Here are the contributions linked up this week.  The are all so good!!!  Be sure to link up any day next week on any of my posts to be included next week.  Please visit the following links to get in the mood for Halloween.

THE BLOOD RAGE

THE PARK

THE BLUEBELL CO-OP

JACK ‘O LANTERNS

THE SHADOWS

THE WAMPUS CAT

TERROR

ECLIPSED SUN

The Man Who Loved Hallowe’en

BY Helena Hann-Basquiat

The house on Montague Street was always empty except for the last two weeks of October, when suddenly the house sprang to life. Every night, a new jack-o-lantern would appear in one of the dusty windows, and stare out at the town grinning its toothsome grin.
The children on Montague Street looked forward to Hallowe’en more than any child anywhere else in the world – because the man who lived at that great old house atop the only hill in town loved Hallowe’en more than anyone who ever lived. No adult in town would ever talk about it, because they’d been children once, and they remembered their promise to the old man – who was old even when they were children, and who must be absolutely ancient now. They had all promised to keep his magic a secret, and especially the price of the magic.
William Doucette, however, hated the house, the man, and Hallowe’en altogether. He’d lived there all his life, and he never went up to the house on the hill. He heard stories about the parties that went on there on Hallowe’en night. Every November 1st, he’d endured the laughter and lies of his schoolmates as they regaled him with stories of ghosts and ghouls and monsters and demons, all come to life, and dancing in the moonlight at the old man’s house.
He knew they were making fun of him – they never invited him to their parties, they picked him last for all their games, and they certainly never invited him to come trick-or-treating with them.
William decided that this year was going to be different. This year, he was going to march right up to the old house atop the hill, and knock on the door himself, and tell the old man exactly what he thought of him.
He marched through the darkness, following the glow of the many jack-o-lanterns, and passed the mailbox that read Mr. Aos Sí. He could hear peals of laughter and shouts of fright coming from the usually empty house, and he had to knock very loudly in order to be heard.
A spry looking man answered the door with a devilish grin.
“William! You’ve made it at last!” he said, tugging William’s hand and pulling him across the threshold. “Thought you’d never make it!”
“Take your hands off me, you old fool!” William cried, pulling his hand away. “I’ve never met you before in my life.”
“True, true,” the man said. “I am Mr. Aos Sí. You can call me Jack.”
William looked around the room and saw a host of strange looking creatures staring at him, and he could swear they looked hungry. Neighbourhood children in various costumes were dancing among them merrily.
“Ah yes,” Jack said, motioning to his guests. “These are the daoine sídhe, William. They’ve been waiting all night for you to arrive. You might say you’re the guest of honour.”
The door closed behind William, and the screams began.
The magic would continue for another night.

The conclusion to Please Forgive Me

Written by Lizzi Rogers

She bares her teeth
Through hateful, potent scowl
Raises her voice and keens
In broken, jangling howl
“Never. Never!
For you have let me down
Don’t crawl to me
Nor think you’ll get around
My wrath – for scorn once earned
Will leave you an eternity to be burned
By reminders of the unbelief you show’d”
And with that, unfolds her claws;
Leaps for your throat…