Here is one of my two Halloween specials. (The other one will appear in Tales from Radiator Springs.) I don't really celebrate Halloween, but I thought I could write these anyway.

Like I said, this one isn't that great; I had practically no ideas for it, so don't say I didn't warn you.

Sheriff and the Ghostlight

1958

Halloween night. The children considered it the greatest night of the year. They got to dress up in costumes and go around town, scoring free candy. What could be better?

Sheriff and his deputy, Howard Morrison, kept an eye on things. Last year, several dangerous pranks had been pulled by some teenagers from Ashgrove, who came to Radiator Springs, merely looking for trouble. Sheriff was not about to let that happen again this year.

Luckily, nothing had happened so far. The two of them just stood there, behind the Radiator Springs billboard, in silence. In the distance, squeals of delight could be heard coming from the children in town.

Howard lit a cigarette. "Want one?" he offered, stretching out his arm with the pack of cigarettes in it.

Sheriff shook his hood. "Nah, I'm good." Howard was a good deputy, but Sheriff thought he drank and smoke just a little too much. At least he hadn't had anything to drink so far that night. He could tolerate the smoking; that didn't hinder with his job.

"So..." Howard tried to make conversation as he flicked his cigarette ashes. "How's life?"

Sheriff shrugged. "It's okay." There wasn't really much to report on; the two of them saw each other every single day.

"How's little Mater?"

Sheriff sighed. "I swear, that boy's gonna be the death of me." He had only adopted Tow Mater- or little Mater, as the townsfolk often referred to him- a few months earlier after his parents had suddenly died in a road accident. "He's only a year old and I'm already havin' a nervous breakdown." He shook his hood again. "Don't get me wrong. I love 'im, but I'm glad I got the night off tonight." Flo and Ramone were babysitting him while Sheriff was on patrol.

"I think he and my Robert will be good friends", Howard mused. He had a son about the same age as Mater; Rober was just several months younger. The blonde human man removed the cigarette from his mouth and blew out some smoke. "That happens in small towns like this. And when the kids are so close in age. Hey. Did you ever find out what that thing was? That irritation you've been havin'?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sheriff recalled. "Doc McIntyre said it was just some rust startin' up. He gave me some new stuff, just come on the market, that's supposed to work miracles for rust. Rust-Eze, I believe it's called."

"Let's hope it does as the name suggests", Howard teased. "If you're gettin' old, you'll be out of a job and I'll be sheriff of Radiator Springs."

"Don't count on it."

The two went silent once again. Only, it was a comfortable silence. Sheriff kept his eye out for troublemakers while Howard started on another cigarette. So far, the town was as quiet and peaceful as it had always been. Even with an influx of tourists, the town was always calm and peaceful, just as the local law enforcement liked it.


An hour rolled by without any trouble whatsoever. By then, even in the dark, thick clouds were visible in the night sky. The children's shouts and laughter began to wind down as it got later. Howard checked his watch and figured that it was about time for the children to be in bed.

"Teenagers'll probably be out soon", Sheriff reported. "Who knows what kind of pranks they have in store for us this year?"

Howard hummed in thought.

It seemed to appear out of nowhere. One second, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The next, some strange blue light flashed from out of nowhere. Within half a second, it was gone.

Sheriff stared up at the sky. "Think we're gonna get a storm?"

Howard looked slightly nervous. "I don't think that was lightnin'", he remarked. "It didn't look like it came from the sky."

Sheriff had to admit, he didn't think so either. Still… "Well, what else could it have been?"

Howard took another drag of his latest cigarette and pretended to look thoughtful. "You don't think it was the Ghostlight, do you?" he whispered melodramatically.

"The what?" Sheriff questioned.

His deputy's eyes widened in realisation. "That's right! You're not from around here, are you?" Neither Sheriff nor Howard had come from Radiator Springs. Instead, they had both been transferred from elsewhere: Sheriff from Flagstaff; Howard, only as far away as Ashgrove. So, even though he hadn't grown up in Radiator Springs, he knew more about the town and its surrounding area than Sheriff did. "So, you don't know the story?"

"Story?" Sheriff repeated. "What story?"

Howard shrugged. "It's just a dumb old legend. Apparently, there's some ghostly blue light that haunts people." He spoke as if this idea was completely ridiculous, which it kind of was.

Sheriff laughed. "Let me guess. A young couple saw this Ghostlight and were never seen again."

"Yep", Howard confirmed. "Well, apart from two out of state license plates!"

The two laughed and laughed at the utter absurdity of the story. They were practically shaking with laughter.

"I should probably warn you", Howard began in a teasing tone. "The one thing that angers the Ghostlight more than anything else is the sound of clanking metal!"

That just made them laugh even more.

However, they were quick to stop when they saw another flash of blue.

"Did you see that?" Howard quizzed Sheriff quietly.

"What was that?" Sheriff wondered.

"I don't know, but it sure as hell wasn't lightnin'", Howard declared.

"No", Sheriff agreed. "Looked like it was comin' from over there." He gestured towards the road a bit further out of town. He started driving in that direction and got Howard to follow him. "Better go investigate."

"You're not scared, are you?" Howard teased.

Sheriff refused to answer such a ridiculous question. Of course he wasn't scared. The worst thing it could be was a group of teenagers playing a prank, which irritated him, but didn't scare him.

Right when they were about to get to where the light source was, in some bushes, the bushes began to rustle.

"Is someone in there?!" Sheriff demanded. "Come out with your-"

"I think it was the wind", Howard cut him off.

"Oh. Right." Sheriff was a little embarrassed.

He decided to investigate anyway. He wasn't taking any chances. Peering into the bushes, all he could see was some kind of unnatural blue glow.

Sheriff gasped. "It is the Ghostlight!" he shrieked, tearing down the road, screaming.

Howard stared after him as he went and shrugged. Then he stomped on his cigarette butt with his boot and followed the police car into town.


"Sheriff, what the hell's gotten into you?!" Dr. George McIntyre demanded.

"He thinks he saw the Ghostlight", Howard spoke up before Sheriff could say anything.

There was silence before everyone at the café burst out laughing.

"The Ghostlight?" George asked with a smirk.

"I just spotted this- this unnatural blue glow in the bushes!" Sheriff stuttered.

"Tell me, Sheriff", Ramone laughed. "How much have you had to drink tonight?!"

That just made everyone laugh even more.

"You know, the Ghostlight is just a myth, right?" Sarge added.

"Well, I- I saw it!" Sheriff insisted.

"Yeah, okay, Sheriff", most of the others muttered, unconvinced.

"I'll show you!" Sheriff almost shouted.


So, most of the residents of Radiator Springs trooped out to the bushes where Sheriff had supposedly seen the Ghostlight. Only, there was nothing. They all stared at him with confusion, amusement or both.

The police car was both shocked and confused. "I swear I- I saw it!"

Everyone raised an eye frame or an eyebrow, depending on their species. "Yeah, okay, Sheriff", they repeated, still not convinced.

"Are you sure nobody was playing a prank on you?" George asked.

"There was no one there!" Sheriff countered.

"It was probably someone playing a prank on you", George repeated.

"Well, I'm outta here!" Ethel announced. "I got a whole bucket of Halloween candy to eat!"

"Ethel" Alice admonished with a small smile as everyone followed her. "That candy is for the children!"

"And children at heart!" Ethel affirmed with a laugh.

"Hey, Sheriff!" Howard called out once most of the crowd had thinned out. "Mind if I head home? Audrey needs help with the kids- they're still so excited from trick-or-treatin'. And my shift is just about over, so…"

"Sure, go ahead!" Sheriff responded. In all honesty, he wanted Howard to stay, but he couldn't really force him to stay. His shift was over and he needed to head home. Besides, there was no way he could tell him why he wanted him to stay. "Just be back here same time tomorrow."

"I remember!" Howard assured him, following the rest of the residents back into town.

The second everyone was gone, Sheriff shook his hood. He could've sworn… He shook his hood again. Must've been his imagination. Or most likely...

"A prank", he murmured to himself. "Yeah, that's all it is. A prank."

He still wouldn't be happy if that was the case, but he'd be very relieved that that was all it was.

Of course, the second everyone was gone, there it was again. A blue light flickered in the very same bush.

"All right!" he shouted. "If this is some kind of joke, this ain't funny! Whoever you are, come out now!"

No answer. Instead, the light vanished, but just for a few seconds. Then it was back again.

"Very funny!" Sheriff called out sarcastically, hoping that this prankster- whoever it was- couldn't see how scared he really was. "You got me! If you turn that light out now and get over here, I won't arrest you! Just come out!"

Once again, there was no answer. Sheriff was beginning to suspect that this may not be a prank after all and became more and more nervous.

As if things couldn't get bad enough, that one blue light wasn't the only one going now. Somehow, several more had been activated. Blue lights were flashing all around him. Yet, there seemed to be nobody around.

"Whaddaya want from me?!" Sheriff demanded.

"Sheeeeriiiif!" a voice moaned. "Sheeeeriiiif!"

"Who is that?!" Sheriff snapped.

"Woooooo!" the voice moaned. "I have come to claim your sooooooul!"

This was too much. Sheriff let out the longest, loudest, shrillest scream that he could possibly muster.

That was when he heard it: what sounded like someone laughing hysterically. And not just anyone…

"Howard?"

"Yeah!" his deputy just barely managed to rasp out. He emerged from the darkness, wiping away a tear. "Oh, man! You shoulda seen the look on your face!"

"That was you?!" Sheriff couldn't believe it.

"Yep", Howard confirmed with another belly laugh. He ducked into one of the bushes and returned, holding up a glowing blue lantern. "I stocked up on these lanterns last week! This turned out to be greater than I expected!"

"Why?!"

"Well, I wanted to make sure I had enough lanterns for-"

"No!" Sheriff cut him off. "I mean, why'd you decide to do this?"

Howard shrugged, trying to calm himself down. "Come on, Sheriff. Get a sense of humour! I just wanted to have a little fun and a good laugh! You can be too serious sometimes!"

Sheriff tried to scowl, but he couldn't help smiling a little. It was kind of funny.

"I guess so…" Then his face hardened. "I'll get you back for this! Payback's a b**ch!"

Howard just chuckled, clearly not at all intimidated.

That was when something strange happened. Another flash of blue appeared from out of nowhere.

Sheriff rolled his eyes. "Very funny! How many fake Ghostlights did you get?"

Howard looked very nervous. "Uh… That's not one of mine."

Sheriff's eyes widened in horror. "Let's get outta here!"

The two cops raced into town together.

"Well, good night!" Sheriff called to Howard.

"Yeah, you too!" Howard responded, ducking into his house.

Once the blonde human man entered his house and locked the door, he snickered, Him: two, Sheriff: zero.

I warned you.

Anyway, I just thought you might like to know I've finished writing all of the stories in this collection, except for Fillmore's, for which I have absolutely no ideas yet. Updates may be slow, however, because one of the remaining stories I've written is a Christmas special. So, I hope you're all excited for that.