-9-
The Harvest Moon

My shift in the dunking booth had come to an end. The Sun was now setting over the gable roofs of Iskay Village. The cobblestone square had fallen quite. I thought like most folk festivals there would be a dance at the end. I was wrong, there was no dance. The villagers simply retreated inside to the warmth of their houses.

-6-
The Main Attraction

The cobblestone square was filled with life. Dozens of colorful kiosks dotted the cobblestone square. These tiny little booths sold a diverse selection of goods. One of the booths was selling what appeared to be plush dolls, the dolls had been sewn together using locally produced wool. The eyes of the dolls were buttons and the hair was yarn. A hand-painted sign read “Handmade, High Quality Dolls! Only five silver Marks per doll!”

-1-
The Road to Isksay 

The village of Isksay is an idyllic little village located around ten leagues from Sea Breeze. The village is a small farming community and is best known for the many windmills that dot the surrounding hills. Each Autumn the village celebrates the bountiful harvest by holding a community wide celebration. Now even adventures need some down time. And so, upon hearing that annual harvest celebration was about to take place, I packed my bags and saddled up Coco and started toward Iskay

The following story was told to me by Lana Edwards, Lana is a Junior at Benton Academy and a long time girl scout who has just completed all the requirements to award her Gold Rewards. The Gold Reward is the highest honor a girl can earn in her scouting career. Anyway she swears this story is true. And given Lana is not the type to make up stories, and given my own paranormal encounters and many other paranormal encounters I've written about so far. I'm going to take her word at face value.

There was so much on the agenda. I had to get my name legally changed, then I had to get a new driver's drivers license with my new name and gender. And that would require a trip into Vicksburg. The name change would would require a trip into Yazoo City. Then it was the matter of my Social Security card again that would require a trip into Vicksburg. And the matter of my birth certificate, that would require a trip into Ridgeland.

I was lost as a goose when it came to picking out a pair of high heel shoes that would match the gown I'd picked out. Thankfully my aunt was there to help. It took her just under fifteen minutes to pick out a pair of coral pink shoes that went well with the dress. And as kind of an after thought she tossed in a pair of pink flip-flops. Once those two items were in hand, we made our way to one of the checker stands. The sales woman, a woman who seemed to be in her mid fifties, a woman who had salt and pepper colored hair just smiled and scanned each item.

The Greenville Mall was like most rustic malls. Two major anchor stores and a concourse running between them. With the concourse being filled with varies name brand boutiques such as Rue18 and Forever 21 and oddly enough an Gothic Topic. The two major anchor stores were JCPenney and Belk. Belk's was located on the east hand side of the mall and JC Penny's was located on the west hand side of the mall. Aunt Cat decided that JC Penny's would hold greater promise for the gown she wanted me to wear and of course the bathing suit too. I can't forget the bathing suit either.

We had sirloin steaks that night with garlic french fries and home-made yeast rolls. The cotton was dry and needed to be hauled in and uncle Sidney was in the field from daybreak to dusk. I could tell the work was taking its toll on him. His face, arms and neck seemed blistered from the sun and his eyes seemed hollowed over. And no matter how much he seemed to bathe, he always seemed to be caked in dust.

I took a deep breath and peered toward the full, floor length mirror that stood before me. The sight that greeted me made me flush with embarrassment. The glass surface of the mirror reflected a brunette girl, who was dressed in a Dalmatian costume, the costume being a Dalmatian printed dress, with a matching headband that had fluffy dog ears  hanging about it. To add insult to injury, a pink collar with a dog bone shaped nameplate was fastened around my neck. The name 'Madeline' had been engraved upon the nameplate.

Gakkou No Kaiden
Hyakki Yagyo – Night Parade of a Hundred Demons

According to the old folks in Satoyama village, on certain nights between June and August, a parade of one hundred different Oni and Yokai are said to march through the narrow streets of the village. The local monks at the nearby temple will warn you it's best to stay safely shut inside your home on these certain nights unless you wish to encounter such a terrible sight. But be warned if you do encounter such a parade you will spirited away and be forced to join in the march, forever.

Halloween Romance
Sequel to
Mischief Night Magic
Part One: Saturday Morning

The Benton Country Club was a handsome brick building that had been built on top of a hill. The Country club was the playground for the bourgeoisie of the town. A nine hole golf course surrounded the building and attached to the building was a deep, oval-shaped swimming pool and beside the swimming pool was a tennis court. To become a member, one had to vote in. It was also clannish, with just one vote against you being enough to black ball you from ever joining the club again. 

According to the Book of Genesis, the first recorded murder in human history was committed  by Cain who murdered his brother Abel. Setting the stage for men to murder each other for years to come. A foreshadowing to man's own bloody history of conflict with his fellow man. Now, the next story was told to me, by my cousin, Daisy. Who claims the story is true. And there was something in the manner of his speech, something the way he seemed to look over his shoulder, something in the way he held himself as he recounted this story that filled me with a sense of dread.

Have you ever asked yourself the following question? What causes a place to become haunted? Or to become infested with demons? That is the million dollar question that is often debated among theologians and paranormal scholars alike. I'm not here to answer that question. I'm here to tell you a story of a building that is haunted. Haunted by the lost soul of a wayward teenage girl who tragically took her own life in a fit of religious fever and my personal encounter with her. But first a brief history lesson.

Mischief Night Magic
Sequel to
Cemetery Shenanigans
Part Four: Basic Supplies

Mischief Night Magic
Sequel to
Cemetery Shenanigans
Part Three: Learning the Curve

“Okay Haddy.” Gwendoline said to me. “Before we go shopping I want you to get a good shower, I want you to deep condition your hair. I want you to shave under your arms, and to shave your legs too. Don't worry about your nether. I'll make an appointment in town with the stylist to handle that when prom and other major events come around.”

I blinked and blinked again.

I've told you a fair number of legends that center around Benton Academy, I've also told you one or two that center around Benton High School. The School I attend. The story I'm going to tell you now, is a ghost story that is well known to the cadets of Benton High School's Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps or JROTC for short. That is commonly pronounced “JAY-rotsee” for those who were wondering.

A conversation with a Phantom

The mall closes its doors at nine o' clock on the dot each night. On week nights I'm in bed by then, but on Friday and Saturday nights I'm still roaming the corridors. This was one such night, it was seven at night, the sun had set and a full moon could be seen against the backdrop of a dark, cloudless night sky. The mall was as quiet as the grave and a strange stillness was starting to settle over the building.

I knew I was in deep trouble when mom mentioned she wanted to have a 'private discussion' with me. I knew that was mom talking for me going across her lap while she applied the hairbrush to my bare bottom. I breathed a silent prayer under my breath as I was marched from the kitchen to my bedroom. Mom followed behind me, her arms folded across her chest and a crossed look graced her face as she walked a few steps behind me. A few minutes later we reached my room.

Cemetery Shenanigans
Part Four: Epilogue

I can't recall what happened next. But I remember following the woman's instructions to the letter. As soon as I reached the school I headed to the office and gave them the note the strange woman had given me. I had expected them to ask a few questions. Instead the office secretary nodded her head and made a copy and handed me the original. I then went to my first period class. That happened  to be Earth Science. 

Cemetery Shenanigans
Part Three: Punishment

It all happened so fast. One minute I was standing in front of this strange woman, the next moment I was being guided back down the long hallway. A few minutes later I was being ushered into what I'm going to assume was the spare bedroom she had mentioned earlier. The bedroom was about half the size of the other rooms I've seen. Just room enough for a bed, a night stand and a small closet. The walls of the room had been painted a coral pink color, and on the floor there was an oval rug, also pink in color.

Cemetery Shenanigans
Part One: Being Chased by A Phantom

I took a deep breath as I peered through the bars in the old iron fence. The sight that greeted me was one befitting a lovecraftian horror story. The grass was as tall as me, tombstones lay scattered about in all directions, there was no order to them, some were half sunken into the ground. Many were covered by moss. Somehow been worn smooth by the passing of countless years. Yet others lay broken and laying down. It seems even the dead to not gain any respect in this day and age.

The Mallrat Chronicles

Introduction

-24-
Blood on the Plaza

According to the sun it was around the middle of the day when Oliver, as tired as he was, followed me into the center of town. I had set a blistering pace after the bandits had ambushed us, and Oliver, though he struggled, had managed to keep up with me. Oliver was covered in blood, not his blood, but blood from the bandits that had tried to ambush us. The boy's long brown hair was matted with sweat and his feet were blistered and bleeding.