1st Place
By: Deedlitmon
2nd Place
By: Teklus
1st Place
The Macabre Tree
Kgryphon
The basement was creaking and rattling and screeching as we three did descend.
And what we found once we turned on the lights--well, here our story begins.
For standing before us in deathly gray splendor was a tree of age and grace,
which reached for the ceiling and screamed without sound as we invaded its space.
"Oh whoa is me," said the Macabre Tree, as it rattled its spiny delights.
And lo and behold, the tale it told, once we turned out the lights.
From its branches dropped a bell of silver and gold and red,
and as it hit the floor it cried and wailed and woke the Tree of the Dead.
"Ring once the bell to wake the Dead," it sang and howled to three
of the naughtiest children ever to gape at the sight of the Macabre Tree.
"Ring twice the bell," the tree continued through gaping maw and tooth.
"To summon a band of the finest pipers playing drums and pipes and flutes."
"But ring not thrice the bell, for surely if you do,
"This fateful night shan't bode well for children quite so bold as you."
We children ran for the stairs then and never would look back,
and all we heard for days on end was the sound of the Tree's laugh.
And so, dear children, a lesson to you who wish to seek the basement's treat;
danger lurks behind every word that the Macabre Tree does leak.
The basement was creaking and rattling and screeching as we three did ascend.
And never again would we turn out the lights, for we learned from Tree's lesson.
2nd Place
Something isn`t right
By: Gypsy
There`s an orange moon over
Halloween trees
I hear the Banshee`s howling
I can feel the fear in my knees
My mask keeps slippin` down
over my eyes
Even though I duct taped it
to my head
frustration still applies
The streets are full of Monsters
Gabbling in the moonlight
I shouldn`t have drank
all that punch
Cuz` now something isn`t right
I`ll ring the next doorbell
Maybe they will let me in
How will I get out of my costume though?
It`s velcroed to my chin
There! I rang the doorbell!
When they open up
My story, I will tell
The door creaks open slowly
I`m now doing the potty dance
I open my mouth to speak.....
But I never get the chance
A zombie stands there grinning!
Instead of speaking, I let out
a scream!
The zombie looks at me strangely
My embarrassment is keen
"Can I help you Sonny?
Is there a problem I don`t see?"
I shake my head
and Hold up my bag
"Trick or treat?"
What else can I say?
I no longer have to pee =(
Scorcher
The Banshee Swamp on Hallow�s Eve
It was a moonlit night in the Banshee Swamp. The pounding of my heart was overcome by a cacophony of ravens as they took flight. Their black wings fluttered and whispered loudly, the swamp was alive with their inky blackness. Cowering in fear until their cackling caws faded from earshot, I raised my head and immediately regretted the action, for across the way I saw� a pale figure stepping across the swampy water making no splash or sound at all. Oh, why had I agreed to that dare and ventured into this vile marsh? It was the form of a woman, her white dress and robe flowing about her like the mist of a snowfall. Her eyes were closed and long lashes were sourounded by the golden-white locks of her long hair. She was indeed dangerously beautiful as the stories told and I hid in fear of the banshee behind an old haggard tree bent like an old man. She drew nearer.
My heart beat faster than a Skillow�s and I shook in the cold night. It was not only the lady that terrified me so, but the sudden silence that made my heart stop and wait. There was not a croak of a frog nor fluttering of a raven�s wings to be heard. It was the silence before a play starts, but no orquestra came to ease my waiting ears. No, instead a deadly cold but lovely voice slithered onto my mind and I slowly turned my head to face the spector once more. She stood not a foot from me, her eyes were open and they were like two shining moons, white and unblinking. Who are you to come near my realm, mortal? She hissed in her enchanting tone. Then her perfect lips parted in a fanged snarl. I screamed but nothing broke the silence. I closed my eyes and waited for her fangs to sink into my skin and I couldn�d move for the terror that griped my like iron chains.
However what came was much worse. She opened her mouth again and screamed as if the very world of Mistica had been blown into a thousand pieces and she was its soul. It was such a cry of misery and pain and frustration that tears rolled down my cheeks at the sadness and fear of it. It was a scream that shook my heart and left my ears ringing and finally made me move. I took one last look into those glowing eyes and ran. Branches whipped my face and caught in my long hair but I just sprinted across the rocks and roots of banshee swamp. A wind whipped around the trees behind me like a ghostly shadow and the banshee called out once more in my head Free Me! Suddenly I slipped and tumbled, falling over and ancient rotting log. I lay sprawled in the sand of a small clearing, heart thudding like a million hammers. I had given up hope. The banshee was bound to catch up to me now. My ankle throbbed and the scratched on my face stung.
Then there was a patter of paws on the decaying earth and I curled into a ball, fearing now scratching claws and tearing fangs. None came, only soft fur on my face and the smell of flowers. I opened my eyes to see a Cheran, clothed in plants and flowers, put her muzzle to my ear and whisper Little one, rise. I pulled myself up, grasping her long fur and� she was gone. She had just vanished. A new wonder and hope was in my soul now and I looked around into the dark. The Cheran had left a glow in the clearing which mow followed me as I started to walk again. Growing braver I ran once more and finally I tumbled out of the mists and fear of the dreaded swamp and into warm soft grass, like the fur of the spirit Cheran. I was safe. So, never again will I go into Banshee Swamp on Hallow�s Eve.
Username: InsanityWolf
Entry:
It was a moonlit night in the Banshee Swamp. The pounding of your heart was overcome by the cacophony of ravens as they took flight. Their black wings fluttered and whispered loudly, the swamp was alive with their inky blackness. Cowering in fear until their cackling caws faded from earshot, you raised your head and immediately regretted the action, for across the way you saw a hulking beast pull itself from the swamp. You had never seen such a thing before, chunks of its body missing, such a pale beast.
You take a slow step back=2 0as quietly as you can only to freeze when you hear the loud crack of a twig breaking under your foot. The monsters head jerks in your direction a growl rumbling from its throat, blood pouring from the creature�s mouth. You cover your own mouth to stop the scream that�s trying to escape. Squeezing your eyes shut you wait for the feel of its claws in your flesh. When nothing comes you look again and notice the milky whiteness of its eyes. Its blind you realize.
You have a chance to escape; you take a few more steps away but come to an immediate stop when you see that the beast is following your actions. It may be blind but it can still smell you, can still feel your movements. It knows your there but must be unsure of whether you�re worth the effort. Surely, you think, it mustn�t be able to run so fast with its broken and battered body. I can do this, I can out run it, I�ll get to safety before it can catch up.
You stand completely still waiting for your chance. The pale beast slowly turns away. This is it, your chance. Turning as fast as you can you start sprinting through the swamp. While running you look quickly behind you and see that it�s no longer in the clearing. This worries you, sweat is dripping down your back but you look forward and keep running. And that�s when you hear it, that horrible growl that sounds like gurgling blood. Pushing yourself harder then20you ever have before; you break into a batch of trees and bushes. Dodging and jumping, left, right, over, under. It�s a hindrance you realize that the pale beast does not have, its merely shoving all that�s in its way to the side. Breaking through the branches that you had to dodge. Easily clearing the rocks, which you had to scramble over, with one jump.
And then it happens; your foot catches on a root. You fall forward and land on your side. As dirt flies around you from your impact you feel the burn of skidding on your side. Pushing yourself up quickly you try to get good purchase on the ground but you slip and crash. You�re sobbing now, no strength left. You can hear it behind you; it�ll be on top of you in seconds. It shouldn�t be so fast you think as the swamp becomes eerily silent. You feel a sudden weight on you and the world goes black.
Sparkle19-3rd
It was a moonlit night in the Banshee Swamp. The pounding of my heart was overcome by the cacophany of ravens as they took flight. Their black wings fluttered and whispered loudly, the swamp was alive with their inky blackness. Cowering in fear until their cackling caws faded from hearshot, I raised your head and immediately regretted the action, for across the way I saw a Lanturn Gurahdi. It flapped its wings, staying in place. I looked in it's black eyes, only seeing pits of black darkness. Several other Lanturns were making others scream, and cower in fear. I tripped over the Trash Hole, flinging a pile of mud on the Lanturn Gurahdi. I covered my eyes waiting for it to attack me, but it did not. I opened my eyes.
I looked up and saw the Gurahdi was standing in front of me. I felt faint, but did not. It looked at me with pitch black eyes, its' claws glinting in the dim moonlight. Other Lanturns surrounded me, followed by some Terrors. I saw many of them with sharp claws, ready to pick a fight with me. Soon the Lanturn Gurahdi began to fly up, go away, and turn around to me again. It rose up to the dim clouds and swooped down on me, grasping me by its claws. I shrieked loudly, some terrors snickered and growled. I felt scared. I was not used to being surrounded by haunted trees, terrors, and lanturns, all trying to destroy me.
The Gurahdi flew up to the sky with me in its claws. It stopped where there was barely any air, I couldn't breath, but the Gurahdi seemed fine. It dropped me down, and I fell in a river of black water. I splashed around for a while, then I let the current take me, black water filling my mouth. The water oddly tasted like used oil, in fact I thought it WAS oil. The Lanturn Gurahdi laughed spookily, making me want to hide in a corner of Banshee Swamp. I felt a tree root hit my chest. I grabbed it and pulled myself on the bank of the river. My clothes were dyed pitch black from the water, but they were soaked and clung to my skin. The Gurahdi was perched on a dead willow tree. The willow tree was surrounded by Nightmare Anitloats, Nightmare Koobis, and one single bright prismatic light of color between all the darkness.
A little Daydream Marik was flicking its' prismatic wings around, trying to fly. I stepped toward it, it squealed softly, but did not move. I picked it up and bounced it up while its' wings were fluttering. It fell back into my hands, a little more happier, and I tried again. The little Daydream Marik fluttered in the air, wiping away the darkness around it. All the tiny Terrors squealed and hopped, ran, and flew away. The Gurahdi stayed in place letting the light surround it. Soon, the Lanturn Gurahdi was no more. Instead, it began to transform. Its' black raven-like wings shaped into faerie-like wings with very prismatic colors and all the dark black turned to a bright, enchanted white. Its pumpkin-orange tattoos turned black to reflect brightly on its new snow-white feathers. And now its horrifying pumpkin head tuned into a true-Gurahdi's head, even though it had pretty butterfly-like antenae. It looked more like a Daydream rather than a Lanturn now.
I looked at the newly formed Daydream in awe. It seemed like its thoughts echoed in my head, it said, "Thank....... Youuuuu.......for....freeing................meeeeee............ from..........the.........curse..................................." I saw that instead of a dead willow tree, it looked good as new. Soon, it was the time of year the Banshee Swamp was bright again. I laughed as Daydreams were running, flying, hopping, and playing all over Banshee Swamp. The Gurahdi smiled happily, but I guess after today everything will only just change back to all the darkness again.
And I was right, everything began to reach its point of happiness at the strike of midnight. Everything began to change back into the voids of darkness, prismatic wings now raven black. Pumpkin heads replacing heads, eyes growing out of other places other than you face. Soon, very vey soon, everything was back to normal in Banshee Swamp, haunted trees, the Trash Hole, dead grass, Terrors and Lanturns flying, hopping, running, and walking around. I walked around for a while reviewing everything if it changed back to normal.
Then I walked back home.
THE END!