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Pumpkin-flavored items had never been more popular these past few years.
Especially in the autumn season, which they are in now. Recipes of the most diverse, and drinks are included. Everyone liked to buy pumpkins - so business was going well. His father had to build a lot of robots to help take care of the farm, and 5.0.5. was proud to be part of the staff.
Of course, he wasn't exactly anyone's son by blood. In this vicious world, few were, actually. A large part is sometimes "born" without even having a father or a mother. Dr. Flug loved him like a son, and that alone was enough.
The farm was relatively large, as it needed to supply the needs of nearby residents. And since his father was the only pumpkin farmer in the area, he was well known by many other supernatural creatures.
In this world, no one is human. Your neighbors are vampires indeed. Werewolves are part of the police. Ghosts are not frowned upon by society, and even the personification of death manages public pensions (cemeteries). To be fair, supernatural creatures had to be grateful for the fact that they had a place to live in peace, instead of having to constantly survive the death threats coming from humans.
Good thing humans don't survive here. Because, well... this is the world of the dead.
5.0.5. the bear ghost that roamed the pumpkin farm of Dr. Flug, was more than a son to the scarecrow farmer. He was also like a guard dog. It's his duty to protect the crops from people that want to steal them.
People with bad intentions may want to harvest the pumpkins before they are ripe enough and thus spoil the festival.
The Harvest Festival was one of the most important events of the year! It was an event where many people waited to throw messages to the world of those still living by the great central bonfire, as well as dancing, drinking, and eating as if tomorrow is not a working day.
And the festival wouldn't be the same without the pumpkins. So 5.0.5 has to do its job and preserve its quality until then!
Except for one small slip... which accidentally got him in big trouble.
It was on a Wednesday, early in the morning. Flug liked to apply fertilizer after the sun went down, so when he was finally finished, he went back to his son's headstone and called him over.
“Fives!” his father knocked over the stone.
The ghost appeared with a yawn.
“Here you are,” he said in a small tone of voice, smiling fatherly. “I’m going inside, I reek of manure and need a shower. I was thinking of preparing a peanut tea with milk and cinnamon, how about that? Do you want some?”
Five smiled back at him, his ghostly tail wagging in happiness. He loved that hot drink!
“Good!” Flug replied, caressing his arm and getting inside the house.
The ghost began its round close to the house, so as not to stray too far. When he came back twenty minutes later Flug was sitting outside, dressed in new country clothes, gardener, blue and yellow, with a white long-sleeved blouse underneath and a straw hat as usual. His pants were always jeans and brown boots from walking on the damp earth.
The farmer gave him a cup of roasted peanut tea with hot milk and they sat down to taste the drink together looking up at the starry sky.
As they looked up at the stars, Fives noticed something glowing moving through the trees a few kilometers away. He asked his father what that sinister lighting was, which flickered between the canopies and thick trunks. That seemed to walk from one side to the other.
Flug, his beloved caretaker, took a deep breath and sighed.
“That’s the lantern of Stinky Headless Jack Hat O'Lantern.” he replied. “Don’t you ever get near him, Fives. He’s an evil man.”
“ Arroow-owa ” He asked.
What is he like, and why is he evil ? - it meant.
A look of fear took over Flug’s face, while he explained with worry in his eyes.
“He’s a madman with a scary pumpkin instead of a head, a wicked smile that makes us sweat, and dark claws that bring us dread.” he caressed once more the back of Fives. “Never let him fool you, baby. He's not a good man.” and, with a lower voice, he added. “and he's an egoist bastard who's already stripped me years of emotional stability.”
Five didn’t understand the last bit, but that’s fine, he got the lesson. And, with the learning taken, Fives continued sipping his drink in silence.
As soon as he had finished, Flug kissed him on the cheek and went back inside so he could rest a little.
5.0.5 hadn't finished drinking his, which was a bigger cup. So he just sat there, drinking before starting his round.
And then, amid noises within a cluster of bushes nearby, he noticed movement. His protective and curious instinct kicked in, and he dropped the cup next to his headstone and went to check.
In the midst of the foliage he saw nothing, but in the damp ground, there were footprints. Something that wasn't there before, for sure.
He investigated further but found nothing.
He turned, returned to where he was, floating as usual to a ghost, and then picked up his mug to drink again - now lukewarm from the time that had passed.
He drank it, looking at the farm. He noticed, coming from the main road, a light. It was a horse, black as night, shining, with red eyes and a very smooth mane swaying in the wind. On top of it was a man, an overcoat and cloak as black as coal, his face standing out in the absence of color: Orange. As brilliant as the best quality product they've ever harvested there. The cuts outlined his face. Eyes, frightening, and an even more chilling smile. On top of everything, a top hat, black and splendorous.
One arm was outstretched, holding with it a glowing lantern. His fingers were long and terrifying.
That was Jack.
Headless Jack Hat.
The evil guy - Just like his father had told him.
The horse stopped in front of their house. The sky was dark, so the orange candle lantern made light and shadow dance on the threshold of the wooden door.
“You, ghost .” He spoke. The deep cuts on his pumpkin face were mouthing the words perfectly, making them look like real sharp teeth. The inside of his pumpkin head was completely dark. And the voice that came out of his mouth seemed to echo inside the hollow fruit-vegetable head as if nothing was occupying it. “Where’s the Farmer?”
Fives swallowed dry in fear. And, all of a sudden, something inside him started to make him dizzy.
“ Ararhow ” He said, raising a paw to hold his head.
That didn’t seem right.
Headless Jack got off the horse. The lamp in his hand swayed with the jolt. He didn't say a single word back to the ghost bear and headed for the house.
5.0.5. wanted to float there and prevent him but the dizziness made him lose all the force he had. He fell into the ground, and the mug fell together, breaking.
With his eyes closed and his breathing heavy, he couldn't make out what was going on around him, but he could hear some of his father's screams, being dragged out of the house, and being thrown onto his horse like a sack of potatoes.
"Let me go!" Flug shouted. "I don't want to be with you!"
"You don't have a choice, it's either this or your land will be cursed to never again grow a measly vegetable!"
And the horse galloped away.
And 5.0.5. passed out.
When the bear woke up again, it was already morning, and he thought it was all a very strange dream - until he noticed three frightening things.
First, his cup was actually broken beside him. Second, the door of the house was wide open, and there were horseshoe marks on the ground. And the most worrisome, all the pumpkins had mysteriously disappeared .
Fives flew over the field, analyzing the plantation: somehow all the beautiful, well-groomed pumpkins that had been there the night before were gone!
He despaired, worried about what might have happened, and remembered what his father had said about the man with a pumpkin for a head.
Stinky Headless Jack O’Lantern was evil. Stinky Headless Jack O’Lantern had kidnapped his father.
Stinky Headless Jack O’Lantern had stolen all the pumpkins!!
It was not difficult for him to come up with such a valid hypothesis.
And so he decided that was his mission. It was his DUTY to find out the truth and bring the pumpkins back! (and his father too!)
And so he left, hurried down the road, down to the nearby citadel to get information.
First, he needed to know where the heck that villain lived.
The path was clear, as it was morning.
In the citadel, his eyes shined. He saw people decorating the plaza with colorful carnival pennants and banners of the upcoming Harvest Festival. He saw other supernatural beings piling up pieces of wood and logs to make a big fire, and stands of food being set up.
Cooked corn, peanut candy, pamonha, popcorn, chopp, juices, mulled wine, cakes and pies, hot-dog, candy-apple, paçoca, pudding, quindin, churros, cocadas, cotton-candy, hmmmmmmmmmm~
Focus, ghost-bear, FOCUS ! You can eat later !
He approached some of the people who were decorating the place. He needed to know if anyone knew Jack and if they knew his whereabouts.
He approached a half-dead gypsy with part of the skeleton of her face on display. He was sweeping the place.
“ Muwree !” He greeted her.
She lifted her face up to look at his face and smiled at the adorable and big ghost creature.
“Good morning, sweety.” Said Adelita Guerrero. “What brings you here? Are you lost?”
5.0.5. started to explain to her in less detail. About him being the son of the pumpkin farmer up the hill and about Headless Jack stealing all his pumpkins.
“Oh boy,” She looked somehow worried. “So he’s the culprit?”
Fives nodded his head, so far that’s what he noticed.
“You aren’t the only one whose pumpkins have gone missing. This week many farmers had come to the bar to cry over the disappearance of their crop. And so near the Harvest festival event, what a misfortune!”
The bear ghost widened his eyes in surprise.
“If it’s really him, that’s bad. He’s a dangerous man.” She said, repeating what Flug had told him. “I’ve heard of the said evil kind, but we never met, thankfully. My husband might help, though.” Then, the woman shouted to the other side, where a few people were building the bonfire. “Honey, come here for a sec?”
A big muscle lumberjack zombie appeared, holding an ax and wooden logs for the bonfire. He and Fives were almost at the same height. She introduced him.
“This boy here said Old O’lantern stole his pumpkins. Maybe he’s behind all the stealing?” Adelita asked her husband.
“ Cielos , If so, you are in big trouble going after him.” El Valiente replied to the bear ghost. “It’s better to ask for help, It’s risky to do it alone.” He advised. “We can’t do this for you, though, kid, sorry. The festival is tomorrow and we need to finish the preparations.”
“We need to start thinking about replacing the pumpkins this year, as they are all gone.” Adelita finished explaining. “Including the ritual, which we won't be able to do either.” She sighed.
El Valiente placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder and finished the conversation with the bear.
“I hope you can find your pumpkins, mate. And if you find any, let us know, will you? Maybe we can recover some in time for the ritual.” He finished, smiling.
5.0.5. agreed and gave them both his farewells.
He went to the other side of the plaza, looking, maybe, for someone who might know about Headless Jack. And then Five heard, in the midst of the crowd, a mischievous, playful voice.
It was a werewolf girl, cutting funny and scary faces into pieces of paper - sitting at a wooden table, along with some decorations yet to be hung.
One piece of paper was shaped like a pumpkin head - and the female creature seemed delighted by it, giving the paper a kiss.
Five approached her.
“ ♩ ♪ ♫ Pumpkin spice and everything nice, make us evil, wicky, and vice. ♬♩ ♪ ” She was singing while drawing on the paper.
The bear liked the improvised lyrics and decided to praise it, as a way to start a conversation.
“ Agrowl ♡.”
She turned her head to look at the Fives.
"Wow, you are big !!" She smiled at him, wickedly. The feral canines stood out alongside the other white teeth. "I've never seen such a big ghost!"
5.0.5. tried to explain to her he was a bear-ghost. Usually, bears don't become ghosts so he's pretty unique in that place, but he hopes she knows what a bear is.
Once she understood, she was even more amused to join in a conversation.
“Cool ! Here , take it.” She handed him one of the pieces of paper - one with a cut similar to that of a cartoonish ghost. “It’ll be fifty bucks.”
Fives shrugged, not having money. And so Fives explained the situation to her: He needed to find Stinky Headless Jack O'Lantern, because he stole all his pumpkins! (and his father.)
“Jack?! You mean, Jack , my Jack ?!” She looked surprised, delighted to have heard such a name. 5.0.5. didn't know they knew each other. “Oh, Jack O’Lantern , my husband-to-be - I dream of the day you will show up to take me away.” So they really know each other, and are engaged? “If only you knew my name~”
And then 5.0.5 understood that it was nothing more than platonic love.
He decided to keep quiet and not comment.
Well, at least she was hopeful.
Maybe they didn't even really know each other, but so far she seemed to know a lot about the man he was looking for. So he decided to ask for help.
“ Awerow halgro ?” He asked.
Would you help me find the evil who took my pumpkins? - It meant.
“Sure!” She replied, getting up from the spot. “You can keep my gift. The name’s Dem. Now, where do we start?”
5.0.5. said they need to know where he went first.
“But I haven't seen him pass by in days, I don't know where he went.” She said.
Fives got sad again and sighed, but then Demencia had an idea, raising a finger in the air.
“Oh, I know! We could ask the people who usually hang around here at night since you said it all happened at dawn.”
That was a really good idea!
“ Uuh Hoo ?” He asked.
But who? - it meant
He doesn’t have friends. He doesn’t know anyone that lives in the citadel that roams at night like him.
She took his paw in her hand and pulled him.
“Follow me, Pellucid Plush!”
And off they went, singing together.
♩ ♪ ♫ Pumpkin spice and everything nice, make us evil, wicky, and vice. ♬♩ ♪
♬♩ ♪ Tuck us in, rim the sin, tear your skin while making a grin - To our vile begin! ♩ ♪ ♫
They went west of the village. Where stood the abandoned parish, the tombstone condominium (private cemetery), the garden, and the town hall.
Entering the condo, they noticed several people interacting like a beautiful park. Dry and dead trees, dirty and rusty benches, and even a dead lake decorated the place - very beautiful.
Next to a gazebo, ahead, there was a tombstone very different from the others, as it was much cleaner and well cared for.
"I'm not a huge fan of hers, but you’ll probably like her." Demencia said, explaining while approaching and knocking on a dark marble headstone. “I mean, you both are alike, she’s a ghost witch, so you should get along fine.”
And then, a very beautiful woman appeared from inside the tomb, holding a book and glasses. Even with a ghostly appearance, the resemblance to a dark sorceress was visible. The pointy hat, makeup and long nails.
"Oh, hello , Demencia." The witch didn't look very excited to see the werewolf with torn clothes and tangled hair, but her expression soon changed when she noticed 5.0.5. by her side. “Oh, a fellow ghost! What a surprise! ” She exclaimed, smiling friendly and raising a hand to shake it. “Nice to meet you!”
Fives smiled kindly back at her, his tail wagging. Shaking their hands.
“Here's the thing, Ivory-witchy, my new friend here is looking for Jack , said he might have stopped by at dawn - did you see anything?” The unkind way the wild girl spoke was funny.
5.0.5. just nodded his head to agree that’s what he was searching for - information.
Penumbra hummed, thinking about it.
“I didn't notice anything in this area. Sure he didn't go to the other side of the citadel?” She asked. “What did he do this time?”
“He stole all of this guy’s pumpkins.”
“Doesn’t seem like something he would do.”
Demencia got mad at her tone of voice.
“Oh, so now you know more about my future husband than I do?!”
Penumbra groaned, rolling her eyes.
“For Death’s sake, I’m just saying that Headless Jack could not have stolen many pumpkins at once - he steals just one every three months!”
“ Arrow-arhaw ?” Fives asked her.
Why is that? - It meant.
The other ghost looked at him to explain.
“It’s his curse. His head doesn't last forever, he needs to change it often so it doesn't spoil.” She demonstrated, ripping her own head off to indicate what she meant. And holding it with just one hand, the head continued speaking. “And it's not time for him to change it, because otherwise, I would have identified his foul stench around here.”
Demencia growled.
"Stop criticizing him! He smells wonderful anyway!"
Penumbra just looked at 5.0.5. shaking her head and whispering.
“She's a half hyena, she likes carrion.” Then, she shrugged and the bear-ghost nodded his head understanding it.
“ Rowf-Agrouf !” He thanked her for her useful help.
The witch ghost gave him a hug and told him to go visit her again for some ectoplasm tea sometime.
Demencia pulled him away after the farewell.
“Well, that was useless. Should we check the other side of the village now?”
5.0.5. agreed that, yes , that was a good idea.
And off they went.
Singing.
♩ ♪ ♫ Pumpkin spice and everything nice, make us evil, wicky, and vice. ♬♩ ♪
♬♩ ♪ Tuck us in, rim the sin, tear your skin while making a grin - To our vile begin! ♩ ♪ ♫
They stopped at the other exit of the citadel, where there was a great tower of heroes .
Fives was instructed by his father that he shouldn't get involved directly with the heroes because of the bad examples Flug had, but he also never took the initiative to meet any of them - If Demencia was taking him there to get information, maybe they weren't that bad, right?
Suddenly one of the window-glass on the fourth floor broke and a person appeared to fall. Three meters before hitting the ground, the creature transformed into a bat and then flew off to the other side.
The glass remained broken on the ground.
From inside the broken window, a pink head appeared, shouting.
“And don't forget Whipped-cream!!”
Demencia nudged the ghost bear with her elbow and pointed to the window.
“Don’t get fooled, that one is as bad as any of us.” Then, she put both hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. “OY, PINKY-LEECHY!!”
The girl with pink hair and eyes looked down at the front gate and groaned.
“Urgh, what do you want?!” She asked.
“Get down here, I need to ask you something!!”
Miss Heed crossed her arms and sent her a defiant expression. The gorgeous makeup was perfectly balanced between an obscure being of darkness and a runway model. A well-defined brow arched as she made another question.
“And why would I?”
Demencia smirked at her with those white canines of her, mischievously and somehow pervy.
“Oh, I don't know…” She feigned indifference as she stared at her (dirty and bitten) nails, another hand on her hip. Just as quickly, she cast a sideways glance at the female vampire at the window with an even more perverted smirk. "You usually like to see me when I sneak inside your window at dawn for an hour or two."
The ghost bear was too innocent to understand the ulterior motive of what that meant, so he just took it as emotional blackmail.
Poor thing…
Choking on her own breath, the pink vampire blushed completely. She muttered a curse and jumped out of the window, gliding in the air with her pink and black cape to a stop next to them.
She wasted no time and quickly pointed a finger with a long, beautifully painted fingernail at the werewolf female’s smirking face.
“For starters, it isn't dawn. And for the record, low blow, furry-hag , I’ll remember this.” She snarled, pissed at the redheaded, crossing her arms against her breasts again. “What do you want ?”
“This is Fives. He’s looking for Jack.” Demencia explained, pointing to the bear ghost. “He said he passed through here during the night. Have you seen him?”
“The Jack as in your ‘husband to be’?” Miss heed emphasized, making quotation marks in the air. “-or Jack the BigFoot? Oh- Wait - neither of them exists .” She finished by sticking her tongue out.
Demencia just ignored her attitude.
“You are just jealous.”
Miss Heed chuckled evilly. Her expression turned menacing.
“Pff, right, as if I feel something for anyone with fangs smaller than mine!” She waved a bitchy hand around while continuing. “Anyway, yeah, whatever, I’ve seen him.”
At that Fives finally spoke up.
“ Argh-ouf Augh !” He asked, surprised.
Did you see where he went? - It meant.
“At dawn, yes. He ran down the road to the river with his own ‘husband to be’ on the rump.”
“Shut up!” Demencia groaned, peeved. “That other man is this guy’s father or something, just a useless scarecrow.”
Fives explained to Miss Heed what happened and she was surprised at the real story.
“Wait, so that one was Kenny ?” She asked the bear ghost, pressing a finger into her chin and whispering. “I thought it was a sack of potatoes…”
“Wait, you know him?” Demencia asked her, really taken by surprise all of a sudden. “The pumpkin farmer?”
The female vampire looked at her with a huge smirk on her pretty painted lips.
“Oooooh, who’s jealous now?”
Demencia flushed, feeling offended all of a sudden. She turned around, getting mad at the conversation and pulling 5.0.5. back to the road.
The pink vampire girl just waved her feminine fingers at their backs.
“See you at the festival~”
And off the Werewolf-girl and the Ghost-bear went. Down the road.
Singing.
♩ ♪ ♫ Pumpkin spice and everything nice--- oh, whatever…
The river cut through the road, and a wooden bridge lay across it - so people and vehicles could pass without getting wet.
Demencia brought her face closer to the ground and began to sniff the trail. Horse marks were present in the wetter earth, so they could confirm exactly where Stinky Jack O'Lantern had gone.
“I can smell him, he came through here!” She exclaimed, excitedly, leading 5.0.5. to the bridge. “After this, there's a woods, he might have hidden your pumpkins there.”
Nodding, they both started running.
In the middle of the bridge, though, someone shouted for him. At a halt, Fives stood to look for the voice. Demencia kept running without a single notice.
“Hey, you, bear!” Said the voice. Looking down the bridge, Fives could see the face of a half-dead-fisher-man, but not much could be seen except his green face. One of his eyes was white and it had a scar over it. “Aren't you the ghost the pumpkin farmer adopted a few months ago?”
5.0.5. held into the rail of the bridge to look down at the man, who was in the middle of the river, and nodded his head.
“ Uught, auhs. ” He replied.
Yes, it’s me. - it meant.
The fisherman fish-man hummed, thoughtful.
“What happened to him and Lord Jack Hat, did they break up?”
5.0.5. got confused, they broke something?
“ Ouhgrath Wrughtaugh? ” He asked.
Do you know where my father went? - it meant.
The green man nodded in reply.
“Yes, I know where everything is, thanks to the waters.” He explained. “They went to that old castle they rebuilt last summer north of the woods.”
A castle they rebuilt together? But wasn’t he dangerous? Were his father and that Headless man friends before 5.0.5. showed up?
5.0.5. asked for more details about where it was, and right after the man explained Demencia came back from her running ahead.
“Hey! You are too slow! I was already a kilometer away!”
Fives turned back and explained to her where they were hiding, and when Demencia asked where he learned such information, 5.0.5. pointed to the river where nobody was there anymore.
The werewolf pulled his hand and started running again.
“Cool, come on, then, we are not far!”
And off they went again.
To the woods.
Singing.
♩ ♪ ♫ Get some flies, put on ice, take a bite and share a slice ♬♩ ♪ On the woods, they might be, hiding with the pumpkins and rose-ma-ries~
At the entrance to the forest were footprints, as they suspected.
They followed. Dementia with the nose and 5.0.5. with intuition.
Among the tall trees, little light came in, and the deeper they went into the forest, the more lost they were.
The footprints were there, and the smell of something being cooked began to take over Demencia's nose a few feet in the right direction.
"I think he's cooking something." She said, running on all fours. "I hope it's not your father."
5.0.5. he was worried that this had really been the case, but as they got closer they realized that the smell was not something hideous, but the sweet, delicious smell of freshly made coffee.
When they finally arrived, they noticed that the house was in the center of a clearing. A hole located in the middle of the forest with a small stream nearby, and a waterwheel. The grass was green but dying as it was nearing the castle, with a pumpkin field on the left side of it.
The plantation, however, didn't look the same as 5.0.5. remembered seeing his father farming, it was a much smaller piece of land and the pumpkins that were growing there were very gray, ugly, weird, deformed, and… frightening.
They didn't even look like real pumpkins.
And none were the pumpkins that got kidnapped.
The Ghost-beat pointed to them and exclaimed to the Wolf-girl.
“ Purgho thouuo ”
Those aren't my pumpkins… - it meant.
“I think they're inside there, I hear noises, come on, let's go!”
It was morning by this point, and the sun was shining in the sky. The castle was very dark and eerie, yet beautiful but a little poorly maintained. As if it hadn't been taken good care of, for the last seven or ten months.
They crouched under one of the big windowsills and peered inside. It was an extravagant room, with a hallway and a dining table. But there was no one in sight.
When 5.0.5. turned around to see if they could get inside from some door he widened his eyes and screamed in fright as he saw a large black horse, with scarily red eyes, staring at them both suspiciously.
Demencia instinctively grabbed the majestic horse's neck and threw herself over it to try to ride it. Without mastery in terms of balance, the horse quickly threw her to the ground - and just didn't trample the girl because someone had suddenly opened that same window widely, and appeared to check what such a noise was all about. That person was a man, or at least what 5.0.5. believed to be a man but with a pumpkin head instead, standing there, very irritated, frowning angrily at them.
His outfit was a beautiful, white dress shirt, with a blood-red pendant in the center of the collar along with a central ruffle that fell across his chest, and a black vest matching the color of his hat. Dark skin and hands full of claws—as Fives could remember from the first time they’d met.
"What the hell are you two doing here?” Lord Jack asked, using his facial holes as expressly as any other face. "Don't you know what time it is?"
Of course, in a world where creatures of the night are mostly the ones that run the market and consumption, the periods are reversed. So when Headless Jack mentioned the time, it was possibly because he was sleeping . And to reaffirm this hypothesis, 5.0.5. looked inside the castle again, seeing his father there—slightly sleepy too, confused, in the background, trying to stifle a yawn while holding a mug of freshly made coffee.
Flug was dressed in different clothes from the night before. A more cream-white, silk, also with ruffles and details that gave the illusion of being a dress, despite 5.0.5. seeing that his father was still wearing pants underneath.
“ POUH! ” He shouted, tail swinging happily.
PAPA! - it meant.
He leaned on the windowsill and climbed up. The castle's stone walls facilitated the process of jumping inside. He threw himself into the room, already running to his caretaker.
Dementia screamed, smiling from point to point, having a fangirl attack seeing her crush so close, grabbing Lord Jack’s arm and rubbing her face in the soft white fabric.
Lord Jack cursed them both.
“FLUG! What are this tick and flea doing here?!” He asked the scarecrow. With his arm being pulled out, he nearly lost his balance. " Get Out!! "
The scarecrow felt himself being hugged and thrown into the air by his favorite ghost bear, and he responded when he finally understood what was happening.
“A ransom ?” He replied to the other adult in the place. “That makes sense, actually. You kidnapped me, remember? I have a son now. He got worried. And... he brought a friend more suited for you?”
5.0.5. put him down. Demencia took advantage to climb Lord Jack’s arm so she could get inside the place through the window too. She fell on her hands, somersaulting awkwardly, then stopping with her but against the floor. She shook her head and smirked, making a girly pose in the end.
“Hello~” And obviously, sending the dark man a flirty smile.
Lord Jack took a step back and made a disgusted face.
“I decline the offer.”
5.0.5. decided to ask about the pumpkins.
Flug heard him and his eyes widened.
"What do you mean 'disappeared' ? All my pumpkins are gone ?! " He asked, in panic. Sending the other adult a hateful expression. “What did you do?!”
Headless Jack gave him a disbelieving baffled expression.
“Me? Seriously ? We came straight here and I haven't left your side ever since. How the heck could I have stolen them all?”
Then, the scarecrow made an even more worried face.
“Oh god, noooo. They can't be gone!” He clenched his head with both hands. “Not now that I've managed to postpone it for another year! What am I gonna do?!”
Postpone it ? Postpone what ? — thought the ghost bear.
Lord Jack laughed playfully, approaching and giving the scarecrow a nasty evil look.
“Well, I’ve told you it was going to happen eventually, didn’t I?” He placed a hand on the slimmer man’s shoulder. “No ‘rain-checking’ our deal anymore. I won .” Then, with the same hand, he cleaned a thin layer of dust on Flug's white dress. The yellow face of the scarecrow flushed. “We are getting married, yes or yes .”
… Wait, what?!
Flug slapped at his dark hand.
"And I’ve told you that's not how you're going to get rid of the curse .” Flug said as a counterargument. “Besides, you don’t even love me - this plan is ridiculous .”
“Yeah, well, I love no one, I am the embodiment of Halloween, remember? So you should feel special to be chosen .”
Now it was Flug’s turn to be baffled by those words, putting both hands on his hips.
“You want to own my pumpkin farm so you can get a fresh head whenever you want, I’m the one losing on this deal.”
Headless Jack puffed his chest and crossed his arms over it.
“Stop complaining, you've always wanted to be mine too, remember? You aren’t losing anything --” He explained like he was tired of getting into the discussion again and again, and Flug is starting to make him feel uncomfortable arguing over his flawless plan. The scarecrow arched an eyebrow at him. He groaned and rolled his eyes. “Fine, except a pumpkin every other month. That is nothing . It's been like this since the beginning and you've never complained before! Besides, you have hundreds of them!”
"You can't blame a deluded lover. And that was before you came up with this preposterous idea of circumventing your damn curse !!"
The ghost bear was confused. Dementia was even more.
“Wait’a sec.” She said, raising from the ground. Placing both hands on her hips and looking up at Flug’s face, slightly taller than her. “Yeah, you really look like a sack of potatoes…”
The bear decided to ignore her and bring back the main subject. Even though he still couldn't understand exactly why his father was involved with this mysterious and dangerous man, there was one thing far more troubling.
“ Hawuo Grawluh Rougw? ” He asked.
What are we gonna do about the missing pumpkins? - it meant.
The scarecrow looked at the dark creature and pondered.
“The celebration is in the evening. And without the pumpkins, no one can send their best regards to the living - I can’t think of anyone that is ill-intended enough to do that except you .”
Headless Jack huffed indignantly.
“What evidence do you have? I’ve been with you all day! And if you have any doubts go check in the mirror to remember what was I busy with all this time!”
Flug ignored the ruddy color that appeared in his own face at his bold tone, and his eyes narrowed at Jack Hat in irritation - surreptitiously adjusting the collar of the make-shift dress to hide the bite on the side of his neck.
“Yes, I’m aware it wasn’t you you! But why would anyone other than you want all the pumpkins? No one else would have anything to gain from it! Don’t you have any guesses?” He asked.
“No, I don’t have a fucking guess , Flug.” He spits the words like they tasted bad. “Maybe they want to win the damn prize of biggest pumpkin in the festival and don’t want competition, or maybe prevent the village from making contact with the living world this year?” And even though he said he doesn’t have any guesses, he gave them two. “Why does it matter now? If it’s gone, it’s gone !”
Flug placed a hand on his chin and thought. His brilliant mind working on a plan.
“Do we have orange paint?”
Every year - that's how the Harvest Festival works: Each family takes something to eat. Several tables are fitted together so that it becomes a giant table where all the appetizers are placed. And those who decide to bring hot drinks, put them in large iron pots with ladles for everyone to help themselves.
The decor is grand and colorful. Lots of banners, and drawings on the walls too. They often throw dry straws on the ground to cover the concrete floor. In the center, a large fire is built with the help of several residents. And the wood that is burned is usually from an old, abandoned church - as setting fire to sacred grounds always makes for a better connection at midnight: the best time for the dead to send messages to the living.
And the pumpkins , you might be asking yourself, "what are they for anyway?"
They are the soul of the party. Literally.
In addition to decorations, they are sacrifices . It is with their burning that the connection is made.
Each family has the right to throw a pumpkin into the fire, with the design, detail, writing, or object stuffed inside as they choose. Such a message is then sent to the world of the living - no one is quite sure how exactly it appears on the other side, but that's how traditions are commonly done, isn't it? No real scientific proof, just faith and a willingness to carry on with the tradition.
So it was a pity that no one will have the opportunity to do it this year.
But, hey, a festival was still a festival ! So let's enjoy and celebrate!!
People had already started to arrive. Some children were playing around, while some of the adults threw wood to ignite the fire.
Some couples even started to dance to the themed music of the celebration day.
As soon as 5.0.5. and Demencia arrived, they went straight for the delicious fresh food and to admire the decoration of the place. Flug and his… well, whatever-Headless-Jack-O'Lanter was his now, arrived together, a few minutes later bringing a new pretty and huge pumpkin on a wagon, being pulled by the dark lord's black horse.
“I already told you this is not open to negotiation.” Complained Jack Hat, pulling the horse's leash and making it stop right at the entrance of the festival. “I will not live in your house. It's too colorful and horridly sunny. You’ll live on mine .”
Flug, who was sitting behind him, jumped to the ground when the horse stopped. He snorted, feeling mentally exhausted at the creepy eerie creature made sheerly with dark Halloween magic.
“And that's exactly why I said we're not going to work out well together!! Didn’t you even listen to me?!” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and pinched the middle of his eyebrows, sighing. “I CAN NOT CROP pumpkins at your land! The soil is infertile and there is no sun there!!!”
5.0.5. approached both while eating popcorn, just looking at them arguing. Demencia appeared right after, holding up her third or fourth cup of mulled wine - she was already a little tipsy, but, hey, it’s a festival .
“So, what’s the plan?” She asked once all of them were together again.
Lord Jack Hat got down from his horse and started to unleash it from the wagon. Flug tapped at the pumpkin they brought and explained.
“We’ll leave it here, out in the open, unguided and it will certainly be stolen too in a few minutes.” Explained the scarecrow, tapping it. “So, for now, the plan is to enjoy the festival!!” He exclaimed, happily. Flug truly loved that day of the year.
The sun was already setting, and more people were showing up to join the party. The musicians began to play louder and at a faster pace.
5.0.5. beamed just as happy, jumping and pulling Flug to the dance field. All kinds of people were there, playing around the bonfire. Demencia smirked widely, (drunkenly) trying to push Headless Jack’s together with her to join them - who went against his will, being dragged and making a path in the straw with the sole of his shoe.
While the bonfire was low, people had fun jumping over it, as was tradition. And dancing around it. Shouting together cheerfully if somehow someone clumsy started to catch fire while doing it. Laughing and overall enjoying it to the fullest. Once the flame increased, the play ended, but then the adults with mystical powers started their own show, manipulating the fire as an added attraction. It was a spectacle and everyone was amazed at the shapes and movements of the flames.
One of them even used the fire to tell a story. About a man, who was greedy, who was mean, and who was selfish. A man that used to live in the world of the living, stealing goods and doing bad. A man, whose height was tall and whose shape was sharp, who seduced many and killed even more. A man, who had many followers but was hated by most living beens. Who betrayed and was betrayed, and never found love. A man, whose life was taken on a halloween night. He had his severed head thrown in the middle of a pumpkin field and now hunts the world of death with a curse: having to wear a substitute. And, up to day, he keeps seeking, forever, for what he does not possess anymore. — Legend has it, that his curse can be broken, but just by a soul whose heart willingly finds love in such monster, and whose hands may finally harvest an eternal head midst a field of pumpkins.
Many people were already used to the story, but it was the first time that 5.0.5. had heard it. Dementia, ecstatic, vibrated with every word, rattling her new best friend about "her favorite story since childhood."
Certainly, those hours were a lot of fun for everyone. The heroes too appeared, soon after the complete sunset. Demencia took advantage of her inebriated state to (cofcof get the attention cofcof) pick a fight with the pink vampire, while trying to use Headless Jack as the subject of jealousy, as usual, and trying to get a making-out section out of it while blaming her drunk state.
Fives turned around to check on Flug and saw him chatting with some adults and eating some delicious food.
But... 5.0.5. didn’t see Jack Hat anywhere at the festival.
Just to be sure, he went back, floating, to where their big pumpkin was…
And it was gone . Again .
He groaned, angry and upset with himself for never being able to do decent work. He'd spent a long time thinking that Headless Jack had stolen his pumpkins and found himself wrong about that but now, again , he seems suspiciously guilty since he had disappeared too!
Their last attempt to find out who the real culprit was is completely gone!
5.0.5 looked around to see if he could notice any signs of where the wagon could have gone. Maybe signs of the wheel on the dirt of something - and then, still tearful, he heard a noise .
A swaying of bushes, such as he had heard the first night as he patrolled the plantation.
The festival music got loud again, but he could see the leaves moving with his eyes.
He knew it was his duty now, more than ever. His last attempt . He was the only one capable of it - of finding who it was. Unmask the wrongdoer behind this mystery!
He followed the sound.
Opening the bush with his paws, he noticed two hooded skeletons pulling the wagon down the hill. They seemed to be having difficulty carrying it (especially since that fake pumpkin was nearly four times bigger and heavier than the common ones).
5.0.5. stood silent and quiet, trying to hide in the corners and shadows to look where they were going with that wagon. (Yes, it was a hard task.)
Suddenly a deep loud voice shouted for them to stop.
The skeletons halted, taking a scare at it, trembling - bones hitting.
They were a few meters down the hill. Fives tried to sneak closer to listen to them.
The horrific appearance of the evilest man he knew, made the ghost wide his eyes.
“What do you think you are doing?” Headless Jack O'Lantern's asked, in a menacing, authoritative voice.
Fives, for a second, truly believed he was there to help . Big mistake...
“B-but my lord--” One of them started speaking. “You’ve said all the pumpkins.”
The personification of Halloween lifted his scary hand and shouted at his useless followers.
“This is FAKE, you numskulls !”
One of the skeletons touched the pumpkin for the first time, noting that it was as hard as wood.
“O-oh…”
Headless Jack gritted his pumpkin teeth angrily but took a deep breath and tried to sigh the irritation away.
“Whatever, it doesn't matter anymore, none of them serve me.” He said, indicating for both of them to disappear from his sight. “Send all back to the farmer tomorrow night.”
“So your plan worked, my lord?" Asked the other skeleton, trembling, but surprised and glad that they were helpful.
Scary Jack Hat gave him a nasty look over a shoulder, while leaving them behind.
“Of course it did, you oaf.” And in his voice, something evil and sinister seemed to be hidden between the words. “I made it foolproof ."
The other skeleton raised a hand, in question.
“M'lord Hat, are you sure it will help undo your curse ? It might take years before your real head--”
“ Silence! ” Jack demanded, with a shift of a dark hand full of claws. Both guys straightened their backs and shivered in fear.
Not turning back at them, the evil man walked back up the hill, concluding.
“I don't pay you to question my plans, only to carry them out. Now go ! ”
Once Headless Jack went back to the festival, one hooded skeleton asked the other in a whisper.
“Wait, does he pay you…?”
And off they both went back to push the wagon down the hill talking about labor rights.
And 5.0.5…
Well…
5.0.5 tried to warn Flug.
But either way, apparently, what Jack Hat means by foolproof is that Flug can’t escape from it, either way .
“In the name of what is less sacred, in these dirty, grimy, immutable, and death-saturated lands - we take advantage of this moment of celebration to unite a couple, who possibly don't love each other.” The corpse of a zombie priest, in a state of decomposition, said, in front of the bonfire, while Headless Jack O’Lantern was holding the scarecrow pumpkin farmer named Flug, tied up, rudimentary wearing that white dress again, kicking and screaming at him to stop it.
“I KNEW IT WAS YOUR PLAN ALL ALONG!! THIS AIN’T PART OF OUR AGREEMENT!!!” He shouted, livid in rage to the other man.
“Quit the drama, you've already fallen for me once, didn't you?! You'll learn to do it again!!"
The priest continued.
Dementia, luckily, was already too drunk to process what was happening - and to avoid any trouble, Miss Heed took advantage of the situation to lure her out of the party.
A few other guests left just before midnight to take the children to bed. Still, a large portion of the citadel continued to watch the spectacle.
5.0.5 could not do anything.
And then, after a lot of name-callings and an uncomfortably forced kiss afterward - now he has two dads…
♩ ♪ ♫ Pumpkin spice and everything nice, make us evil, wicky, and vice. ♬♩ ♪
♬♩ ♪ This might not be the best you've seen , but - Thanks for reading my tale of halloweeeeeeeen! ♩ ♪ ♫
🎃 THE END 🎃