Thursday, October 31, 2024

Halloween Spooktacular!

 

What ghoulish splendor! Eleanor Skeleton here welcoming you darlings to another Halloween Spooktacular at the Begonia House. It's always frightfully delightful to sit for a spell and spin my wicked stories. Of course, I've laid out some tricks and treats for you to devour. So shake your bones and rattle on down the twisted path to the end. You never know what kind of October surprise lurks in the shadows. Mwahaha!

Welcome to our Halloween party! 
Enter if you dare. 
We've got gobs of gooey treats to share.


 Rest your bones in an old cemetery!💀
Delia Bates is a mysterious character. Buried way up on the hill, off to the side. 21 when she died in 1872. Charlie lays next to her. 
There are interesting stories hiding in this cemetery!
Delia's and Charlie's view 
Sylvanus Merwin

(Be sure to read the comments :)


HAVE A SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN!




Now, here's a story that's sure to make you scream.

Beware! This tale is written to scare. It is not for youngsters, their fingers and toes are too small for Ferry's taste.






“No way!” Georgie exclaimed. “Mom told you to stop making up stories.”
      “It's true. I saw Ferry Blackwell,” Macy said. “He had a head like a melon.”
      “You did not. Get your stuff and let’s go. We’re gonna be late.” Georgie walked out the door, and Macy followed, wishing her big brother would believe her this time. She did like to make up stories and their mom had asked her to knock it off, but this wasn’t a story. She had spotted Ferry Blackwell, she was sure of it.

 ***

Shifting from one foot to the other, Macy stared down the school driveway. All the buses had left; everyone was gone. Georgie was late. She had tried to call him on her cell phone, but there was no answer. Her mom was at work, but Macy knew interrupting her would guarantee a whole evening of arguing. Slipping the phone into her back pocket, she decided to walk home. 
As the pavement twisted and turned she found herself thinking about Ferry Blackwell again. Last week she had started reading a book about the history of her town, Devilsville. It hadn’t been very interesting, except for one phrase, which was handwritten on page thirty-three. It said: In the woods of Devilsville, you’re sure to find a gory thrill. When the bakerman wants to eat, hide your hands and cover your feet. With a head melon-sized and fire burning in his eyes, he’ll harvest your fingers and your toes, then hide the rest so no one knows. Murdered by an angry town, he swore revenge when they shot him down. So watch your children, but never tell- if Ferry Blackwell comes back from hell. 
Macy knew the words by heart. She had looked through a few other books, but found nothing else about Ferry Blackwell. Then, the other day, she saw him. There had been an odd rustling behind the bushes in her backyard, and when she went over to investigate, someone was there. It looked like a man, but with a huge head. He had flashed a mad, toothy grin at her, and then disappeared. Her mother had come running out when she heard Macy’s rants of terror.
 “Macy! What did I tell you about scaring people with your stories?” her mother had yelled. Macy knew that no one was ever going to believe her, and why should they? After all, she did have a long history of making things up, which had opened more than one can of worms for her parents to deal with. Things like, Ginny Wader, in the third grade, refusing to touch door handles ever again or Georgie wearing a helmet wherever he went for a year. The list was long, she mused. Her thoughts were suddenly cut short. Just ahead, at the bottom of the hill, a school bus was stopped in the middle of the road. Macy cautiously walked up to it and climbed the steps. Other than the backpacks strewn about on the seats it appeared empty.
“Hello?” she asked quietly. “Is anyone here?” Macy slowly made her way down the aisle. Midway, something caught her eye and when she turned to get a closer look, her mouth dropped open in horror. On the seat to her left was a bloody pile of shoes and socks, and what looked like fingernails tossed into the gruesome heap.
BANG! Something hit the side of the bus. “What was that?” she whispered. BANG! Again, the bus shook and teetered. Macy reacted fast. She ran up the aisle and grabbed the door handle. Just as it was about to latch, long fingers pried it back open. Two red, veined eyes zeroed in on their target. Terror forced the air out of her lungs, and she screamed. 

***

Macy was flat on her back when she woke. She was chained to the floor, and her feet were bare. A painful stinging in her fingers and toes sliced through her body. Where was she? What had happened?
“Who else is here?” she questioned the darkness.
“Shhhh,” a panicked voice ordered.
“Who’s there?” she said again.
     “Stop talking, you idiot. He’ll hear you.” It was a terrified sounding boy.
         “Why’s it so dark?” Macy continued. She had no intention of shutting up.
          “I think we’re in a basement,” another voice chimed in.
        Suddenly it dawned on her where they must be. It had to be the abandoned house on Hull Street. She and Georgie would come here when things around the house got too serious. It was their hiding spot, and she knew it well. Even the moldy, abandoned smells were familiar. “How many people are here?” she asked.
          “I’m here, Marcus Beltane,” came a nervous voice.
          “Me too, I’m Jen Andrews.”
      The voices started to pick up, “Justin Deluca, Melanie Grism...” There seemed to be about ten kids sitting in the dark with her; all scared, and all, she was certain, without their fingernails and toenails.
      The creaking of a door silenced the murmuring. A light flickered on, cutting through the blackness. Macy squinted her eyes open a bit and stared up at the ceiling, watching as a shadow with an enormous melon shaped head moved across the room. Its heavy footfalls came to a halt. Suddenly, a cackling voice bellowed out, “Looky here, girls and boys, forget your mommies and your toys. The fun and games will soon begin; to scare me back is how you win. But should you lose, you’ll pay a price, your fingers and toes I’ll surly dice. Just try to leave! It won’t do you well. For I’m back from hell. I’m the Bakerman, Ferry Blackwell.” His howling laugh sounded insane, like a hyena calling out to its prey. He did an odd little jig. Then, in an instant, he was gone.
       “Okay, this is really happening,” Macy said, more to herself than anyone else. She took a deep breath, then continued, “He said something about winning, didn’t he?"
       “Yeah, he said, to scare me back is how you win,” a trembling voice squeaked. “He also said that he was a bakerman. What’s he going to do? Cook us into bread or something?”
       “I think that’s exactly what he’s going to do,” Macy responded, remembering what she had read. “But, it sounds like if we scare him back, we win. Which, I guess, means we get to live.” 
       “How are we supposed to scare him? He’s a demon who makes bread out of kids’ fingers and toes. I mean, what’s scarier than that?” Macy recognized the voice of Jen Andrews.
       “I know, but...” Her mind was whirring. Then, it hit her. She remembered the cell phone in her pocket. The door opened. Macy threw caution to the wind and whispered just audibly, “I have a plan.”

***

 Her heart thudded in her chest as a shadow moved into the room. “So kiddies, who’s it going to be? Who wants to be the first to try to scare me?” His voice sounded crazy.
        Macy mustered up all of her strength and called out, “I’ll go first, you don’t scare me. You’re going to be caught any minute.” She kept her breathing even as Ferry Blackwell loomed above her, searching her face with his terrifying eyes. He was so close that she could smell his putrid, stinking breath.       
        “You wait and see! I’ll show you just how scary I can be!” He pulled her up by her hair and dragged her to a chopping block in the center of the room. Grabbing her left arm, he slapped her hand down on it.
She focused her mind on the weight in her back pocket, hoping beyond hope she hadn’t been knocked out for more than thirty minutes. The reminder alarm on her phone had been set to go off at exactly 4PM, and it had to be about that time. Macy glared up at Ferry Blackwell and said, “Everyone in town already knows where we are. Kids today have GPS trackers implanted in our bodies that tells our parents exactly where we are at all times. You’ll see, the town’s people will be here any moment to shoot you down and send you back to hell, Ferry Blackwell.”
         He looked bemused, as he replied, “Clever girl! You know my name! Now, let’s begin our little game. Terribly funny to think you’ll be saved- when for a century, fingers and toes I’ve craved!” He raised a sharp blade above his head, poised to strike. Macy squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself. Please go off alarm, she prayed, believing that this would, at the very least, buy her more time. As if on cue, a loud beeping blared out from her pocket. Ferry leered at her, unsure. Just then, in a brilliant moment of pure luck, another cell phone rang out, perhaps a concerned parent. Another one went off with a mechanical jingle. The timing couldn’t have been better. Suddenly, there was a frantic banging on a door. The demon spun around wildly, looking terrified. “No, no, not to hell. Hide, I must and never tell,” he bellowed and dropped the blade. It landed with a clink just as Ferry Blackwell shot into the air and burst into flames, disappearing in a black puff of smoke. 
No one breathed. Somewhere above, Georgie’s worried voice called out, “Macy, are you in here?”

Ferry's Toe Finger Bread
INTERVIEW WITH FERRY BLACKWELL
Hosted by Cate Masters 

Cate Masters: What do you love most about Halloween?

Ferry Blackwell: Halloween's a joke, that's what I say! It’s better in hell on that boring day. I can't even scare, so there's nothing to win- the people want horror and are likely to sin. I'd rather lay low and bide my time, when the moment's right, I'll get what's mine.

Cate Masters: Do you have a favorite memory of a Halloween past?

Ferry Blackwell: There was this one time, now let me see- I remember a Halloween treat that I baked just for me. I'd gathered my wits, then sought the ingredients, hoping to find a few fresh, young deviants. Mostly I needed fingers and toes, so I snatched them right up, despite all their woes. I sliced and diced, and baked my bread, even shared it graciously with those not yet dead.

Cate Masters: Have you ever had an unusual experience you can't explain?

Ferry Blackwell: I am an unusual experience you can't explain! You won't see me coming, and then you'll know pain. (Stands up, does a quick jig, then sits down again- grinning).

Cate Masters: What frightens you the most?

Ferry Blackwell: The time I told you about the treat, that Halloween was not so sweet. You see, though the bread did taste grand, the people found me, guns in hand. I was scared when they shot me down, but I swore I'd be back to haunt their town. Now here I am, as you can tell- Ferry Blackwell's back from hell! (Cackling laugh)

Cate Masters: Ever gone on a ghost tour? Or ghost hunting on your own?

Ferry Blackwell: Bah! Ghosts are for babies! They can't even speak. Nothing scary about them, they're flimsy and weak.

Cate Masters: Any favorite Halloween recipes you'd care to share?

Ferry Blackwell:
Lookie here! I'll grant your wish- Toe Finger Bread's my signature dish! It's so scrumptious, you'll surly agree. Next time I bake it, I shall slice some for thee.

Preview the book on Amazon
Ferry Blackwell Strikes Again is included in Lovecraft anthology published by the spooktacular Macabre Maine. Pick up a copy and give yourself a fright this Halloween!

Monday, October 28, 2024

MMGM: Scritch Scratch: A Ghost Story by Lindsay Currie

Claire may be in seventh grade but she knows there’s no such thing as ghosts. She’s very scientific after all. Of course her father couldn’t disagree with her more as he runs a spirits tour around Chicago and has written a book about ghosts. Claire is horrified and doesn’t like it if people at school know about her father and how weird he is about ghosts. Even though Claire knows ghosts aren’t real, she finds that she is scared when she walks in the alley near her house or in the dark basement, so she uses counting to help her. When her father's assistant isn’t able to make an important tour, Claire has to step in to help because she knows her family needs the money from the tour. The tour is going okay, Claire is staying organized and not getting freaked out until she sees a boy in a white suit dripping wet in the back of the bus. No one else seems to see him. When she gets home, she’s very rattled. She's worried that she’ll see the boy from the bus in her house. Hearing the scritch scratch on the walls sends her into her closet to sleep for the night. At school. Her best friend has befriended the new girl and seems to be changing. Claire doesn’t know what the big deal is and why her friend is now into makeup and stuff they used to make fun of last year. Claire’s not sleeping, so she's irritable and scared. And then, numbers appear on her bathroom walls and water is in a dresser. Did something follow her home? Is there a ghost trailing her? What does the ghost want? And how can she get it to leave her alone so she can go back to her regular life? You’ll have to read the spooky book to find out!

I knew I had to read, Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie as soon as I saw that amazing cover! I read another book by her, so I knew this would be a perfect fall read. I like that Claire is into science and the scientific method, and I thought it was interesting learning about a lot of the landmarks in Chicago and the ghost stories associated with them. I also like seeing the way the middle school relationships were portrayed. Very realistic! The book was definitely spooky, and I will admit I read a few parts during the day so that I wouldn't be too scared before bed! I would recommend this book to anyone in fifth grade and up who likes a good fright and learning about history! It’s a book that will make you want to learn more that’s for sure. 

Has anyone else read Scritch Scratch? Or have you read another book by Lindsay Currie? We’d love to hear your thoughts! 

Happy Reading!
~L

For other MMGM posts, please visit Greg Pattridge's blog.

Monday, October 21, 2024

MMGM: The Clackity by Lora Senf

Evie Von Rathe moved to Blight Harbor after her parents supposedly died in a fire. It is one of the most haunted places in the country, but the ghosts are mostly nice. She lives with her Aunt Des, a ghost hunter. Evie misses her parents, but she doesn't believe they are dead. She loves her aunt and they are very close. Plus, she loves her aunt's best friend, a known witch who runs the town library. It's summer break and the whole summer is before her, until Evie meets her aunt at the old slaughterhouse. She gets a very spooked feeling, and she never wants to go back. Something is very off there. Unfortunately, the next day her aunt is summoned to the old slaughterhouse again and Evie decides to go there to try to stop her. As soon as she sets eyes on her aunt, she watches her disappear. The Clackity comes creeping out of the walls and makes a "very good deal" with Evie, which gives her a chance to try to save her aunt. She enters another world and sees seven houses before her and knows she has to unlock a puzzle to free her aunt. The Clackity is creepy and Evie isn't quite sure what it is or if she should trust it. Worse yet, she finds there is an evil ghost who is after her. Will Evie figure out what to do in each house? Why did the Clackity make the deal with her? Is it really a very good deal? Can Evie save her aunt and avoid the evil ghost? You’ll have to read this spooktacular book to find out.

I have wanted to read The Clackity by Lora Senf since I first saw the amazing cover. I love spooky houses and this cover pulled me right in. The setting of the book was cool, and I could easily imagine the town and its ghosts. The other world Evie goes to is creepy, and I was intrigued by the characters she meets there. I thought Evie was a great character, and I enjoyed her relationship with her aunt. Evie thinks things through and acts from her heart, which made it interesting to see what decisions she makes on her quest. She is so brave! I like the way the book was spooky, but not too scary, and nothing gruesome happened. I would recommend this book to anyone in fifth grade and up who likes to be frightened, likes creepy houses, magic, and fantasy elements. I noticed this is the first book in a trilogy, so I look forward to reading the rest them to find out what else happens to Evie and her family.

Has anyone else read The Clackity? Or have you read another book by Lora Senf? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

For other MMGM posts, please visit Greg Pattridge's blog.