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We met one evening
You were on a wall
And smiled at me
Your toothy grin
Orange teeth
Sharpened for snacking
The flame lacking
From your triangle eyes.
Wait till dark
And someone will light you
A spark to your candle
A soft light
Orange shaded
But beware
The wind may blow
And your spark will go
Out….
This year for Halloween there have been far more filters on my phone to create strange faces and spooky images. It’s not something I would normally do, but just for a laugh I decided to choose four that I thought were the silliest and most frightful. (I say frightful because I don’t think they are very frightening). Apologies to anyone of a nervous disposition. I think Halloween coincides with a Celtic holiday called Samhain but I don’t know the history of either tradition really. I guess it’s a chance to have a party before the full gloom of the winter season envelops us. Next stop Christmas here in the UK.
You are a mask
You mask your face
You mask your mouth
Your smile is hidden
Dark holes
where your eyes should be
Hiding so much meaning
Muffled
Held in
Good or bad
How can I know
Cryptic?
Take a photo of a crinkly motorbike cover, shade areas to make a face appear. Use the spray brush tool and a colour picker tool in a drawing app to match in shapes and colours. Add shapes using various pens like chalk or wax crayon options if you have them in your app. Then change the filter to a more black and white/ sepia effect. Finally use a filter to make some areas more fuzzy than others.
Voila you have a spooky, ghostly figure.
It was early one morning, I had to go out to visit a friend, but they were out when I got there. Which way to go home, the way I had come or the scenic route. It was a no brainer. I carried on into the beautiful countryside. I knew that the road joined up with a main road further on, but I’d never been up this lane before. Still I had the car window open. The sun was shining down on the local fields, the great avenue of trees along the road gave a cooling dappled shade. I came round a few bends, lowering my speed as the lane became more winding, narrower? That could not be right? I had driven straight along the lane. I knew it joined up further on? I kept going, now the trees were looming in on me. The lane became a rutted track. Nowhere to turn, could I reverse back? There was a fence up ahead. A gate in it had a blue sign on it. A sign with what seemed to be a face looking forward and two more looking to either side. Below that were the words ‘no Entry’ experimental research station. Where the hell had I gone….? There was an intercom box on a stone pillar next to the gate. I rang the bell, and after a pause a voice said, ‘state the nature of your business?’. All I could day that I was lost.
‘state your name’ the same toneless spoke again. I told them and just asked to be allowed through the gate so I could turn the car around. ‘wait there’ was the answer. I was standing by my car, the daylight starting to go… Waiting…. Waiting..
*NEWS* the body of a woman in her fifties has been found on a lane in Staffordshire. No marks were found on the body. But police say it may be a woman that went missing from her home a week ago.
She looked out of the window and saw the moon and stars. That was strange? Why were the street lights out? Normally there was too much light pollution to see anything. The world seemed very quiet, no car noises, no sounds of planes flying overhead. Something must be going on.
She had woken from sleep in her room that was in darkness apart from the moonlight. Then she noticed her alarm clock light was off. She tried to switch on her light. Nothing. She crept down stairs. The lights there were not working and the fridge was off. Worryingly the heating was off too. She picked up a jumper and put it on.
What the hell was happening? She felt alone, cold, her breath was steaming from her mouth. She opened the back door. No dogs barking, no bird song. Just the moon and stars.
Then she heard the moaning and saw the zombies….
Full/harvest moon tonight. The howling started about an hour ago. Somewhere up the mountain there must be a wolf? I didn’t know they had them in Wales.
We are staying in a holiday let, a caravan. I got it online as a late booking. Yes I know, but the reception isn’t very good round here. I’ll call you back later.
Hi again, yes I know its late, but Jeff didn’t come back. I don’t know where he is and I didn’t know who else to phone? Police? No, I don’t think I need them….
Thanks for ringing back, I’ve found my charger now, got it plugged in so I should be able to talk. No he’s still not back, the car has gone so I think he must have gone to the village. Yes there’s a pub… Yes he might have gone there. Guess I will have to wait until closing time….. Did you hear that? Yes it was a howl, I think it’s getting closer……. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr……..
Her face seemed chiselled and angular, it was pale and smooth. The one blemish was a small mole just below the left side of her mouth. Icy, that’s what he thought, like an ice sculpture. Her manner was friendly though, a slight smile played around her mouth as they chatted. He was attracted to her and decided to ask her to go for a drink.
At the bar he asked her what she wanted? Vodka and tonic was her reply, no ice.
They sat and drank and chatted, he felt closer to her than anyone else he’d ever met. He held her hand and she smiled that quiet smile again.
Look I’ll give you a lift home he said. No problem, it’s on my way. She readily agreed.
As they pulled up outside her house he leaned towards her, a little peck on her cheek, it felt cold under his lips. He looked into her tranquil blue eyes. She took his face in her hands, directing her mouth towards him, pulling his face down, inwards. He felt the cold now, sharp, icy, his mouth was numb. The chill spread across his face, his head. Despite the heat he was freezing, shivering. The kiss continued until his eyes glazed over and he slumped forward.
Sorry hun, she said.
it was late when she arrived. The rain had been pelting down all day, flooding the lanes. The car had struggled through the murk. But the hotel looked warm and inviting. She signed in and opted for a quick visit to the bar.
Soon she was chatting with the hotel owner. He told her how quirky it was. Wait till you see it in daylight. He said. It’s got a lovely feeling to it, ancient yet beautiful. She smiled as she chatted. Just what she needed, a quiet scenic stay in a plush hotel. Pampering and relaxing.
It’s a few hundred years old, he told her. Some parts are ancient. You can see the timbers. Old oak beams, even some wattle and daub in the older parts.
That’s great, really interesting. I bet you could tell some tales? She only asked with the expectation of some story for the tourist trade.
The hotel owner smiled. Well there is one story about the witch, he said. Oh, not a ghost? She replied.
No, it happened in the room next to where you are tonight. An old woman, they decided she was a witch simply because she had bright green eyes. The story goes they didn’t want to hang her so they walled her up in a cupboard in the wall. We’ve never seen anything, he reassured her. Just one of those spooky stories you get in old buildings.
Still, she felt a little nervous on the way up to her bedroom. The lighting was very low, making every shadow ghostly puddles of blackness. I can’t wait for morning, she thought.
Up two flights of stairs, the porter showed her into the bedroom. It was en suite with a four poster bed! Satin drapes to keep the damp breeze out. A tray full of goodies and proper coffee. The bathroom had a roll top bath, gold taps, luxurious. Soon she was feeling relaxed and calm. She drank a gin and tonic and read her book for a little while.
She decided to turn in about midnight, with the drapes round the bed pulled tight it was too dark so she put the side table light on and settled down.
She was very tired and soon fell asleep. She was only a light sleeper and something woke her.
A hand was pulling the drapes aside, a face appeared at the bottom of the bed. Two bright green, glowing eyes stared at her.
Step over into the wood and you will be lost forever. Keep this side of the fence. That was what she was always warned as she grew up. There are wolves, bears, screech owls. Spiders big as dinner plates. The boogy man lives there.
For twenty years she kept out. But she knew one day she would have to climb the fence and go and look.
She was twenty one today, she had been to a birthday party at the village hall. Now she was walking home along the lane. The sun was setting and the wood loomed up above her rising up the hill, shutting off the sunlight.
One step led to another. Pine needles softened her footsteps, tree roots started to tangle round her ankles. She looked back to check where the path was, but could not see it through the trees. She tried to retrace her steps, but could not find the fence. Fear crept into her, she trembled as the cool night air touched her skin.
The night was darker and a cold rain fell, still she walked, tripping and falling into bushes, scratched from thorns.
It was early morning when the ranger found her wandering. She could not speak. Her eyes were staring into space, out of focus. No one ever found out what happened to her that night. But the Green man of the woods smiled to himself as she was taken away in an ambulance.
Mallaband-Brown