The Jack o' Lantern

A Story by Brando_H

short story based on a fun idea I had for Halloween. Want to make it into a short film in class this year.

The Jack o’ Lantern

By Brando Hare

The fire shone brightly as flames spat sparks into the night above. Shadows moved around in darkness, the light dancing across random faces as the moved around the Halloween bonfire. Dan moved away from the crackling blaze and into black. He tripped over a beer bottle as he made his way over to his friends Erin, and Corey on the other side of the yard.

“Hey guys, I’m gonna peace,” he said with a burp under his voice. “It’s after 11 and my mom said I had to be home before midnight.”

“Boo!” shouted Corey with a stumbled lean. “F**k that, just stay man!”

“I can’t dude, I was late last time and I got grounded for two weeks. I don’t want to miss Melissa’s party next weekend.”

“Awe,” cooed Erin. “Well that sucks. It’s just getting started!”

“I know!” said Dan. “It does suck, especially since it is Halloween.”

“Well, s**t” stammered Corey. “Fine, go home. Ya party pooper!”

“F**k you too, Corey!” They all shared an intoxicated laugh as Dan threw his bag over his shoulder. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Bye Dan!” shouted Erin.

Corey cheered him with his beer. “See ya bro!”

Dan made his way through the crowd and towards the front of the yard; fumbling on his cape in the darkness. He made his way to the street and followed the streetlights. His sneakers skidded across pebbles and he pulled his demon mask off his head. He wiped his forehead of sweat and licked his lips. He hated wearing masks; they got so hot and itchy. But he wasn’t that big into dressing in uncomfortable costumes or doing make-up, so he usually just bought a mask. He thought the whole Halloween costume thing was kind of cool, but he wasn’t one to go all out. A cape and mask was just much simpler.

An orange glow seemed to hang over the neighbourhood. Streetlights filtered through the warm, autumn leaves casting a coppery tone over the concrete. Lit pumpkins smiled at him from front porches and doorsteps, adding to the ocherous vibe. The wind barreled through the mighty brown arms of the trees making it seem that the pumpkins were whispering to him, even laughing at him with their wide eerie smiles. Dan laughed back at them and kept up his pace.

Suddenly everything became still, and as Dan looked up to the coloured leaves and a crash of thunder shook the sky. He recoiled at the noise and then scanned the street hoping no one just saw how lame he must have looked. Nope. Nobody saw him. Good. He then realized that there was actually nobody around. The street was completely empty. Just make-shift gravestones, skeletons and scarecrows surrounded him on people’s front yards. He saw no sign of people and all the houses were dark and bare. The only movement around him were the Jack ‘o Lanterns, their darting stare which seemed to follow him, then look away as if they had got caught watching him.

Dan tightened his grip around the straps of his bag. Being all alone at night like this was actually kind of scary. The silence and eerie mood was actually starting to spook him. He knew his mind was just playing tricks on him though. He was just caught up in the spirit of Halloween and the atmosphere of the season. He just watched too many scary movies on T.V. this week. Nonetheless, he turned back to the direction of his house and quickened his pace.

Dead leaves frolicked about his feet, creating that swooshing melody similar to waves on the shore. Dan trudged along peoples lawns cutting corners on the way home. Maybe it was the alcohol, but he felt a little odd and out of the streets and in his bed is where he wanted to be. He was only a couple of blocks now, and everything started to seem even more dim, even more gloomy. The unnerving silence was finally broken as the sound of gentle rain began the pitter-patter beating on the roofs and ground. Dan shouted a cry of agitation and began to run the rest of his way home.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he reached his corner. The whole street was littered with Jack ‘o Lanterns. It was quite a sight. Dan came up to a laneway and peered into the army of glowing faces. There were massive pumpkins, little pumpkins, long pumpkins and wide ones. They posed in yards, gardens, on porches, window sills and cars. There were even some in the trees, and also atop a few chimneys. There were also rows of them, like grinning guards, lined along picket fences and boulevards.

They were magnificent. It was by far the best, and strangest, display Dan had ever seen. All of the faces were so interesting and intricately carved. They had such emotional expressions that they seemed to be alive. Who had done all this? And why? Someone on his street must really love Halloween. Or maybe there was some neighbourhood pumpkin contest he didn’t know about. He winded up and down the properties, amazed by this village made up of Jack ‘o Lanterns. Then he noticed they eventually lessened and the party of pumpkins stopped. His house and the last few on the street didn’t have any around. Dan thought that was weird. Why did the street go all out, and leave the last few houses bare? He decided that he wanted one for his house. There were lots to go around.

Dan crept back down the road that had become this giant pumpkin patch. Glancing from place to place he looked for a good sized pumpkin with a cool face. His feet strolled alongside a row of Jack ‘o Lanterns leaning against a picket fence. Then he spotted one sitting on the fence post.

“Bad a*s.” He whispered to himself. This was definitely the one he wanted.

The Jack ‘o Lantern had a huge crooked grin that reached up both sides of the pumpkin. It had pointed, fang-like teeth, which gave it a threatening quality. The eyes were large and sinister, furrowed by the nose and curled up on the brow. The face seemed to look back at him when he looked into its eyes. It wasn’t a typical happy, smiling pumpkin. It looked mean and creepy. Dan liked that. So he scooped the orange gourd up in his arms and hobbled on home.

The steps to his porch creaked as the weight of the pumpkin pushed him down. He stumbled on the last step but caught himself before tumbling over with his new possession. Dan rested the Jack ‘O Lantern on the ground and took off his bag. He looked around and saw a stand with one of his moms’ flowers on it. Ditching the flowers, he pulled the stand up to the edge of the porch and put the Jack ‘o Lantern in their place. Dan ran down the steps to take a look. It glowed with an eerie beauty.

“There ya go!” he declared to the pumpkin. “What should I call you…Huh…Well I guess Jack is appropriate right?”

Dan smirked in amusement and went inside. The house was dark and he squinted and felt for the light switch. To his wonder his parents were not around. He assumed they must still be out with their friends, which didn’t make him too happy because he left the party early so that he wouldn’t get in trouble. Damn parents!

The beer had been lingering in his bladder so he went upstairs to go to the bathroom. Afterwards he went back downstairs to the kitchen to grab a snack before bed. He opened the door to the kitchen and almost s**t his pants when he saw the Jack ‘o Lantern staring back at him from the kitchen table. It seemed to almost wink at him, but that must have been the candle flickering. Its carved pattern looking more amused now than mean.

“Holy s**t, how’d you get in here!” half saying to Jack and half to himself. “Mom, Dad. You home?”

Dan entered the living room and checked the foyer. No one around. That was weird. He checked out the window and looked to the driveway. No car. This was weird. Someone had to have brought the Jack ‘o Lantern inside. He went to the kitchen and grabbed the pumpkin and brought it back out front.

“Very funny guys!” he called as he put the pumpkin back on the stand. “Trying to get one more Halloween prank in before midnight!”

No response.

“Hey come on, where are ya!” Still silence. “Ah, well f**k you guys then! F*****g a******s!”

Dan patted the Jack ‘o Lantern and slammed the door after he went back inside. His friends could be such pricks. They always took their jokes too far. They were probably going to come back and try to sneak up on him in his room or something. He shook his head and went back to make his snack. He opened the fridge and scanned its contents. He reached for some left over pizza and shut the fridge. As the door closed Dan noticed a face staring back at him from the window.

“Ahhhhhh!!!” he shrieked and the glowing features of the Jack ‘o Lantern pierced into him once more. Again the flickering of the candle creating illusions, because this time the grin carved in the pumpkins flesh seemed to grow a little bigger. “What the f**k! You f*****g guys!” Dan burst out the back door. “Where the hell are you guys! F**k off!”

Once again, silence. He checked over the side of the railing, and ran from side to side of the house. Still no one around. He couldn’t believe it. They must have scattered after finally getting a good scream out of him. Wouldn’t even show their faces. Like he thought before. Pricks.

Dan moseyed up the steps and grabbed the Jack ‘O Lantern again. He wasn’t having any more of this. He brought the pumpkin inside, set it on the dining room table where none of his friends could get it, and ate his cold pizza cursing them the whole time. Afterwards he went upstairs and got ready for bed. He brushed his teeth and when he returned to his room he almost keeled over in terror. He fell back through his doorway and hit the wall hard, sending him to the ground. Dan twitched and panted as he pushed himself up. There it was, peering at him, penetrating his very soul. The f*****g Jack ‘o Lantern was delicately placed on his bed; looking comfortable, as it silently laughed at him. The face seemed to snicker but with another glimmer of the candle flame the expression changed to more of a snarl. This was way too f*****g creepy.

This sent Dan over the top. He didn’t know what was going on, but it was fucked up. Staggering to his feet, he ran to his bed, snatched up the pumpkin and ran outside and out into the street.

“I’ve had enough!” He bellowed. “I can’t take this anymore! Whoever is doing this to me needs to stop! I am ending this now!”

Dan lifted Jack as high as he could above his head and with all his might sent it plunging to the pavement below. To his horror the pumpkin impossibly bounced right back off the grounded and rolled to the gutter. As it came to a stop against the curb the face was turned upright and gazing up at Dan. He swore he could hear soft laughter coming from the Jack ‘o Lanterns mouth.

“No f*****g way…” his voice trailed off in fear.

Dan went into a frenzy and picked it up again, and sent it down to the ground again. He chased after it doing this several more time. He starting screaming at the Jack o’ Lantern, cursing it out, stomping on it as hard as he could. Still not even a bruise or crack in it. Dan stood there in confusion and tried to tear the lid off of the pumpkin. No luck with that either. It was stuck and not going anywhere. He looked into the face of Jack again.

“What are you?” he stared deep into the glowing eyes that seemed to mystify him for a minute, and then he realized something.

“The candle!” he shouted to himself.

Drawing in a deep breath Dan got as close to the flame as he could and blew. The light dwindled but the flame soon grew back, slightly bigger this time. He blew and blew but the flame could not be extinguished. This was madness! He was going mad. In an uproar Dan furiously took off to the backyard leaving the Jack ‘O Lantern in the street. He returned in seconds with his father’s axe in hand. He cocked the axe back and up, bit his lip in concentration and swung violently at the pumpkin on the ground. It was undamaged. Nothing could destroy it. It appeared that nothing could destroy it.

He continued to try anyway. He took swing after swing at the Jack ‘O Lantern, hoping it would eventually crack open and he would be able to chop it into pieces. Whack! Nothing. Whack! Nothing. Whack… Dan paused and didn’t move for a moment. Then he stumbled to one side. Slowly he dropped to his knees. Blood was trickling down his nose and off of his chin. On that last chop the axe had bounced off of the pumpkin with such great force it sent the head right back into Dan’s face. It had happened so quickly he didn’t even know what was happening. He took a couple of half breaths and collapsed to the ground.

Blood crept along the pavement as Dan laid face down, dead in the street. Beside him, the pumpkin was still there, now with a streak of red across its orange skin. The expression on the Jack ‘o Lanterns face was disturbing. It was definitely evil and menacing as it sat in scattered shadows. The candle light flared up and the pumpkin shifted, almost like it had taken a breath. The flame was bright and intensified the carved facial features. Then it gradually began to shrink. The flame became smaller until it was a tiny flickering speck, and there was a sound of whimpering instead of hissing. When it finally burned out there was a soft cry and a long, flowing wisp of smoke left the wick. The smoke rose in the pumpkin and filtered from the eyes and mouth of the Jack ‘o Lantern.

The smoke hovered around the pumpkin and then around Dan’s body. It soon became like a thick cloud of fog; shrouding the Jack o’ Lanterns victim, and then disappeared into the cold, dark night.