Chapter 2: Fearful Encounters

Laughter and screams filled the air as children ran from house to house in hopes of sugary treats. However, there was one group of children who were not participating in the fun...There was a group of boys surrounded a younger girl at the edge of Carrow Forest.

"Come on Katie! What are you chicken?" a boy asked laughing as a young girl trembled beneath his gaze.

"I-I am not a chicken Luke! But you know that forest is dangerous! My mom said people have DIED in there!" Katie responded glaring at Luke and the other boys around him.

"HA! You are afraid! I bet you wouldn't even last 5 minutes in there!" Luke said smirking.

"Me? You are all talk Luke Samson! You've never walked in those woods! You bet me? NO I bet YOU couldn't even walk in far enough that you lose sight of this opening in the trees!" Katie stated, no longer trembling due to her anger. At her words, the boy paused and glared at her in hatred.

"Thats it! How dare you call me a coward Wellington! I'll show you!" And with that, he stormed into the forest, not noticing a figuring floating above them.

"I'll show that dumb girl who's a coward. I'll make her eat her words...I'll..." he trailed off as he suddenly heard a rustling. Looking around he noticed what seemed to be shadows darting through the trees. "Who's there? Katie? I know its you brat! Come out!" He screamed in anger only to begin to get nervous when only silence followed his accusation.

Suddenly a shadow started to slowly approach him with a dark hand reaching out. It made a moaning sound and as it got closer, Luke noticed that it looked like a corpse. Skin hung from its face and it moaned his name as it approached. "Wh-What the...! Get a-away f-from me!" he screamed as he shook off the hand that had finally grabbed his arm. It only reached out again and moaned his name, making him flee in terror.

As he left the creature disappeared into the shadows and giggles were heard. A lone figure floated to the ground with a smile on her face and sad eyes watching the young boy run back home to the safe and watchful eyes of his parents. The dark forest was no place for a child and Shade Hallow knew this well. Turning to leave, she paused as she sensed a new presence

"What do you want Pitch?" she asked.

"What? Can't an old friend stop by to say hi?"

"Friend? HA! You are no friend of mine Nightmare King!"

"You wound me Shade dear, why do you keep denying my friendship? We are afterall kindred spirits. Both bringers of fear."

"We are NOT the same Pitch Black! You enjoy bringing fear in children. You thrive from it! I do no such thing!" She proclaimed, turning to face the Boogey Man himself.

"Deny it all you want, but one day you will see I am right! No matter how much you fight it … you will join me. After all, I am your only friend. While you see yourself as different from me...Everyone else sees us as the same. And like me...the children of this world don't believe. Who believes in the Spirit of Halloween?" he said as he dissappeared leaving behind the dark girl.

Shade stared silently at the spot where he once stood until she felt soft fur brush against her leg. Looking down she let a small smile make its way onto her face as she saw her familiar, Spook. Spook was the spirit of a cat that some teenage boys had killed many years ago for fun. She had brought Spooks spirit back and asked the feline if he wanted to stay with her and be her friend. Happily he agreed and stayed by her side ever since.

"I know Spook...I shouldn't let him get to me...but he's right...everyone..even the Guardians see me as a dark spirit...they only see me for the fear I bring...not the good I do...I just wish I could be believed in too..." With that said she disappeared into the shadows to return home, not noticing as the moon's light flickered slightly in sorrow for his small daughter...

Within seconds Shade Hallow reappeared at a small cabin, deep in Carrow Woods where she had made her home hundreds of years ago. She walked into it, placing her broom by the door gently before calling her sprites. Millions of small ghostly figures zoomed out of the shadows and one by one reported their missions to her, but it was the final sprite that brought the most unnerving of news. La Puerta de los Muertos was acting up. The Gate of the Dead.

It took many years for her to truly discover her duties in this world, but the most important one that she had learned was of the Gate. She alone held the power to allow spirits of the dead to reenter the physical plane. She was not just the Spirit of Halloween, but also the Spirit of Dia De Los Muertos, The Bon Festival, The Hungry Ghost Festival and much more, each area of the world had something new. But her most important title was the Guardian of the Gate. If ever her powers were to fade, the malevelant spirits would escape and wreak havoc on the world...plunging them into a new age of darkeness and terror. This being the case, Shade kept at least 5 to 10 sprites by the gate at all times...however in the last few years something had been fighting her and trying to escape. Without believers, she feared she would be overpowered...