The October Challenge at the Tamora Pierce Writing Experiment Forum was to write a story with a Halloween theme. The themes to choose from were 'monster', 'haunted/haunting', 'grave', skeleton', and 'scream'. I went with…either or both of the last two, and Halloween in general :)
Apologies if you believe this story could have been better realised, but it's been thought of and written in a single day to make the deadline for October submissions! I've been pretty busy recently, and my fics. have suffered. And finally, in advance, please forgive the bad poetry. I reread some Dr. Seuss and it got into my system :P
Happy Halloween! :)
Let me tell you a story
(I hope I won't fail!)
It has skeletons and secrets
- A Halloween tale!
Sandry, Tris, Briar and Daja sat together in the long grass near the edge of a cliff. It was one of many around the Winding Circle temple which provided a beautiful view of the ocean. The sun was just beginning to set, and the sky was streaked with all colours from orange, to pink, to purple. The ship docking in at the temple bay below looked scarcely larger than Sandry's hand. She squinted down at it.
"So, that's the Lightsbridge group arriving?" she asked her three friends.
"Hopefully not," mumbled Tris. "If we wish hard enough, maybe they'll go away."
Briar punched her lightly on her shoulder, and received a glare in return. "You shouldn't hate them straight off just because you're going to have to talk to them tomorrow at dinner."
"But have you ever heard of a stupider thing?" demanded Tris. "Getting us to socialise with them. Everyone knows Winding Circle and Lightsbridge are competitive rivals." She ended darkly; "Mark my words, there's going to be trouble."
"Since when have you gotten premonitions?" Daja teased her.
"Since I decided that I was going to argue with everyone who didn't agree with me," Tris retorted. "See, I'm already practicing."
"Why are they coming, anyway?" asked Daja, who had spent the past few days hard at work in the forge, and hadn't heard much about the upcoming event.
Sandry answered her. "It's the annual meeting," she said. "Remember last year, when Rosethorn travelled to Lightsbridge? It's the same thing, only this year, we're hosting it. It's just some kind of get-together, where all the teachers discuss results-"
"- and their students bicker about which is better, Winding Circle or Lightsbridge." Tris smirked. "Not that there's any competition."
"Oh," said Daja. "That makes sense – I was wondering why they were going to meet up just to celebrate Halloween, as that was the only thing I could think of that marked out this time of year."
"Halloween?" echoed Sandry, plucking at some grass. "Isn't that some little Trader tradition…?"
Daja bristled slightly. "It's actually quite an old, well-loved tradition. It celebrates mockery and fun in honour of the Trickster god, Senshia, who is also the god of surprises. Halloween's tomorrow – it's the same day each year. Trickster's day."
The other three sat in silence absorbing the information. Then Tris piped up. "So, how exactly do Traders celebrate?"
"Well," said Daja, watching people disembark from the ship below, "we celebrate by playing good-natured tricks, or 'pranks', on each other. Or at least, they're meant to be good-natured. Some people have been known to get a little…overenthusiastic." She smiled at some distant memory.
The other three's minds, however, were on other things. All three slammed up their mental shields in quick succession, before glancing at each other suspiciously.
"What are you – oh no," said Daja as she realised, and buried her face in her hands.
"Oh yes," replied Tris. "I know exactly what trick I'm going to do for Halloween!" She got up uncharacteristically fast and skipped off. Little Bear, who had been sniffing around for rabbits some way off, quickly joined her on her way back to Discipline cottage.
Briar, Daja and Sandry exchanged looks.
"Well, someone's got ants in her -" Briar began to comment unnecessarily.
"Briar," interrupted Sandry, disgusted, "please!"
"Aw, come on," said Briar, throwing his hands up in a sign of exasperation, "I just meant that -"
"Shush!" commanded Sandry, with a hint of a smile.
"I just -"
"Shush!"
Daja put up her mental shield, resigned, as she voiced what all of them were undoubtedly thinking. "So…I guess we'll all be playing pranks on each other this year…?"
Briar sniggered. "I vote we join up against Coppercurls, she's clearly got it in for at least one of us."
Sandry stood up, dusted herself off, and stuck her nose in the air. "This is immature," she declared. "I vote we don't do any of this 'pranking' at all." Still, naturally she was, however, – although the others couldn't see this past her mental barrier – secretly plotting to prank Briar. His manners, if nothing else, made him deserving of being pranked.
Daja gave a false-sounding, nervous laugh. "Well, I don't think we've been left any choice. I have a funny feeling that there are going to be quite a few scares this year…." And you'll be getting one, noble little Sandry, she thought. She thinks she's above Halloween? I think payback is in order!
An hour or so later, the Circle sat around the dinner table at Discipline Cottage with Lark and Rosethorn. The atmosphere, while amicable, brimmed with secrets – four minds could practically be heard whirring at the speed of telepathy. Each student ate their soup with a quiet intensity – that is, until Rosethorn broke the silence.
"I'm guessing you fours have heard about Halloween, judging by the way you're all casting suspicious looks at each other?"
The four looked up at her in surprise, guilt written all over their faces.
"Oh, don't look at me like a flock of startled sheep," complained Rosethorn, who couldn't tolerate slow children. "It's quite clear that you're plotting away. Go ahead! Just as long as the pranks don't go beyond your little group."
Four faces refocused on their soup, relieved.
Lark put down her sewing. "Actually, I'd like to add to that," she said. "I think you four can be trusted to play tricks responsibly." She ignored Rosethorn's sarcastic snort. "But I can't speak for the Lightsbridge students. There aren't many, but those who have come – just for the experience, you see – are very curious about Winding Circle, particularly curious about the people here of their age, and no doubt extremely curious about the four children at Discipline Cottage. After all, word has gotten around that you're, ah –" She struggled to find the word.
"Special?" suggested Briar.
"Yes," said Rosethorn. "But don't let it go to your head, boy!" she said as she saw Briar grin at the three girls.
"So all I'm saying…" Lark continued when she once more had the full attention of the four, "is that they may try and play some tricks on you. Be on your guard."
"After all," added Rosethorn gruffly. "Never underestimate the depth to which those of Lightsbridge may go. Lower than worms, some of them!"
The Circle exchanged looks, suppressing laughter. Clearly bickering about the superiority of Lightsbridge or Winding Circle was not strictly reserved to students.
Halloween dawned bright and sunny, and everything seemed remarkably normal. Sandry, Tris, Briar and Daja all got up punctually and did their chores with time to spare. The breakfast table was unusually quiet, but not because they were worn out by plotting. As a matter of fact, their plotting had simply moved to the next stage – preparation before execution.
"…And try not to make fools of each other with your pranks in front of anyone from Lightsbridge! Now get going!" Rosethorn's retreating footsteps could be heard clattering down the stairs. In their individual rooms, all four were ready to go to the Lightsbridge dinner. Each had planned – and could somehow sense that the other three had as well – to play their prank before the meal. And, frankly, none of them really minded if the others were embarrassed. That was the idea, right?
Now came the problem. All four were headed from the same location to the same destination. But how to get there alone, to lie in wait for the others?
Sandry sat in her room on her bed. Tongue between teeth, she fastened the last stitch in her project, and smiled in satisfaction. The rug looked perfectly ordinary and unobtrusive – but, inspired as she had been by legends and folklore, Sandry had placed an enchantment upon it.
She snapped her fingers, and the rug rose smoothly off the wooden floorboards. She then made a sweeping motion with her arms, and the rug soared out the window, stopping by the sill. Taking small, quiet steps, Sandry tiptoed across the room. Hoisting her skirts up to her knees, she scrambled through the window and onto the rug, which continued to hover. One dainty glove adjustment later, she was flying through the moonless night towards the Winding Circle temple.
Daja had to reach the temple in a more orthodox way. Hearing no sounds from the others' rooms, she opened her door a crack and peered out, before tiptoeing into the corridor. Luckily for her, the ball and chain she was carrying, made of iron, weighed less than Little Bear. There were definite advantages in being mage of her kind! Thanks to her powers, she would be able to hoist the ball and chain up to the temple with minimal difficulty. Sandry, however, will undoubtedly have less luck, thought Daja with a grin.
Briar's sharp ears heard Daja leave – he recognised the sound of her footfalls. He counted to a hundred, and then, deeming the area to be clear, scuttled out of his room, potted plant under one arm. He had to hold the door open, though, and wait as the rest of the lazy god-forsaken vine followed.
It was the longest vine in Rosethorn's entire greenhouse, and it had been only too happy to cooperate when Briar suggested it go on an outing. It hadn't seen the outside world in years. While it wasn't the fastest-moving plant – being well past middle-aged – it was more than willing to join in this adventure. Briar, accompanied by this peculiar friend, soon found himself moving towards the temple – if not as quickly as he would have liked.
Tris had sent small, undetectable breezes throughout the cottage long before any of the Circle had left. They now returned to her, faithful spies, to inform her that the other three were gone.
Tris smiled. The beauty of her prank was its simplicity. Gathering the breezes and gusts of wind around her like a shawl, she walked out into the corridor with a spring in her step. With every second, more breezes answered her summons and linked to the winds already floating around her.
As she walked through the gate of Discipline and out onto the road leading to the temple, Tris considered asking her breezes to carry her. Then she decided against it – after all…she should probably save that little trick until later.
Still, Tris did allow herself some fun. The winds whipped around her as fast as they could, stirring up the dead leaves on the side of the path. If anyone strolled by right now, they'd get a spooky Halloween surprise – they'd see a miniature, walking hurricane!
Sandry stepped into one of the smaller entrance halls – she hadn't gone in the main way due to the crowds of dedicates. She knew, however, that her friends thought the same way as her; they would come in through the same door, and she would be lying in wait.
She settled into an alcove off to the side of a staircase. Peering through a small gap in between the arm and body of the statue which hid her, she watched the door in anticipation. Clicking her fingers, the magical rug slid across the tiled floor to sit tamely by the door's threshold. When she saw Briar come in, she would immediately tell the rug the wrap itself around him like a snake, and roll him into the dining hall in front of everyone!
Victory would be sweet.
As it was, Daja would be the next to walk through the door by which the rug was placed. As she stepped over the threshold, she looked down at her feet in pleasant surprise. "Hmm," she said to herself. "What a nice carpet."
Twenty metres away, Sandry seethed in her hiding place. They're called rugs, you daisy-brained moth-head! she thought. How many times have I told you…? The sheer temptation to do to Daja what she planned to do to Briar nearly overcame Sandry; she did, however, allow her unsuspecting friend to step of the rug unscathed. Luckily, Daja walked away to the other side of the staircase; Sandry heard her settle herself into what was, as she quickly realised, the symmetrical twin to the alcove she was hiding in! Sandry wondered who she was waiting for.
Where is Sandry? thought Daja.
She had thought her plan through meticulously. As soon as she saw Sandry, she would – pardon the pun – set the ball rolling. Her ball and chain would roll themselves across the floor and attach themselves to Sandry. After Sandry fought pointlessly for a few minutes – as she undoubtedly would – and raged adequately at the world, the ball would roll over to show its personalised message: 'Happy Halloween!' It would then drag the helpless noble girl out into the dining hall in front of everyone!
Briar approached the side door. He too had his plan fully mapped out. When Tris appeared, he would be able to see what made the angry little mage scream. The vine had been fully briefed, and knew what it had to do. Tris wasn't going to be able to untangle herself from that vine until next week, and by that time, it would have dragged her halfway across Emelan – but, of course, only after it dragged her wrathful cocooned form out into the dining hall in front of everyone!
Briar pushed open the door.
That, however, was the point when everyone's plans went wrong, except for those of one person. Only that one person wasn't Sandry.
And he didn't belong in the Circle.
The lights went out without any warning. In less than a second, the entire room was plunged into utter darkness.
Daja heard a sharp, piercing scream. It was followed by a pause – and then another scream came, louder and more drawn out. Daja recognised the scream. It belonged to Sandry.
Daja could envisage the enchanted rock that gave off light, which she, Tris and Briar had given to Sandry soon after they first met. If only she had the rock now – but it was likely on Sandry's bedside table, back in Discipline. All thoughts of pranks now forgotten, Daja felt her way across the room towards the screams of her friend.
The lights had gone out, and someone – Sandry? – was screaming. Briar had about two seconds to process these thoughts as he stepped through the door before something whipped itself out from underneath his feet.
"Hey! What the –"
He was wrapped up in some sort of a rug like a butterfly in a cocoon! Struggling didn't seem to make any difference; he was well and truly trapped. Unable to see through the thickness of the rug's material, he couldn't tell if the lights were back on, but he could hear persistent screams. Sandry was clearly behind this trick – but then who was behind the whole darkness thing? No one from the Circle would pull a stunt like that!
Then the rug began to roll, and it spun at break-neck speed through the darkness across the room. With no-one to direct it, however, it rolled straight into the staircase. The impact threw it open, and Briar was left lying on his back, dizzy and dazed. When his vision refocused, however, he too began to scream.
The cause? A skeleton, illuminated by some sorcery, and now visible despite the darkness, was dancing towards him.
Tris could hear the commotion coming from the entrance hall well before she set foot inside. In fact, she didn't even have to open the door to admit herself; it was flung open when she was a couple of strides away. Daja emerged, and staggered a few steps before falling to her knees, with a wild-eyed Sandry slung across her back.
Tris took one glance inside the entrance hall – one look at the darkness was all she needed to know to understand what was wrong with Sandry. Caring friend that she was, she knelt down beside her and slapped her in the face. Hard.
The screams turned to shrieks, and the shrieks gradually subsided. Daja crawled over, having caught her breath, and the three friends turned to each other, one question in their eyes. Who had caused the darkness?
Fresh screams met their ears and brought them swiftly back to reality. Tris looked into the blackened room suspiciously, and spotter a faith glow. It looked like a human figure, and it was…dancing?
In unspoken agreement, the three moved into the room, Tris's breezes seeking out a path where their eyes couldn't find one.
They reached the staircase. "Briar!" yelled Sandry and Daja in unison, seeing their brother lying on the steps. But he wasn't looking at them. "Behind you!" he yelled.
As if in a bad dream, Tris, Sandry and Daja turned as one. Before there eyes was a supernatural appearance – a skeleton! And it was alive!
Bones clicking, it moved towards them, grinning in a way that only skeletons can. Its movements were so oddly disjointed that they could only be described as dancing.
Daja gasped. Sandry screamed.
A part of Tris's mind felt oddly detached. I'd so been looking forward to using this trick on Daja! she thought.
She raised both hands, and all the powers of the winds she had summoned slammed the skeleton with immense brute force backwards, away from them, into the marble wall not ten feet away.
The skeleton flickered oddly, and then vanished, leaving in its place a mouse-haired boy of no more than sixteen. The lights in the room flickered back to life, and everything began to seem remarkably normal once more.
The Circle stepped towards him. Their mental barriers, long-since taken down, allowed them telepathic communication. It must've all been an illusion! He made the lights go out! He was the skeleton! sent Sandry.
The four converged on the boy. He was clearly from Lightsbridge, judging by his robes. He put up his hands. "Hey, it was just for a laugh – " he began in a whining tone.
But the Circle of Magic wasn't going to let him get off that easily. It was Halloween, after all. And Briar's vine hadn't had a chance to enjoy itself just yet. Little did all five young mages know, however, that they would someday meet again...
And so ends the story
The small quirky tale
Of how the Circle of Magic
Bashed a younger Quenaill.