by Adam Bennett
The others were unnerved while the leader stood strong and brave. “So how do we win?”
“If you follow the right lights… and avoid the Candle Man, you can find your way and win. I hope you have enough gold…” Fox giggled as the gang dug into their pockets to pool their gold jacks.
***
Robin ‘Pumpkin’ Oaksgourd sat on a bench outside of the Talon Scale Tavern, both arms crossed, an irritated look set firmly on her face. The fifteen year old couldn’t help but feel gypped out of another night of fun due to a job. She patted her cloak to feel around for a bag of concealed candy, but it was absent, which made her drum her lips in exasperation.
“Forgot to restock my candy from two nights ago. Well, that’s not a good start.” Pumpkin fought not to pout. Being a freelance witch meant that she could set her own hours, but when she set out a contract with a magical ping, she was bound to fulfil it, no matter where or when. It was especially prevalent when she was forced to work on her birthday two nights ago.
At least she could choose who she worked with. The rogue Masaka leaped from a rooftop and landed in front of Pumpkin with two ice cream cones in both hands. Pumpkin was unimpressed by her landing and instead she stuck her hand out to receive a cone.
“One of these days,” Pumpkin began, “you’re gonna break your knees doing all those ninja flips and crap.”
“But I am a ninja,” Masaka noted as she handed the vanilla cone to Pumpkin, who wasted no time in dabbing her tongue over the creamy substance. “And if you keep doing that, some saggy perv’s gonna get the wrong idea.”
“My, my… Someone’s mind is in the gutter,” Pumpkin said with her mouth full. “Where’s Minora?”
Minora was a fairy that Pumpkin rescued during her contract two nights ago; she was captured by the Yatagarasu clan of ninja and held for an unknown amount of time, and when Pumpkin arrived with the party she was hired to join, Minora pledged herself until the debt was repaid in kind.
Masaka looked back and forth, her long ears twitching to pick up specific sounds, namely Minora’s distinct fairy humming. “She’s been cooped up in a cage for spirits know how long. I guess she’s gone off exploring Hollowmore.” The rogue opened her mouth wide and swallowed her cone whole. “I don’t hear her nearby.”
Pumpkin’s eyes nearly bulged out of her skull. “It still freaks me out when you do that,” she commented as she lapped at her small mound of vanilla.
“We elves don’t need to waste time on eating all the time. We just get it out of the way.”
The witch leered at her friend. Masaka noticed this and laughed nervously. “Of course, that’s not to say you’re wasting your time eating ice cream… By all means, take your time!”
Pumpkin made an “Mm-hm” noise in her throat before taking another lick. “I can’t take my time even if I wanted to. Where’s Minora? She’s gonna get left behind.” The witch had to make some changes to make sure Minora didn’t get herself captured again.
Fairies were very valuable in the world of Masquerade, and snaring one meant you had condensed magic at your beck and call. Minora’s blood could heal wounds and her tears could turn into diamonds. That paled in comparison to the other tricks she was capable of.
As Pumpkin finished her ice cream, the familiar humming of a jovial Minora reached her ears. She and Masaka turned to see the young fairy fluttering up and humming while she held a bag of candy.
“Oh Pumpkin!” The fairy said in her singsong voice. “I noticed you were out of candy before we left so I made sure to get you some!”
Pumpkin’s eyes lit up like fireworks. She immediately snatched the bag and hugged it like it was her child. “Kimyouna vanilla candy… you made my night, Minora.”
“It’s not Halloween without candy!”
Minora giggled and twisted in mid-air, while Masaka craned her neck to look past the two. “Hey,” she caught their attention and motioned her head in a nod. “Who’s that?”
Pumpkin and Minora turned and immediately jumped in surprise; at their rear was a boy half of the witch’s size who stood as still as a statue. His face was covered in that of a blank-expressed skull, and he seemed to examine them like a creature sizing up potential new encounters.
The witch and fairy exchanged looks, Pumpkin looking unsure and Minora emitting a subdued crystalline light as she inched herself between her friends. At a moment's notice, she'd fight or fly away.
“I’m sorry, did I startle you?” The skull kid spoke but he felt… off, as if his words just didn’t fit his body. He looked to be no more than ten years old but the tone of his voice belayed knowledge far beyond his years. “That’s not a good sign. I’m looking for a witch who isn’t so easily scared.”
Pumpkin’s unease quickly flipped a switch as her left eye twitched, coupled with a soft growl. “Unfortunately, I take it you pulled my contract?”
Skull was silent and merely looked at the witch. “Why is it unfortunate? Do you not want money?”
“Of course, I want money; who doesn’t?” Pumpkin answered.
Masaka leaned close and added, “Agrarian people.”
Minora fluttered behind and whispered, “Fairies.”
“You two aren’t helping at all,” Pumpkin growled while cutting her eyes at the two as they stifled giggles.
“You haven’t answered my question.” Skull didn’t change posture at all. Neither Pumpkin nor Masaka could read his face due to the mask, and Minora’s giggle couldn’t erase her nervousness about the boy.
“It’s because the fourth Halloween night is one big jam session. I couldn’t go to this party last year, thanks a lot, Mom, and now that I’m out on my own, I’m stuck working.” Pumpkin situated her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.
“If you’d like me to, I can redact the contract—”
Pumpkin held up her hand to stop Skull from talking any further. She shook her head. “You hired me, so I got no choice. Besides, you can’t redact a witch’s contract.” She sighed and recited her next words as if reading from an info pamphlet, “Witches sponsored by the Brauner Institute of Magic are obligated to fulfil a client’s request or risk paying a termination fee. So, I’m not going to waste money.”
“It seems that money’s the big issue here,” Skull responded as he dug his spindly hand into a rucksack.
“You bet your sweet bippy it is—” Pumpkin began before she was stopped by the large bag of gold jacks the boy produced from out of thin air. Masaka’s beady eyes widened, as did Minora, whose own eyes nearly popped from her face. “Just how much money is that?”
“Enough money for you to stop being freelance. I see so much untapped potential within you. It’s what drew me to you, but your job holds you back.”
Pumpkin chuckled. “Okay, okay. Even I know that someone offering this much money wants something in return.”
Skull nodded. “Of course. I want you to help me find my sister,” he said directly.
Masaka, who had only observed up until now, interjected, “Just who are you, kid? I can’t smell you or hear you breathing.”
“That, I can’t tell you,” he answered. “What I can tell you is that I care a great deal for my sister, and I need to find her at any cost.”
“What happens when we find her?” Minora spoke up.
“We?” Pumpkin turned to face the fairy.
“Yes, we, Pumpkin. I don’t want to get left behind again!” Minora balled her fists and pumped them up and down. Her cheeks were as vibrant as roses as they puffed up like small berries. “I can’t help it that I’m a fairy!”
“When we find my sister,” Skull continued, “then your job is finished. I need someone with considerable magic talent to accompany me.” He handed the bag of gold jacks to Pumpkin, who tapped it with her sceptre.
The bag divided itself into three bags, hers being the largest, Masaka’s at medium-sized and Minora’s being the smallest. “Well, where do we start?”
The Skull Kid turne
d around and pointed to the west. “We’re heading to Hallow Vault.”
Pumpkin and Masaka exchanged looks again. “Hallow Vault? The old distillery?” The witch had a perplexed expression as she tried to wrap her mind around the significance of an old, rundown factory.
“It’s the location of this year’s game of quis venari,” Skull informed them.
The trio’s expression went from perplexed to surprised… and slightly fearful. Masaka spoke up first: “Quis venari?”
“Oh crap,” Pumpkin uttered. She regretted taking the money now.
“Yes, quis venari. The game that—”
The witch finished for him, “The game of hide and seek with ghosts, basically. Not the friendly kind, the big bad ones.”
Minora said with fear deep in her gut, “The Candle Man.”
The Skull Kid nodded. “Yes, the Candle Man. My sister was taken, and I need your help in finding her.”
Masaka took Pumpkin by the arm and pulled her away for five feet. “Are you crazy?”
“Yes, Masaka, I’m crazy! That’s me, a complete loony!” Pumpkin retorted and threw her hands up.
“Some freaky kid comes along—”
“I resent being called a freaky kid,” Skull defended himself.
“As I said,” Masaka continued, “some freaky kid comes along and throws money our way to play quis venari. So, we got a death wish now?”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Pumpkin crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “The Candle Man, the lights, the whole shebang. I know.”
“Pumpkin, there are some jobs where you need to draw the line,” Masaka stated.
“This coming from a rogue, Masaka. The pot calling the cauldron black and whatnot,” the witch retorted.
Masaka glared at her friend with luminous eyes. Pumpkin returned the glare.
“No one’s telling you to come, Masaka. I’ve already given you your share, and the same for you, Minora. But, I could really use your help. We’ll just stick together.”
The rogue and fairy looked to one another. They both gave a small smile.
“All right, kid. Lead the way,” Pumpkin stated.
Hallow Vault, Two Hours Later
“So why am I hearing a bunch of kids acting the fool nearby?” Pumpkin and the group walked through a small forest clearing that slowly became clear-cut, opening the way to a small abandoned district. It bore neon signs, old storefronts, and rundown vehicles, and at the rear was the distillery.
“Why else?” Masaka said. “Kids love playing with the crap they shouldn’t be touching.” The group looked ahead and saw a group of masked kids, vaulting over various structures, whooping, and exploring.
The burly masked kid noticed Pumpkin and co. approaching and shouted to his friends. “Hey, who are those guys?”
The leader of the kids ran up to his friend and stopped short. “Some lost trick-or-treaters. Look, sisters escorting their dumb little brother around!” He laughed and looked back at his entourage, who joined in the laughter as well.
Pumpkin approached, did a mental head count of each kid, and turned to her client. “Okay, is that girl right there your sister?” she questioned while pointing at the female member of the group, who looked shocked and slightly embarrassed by her body language.
“No, she is not my sister,” Skull answered stern as a mast.
“I don’t have a brother!” the girl answered, still confused.
“Hey, who are you guys anyway? Here to horn in on our fun? Did the party back in Hollowmore kick you out?”
“Please don’t make me kick you in the mouth,” Pumpkin implored. “I will do so without blinking.”
The wimpy member of the small gang examined Pumpkin closely. “Like what you see?” Pumpkin asked as the boy jumped in fear.
“Hey boss,” he began, “I think she’s a witch. Look at her sceptre!”
The leader stepped up to Pumpkin, crossing his own arms. “So what, you’ve been hired to take us all home?”
“If I was, there’s nothing you’d be able to do about it. But nope. If you want to go and fall into a dark void, go ahead; you’re not my kid.” The bluntness of her statement surprised the leader and he took a step back.
“You kids got no idea what you’re in for, do you?” Masaka questioned. “You should get home while you still can.”
Skull scanned the group but didn’t find anything of interest. “She’s not here.”
“Why do you adults always suck the fun out of everything?” the girl spoke up.
“Because if we didn’t,” Pumpkin began. “You’d be dead. Now get the hell out of here before I put you all over my knee.”
The small gang didn’t budge, which made Pumpkin raise her eyebrow. Masaka stifled a laugh and urged Minora to come to her as the witch cracked her neck.
“Okay, let’s try this another way.” Pumpkin tapped her sceptre and waved her free hand in front of her face. As she did, a gigantic flaming pumpkin appeared in place of her head with a devilish grin on its face. “Get home right now!” she bellowed with a rumble that quaked the children to their knees.
The kids fled, save for the leader who was rooted to his spot. His pants were soaked, and his knees knocked louder than castanets. Pumpkin glared at him.
“Brave one, aren’t you?” she cackled like an old crone.
“Not at all…” he whimpered before he took off like a shot. “Wait for me!” he wailed.
Pumpkin snapped her fingers and the illusion dissipated. Masaka howled with laughter while Minora cowered behind a box. “Is it gone yet?” she asked.
The witch stifled her own laugh and said, “Yes, it’s gone now, Minora. Sorry about that.”
Fluttering nervously, Minora glanced back and forth. “Why would you make such a thing?”
“It got my point across, didn’t it?” Pumpkin answered while fighting not to burst into a laughing fit.
Her laugh was cut short as she heard a new source of eerie, disembodied feminine laughter. Minora’s eyes went wide as her head jutted around, searching for sight to add to sound. Masaka’s ears played tricks on her, an uncomfortable feeling as it gave her multiple sources to track. Her eyes could pick up nothing useful.
“Oh crap,” Pumpkin uttered. “He’s here, isn’t he?”
“Tell me,” Skull started, turning unafraid to the witch. “What do you know about the Candle Man?”
“Some guy with a lantern that older people say is the reason lights can be seen over bogs at night,” Minora answered first.
“Ghost lights, jack-o-lanterns, hinkypunks, corpse candles, will o’ the wisps, and fool’s fire. You name it, I’ve heard of it,” Masaka added. Her eyes still danced like worried stars.
Pumpkin sighed as her eyes did their own work. “He was once called Stingy Jack, a wandsmith who invited a daemon for a drink. Jack, the sorry little ingrate of a cheapskate he was, didn’t want to cough up the dough from his own pocket, so he got the bright idea to convince the daemon to turn into a coin to settle the tab. Funny enough, that’s how Masquerade got its money now, from a cheapskate.”
The group decided to move towards the distillery as one by one, the lights in the old city blinked to life right as they passed. The electricity running through the signs provided a low and unsettling hum, and Minora held Pumpkin’s free arm tight.
“The daemon turned into the coin, but Jack skipped out on the bill and kept the daemon in coin form in his pocket with a silver cross to keep it from shifting back. He let it go and made it promise not to seek revenge.”
“I guess it didn’t go over so well?” Masaka questioned as her blades were fully drawn and gripped tight.
“Well, Jack managed to trick the daemon again and convinced it not to snag his soul. This bit Jack full on in the ass because when he died, his soul—”
“Turned into a fairy with a pink tutu?” Minora commented. Pumpkin and Masaka shot her uncomfortable glares. “I’ll shut up now.”
“His soul couldn’t pass beca
use of his deceptions,” Pumpkin started again. “The daemon gave him an enchanted burning coal to light his way and sent him off into the night to ‘find his own hell.’ So, Jacky-boy put the coal into a carved-up pumpkin that bore his grimace at his goof-up. He’s supposedly been roaming Masquerade with it ever since.”
“We’re being chased by some dillhole who tried to trick the devil. Just flippin’ wow,” Masaka grumbled.
Just as she finished speaking, a cold chill ran down the spine of each of them, raising the hair on the backs of their necks. Pumpkin watched as the shadows around them appeared to expand and darken, returning to normal almost immediately. She rubbed her eyes in confusion, chalking it up to her imagination.
“Did you feel that?” Minora asked, running her hands up and down her arms as though she were freezing.
“What the heck was that?” Masaka demanded, eyes wide as she observed their surroundings with suspicion.
“You felt the mortal world melding with the spirit world,” Skull explained.
“What?” Pumpkin exclaimed. “What exactly does that mean?”
“Everything on the other side is now here with us,” he stated.
“Are you kidding me?” Minora muttered, flying closer to Masaka for protection as they moved further into the dark distillery. She screamed when a ghostly apparition abruptly materialised in the outer reaches of light cast by Pumpkin’s lantern bomb.
“Hell! Did you have to scare us all half to death? It’s just a ghost!” Pumpkin stated, paling as they heard a voice speak from somewhere nearby in the darkness.
This is not your grave… but you are welcome in it.
“What the crap? What the actual crap?” Pumpkin fretted as she struggled to maintain focus. She grunted, and the lantern bomb increased in volume to provide more light, but as she did, the looming darkness seemed to consume her efforts.
“Just a ghost, huh?” Masaka said. “Who said that?”
