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!
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 didlike 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?”
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 wanthorror
and are likelyto 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.
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!
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!
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!
The DMS was lucky enough to interview Jessica Vitalis. We reviewed her book Unsinkable Cayenne, which will be released on October 29th. It was great to share our thoughts about it and hear yours! We're excited to learn a little more about her story. So, without further ado... take it away, Jessica!
What inspired you to write Unsinkable Cayenne? Unsinkable Cayenne actually started out as a short story I wrote for an anthology about first kisses (I don’t remember my own first kiss, but I played with the idea of what might have happened if I’d had the courage to pursue a crush I had in middle school); although the anthology never came to fruition, my editor saw the short story and said she’d love to see it as a novel. Although the kiss was cut from the final draft, the story is still very much about first crushes and fitting in.
How long did it take you to write Unsinkable Cayenne? It usually takes me about a month to write my first drafts…I think this one may have taken a bit longer because I was up to my eyeballs in Coyote Queen edits while I was drafting. In any case, I realized that first draft was too much like Coyote Queen, so I threw almost all of it out and started over. I believe the time it took me to write the second draft until I had to send it to my editor was about four months, and then we continued to edit for about a year before the book had to go to print.
What was your research process like for Unsinkable Cayenne? Was there any aspect of your research that was the most interesting? Unsinkable Cayenne was the most research-intensive of any of my books. Because the book is inspired by a crush from my childhood, I really wanted to keep it set in 1985; in order to pull that off, I knew I’d need a solid historical anchor. Luckily, my first Google search revealed that the Titanic wreckage was discovered in 1985; even more importantly, the social strata on board the Titanic fit perfectly with the themes I wanted to explore in my book, namely how socioeconomics impact the middle school experience. One of the most interesting things I learned while researching the Titanic (besides the fact that the third class was not intentionally locked below deck as many of us believed) is that there were only two bathtubs on board the ship for the approximately 700 third-class passengers!
Since my main character, Cayenne, is a birder, I also had to do quite a bit of research on birds for this story; I ended up making a list of bird facts that I thought were interesting, and then whenever I felt like the book was falling a bit flat, I went back to my list to see if there were any bird facts I could incorporate. (Did you know there’s a bird that can fly for months without ever touching land?!)
What is your writing process like? Do you listen to music? Write in a special place? Edit as you go or write and then edit? My writing practice can best be defined as sporadic. I’ll often spend months at a time glued to my desk writing for several hours a day, but then when I burn out I never hesitate to step away from my desk and tend to all the other areas of my life I’ve been neglecting. I’m not at all picky about my writing environment—as long as I have a laptop, I’m good to go! At home I usually write at my desk, on the couch, or on the porch. I don’t play music as I write, but I often listen to classical music while brainstorming on my morning walks.
What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired you? My family was very transient, so my access to books was limited to what I could find in second-hand bookstores or, on occasion, libraries. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on, but I don’t recall having any favorites (though I do remember going through a choose your own adventure phase!)
If you could live during any time period in history, when would it be? Why? On a purely practical basis, I don’t think I’d want to live in any era other than this one; although we’ve got plenty of problems, life now (particularly for women) is so much easier than it has been at any other point in human development. For the sake of a little fun, I will say that it would be incredibly interesting to live as a wealthy person in a heavily romanticized version of the renaissance; I’d love to listen in on some of the intellectual conversations that occurred during that period.
If you could befriend a character from your book, who would you befriend? Why? As an adult I’d hands-down want to befriend Fud from Coyote Queen if for no other reason than so that I could give her a giant hug (I also really like her spunk)! Fleurine from The Rabbit’s Gift would also be interesting because as the daughter of the Grand Lumiere (the head of the country), she’s in a position to wield tremendous power and shape the future of her country (I’d like to think I could help guide her to make good choices for the sake of her people.)
Is there anything you’ve learned along your path to publication that you would like to share with new writers? It took me six books written across thirteen years to land my first book deal; I’ve now published four books in four years and become an award-winning author. All this to say: never give up on your dreams! On a more practical level, I’d encourage writers to try to identify their weakness and focus on improving in that area (I know! It’s way more fun to focus on your strengths! But trust me, focusing on your weaknesses will pay off.)
Where can we purchase your book (s)?
Thank you for asking; my books are available everywhere books are sold! If your readers order Unsinkable Cayenne before October 29th, they can fill out a form on my website to claim a preorder gift and enter in the grand prize drawing. (Links to order signed copies of Unsinkable Cayenne are also available on my website.)
Want to connect with Jessica? Check out her social media sites:
It’s the mid-1980s and twelve-year-old Cayenne and her family live in their van and travel wherever they feel like going. They dance around campfires and sing, and aren't held to one area. They have a mostly good life, only when you aren't in one place for very long it's hard to feel like you belong somewhere. Lately money is tight, and things are a little strained now that Cayenne's younger sister is getting bigger. It's a surprise, when at the start of her seventh grade year, Cayenne‘s parents decide to settle down in one town. Her father now has a job, which helps the situation. Cayenne is excited to be able to make friends because she'll be in one place. She's never gone to school, but she's happy to be there, and she really wants to be part of the popular crowd. She's making some friends, and in social studies they are learning about The Titanic, which she finds interesting. Cayenne can relate to the different classes on The Titanic; fitting in isn't as easy as she thought it would be. While her new house seems amazing, it’s nothing like the houses the other kids live in. She has chickens in the front yard and they still don’t have a lot of money. Her dad seems to be working hard, but her mom is not too happy with their new life. Will Cayenne be able to fit in with the girls she wants to hang with? There is a new boy she thinks is cute, but does he like her too? Will her family stick around long enough for her to find out? You'll have to read this book to know what happens!
Told as a novel in verse, Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis is a book unlike any I’ve ever read. Although I’ve read a lot of historical fiction, I don’t recall reading any from the mid 1980s. I was a child growing up then, so it was interesting to go down memory lane with all of the fads and clothing, as well as the music. I could also picture a lot of what was happening very easily because of my life experiences. I tried to think about if a new student like Cayenne moved into my school back in the 80s and how people would have treated her. I hope people would have been nice, and I think overall it was easier for kids then to wear hand me downs and not always have the latest fashions. The author did a great job making Cayenne's experience realistic. My heart went out to her as she struggled to fit in both with her friends and with her family. Her dad had been in Vietnam and smoked a lot of marijuana in his bedroom. This definitely made it challenging for Cayenne when people stopped over, especially friends from school. All she wanted was to have friends and to have her family be happy, but what a challenge everything was for her! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and likes the 1980s or learning about The Titanic. I think anyone in fourth grade or up who has ever worried about fitting in and struggled to find the balance between their school and home life will enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Has anyone else read Unsinkable Cayenne? Or have you read another book by Jessica Vitalis? We'd love to hear your thoughts!