Wonderings on a Halloween Party

Hello, hello!  Please come in, won't you take a seat by the fire.  I have a Halloween tale especially for you.

The clock strikes quarter to midnight on Halloween and a house stands dark and abandoned.

The silence is suddenly broken by the click click of footfall and then the lighting of a match.  A solitary figure starts to light the candles along the mantelpiece, the cold and musty room slowly reveals itself.

Chairs and furniture are covered in dustsheets, books sit piled atop one another, the damp turning their once richly coloured covers, dull and mottled.

The figure is a lady and as she reaches the last of the candles she stops, her eyes drawn to the photo that still stands, a portrait of a man gazes adoringly down the lens.

She reaches out and softly runs her finger over his face, a soft sad sigh escaping from her.

 

Stepping away she looks around searching for and then finding the old record player, the soft haunting tones of a cello chasing the final ghosts of silence from the room.  Satisfied she moves towards the table to begin her work and starts to arrange queer little jars and objects before finally placing a large bowl in the middle.

Something soft brushes over her feet and she smiles down at the cat watching her intently.

“Soon my darling, soon we shall see him again”.

A piece of paper flutters down off the table and she bends to pick up, a creased, cut out piece of newspaper tells the tale of a man killed in a fire on Halloween, the picture of the man is the same as that on the mantelpiece, a man thought to have been leader of a Coven of witches.

Folding up the paper and placing it in her pocket she checks the time, it’s now 5 to midnight and she must work quickly.  She sits and her nimble fingers start to measure and spoon items from the jars into the bowl, all the while she whispers to herself.

“Virgin tears, 2 teaspoons of bats blood........

Angel feathers and this witch’s love..........

Master of the Underworld I make this prayer to thee.

Open the gates this Halloween and return my love to me.”

Her spell complete, she nervously sits back on her chair and a clock starts to chime midnight.  A soft breeze catches the candles and there is a soft tap tap at the window.  She starts at the sound, not expecting a reaction so quickly and a little scared about what to expect, nonetheless she makes her way over to the door and then steps outside into the darkness.

She stands for a moment the cool breeze refreshing on her hot, tense face, allowing her eyes to adjust for a moment she peers into the darkness looking for any sign that the spell has worked.  Still unable to see, she steps back inside and takes one of the candles off the table, the soft glow illuminating a small patch of the yard and cocooning her from the rest of the night.

She makes her way down the garden the candle lighting the path tred many times by the couple, heading towards their favourite spot, a little opening by the river.  She thinks of all the times they had escaped down here, away from the pressures of the Coven and the hatred of the townsfolk, they’d dance under the light of the moon, just two people in love.

The hatred from the town had grown too big and too angry, and........ she stopped herself, quickly blocking that memory of a year ago from her mind, that was over now and all that was left was ash and death.

Finding herself at the clearing, she looks around, the soft running of the river soothing on her ears.

Suddenly there is a soft tap on her shoulder and she holds her breath, too scared for a moment to turn around.  Will it be him?  Could this be it?

She breathes in and catches a familiar scent, soft cigar smoke and sandlewood, she smiles and turns to face her lover.  The sound from the cello softly makes its way down the garden and he takes her into his arms.  Swaying gently, they take up the familiar stance and begin to dance under the moonlight once more.

Although the year may be cold and grey as the Witch walks the path of life alone, from this year on, at Halloween from midnight until dawn, she is reunited with her beloved and the light will return.

The End

Thank you so much for sitting through my little tale of Witchcraft, Halloween and Romance, I hope you enjoyed it.  Thank you as well to Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist for holding yet another wonderful party, I look forward to seeing everybodies contributions.

One final thank you to my gorgeous C, who is always willing to take part in my crazy ideas and especially for his help with the photos. :-)