Halloween Short Stories

Short Story

Aashini Sanapala

The creaking was eerily comforting. It informs me that there’s someone else here. If it was silent, I wouldn’t have known that. I draw out my poisons, fresh from the cauldron, bubbles rising and sinking inside. Everyone thinks witches make potions, but that’s not true. We create poisons, some harming directly while others do so indirectly.

I hear something scrape. Screeeeeeech! Different this time. It startles me and I jump a little. A ghost appears. Like fog taking form. Out of thin air. Wrong poisons. WRONG POISONS!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! I don’t have enough time to make more. I think while I run. Then I realized that ghosts shouldn’t make creaking sounds. It hits me, the new information I’ve gathered. There’s more than one monster haunting my house. I chug down an “antidote” to death. I’m now temporarily immortal. But the ghost can swap my soul with it. I need to leave now. It’s… too… late. Too late.

Mwahahaha! What power this body has!

. . .

Short Story

Aashini Sanapala

It was a dark and cloudy night when I was outside. Lost. The moon was covered up by dark, shadowy, gray clouds. It was hard to see because of the black sky, and it became harder when the streetlight nearest to me flickered out. The wind was blowing… whoosh! I tried to concentrate on the music coming from a house nearby until the electricity was cut out of every house on my street. “This clearly isn’t a coincidence,” I thought to myself, cautiously. There’s a boy outside. I go to ask him for directions. Looking back on it, I was stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. I should’ve run away. But he captivated me up until the moment he bit me. I pass out and find myself back home, but remember everything that happened so vividly, with a permanent bite mark on my neck. As a ghost.

. . .

The Blood Red Shade of The Calla Lily

Zara Reyes

I can hear everything, to the splashes of water, quiet footsteps, and the chatter in all rooms of the mansion. Execution. The Shogun of Japan has spoken, the fate of the Tatebayashi clan and art has been decided. Tatebayahshi Ninomiya is the head of the clan. Ayabe Hiroe is the only predecessor of Tatebayashi sword making.

Death by seppuku. An honorable way to die as a samurai. The shogun was merciful enough to give three days to prepare, though the shogun’s doushis will stand by day and night near the mansion. Lady Tatebayashi killed the shogunate’s son at the request of her lover Shikanoin Shinobu as she refused to marry him, and only loved Tatebayashi; not aware of the consequences of her being caught.

Step, step. Step, step. Slow and graceful steps, followed by loud and quick tip taps of servants and maids with a smooth swoosh of the sliding door. Tatebashi kneeled down at the table in the middle of the living room with an empty ikebana vase that rested in front of her. Plates of food started to surround her, a teacup rested on her hand.

“Come,” Tatebayashi said. I kneeled down across from her, as she recounted the details of her situation and expressed her concerns on the fate of the Tatebayashi clan. “With the few days I have left, I do have one favor to ask from you.”

“Anything for you Miss Tatebayashi.” I responded.

“See this empty vase right here?” she pointed at the vase in the middle of the table. “For my final goodbye, I’d like to leave an ikebana here, although I’m unable to gather the materials myself. I need help from a friend rather than my student, so please call me by Ninomiya.”

“It would be my pleasure, Ninomiya. It is your last wish after all.”

She handed me a list of materials in elegant handwriting; one red calla lily, twigs with warm-colored leaves attached, and a few flowers in a variety of colors. As I didn’t want to waste any more time I headed out hastily. Out on the porch of the garden, there is a somber forest that leads to a glistening clear blue river. One of the elderly maids stood nearby scattering black-eyed peas on the porch.

“Good evening madam, what are the peas for?” I asked.

“Long long ago it was used to expel any evil spirits or demons around, and scare them and their bad intentions away from homes.”

“Not if the foxes get to it first” I chuckled. She grinned and headed back inside.

I went deep into the ominous forest, the wind whistling through the trees’ branches. Leaves rustled and a few started to flutter through the air. The nearby river crashed over the rocks. There was a small concentrated area filled with red calla lilies, peculiar yokai surrounded the lustrous river but the region with red calla lilies. The kappa are as tall as a child and have scaly skin. The scales have an earthy green hue, they had webbed hands and feet with no thumbs. A turtle shell was attached to its back and had a turtle-esque beak, on top it had a deep depression that is constantly filled with water or it will be unable to move and may die.

Forty-eight kappa rest nearby the river, no seen ruler rests within them. It is said if you are able to trick a kappa to bow so low water spills out from its head it will be loyal to you till the end of its life. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ninomiya had outwitted all of them and became the ruler of the river, as she is mischievous and clever herself.

Though kappa are known to kill and drown humans, kappa are also known to be helpful and loyal. Ninomiya has instructed me to offer them cucumbers in exchange for a red calla lily, once I mentioned Tatebayashi Ninomiya’s name it seemed they were familiar with her. One kappa was eager to help with whatever she needed although when I specified that she wanted a red calla lily it was hesitant. The small kappa walked across the river and picked one in an unfavorable condition. Its petal had rips and tears on them, it had a dull red color rather than a bold saturated red, almost blood red, that you see frequently. I decided to get them myself. I picked a full bouquet of them; looking for the ones in the best condition, though making sure I left a few behind. I kept one of them and attached it to my kimono.

Drip….drip…the rain started to pour, it was best to head back to the mansion to avoid damaging the flowers and other materials I had carried. The forest had become lightless; the tree tops having covered the moonlight, as I threaded through a distant step…step…followed me. I was close to drawing my blade, but I was more focused on keeping the materials intact. The mansion was nearby and the sounds of footsteps started to disappear. I went inside and the peas were still on the porch.

Three more days left. The Ikebana was coming together, the red complimenting the deep dark branches. Ninomiya asked for a palette with more variety, and I obliged. She hasn’t moved an inch ever since yesterday, unmoving, a peaceful state. The stew on the table started to get cold. It had rice, black-eyed peas, and bits of sausage. It looked delicious but still left untouched.

The state of the mansion became more desolate, few furnishings were left, and maids and servants started to quit. The only thing left was the table, the silence was almost deafening, you could hear a pin drop. I went out of the porch and the peas disappeared, the garden looked unkempt and the bushes rustled. It seemed that every day the rain would pour for hours, I collected more materials but it was a much shorter trip than last time.

It was the day before Ninomiya’s death was scheduled. A short sword lay on the left side of the table and a katana on the right with the ikebana in the middle. She sat still with her eyes closed. The mansion was completely devoid of anything, even her swords were sold off, all but one sword made from the Tatebayashi sword art. I searched room to room for anything left behind, but nothing was found; It started raining again. A sudden knock came from the front door. Bang! Bang! Bang! A loud thud followed suit. I ran in a panic to the living room.

Ninomiya lay flat on the floor, shattered glass from her cup scattered on the floor. Her skin was pale and lifeless as if no blood flowed through her. It looked like a murder although her katana was left untouched. The Shogun’s doushin in front of the door had fallen too, with the same lifeless face and skin as Ninomiya. I was terrified.

A funeral was hastily organized in light of news about Ninomiya’s unexpected death. Her past friends, servants, and maids attended as well as Shikanoin Shinobu, who was especially grief-stricken. It aptly didn’t rain that day, the sunlight shined from the skies above it brightened the morning like Ninomiya probably brightened everyone’s lives that attended, I definitely know it did to me.

One last time I visited the Tatebayashi mansion, I would say I was there to investigate her death although I undoubtedly missed coming there every day. I opened the door and I was greeted with the ikebana and untouched short sword and katana. Although suspiciously, the ikebana was missing its calla lilies. It’s strange since Ninomiya is known to be skilled and swift with a blade, unless her opponent was nowhere to be seen or she was blindfolded. All of a sudden it started to piece together, the terrified kappa, the pale victims and the black-eyed peas. It was a suiko, they rule over kappas and are afraid of black-eyed peas; known to drown and suck the blood out of its victims. Legends say they could even turn invisible. That greedy suiko! There’s only one way to kill a suiko and it may take days to set up. Behind the door you could hear wet steps, step…step…loud knocking came from the door Bang! Bang! Bang!