Halloween Short Story
Got a belt for those pants?
By Kim Pletscher | Posted 10/10/08 | Updated 10/4/24
Even Dum-Dums know where to get good Halloween candy.
The brisk wind swept across the cemetery, leaving a trail of gold and orange leaves streaming down from the trees. The cemetery was darkening as the harvest sun was slowly slipping out of the sky to be replaced with the ghostly face of the full moon. The wind continued to bellow through the trees, as a black crow swooped down over the tombstones spreading its wings to land on a thin slab of stone. His beady eyes searched the landscape. Sensing something wasn't right; the crow squawked nervously and took flight.
Beneath the cold tombstone lied Chuck who was slowly awaking from his year long sleep. Chuck's rotting dead body began to respond to the chilly smell of Halloween slowly seeping down into the ground and through his coffin. The closer to nightfall it became, the crisper the smell.
Patience, Chuck thought. He would soon walk, very soon for one night. It was the night of Halloween, the night in which the cemetery came alive. The stench of dying leaves began to tickle Chuck's nose as he breathed in deeply with a pleasant smile upon his face. The witching hour was fast approaching.
Chuck's eyes flashed open! Chuck's dead bones began cracking as he stretched and yawned. He lifted his head just to bump it into the coffin lid.
Ouch! Why do I do that every Halloween?
Chuck felt a fat worm wiggling on his dusty shoulder. He grabbed the worm and quickly ate it.
Be gone you juicy creature!, he said as he smacked his lips in delight.
The worm was shortly free of Chuck's mouth as it crawled out a hole in Chuck's neck.
Suddenly, Chuck began to vaporize and his coffin was left empty.
Feeling the damp grass lick at his face, Chuck found himself lying upon his grave. A gust of wind blew through Chuck renewing energy into his dead body. As he inhaled the fresh, cool air, he anticipated the night he would terrorize the Halloween children.
He quickly stood up and clouds of dust burst from of his musty clothes as he brushed himself off. He noticed his body was not the same as it had been last year. He had more bones exposed and his clothes were bigger now than ever. He had to hold up his tattered pants.
"Hey, Chuck, how are you?" asked a familiar zombie limping by.
"Good, Pete. It's nice to get out, huh?" asked Chuck.
"You bet. I'll see you later." replied Pete.
Chuck could not contain his enthusiasm as he headed out of the cemetery holding up his pants. He wanted to spook the children.
He so enjoyed seeing their little faces with their eyes bugging out and hearing their screams. It was music to his ears.
Did he have ears, Chuck thought? His boney hands flew up to inspect the sides of his head. To his dismay his ears were no longer there.
Oh, well, said Chuck to himself as he suddenly found his face smacking into the grassy ground.
Stunned, he realized he had fallen flat on his face causing his decaying nose to fly into the nearby bush. Confused, he found that his pants had fallen down! Chuck picked himself up and held tight to his pants as he hobbled away to find the children. Loud laughter soon filled his ears. He walked in that direction. Turning a corner, Chuck's eyes twinkled with happiness. A patch of black clouds rolled over the glowing white moon as children in their costumes scampered from house to house with their bulging bags of candy. There were groups of parents chattering to one another. Shuffling feet of noisy children talking fast and giggling were running here and running there. Flashlights were glowing. Plump pumpkins flicked with candles casting eerie shadows of happy trick or treaters. The neighborhood was alive with Halloween.
Licking his lips with anticipation, Chuck thought, this is perfect!
Silently he hid behind a tree waiting to scare his victims. As the youngsters came closer, Chuck clumsily jumped out from behind the tree, waving his arms above him, yelling, "Boo!" in his spooky voice.
The youngsters laughed hysterically. Chuck's face drooped in bewilderment as the children walked away. Then he realized his pants had fallen down again.
Oh, this is not good, Chuck was annoyed and picked his pants up holding them tighter. He walked on hoping for a better scare.
He heard a voice, "Hey, great costume!" a boy said.
Another voice wailed, "Aren't you a little old to trick or treat?"
"Yeah, you look like my grandpop when he wakes up in the morning," said another voice.
Chuck stumbled back and felt his heart sink. This was not the reaction he wanted.
What is wrong with today's children? Why aren't they scared of me? I am spooky, aren't I? Chuck said to himself as he rested on the ground feeling sad.
"Hey, mister, do you want a candy bar?" asked a little girl.
Chuck looked over to see a smiling young girl holding out a candy bar for him.
"No, thanks." Chuck said holding his head down.
The girl looked confused and ask, "What's wrong, mister?"
"Aren't I scary?" asked Chuck.
The young girl stood in front of him squinting her eyes to inspect him.
"Well, I guess you are." She replied. "But its Halloween and everyone dresses like you."
Chuck looked around. She was right. There were a lot of children dressed like the dead this year.
"Umm, I suppose you are right." Chuck said disappointedly.
"Susie!" a loud voice interrupted them.
"Oh, that's my mom. It was nice meeting you, mister," Susie yelled as she ran to her mother.
Chuck decided to return to his grave as he was not having the fun he though he would this Halloween night. Chuck stood up and was about to take a step when he remembered. His pants! They had fallen down again. Chuck hobbled down the street holding onto his pants. Standing before the black iron gates of the cemetery, Chuck renewed his determination to scare when he spotted a group of young teenagers strutting towards him. A strong wind blew into the hanging sign of the cemetery causing it to squeak loudly.
Chuck straightened up his spine bellowing to the teenagers "Come join me!" and pointed to the land of the dead with his bony finger.
The teenagers stopped dead in their tracks, the hair on the backs of their necks standing tall. Chuck placed his right foot forward into the entranceway of his home. His dead body began to vaporize.
The teenagers were frozen in fear with their gaping mouths, bulging eyes, and finally squeals of terror. In confusion, they grabbed at each other screaming and tripping over one another to run away from what they were witnessing.
Chuck had disappeared right before their eyes!
Chuck returned to his coffin with a proud smile spreading across his face. Chuck soon fell asleep not realizing he was still holding his pants tight.
Next story: Fantôme
Copyright ©2008 Kim Pletscher. All rights reserved.