A Halloween Like None Before

A Halloween Like None Before

The night of 30 October was scarcely the night that most folk usually celebrated as All Hallows' Eve. Throughout the edge of the town of Salem, Massachusetts, long noted for its former crazed witch hunts and unfounded accusations of black magic. None were ever proven or even investigated.

But despite the shady past in the town, the date in 2013 was more like a new arrival than a revival of old characters. The first upon the scene was a faint, aged and seemingly ruminating figure of a man wearing a high top hat and the dark clothes of mystics and undertakers alike. His gaze was stony and cool, yet indubitably sharp like an eagle. He strolled the back lane of the main road, isolated and unobserved, muttering eldritch words that had no resemblance to any known human tongue. He scanned the doorways and windows of the houses he passed thoroughly. Some windows revealed the glow of electric lights; others revealed the dim glow of  a candle.

However, neither adults nor children seemed to be within.  On fact, the children had  gone to tricks or treats and the elders had visited friends on different roads of the town. The stranger was alone, but he liked it.

More or less than that moment, another stranger appeared and he was distinctly different from the former. He stood upright like the citizens but, instead of a human head, he bore the shape of a jack o'Lantern.

This stranger had a mindset that might have differed somewhat from the former; and so, he kept to himself. Occasionally he attracted the attention of children, who thought he was one of  them in a costume; but he never spoke. Instead, he muttered a few phrases of his own. Whenever a child received a treat, his spell made a shocking trick. Snacks transformed into toads, cockroaches and bedbugs alternately. Eventually the shocked child dropped his bag and ran home, much to the stranger's delight.

While that was in progress, the first stranger had continued to chant his strange language and alter the environment as he imagined.


This eventually garnered the serious attention of Eluzabeth the Silver Sorceress and tutor to Melody Ann Chambers alias Occulta.

"Two strange characters have been at work in Salem, Melody."

The latter agreed and prepared to depart for Salem. Elizabeth warned her about their magic.

"The former is known as Magic Manx and depends on and wields magic from Necronomicon. The latter is known as Gourdostros and is king of pumpkin creatures. He has his own tools. Be aware throughout, Melody."
"I certainly will, Elizabeth. Thanks for warning me." She grabbed her silver wand and psyched for the battle.

Occulta set off for Salem, Massachusetts confident of victory and Elizabeth watched her depart anxiously. In fact, they both have had their shares of confrontation with weird creatures. They were both lucky to get out of there alive.

Occulta reached the town limits of Salem several hours later but she noticed that most children had gone home. She overheard a few moan about their treats.

"Mom, they gave me a cinnamon biscuit but it's a big green toad now."
"Hmmm! That is very strange."

"Mommy, I saw someone hand me a chocolate but it's a cockroach."
"Just throw them away, hon."

Occulta wondered what had happened but eventually the cause became clearly evident. The first to appear to her was Gourdostros and Occulta felt puzzled about him. But first he asked whether she was out for tricks or treats.

"Are you out for tricks or treats, Miss?"
"No. But I'll match you trick for trick."
"As you wish."

They launched a barrage of spells at each other that matched storm paths blowing together and moments later, Occulta lay unconscious. Gourdostros sauntered away triumphantly. He was joined by Magic Manx and they sparred magic acts like a sideshow.












Occulta lay unconscious for about one hour before recovering her senses. She realized the potential of her foes and braced for hotter, heavier action.

However, it seemed that affairs were going from bad to worse. In the midst of the fray, a thunder storm suddenly erupted and lightning flashed over the town.

'Curse my luck,' she muttered low. Nonetheless, she prepared to clinch the disturbance. Around them the storm raged and although Gourdostros tried to take advantage, Occulta had a momentous task of evading both his energies and the lightning strikes.  That was still to her advantage because any conflict is a lesson and good for personal development.

As that waged on, Magic Manx unearthed more spells upon the surrounding community. His arms suddenly gnarled and stretched like tentacles and sent Eldritch energies flying about like the lightning. Neither an onlooker, when one dared, nor Occulta to tell them apart.

"Master Nyarlathotep would've enjoyed this," he mused.

Occulta had scanty time to deal with either him or his spells. She  remained  preoccupied with Gourdostros. The exchange of energy rivaled the depth of the storm and even worsened it. However, after one hour, both the duel and the storm subsided.

Occulta summoned her strength and occult knowledge for the final act. Gourdostros shook himself a moment an then hurried to leave the town limits at the moment that Magic Manx arrived at that place.
She gaped.
"Surely this is all in the days work for a superhero."


Magic Manx doubted that Occulta was out for tricks or treats too; but he remembered case when she or her friends had fought him. They braced for a new round of magic.  

That round proved as hazardous as the last, and Magic Manx knocked Occulta out cold for about 90 minutes. Regaining the senses took effort but soon enough she was in action again. Manx secretly admired her courage. Energies flew and raced through the night air.  Occulta tumbled acrobatically and played with the energies like Harry Potter. In the midst, Magic Manx tested both her courage and her magic. He was impressed but he concealed it. By the stroke of 11 that night, Occulta bested him and h fled into the shadows.

"All in a day's work for a superhero but I wish Monica was here."