Ever since the birth of her beloved son, town novelist Arely has been tormented with dreams and visions that she will lose him one Halloween night. She receives orders from the government to document that year's Halloween festivities, and she takes her son trick-or-treating in the meantime. While they are out, a strange, dragon-like creature attacks and burns the village- and on their way to escape, a sinister man confronts Arely and Percival. He kills Percival but holds Arely captive in a tower where nightmares come true, and there, well-concealed family curses and secrets are revealed.
And you, the reader, determine the ending.
Many years ago, the medieval village of Kokmine was ablaze with lights as townsfolk welcomed children into their homes. Baskets swung, candy was abundant, cider flowed like rivers and the merry lilt of childish laughter rose high above the town. It was another Halloween night, much like any other: a chill wind whipping through the barren branches of trees, the deep, pensive face of the moon peering down upon them all. Yet in the house of Arely Noja, the festivities of trick-or-treating and such seemed far away as she sat in her drafty, gabled bedroom, yellowed pages of manuscripts piled round her.
Arely was a renowned novelist in those days, known especially for her vibrant descriptions and arcane protagonists. Because of this, she had been selected by the Council to chronicle the history of each year's holidays: including, of course, Halloween; for that was one of the children's favorites. Stepping away from the grueling writing, Arely stood as her five-year-old son, Percival, skipped from behind the tall door. He was trick-or-treating this year as a small knight, complete with makeshift cardboard armor that remarkably resembled the real thing. Taking his eager hand, Arely abandoned her work and donned her cloak, and mother and child stepped out into the blustery Halloween night.
They blended in quite easily with the shoving crowds of children, yet an eerie premonition of danger hung in the air as Percival skipped unheedingly from house to house. Like many mothers on the streets that night, Arely stepped back into the shadows and watched her son meet and frolic with other trick-or-treaters. She frowned to herself, casting a furtive glance all round her before lifting up her hood and creeping out. Halloween had always held a certain amount of unease to her, due to the folklore and corresponding activities of the Kokmine village, and she would much rather not take Percival out to get candy like the other children. Every night since his birth five years ago, Arely had been tormented with a dream that one Halloween night, her dear little son would be taken from her and never return. Thus the reason why she had all but barricaded them in their one-room apartment every other October 31st... but when she had received orders to be present for the festivities, she had no choice but to expose herself and Percival to peril and... possibly, even death.
A startled glance round showed Percival and several of his white-sheeted, newfound playmates scurrying up the road in the direction of the old mill. Arely followed close behind, determined to keep her son in sight: but then, a low rumble of thunder growled over the distant mountaintops and gust of wind sent her hood flying from her face. The cheers and squeals of the children slowly melted into shouts and shrieks as the ground trembled and the moon hid her face behind a veil of dead-black clouds. In a moment the clouds were torn apart by a vicious gash of lightning, revealing a massive shadow somewhere behind. The shadow leapt and coiled round the moon with sparks and flashes of fire; each one illuminating a long, lithe, spiny tail and wings like a bat's, only a hundred times larger and more sinister. A deafening peal of thunder echoed as the entire village of Kokmine found themselves staring into a colossal pair of eyes: eyes like blood or liquid garnet.
The creature roared and dove. Arely turned and ran, grabbing a screaming Percival in her arms: for this was the malevolent entity that had stalked her dreams every Halloween night, come, she felt sure, to annihilate the village until it laid claws on her precious son. As she scampered away from the streets and into a wide-open field of prairie grasses, she heard the bone-chilling screams of terror and agony as one blast of the creature's breath sent multiple buildings exploding in flame. Strangely enough, it did not seem to be pursuing them: perhaps they had gone unnoticed in the turmoil.
But quite suddenly a tall, robed figure stepped directly out of the air, cutting off their path of escape. Arely shoved Percival behind her as the figure drew a long blade from its cloak, a blade that matched his ominous silver eyes. "You have run too long, Arely Noja," he hissed, the flash of his eyes paralyzing as he reached across and snatched Percival in an iron grip. "A penalty you must pay."
That is as far as I'm going with this; you get to make up an ending for yourself. ;)
Hαρργ HαΙΙσωεεℵ!