Floating Pumpkins

It was the only structure for miles on the otherwise undisturbed country green. The dirt road leading to it curved widely in front of the manor then lead back to the main road. The dirt had well-worn ruts from horse-drawn carriages, along with sparse evidence of auto tires, most likely from whomever took care of the old place. As the group of four couples drew closer, they could discern discolorations in the brick façade, the partially rusted downspouts, and several boarded windows. The two end partitions of the house sat further out than those closest to the interior, save for the pointed archway, which jutted out to meet the curving path.

The packed rental van rolled to a stop in front of the pointed arch, and eight people scrambled out, four excited, and four exhausted.

“I can’t believe it! We’re finally here!” Terry exclaimed, admiring the Gothic-style house.

“I’ve seen photos but I didn’t think it’d be this impressive!” Julia said, stretching her arms over her head, hearing a satisfying pop in her lower back.

“Any longer in that van and I would’ve gone batty.” Angelina said.

“Thought you were already batty.” Murphy chimed in, dodging a punch from his girlfriend. “Case in point.”

“Apparently, I’m batty enough to still be dating you.” She growled, but smiled when he put his arms around her and gave her a kiss.

“Save the lip-locking for when you’re in your room, bro.” Connor quipped, pulling his rucksack from under the bench seat. “That is, if you can keep it in your pants for that long.”

“Least I have more restraint than you do, brother of mine, seeing as how you told me all about what you and yer lady did after your first date.”

Connor blushed so hard that his face looked like a Michigan cherry, causing Murphy, Roger, and Ryan to burst out laughing. Julia only looked slightly embarrassed as Angelina, Terry, and Trixie snickered. “Alright, alright! Just wanna get to me room and get some shut-eye. Drive felt like it took too damn long.” Connor groaned while eyeing Roger.

“Not my fault traffic was a bitch.” The bassist snapped at the author. “And, thanks to you, we got a later start than we should’ve. Plus, how was I to know there was a turned-over semi on the M4 at Swindon? All I saw on the map was the road work.”

“Easy there, mate.” Ryan put a hand on his friend and fellow band member’s shoulder. “We’re all tired. Let’s grab our bags and head in.”

“Always the voice of reason.” Trixie said, squeezing her boyfriend’s hand then picking up her bag. The rest of the group followed suite then trudged through the pointed archway into the manor.

“Bloody hell! It’s even bigger on the inside!” Terry said, her voice echoing off the stone walls. “Wonder how long it takes to dust?”

“If you stay long enough, you might find out.” An older, female voice behind the visitors made them jump, earning a laugh from the middle-aged woman. “Forgive me, dears. Didn’t mean to frighten you but around this time of year, who can resist when the opportunity presents itself?”

“Right. Um, are you the care taker?” Ryan asked.

“One of them. My family manages the grounds, so my husband and daughters are around here somewhere. I’m Mrs. Blackthorn.” She held out a tanned, well-worked hand, which Trixie took tentatively and shook lightly. “You all must be here for Halloween. I figured there’d be more of you.” She looked them over, giving the ladies a bit of a shiver.

“We have more people coming later in the week. We wanted to get a head start to set up for the All Hallows Eve party.” Murphy said.

“Oh, I see.” Mrs. Blackthorn looked over her shoulder then back at them. “Well, I’ll show you to your rooms. This way.” She climbed the wide, curved, purple-carpeted staircase, not even checking to see if the eight visitors were following her. The wooden steps creaked but felt stable enough to walk on as the woman turned into a wide hallway with rooms on both sides. She opened the first door on the left and pulled a chain to illuminate the room. It was fairly spacious, with a four-poster bed, night tables on either side, a couch facing a fireplace, a bench near the window, and a private bathroom.

“You may sleep here.” Mrs. Blackthorn looked at Terry and Roger, who nodded then shuffled inside. “Here’s your key if you need to lock yourselves in. All the rooms on this side are adjoining, so your friends won’t be far away. Your meals are your own to prepare but my daughters always keep the pantry full.” Before they could say anything, the strange woman continued to show the rest of the group their rooms.

Shutting the door, Terry looked around. “Well, I can’t say I’m not impressed. Feel like I’m inside the Sonoma Compound in Queen of the Damned or something.”

“Never read it but I’ll take your word for it. Place looks comfortable enough. Should be great for the party at the end of the week. You tell Mikey to bring his DJ equipment?”

“Sent him a message yesterday, and I told Julie to make sure he packs it. She’s bringing about a million different flavors of Jell-O shots, so we’ll be good there.”

“Nathan and Tiffany are cooking all the food, and Seth and Dori are bringing the bagged snacks. Think this party’ll be great, provided we don’t have any ghosts interrupt it.” Roger joked while unpacking his bag.

“You really think there’s ghosts here?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. The place is old enough for that to be possible.”

Terry shivered. “Well, if there are any here, save the tricks for after the treats. Us girls haven’t been planning this thing for the last year to have it messed up by disgruntled spirits.”

Roger kissed her forehead. “Don’t get ‘em all riled up now, love. They might save all their tricks for you.”

The next few days passed with everyone preparing the old manor for the upcoming party. Hanging decorations, moving furniture (with the permission of the care takers, of course), making last-minute adjustments to costumes, and even purchasing an extra icebox for all the food that’d be arriving. Murphy and Ryan went to go pick up the appliance while Roger and Connor went with Mr. Blackthorn to gather pumpkins to be carved and their innards to be turned into treats. Angelina had a recipe for pumpkin squares she wanted to try, along with sweet-and-salty toasted pumpkin seeds. To her delight, she discovered that the large kitchen had everything she required, save for the autumn gourds themselves.

While Ange prepared her ingredients, Trixie was cutting a tree shape out of parchment paper for her Halloween desserts. “What is it you’re making again, Trix?” Ange asked, referencing her recipe to make sure she had everything.

“Something called ‘Spooky Forest Pudding Cups.’ Found the recipe in an old issue of Country Living my mum had lying around. Looked good, and I’ve been getting better at making desserts lately, so figured I’d give it a go. If I mess up the chocolate trees, it’ll still be tasty.”

“Can’t wait to try ‘em.” Ange said, turning as she heard the front door open.

Ryan and Murphy shuffled in, carrying the icebox between them. “Put it right here.” Ryan said, indicating to the empty space near the open hutch with all the pots and pans.

“Never thought this thing had so much weight. It’s empty, for crying out loud!” Murphy agonized, setting down his end of the cooler with a thud, earning a chuckle from Angelina. “What’s so funny, darling?”

“You complaining like a kid when you’re always boasting about being a tough, strong Irishman. Maybe you should change your costume to a baby.” Ryan and Trixie tried not to laugh while Murphy only huffed and walked away to go to his room. He got about halfway up the stairs when a scream echoed throughout the house. Dropping what they were doing, the visitors, along with Mrs. Blackthorn, raced to the eastern partition of the manor. Terry and Julia came running downstairs a few seconds later when another terrified shriek rang out.

“It’s coming from the mudroom. This way.” Mrs. Blackthorn led the way to a closed wooden door, which she ripped open to see one of her daughters lying on the tiled floor, breathing hard, eyes half-shut. “Anna!” She dropped to her knees. “Anna, what happened? Talk to me!”

The teenager groaned as she tried to sit up. “Something flew at me from out there.” She pointed at the door that led to the old stables, which she had been inspecting moments before. “I’d just come in from my daily combing to make sure no critters were living in there and turned around to shut the door when… something came at me.” Her mother looked concerned but let her continue while the guests looked at each other. “It looked like a floating pumpkin.” Murphy hid his smirk as the poor girl didn’t need to be ridiculed but Angelina still elbowed him. “It had a creepy face carved into it and it even laughed when I noticed it. It came towards me, so I put my arms up but I didn’t even feel it hit me. When I looked around, it was behind me, cackling then vanished.”

“It’s alright, honey.” Mrs. Blackthorn hugged her daughter. “We won’t let the ghost get you.”

“What ghost?” Terry asked, remembering her conversation with Roger the day they arrived.

The family appeared reluctant at first to answer. “Did I say ‘ghost?’ Must be the nerves again.”

“No, we heard you say ‘ghost.’ What’s the deal with this place?” Julia asked, crossing her arms.

The Blackthorns were conflicted as to whether they should answer but with their guests having a party which was sure to be noisy, they opted to be truthful. “You all better come into the sitting room. You’ll want to be sitting down for this.” Mrs. Blackthorn and Anna settled onto the antique loveseat while the visitors either sat on couches, chairs, or spots on the decorative rugs. “I don’t know how familiar you all are with your country’s myths and legends, so I’ll start with a question: You’ve heard of the headless horseman?”

Everyone gathered nodded. “You’re telling us it’s real?” Ryan asked, more than a bit skeptical.

“Very real. What Anna saw was just him making himself known. He’ll appear in full form soon enough. Maybe even at your party in two days.”

“Great. Now, we’re gonna have a headless ghost on a horse crashing the fun. Should we put out oats for his pet?” Angelina said, pissed that the plans were going awry so close to the day they were to commence.

Mrs. Blackthorn shook her head. “Sarcasm won’t help you, dear. You’re all better off cancelling your event and going home. We’ll refund your money, of course, but you have to leave before All Hallows Eve.”

“Why? Is that when he’ll show up?” Trixie asked, more than a bit shaken.

“Every year, we hear hooves clomping around outside and sinister laughing for hours after the sun sets. Then, in the morning, we find jack o’ lanterns that we never set out scattered on the front lawn. All the faces are lit and are looking at the house.” She paused for a moment as the front door opened and closed. “The ghost has yet to kill anyone but that could change any time he chooses, which is why I’m insisting you all go home.”

“Why should we go home? Something happen?” Roger asked, carrying a few pumpkins, along with Connor and Mr. Blackthorn.

The middle-aged man looked at his wife and daughter, piecing together what was happening. “You told them, didn’t you?”

“Had to. Anna saw the floating pumpkin, so I thought it was best that they know.”

“Know what?” Connor asked, looking at Julia.

“Put down the pumpkins and have a seat. You’ll wanna hear this.” Terry spoke.

“I can’t believe they didn’t listen!” Mrs. Blackthorn groaned as the family drove away from the manor a few hours before the party was supposed to start. “Do they not realise what could happen tonight?”

“They’re city kids, honey. What did you expect? I’d be surprised if they did go home. Something tells me they’re hoping the ghost shows up.”

“I think they’ll get their wish, Dad.” Anna said from the back seat. “With the full moon, he’s most likely to come out.”

“Let’s hope you’re wrong, sister.” Candy, the younger daughter, said. “We don’t need another corpse to clean up.”

“I don’t know how you guys found this place but this is the best Halloween party I’ve ever been to!” Julie exclaimed, throwing back another Jell-O shot and leaning heavily into Terry. She grabbed a pumpkin square from the treats table. “Who made these? They’re phenomenal!”

“Ange did.” Terry pointed to the young woman dressed as the Red Queen.

“I need the recipe.”

“Come on, you need to eat something more than sweets.”

“Lead the way!” Julie nearly stumbled in her witch outfit but Terry held her fast, guiding her intoxicated friend to the buffet. She had to stop several times as Julie almost ripped her Arwen dress but managed to steer her in the right direction. Mikey was keeping the party going with his musical mixes, Becky and Tiffany, eye-catching in their bar maids’ costumes, were serving drinks that Mortis and Matt kept mixing up, Nathan and Seth were in charge of the kitchen, Connor and Murphy kept heading outside every ten minutes to get more booze, and Roger was playing host, dressed as Aragorn. Ryan and Trixie were around somewhere but Terry kept losing their Marc Antony and Cleopatra costumes in the darkened room.

As Julie was eating, Terry moved to find Roger as she last saw him on the other side of the large room near the fireplace when, during a break between songs, there was a loud crash. Catching Roger’s eye, Terry motioned for him to follow her as the rest of the party continued. The couple darted through the manor, scooping up Nathan and Seth, who were taking a break.

“What’s up?” Seth asked, straightening his pirate coat.

“Heard something over here. Wanna make sure the Irish brothers aren’t brawling.” Terry said. The four made it to the mudroom and through the outside door that lead to the stables. The full moon was hidden behind a dark cloud but Terry could see the outlines of two bodies in the dirt. “Shit!” The group ran over to check their friends, who were still breathing but knocked out.

“Damn! What could’ve knocked them out besides beer?” Roger asked, turning on the torch from his mobile.

“Are those pieces of pumpkin?” Nathan asked, examining a piece of orange near Connor’s head.

“That’s odd. The only pumpkins are the ones inside. We didn’t…” Terry was interrupted by stomping horse hooves coming their way. “You’re kidding!” They covered their friends’ limp forms and watched in horror as a large black stallion leapt over them and landed about five feet away. The moon shone and, on the horse’s back sat a dark figure with no head, holding a glowing pumpkin in one hand. The jack o’ lantern laughed as the beast reared up then dashed through the open door into the house.

“Oh my god!” Roger and Terry ran after the horror, only to see the party-goers running and screaming, trying to get away from the laughing ghost. It tore through the main floor, tossing furniture and people aside as it went. Several guests made it outside and sped away in their autos, others tried phoning the police, a few thought it was someone in a costume, but most were panicked. “Roger, what do we do?”

“No idea, love.” They could only watch as the fiend terrorized anyone who couldn’t move. Then, as if something caught its attention, it stopped and looked directly at Terry. The ghoul walked the horse over to where they were, dismounted, pumpkin still in hand, and stood in front of the frightened woman. The horseman held out a gloved hand as if for her to take. Not sure what to do, Terry reached out and felt the glove’s rough leather. After a moment, the rider placed his pumpkin in her hand, mounted then took off through the front wall of the manor, a horse whinny fading into the night.

Everyone was staring at Terry, who was holding the pumpkin in disbelief. Looking down at it, she smiled. “What’s on it, Terry?” Roger asked. She turned to gourd to him and he laughed. “Happy Halloween. Best bash ever! Come back next year.”

“Looks like we’ll have to take him up on it.”

“True. Wouldn’t want to disappoint the life of the party.” The remaining guests laughed, some still shaken at the event.

“Damn, my head’s killing me!” Connor said, walking up with Murphy, Nathan, and Seth. “What the hell happened?”

Terry and Roger looked at each other. “You guys met the local ghost.”

Murphy rubbed his head and fixed his Charlie Chaplin hat. “Next time, tell him to call before he comes knocking.”