Chapter 13
October gave way to chilly evenings and the leaves on the trees had changed color from green to blazing reds or bright yellows.
A few days before turning in the art pieces, Lizzy came up to Grace and says, "I'm having a Halloween party after school that day. There will be games and a costume contest, do you want to come?"
"That sounds like fun, I'll go," Grace answered.
Halloween had arrived and it was also the day for Grace and the other students who wish to enter the contest to turn in their pieces.
Grace had carefully torn out the drawing of Pitch and Erebos and placed it inside a folder with her name on it.
However, she felt a sense of fear inside. She kept asking herself, "What if Megan discovered it and ruins it?"
She held onto the drawing throughout the day, refusing to let it out of her site.
Finally, the school day came to an end, but Grace still had that sense of fear.
Pitch had noticed this throughout the day and he decided to guard Grace's drawing from any vandals who wish to ruin it.
Grace went up to her art teacher Mrs. Fredericks when it was her turn to hand her drawing over.
"Are you all right?" the teacher asked.
"I'm just a little nervous," Grace replied.
"Don't worry, we'll lock up your drawing along with the other charcoal pieces when we collect them all," Mrs. Fredericks assured her and placed Grace's folder in an art drawer.
Grace then noticed Pitch hanging from the ceiling like a bat. He pointed at the drawer, as if to say, "I'll keep an eye on it."
The girl left the room and her mother picked her up. "Are you excited for the contest?" the woman asked.
"I am, but I feel really nervous," Grace answered.
"You shouldn't be nervous. It's Halloween and tonight you're going to have fun at Lizzy's," her mother replied.
Back inside the school, Mrs. Fredericks was about to lock up the art drawer, when Megan came in. "Excuse me, Mrs. Fredericks? The headmistress wishes to see you," she said.
Pitch knew right away that she was here to cause trouble. Once the art teacher left the room, Megan went up to the art drawer and opened it and began to look for something.
Pitch's heart began to pound, if only the art teacher caught her red-handed then Megan would be eliminated from the contest. However, he had to protect Grace's drawing and the others from being ruined.
Finally, Megan found Grace's folder and opened it up. She stared at the piece and Pitch could feel the jealousy in her.
Just then, Megan licked her hand with spit and Pitch made his move. He landed on the drawer feet first and Megan looked up and stared at the boogeyman.
"You are a bad girl Megan and you will be punished," Pitch said.
Megan opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She dropped the folder and ran out of the room.
Pitch picked up the folder, took one look at the drawing, making sure that Megan did not ruin it and placed it back inside the drawer.
He made sure that Mrs. Fredericks came back and when she did, she locked the drawer.
Pitch left the school and he and Erebos flew above the city of Blackpool. It was alive with the Halloween festivities; Jack-O-lanterns were lit, plastic bats and ghosts hung from the trees, and children crowded the streets wearing costumes and holding onto their candy buckets.
"Someday Erebos, this holiday will be mine," Pitch said to the Pegasus. Erebos headed straight for the Dawson house, where Grace was preparing for Lizzy's Halloween party.
Grace wore a fuchsia colored dress and a matching cape with a hood. Around her head, she wore a tear-drop crystal and gold tiara.
"Milady," Pitch said when he entered her room and bowed to her. "I must say you look beautiful in that," he added.
"Thank you. I'm a Medieval sorceress by the way," she replied.
"And what kind of magic do you perform?" he asked out of curiosity.
"The healing arts," Grace answered. "Is the drawing safe?" she asked.
"It is, but the trouble-maker Miss Honeycutt almost destroyed it. Don't worry, I scared her away before she did any damage and I'm sure she will not bother your drawing or anyone else's, again," Pitch said.
"That's what I was afraid of, but thank you," Grace replied.
"There's no need to be nervous. Tonight, you're going to have fun and I want you to be happy," Pitch said and gently patted her head.
Awhile later, Grace's mother drove her daughter to Lizzy's house. Lizzy's place was much like Grace's house, except it had an old barn next to it. In the barn, it was illuminated by orange colored lights and ghosts hung on the coat racks and on the ceiling.
"Oh Grace, you're pretty!" Lizzy exclaimed when she saw her friend. Lizzy was wearing a black cat dress with pink ruffles and her face was painted with whiskers and a black nose and wore cat ears on her head.
"You're pretty, too! I love cats!" Grace replied and the two girls went to the bob-for-apples game.
There were other people, too, mostly Lizzy's family, including her cousins. There were also some students from the school that Grace recognized.
The children played games, including who could scare the most people and did a 'monster march' around the barn.
Pitch watched from the shadows and he could tell that Grace was having a good time. Erebos nudged at him and Pitch scratched behind the Pegasus' ear.
"No, I will not scare the children tonight. Maybe next year," he assured.
"Hey!" a boy wearing a pirate costume said to the others, "Have you seen the boogeyman? I heard he's very scary!"
Grace realized that now was a good time to tell everyone. "He is not scary," she said and everyone looked at her. "My mother told me that the boogeyman is a good spirit, he only punishes children who have been bad," Grace explained.
"You know," another child said, "Megan said that the boogeyman came to her one night and scared her."
"It's because she's a bully and the boogeyman punishes bullies," Lizzy replied.
The other children agreed to this. "You know, I'm going to start being nice to my little brother," the pirate boy said.
"Yeah, me too, and maybe the boogeyman won't haunt us with bad dreams anymore," a girl in a fairy costume replied.
"There's one more thing you should know," Grace said and the children listened. "Sometimes the nightmares will creep up upon you when you sleep, but the boogeyman will scare them away."
The children nodded and continued to play games until it was time to have the costume contest.
Lizzy's parents, who were dressed like farmers came up to judge the children and their costumes. "Oh Grace, you're beautiful," Lizzy's mother commented and Grace thanked her.
Pitch listened in from the top floor of the barn and looked at Grace. She had told the children of how good he can be and he was going to thank her a little later.
"Alright children," Lizzy's father said to them, "In the first category, the best pirate costume, the winner is..."
The categories included best animal, superhero, and other sorts.
Lizzy won in the best animal category and received a basket that had a lot of toys and sweets.
The last category, best Medieval or Renaissance costume was called, "Grace Dawson," Lizzy's mother called out.
Grace also received a basket of toys and candy and the children who were not winners were given a handful of sweets.
The night had whined down and the children began to leave Lizzy's place. Grace's mother picked up her tired daughter and Grace thanked Lizzy for the party.
When they got home, Grace went up to her room and changed out of the costume. When she got into a nightgown, she called, "Pitch, are you here?"
"I am," he replied and stepped out of the shadows.
"I want to thank you for telling the children to believe in me," he said and Grace nodded and yawned.
She laid her down and Pitch placed a blanket over her. "Happy Halloween Pitch," she said and shuts her eyes.
"Happy Halloween Grace. Good night," he replied and he leaves her room.
Pitch rode on Erebos and they flew above the city of Blackpool. Then, Pitch felt something inside. It felt like the children had started to believe in him and admire him.
Throughout the night, Pitch did his ritual of releasing the nightmares. He led them to the bad children and shielded the good children from the bad dreams.
However, Pitch did find some children being haunted by a dark cloud that hovered over their heads. He took one cloud in his hand, the sand was much blacker than his and he knew what it was.
"Night terrors," he said. He knew where they came from, but he refused to believe that the one spirit was indeed alive and giving children night terrors.
Pitch went on his way and continued his duty throughout the night.