The Legend of Lonely Street

First Halloween

The Legend of Lonely Street

'Wherever you go don't go down Lonely Street' calls Mrs Mathews to her husband.

'Why, you don't believe in silly superstitious nonsense do you? I'll take him where he wants to go. You want to go somewhere spooky don't you Josh?'

'Yes, if you're with me, dad, but I don't want to go on my own'.

'Of course, son, this is going to be fantastic, the scariest ever. Is young Craig coming?'

'His mum says to call for him on the way, he's dressed as a ghost.'

'Well, you are far better as the Grim Reaper, he'll wet his pants when he sees you.'

They set off, Josh kisses his mum goodnight. ‘Have a lovely time and don’t lose your dad,’ she says to the happy little boy whose excitement is hard to contain, this is his first time out on Halloween, he has dreamt about it for weeks, all those sweets and the dressing up.

'Come on, Josh, knock, he's your friend.' The door pulls open before Josh can raise his fist, his best friend stands before them wearing a sheet with holes cut in for eyes. 'Wow, you look brilliant,' the little boy says to Josh. Annoyed his mother wouldn't be more adventurous like Josh's parents particularly his dad, he's fun. Craig's dad won't even go out with him tonight.

'Where are we going Mr Mathews?' asks Craig, as he shuts the door behind him, there is no goodnight kiss from his parents’.

'Somewhere special, somewhere scary where everybody will give you lots of treats because they are rich and the others won't go.

'Ooh, where's that?'

'We're going to Lonely Street.'

'Oh no, my mum said we are not to go to Lonely Street,' Craig shivers in fear.

'My dad says we can,' says Josh grabbing his dad's hand, 'so it's all right.' Craig shrugs, if his own father won't take him, he's happy to go with Josh and his dad.

'Why is Lonely Street so scary?' asks Josh.

'One Halloween, many years ago,' says Mr Mathews in a deep voice, 'a man wearing a cloak and carrying a huge Staff was seen on Lonely street, and he appeared to float along the street full of children enjoying themselves.

As they knocked on the doors he stood watching them and they were in the belief he was out to enjoy the fun of the evening while waiting for his own kids to finish collecting treats.

When they reached him he held out a Staff and a blue mist appeared and laced itself around the children. Slamming the end of the staff on the road, the children came to a halt in silence, anticipating some scary fun. He held his cloak open and began to shout. 'You all come out on the night of the dead demanding.'

Josh and Craig nod at each licking their lips as they walk on. 'What happens next, dad?' asks Josh as they enter Lonely Street which is indeed quiet. No lights or pumpkins line the paths, no voices or laughter echo from children roaming the streets. Wondering if this is just a mean street or is he wrong in bringing the boys here, Mr Mathews stops. 'Well,' he says looking up and down the street, 'he accused them of being weak for demanding treats from people and he said they shouldn't be out on the night of the dead.'

'What do you mean, the night of the dead?' Craig asks afraid.

'The night the dead awake and collect living souls to take back to the grave with them' says Mr Mathews stooping down to wiggle his fingers in front of the lad’s fearful face. Craig stops walking. I don't want to go there, I want to go home.' Josh secretly agrees it's not fun now his dad is scaring them.

‘Don't be daft, boys, but that is what Halloween was originally, it's not for getting sweets and dressing up. Come on, let's knock here,' he points to a house cloaked in darkness.

'Why?' says Josh, 'there's no one in, can we go somewhere else, dad?' Mr Mathews is desperate for his small charges to have a good time, it’s the first time they are old enough to go out on Halloween, but he is wondering if they should go to a busier street with lots of lights and children dressed up. 'Let's try a couple of doors and if no one is in we will find somewhere else,' he says leaping about like a child, making the boys laugh.

'What happened next dad?'

'What do you mean, son?'

'In the story, what happens next?'

A scream rings out in the night air, startling them so they jump. 'Well someone's having fun' he says clasping the boy's hands.

A shadow falls across them as a man wearing a long dark cloak and carrying a staff appears to float along the side them. They stop fascinated and follow him with excited gazes. Before he reaches the end of the street he turns in eerie silence. Josh and Craig whisper, Josh says ‘He’s got one of them hoverboards, I want one for Christmas.’ Craig thinks Josh will get one, he seems to get everything. He wishes Mr Mathews was his dad, at least he brings him out on Halloween.

A light appears in the bedroom window of the third house along but is extinguished straight away. Ah, they are probably playing on the old legend and getting ready to scare the kids, thinks Josh's dad who relaxes, the other revellers must be coming now, and perhaps he was too early.

A voice booms out, the children clutch Mr Mathews' hands in anticipation.

'What are you doing out on the night of the dead? Did you not hear of the legend?' The boys stare at the man holding their hands who is now their protector waiting for Mr Mathews to answer and challenge the man in a cloak.

'Children used to scatter on my arrival, they don't enter this street anymore so why are you here to bother us on this night of the dead.' The mist swirls and the houses appear to vanish in the growing fog. Josh's dad grins, this man is a showman, the boys are terrified, but he hopes he's loaded with treats for them after this.

'This is the night we walk, we take revenge on those who live, those who crossed us in life, you are guilty of this. You are here where none should be out on this night. His arm swings out in an arc pointing his staff at them. You will join me this night. You will sup from the devil's cup and join his crèche of young souls. The boys slip behind Mr Mathews.

'Hang on a min, you are scaring them a bit too much' he says, trying to keep his voice bright and coax the children to move in front of him,' calm it down mate, they are only little' he says.

'Yes,' booms the cloaked man, 'they are little and you bring them out to annoy the dead on their night out, so it will be your fault when you lose them.'

'Come on boys we're going,' Mr Mathews turns around, he wants to get away from this nutter, but he can't see the road smothered in a thick fog, he doesn't know which way to go as the fog swirls around their feet. His heart beats faster as he tells himself not to be stupid. He walks a few steps but the man in the damn cloak is before him blocking his way. The boys scream.

'Good, I like that' says the man as he raises his staff once more. Mr Mathews backs away. The boys cry out,' I want to go home dad' says Josh. Craig sobs on his friend's shoulder.

'Look mate, enough, you are terrifying them, it's time to offer the treats, I think you are taking this too far'. The cloaked man raises his arms, his cloak flies open with a gust of wind. Josh's dad has had enough, he is going to smack this bloke in the face in a minute and scarper, and he'll report him in the morning, he wants locking up.

A small whirlwind dances around the bottom of the cloak as the night fills with screams and sobs all around. The whirlwind grows and tugs at the boys who hang onto Mr Mathews whose screams join theirs as they are ripped from his grasp. The boys land inside the cloak, the man closes his arms and disappears as Mr Mathews slumps to the floor the last words he hears are, 'You will remember the Legend of Lonely Street forevermore. This will teach you to walk out on the night the dead roam the streets.

The morning newspapers report a man is being held for questioning after the disappearance of two small boys, one his own son. He came out with a fantastic story of a cloaked man taking them off in his cloak. Police are appealing for witnesses.

People on Lonely street read the story, no one saw anything, they don't go out on the night of the dead, there is a legend about it, and they won't test it out as some simple souls do, those who pay the price by gifting their children to the devil.