A Halloween Tale


A Halloween Tale

Joe, Harry, and Larry wiggled out a giggle. Actually, it was really only Larry who was leaning in for a laugh. Joe nervously chatted his two teeth while Larry guffawed at the chatter.  

"Did you see their faces as they passed by?" Harry was sputtering. "Headless horseman! What an imagination kids have!" 

Harry couldn't sit upright anymore and fell onto Joe. Larry guffawed even harder until his teeth became a jigsaw in his jaw. All of a sudden, he sucked in a breath.

"But, if we're not someone's head, then what are we?" Larry asked.

Harry's oval chin scrunched up for a second. "Larry...sometimes you think too much!" he concluded. "We're jack-o-lanterns, of course!"

And they both fell into hysterics.

Joe didn't join them. "Guys...It's getting dark. I don't want to be a party pooper, but..."

"Well, then, don't!" Harry huffed.

They all fell silent. It was so silent that the crunch, crunch of the crinkled leaves seemed so loud.

"Guys, did you hear that?"  Joe moaned.

Crunch, crunch. There it was again!! 

"Would you stop playing around!" Harry snapped.

Crunch, crunch, munch, munch of terrified lips. The Cruncher was getting closer.

"It's not me..." Joe whispered.

"You're telling me it's not your chattering..." Larry began.

"Good evening, pumpkin heads," came the Cruncher. "How wonderfully round and jolly you are. I could just eat you up!"

"Please don’t!" Joe managed between his clicking teeth.

The Cruncher roared with laughter. "Of course I won't! I have no head! Haven't you noticed?"

The three jack-lanterns had to admit that above the silken, dark cape there was definitely a gape. So, the Headless Horseman definitely existed and was definitely missing a head.

Larry was kind of intrigued. "Where's your horse?" he wondered.

"Horse? Well, they're kind of hard to come by these days."

"I hate to ask, but do you plan to use one of us as your head?" Harry ventured bravely.

The figure roared again. "You heads are so funny! Imagine me...with an orange head!" Then, he sighed. "But let's get down to why I'm here. You have to choose: trick or treat?"

The three pumpkins glanced at each other, each one waiting for the other to speak. Finally, they offered, "Treat?" in questioning unison.

They sensed a smile in the dark. "Very good." The voice was like velvet.

The Headless Horseless Horseman snapped his fingers, and suddenly Joe's eyes opened wide. He was back in the pumpkin patch with Harry and Larry on each side.

"Hey, guys–wait 'till you hear the dream I had..."


                                                                                

Text: Kristen Mastromarchi


Photo: <a href="https://pixabay.com/it/users/gadgemayur-23630953/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6720424">Mayur Gadge</a> da <a href="https://pixabay.com/it//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6720424">Pixabay</a>


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