castle Rock... no, Rock of the Castle....” “Castle Falls you silly goof,” said Lenora. “Yeah, that’s what I said,” nodding Matilda. Grace and Lenora rolled their eyes and shaking their head at each other. Matilda was not always the sharpest knife in the drawer at times. “OK, so what we gunna do,” asked Grace with a menacing tone. “I wanna make a huge furry tarantula come out of the house there,” said Matilda pointing excitedly at the gray two-story house. Grace and Lenora looking at the house, and then at each other shrugged their shoulders and replied to Matilda simultaneously, “Ok.” “Yeah, go ‘fer it,” said Grace. Matilda reaching into her tattered black cloak, she pulled out a crooked wood wand. She begins to mumble a spell and waving her wand, “In this night may you be a fright, don’t be mean, but may you make ‘em scream!” And with a flick of her wand, a bright flash shot out towards the house. The witches leaned forward on the edge of the broomsticks tilting down in the sky, with their eyes wide open and huge grins on their faces, the waited in anticipation. “Mom, mom... look what I got” shouted a 10-year-old green Incredible Hulk as he opened up his trick-or-treat bag. His mother looking inside and sharing in his excitement. Just then they both felt the ground rumble and shake making a deep grumbling noise. The boy Hulk grabbed his mom around the waist. “What was that,” he said with a shaky voice. Mom, with her arms wrapped around her son’s shoulders, shook her head, “I don’t know Jake.” The two, along with everyone else in the immediate area who also felt the rumbling and shaking stood still looking around and waiting to see if it happened again. Everyone was thinking the same thing, “earthquake, here, in Castle Falls.” Suddenly, the ground shook stronger! And a loud crashing noise of wood and shattering glass erupted from the gray two-story home that Jake had just run from the front door, and he and his mom stood on the sidewalk knelt down and she covered herself over him. Just then a yell from a tiny princess a few yards down as four long, large fuzzy tarantula legs sprouted out of the top of the house... followed by two large spider fangs, shiny eyes, a fat plump body, and followed by four long, furry back legs as a tarantula perched on the half-destroyed house. Random screams rang out throughout the neighborhood in Castle Falls, and kids and parents ran away, some fainted where they stood, and some were frozen in place with their mouths gaped open and scream-less. “Ha... ha... ha! Good one Matilda,” shouted Grace. “Ok, Lennie, your turn!” Lenora sat on her broomstick, with a pondering look as she thought for a moment. “Oh, c’mon Lennie, give ‘em someth’n good you slow twit,” cackled Grace. Ok, ok... I’ve got it. Quit rushing me. You got somewhere to be ‘ye old bat,” Lenora shot back. Grace shrugged her shoulder and scrunched her face and shamefully replied, “Well, no.” Lenora, with wand in hand began to say a mumbled spell that Grace and Matilda couldn’t quite hear. And with a large circular swoosh and three flicks of her wand, three flashes shot out of her wand and soared into the sky above Castle Falls. Matilda and Grace sat and stared at Lenora as she sat perched on her broom as if nothing was about to happen. She gazed over at the other two witches and as if surprised she said, “What?” as shrugged her shoulder and put her hands up. “Welllllll... What did you do,” said Grace. Grinning deceptively, “You’ll see.” Grace and Matilda with eyes wide open looking at Lenora, and then turned quickly to the town of Castle Falls in excited wonder. Just then, a loud swoosh shot over the three witches heads with a strong wind that followed, almost knocking Grace off her broom. Three large black figures soared over the homes and townspeople. “OH MY GOD,” shouted a dad pointing overhead. “BATS!!!!!” And he quickly dove behind a row of evergreen shrubs, leaving his wife and kids to fend for themselves. Three black bats swooped down dive-bombing over the heads of the kids and parents scattering in even more directions trying to find cover and hiding places. Some found refuge as homeowners let some come into their homes. Others lammed their doors shut and locked them quickly as they ran to their basements or other hiding places. Some flicking their lights off as if that would help. High above, the three witches laughed out loud. Matilda was laughing so hard she was laying on her back on her broomstick nearly rolling off one side. With tears in her eyes from laughter, Grace looked over at Lenora and laughed even harder. “Oh my... oh my Lennie... did you see them! They ran like little chickens, ducking and hiding... ohhhhhh my!” Grace cackled out loud. The three continued to gaze at their creations, a large tarantula crawling from house to house, and the bats swooping down and then back up high into the sky only to swoop back down nipping at the townspeople with their fangs. Channel 8’s cameraman was hunkered down in his news van with one of his back doors partially opened as he broadcasted the horror live on TV. “Are you getting this,” shouted Melissa Green! The cameraman could only nod as he looked on in amazement. Melissa Green, still outside of Jasper Jenkins's home, ran up to his front door and banged loudly. No answer. She banged and kicked his door even louder. Jasper ran to the door, looked out, and saw her standing at the door. He quickly opened it, “Quick, quick, get inside,” he cried out. “Jasper, turn whatever this is off! You’re scaring everyone to death,” she yelled at him. “It’s...it...it’s not me doing th, th, this,” he stuttered and shaking in horror. Melissa Green looked back at this once joyful neighborhood and looked on in total shock. She quickly ran back to her news van. She climbed into the driver’s seat, turned it on, revved the engine and threw it into gear, and floored it tossing her cameraman out of the back door and dropping to the ground. The camera still rolling. “Ok, Grace, you’re up,” said Lenora. Rubbing her old, frail, warted hands together, she looked at both of her friends, “Just you wait and see this,” she said with one eye squinted. Perched on her broomstick, Grace flung open her dark cloak and displayed her old wand, and recited her spell. “The night is young, and the time is right for you to enter the fight. Of bones and steel, it’s time to make ‘em squeal, so from the ground below, rise up to fight ‘yer foe.” A flick of the wand and flash of light shot out and into the ground. “Ohhh.... Ohhh... I can’t wait to see,” giggled Matilda clapping her hands together. The ground began to shake and rumble, and the townspeople stopped where they stood and tried to find firm footing as the ground shook. They grabbed on to fences, and mailboxes, lampposts, and the nearest car to keep from falling over. Below their feet, the ground began to crumble and open as bony skeleton hands dug out from the ground. Quickly skeletons and zombie-like creatures began to rise up from the ground and battle each other. The skeletons and zombies began to attack one another, punching with bony and decaying fists. One zombie kicked a skeleton only to have his foot crumble and fall off its leg. A skeleton punched a nearby zombie and the bony fist pushed into the zombie’s gooey flesh and found it stuck in the zombie’s chest. A dad nearby dry-heaved into a bush as he watched. A mom picked up her young daughter and ran off to their home to escape. A small army of zombies and skeletons fought each other for the next hour throughout the neighborhood as they destroyed car windows, mailboxes, and stomped on plastic jack-o-lanterns scattering the candy all about. With a flick of Matilda’s wand, her tarantula attacked and ate a zombie. Lenora laughed out loud! Lenora flicked her wand and one of the large bats swooped down and gobbled up a skeleton. “Hey!” shouted Grace. “That’s not funny,” she said with a pouty face. “Oh, come on, it’s getting late,” said Lenora. “I think we’ve scared these people long enough,” she added. “What, you’ve got somewhere to be,” retorted Grace. “Well, actually, I have a date,” replied Lenora. “Whaaaaaa... wit who,” cried Grace. “Ohhh, it’s no one, just an old wizard I met,” she said. “Are you blushing, old wart fang,” said Grace. “Now... mind your business. It’s none of your old swamp wart’s business,” Lenora shot back. “I bet it’s that old crusty wizard Horatio,” said Matilda. “Horatio! That old swamp crust,” cried out Grace laughing and cackling! Lenora now red in the face from either anger or blushing, it was hard to tell, shot an evil eye at the two other witches. “You’re just jealous,” she said as the witches slowly started to fly away. “Jealous! HA!,” cried out Grace. “You can have that old goat crud. Him with old raspy gargle voice, and his wart crust. Why if he ‘wer the last swamp wart in ‘da bog, I’d rather kiss a newt’s butt,” claimed Grace. Lenora was silent. “What, I like Horatio,” said Matilda flying behind them. “He’s always nice to me,” she added. “Agh... and he always smells like old grims blood brew,” Grace added. As the witches flew off, the town of Castle Falls was in chaos with a tarantula eating zombies and skeletons, and large bats swooping down and picking off skeletons and zombies one by one. Most of the townspeople had fled indoors to their homes, garages, and basements for shelter. The channel 8 cameraman still laid in the road unconscious, the camera still broadcasting live. Many of Castle Falls watched on their TV’s, heads tilted to one side of the angled image from the camera. Matilda slowed down and looked back at Castle Falls, she giggled a bit. Raised her wand, mumbled a spell, and flicked her wand three times. Three flashes shot from her wand and scattered out above the town like a large firework when it explodes high in the sky. One by one the creatures they had conjured up began to fade away like the smoke on a freshly extinguished candle into the night air. The broken windows, homes, and cars slowly melted back together again in their original condition. The town of Castle Falls was silent and calm once more as if nothing had ever happened... but a Halloween they’d sure not to forget anytime soon.