Pumpkin spice aura in the village of ghosts…
Once, there lived a companionate community in Salty Lake- a humble village in the heart of Ireland. Its residents would always hold together, notwithstanding the circumstances. The familial atmosphere among them was floating in the air day in day out; everyone supported one another in their ups and downs. The willingness to sacrifice oneself in the name of others’ good was a paramount value there. Not less significant was the tradition maintenance. This inconspicuous group of people used to celebrate holidays together, meeting on a central square, which was the ever-beating heart of this magical place…
The beginning of autumn in Salty Lake was the time of subtle hope and joy. Elderly people were admiring trees covered with the whole scale of warmish colours, while teenagers were elaborating on upcoming holidays and how they can contribute to their organisation. And since it was fall going by, they were unanimously discussing probably the most vivid day of the year in their environment: Halloween.
The last day of October was a long-time tradition in the village and an opportunity to come together, reminiscing those members of their community who would constantly look for them and keep them safe from every evil of the world. Therefore the whole month was completely devoted to decorating the village with an infinite amount of jack-o'-lanterns, carved pumpkins, spiderwebs and many other ornaments being the symbol of the day of fear.
The preparation days proved to be a wonderful source of the autumnal vibe, which all the residents were soaked with. Families were preparing various sweets, from classical pumpkin pies to aromatic spicy cookies. The smell of cinnamon was floating in the air and all the kitchens in the village were trimmed with a full range of self-made spices. Everyone looked forward to celebrating the day they had been thinking of since the beginning of fall...
Xavier woke up even before the sunrise, which made him feel a bit restless. It was Saturday morning so the pure thought of being on his feet so early could seem to be quite annoying. However, when he reminded himself of Halloween evening, all the plans he set himself for it made him spring out of his bed immediately. The uncontrollable sense of exaltation came to him in a split second. Therefore, he didn't want to miss a thing: he prepared himself delicious pumpkin pancakes, which made his mouth water and a tea with plenty of spices, whose smell reminded him of an Indian kitchen. After this pleasurable moment, he came back to his room and took out his Halloween costume, for which he had learned how to sew. It was a genuinely handmade design, quite an uncommon phenomenon among seventeen-year-old boys. So he sat on his bed, not being able to take his eyes off all the elements that he had been working on for months...
The midday in Salty Lake was indeed a time of reflection and pride. Residents were slowly stitching all the evening attractions up. The village was now covered in spiderwebs, carved pumpkins, and scary paintings created by children. The unforgettable atmosphere of this event made everyone feel as fulfilled as possible. It seemed like the whole community would connect and celebrate this day just like in movies...
Xavier was in a rush, supposing he is the late one. He anticipated participating in so many different attractions prepared by locals, his neighbours, people he had followed throughout his whole life. A sparkle of exhilaration entangled his body, evoking a tremendous sense of euphoria. Therefore, he put his costume on so quickly that he almost ripped glittery black buttons attached to it and ran out of his superbly decorated house.
“Let the Halloween party begin!” - He shouted out loud.
The clock struck seven.
As he was walking down the alley, where the vast majority of houses sat, he sensed that something was not right. Admittedly, all the mansions were dotted in handmade ornaments, lit by a myriad of lights, but there was not a soul outside. Not even a sign of human's gasping. The first thing that came to Xavier's mind was that probably everyone awaits him and other latecomers on a central square, but when he arrived there, the climate turned out to be even worse. Apple bobbing stands, which had always been occupied by children in previous years, now stood utterly untouched. The table devoted to self-made spicy bakings was empty, just like no one had been there before Xavier, who felt a nagging shiver of concern.
He decided to retrace his steps and knock on every mansion's door. The reality he was supposed to deal with did not save him at all. Among around twenty houses he visited, none of them provided him with any sign of human life, just like everyone had vanished into the air.
There was still one plausible option for him to opt for: the mystical maze. In fact, it required mustering up the courage, which, at the end, Xavier did. He crossed himself and entered this magical labyrinth. The deeper the boy explored it, the more acute cold he experienced on his whole body...
The clock struck midnight when Xavier felt for the first time the sense of being completely lost. All the trees in the forest he seemed to know inside out from his early childhood were now just like an undiscovered land, covered in a dark haze. Only the dazzling half-moon lurking in the hollow dark was keeping him safe. It soon happened that he got to a beautiful lake, with the most impeccable shape humanity has ever seen. The sheet of water which looked as if it had devoured the whole light, had such a diamond-like tinge that Xavier could notice every single detail of his costume, his luxurious cross sign on his neck and his magnificently decorated bag, specifically for Halloween candies. He spent the next minutes admiring his reflection in the water. But with every second going by, he started to feel that he is not alone in this thicket of trees. Xavier could feel it in his bones. He raised his eyes from his magical reflection. After he had looked straight ahead, his heart filled with both entrancement and paralysing fear…
Across the lake, a stunning girl figure appeared. All that Xavier could notice was her pale face, looking almost white in the shadow of the dazzling moon, and contrastive black hair. She glanced at him and drew closer. He must have read her thoughts since he did the same. When they met each other's eyes, they immediately held their hands and began to recede in the moonshine. All that Xavier felt, the overpowering feeling of genuine connection between him and the girl, was a true sign of their yet unknown affection. He suddenly sensed fate in everything he had experienced before. It looked like God, the man he had worshipped his whole life, wanted him to be where he was now: all alone, in the thicket of trees, with the most adorable woman worldwide by his side. Yes, this was the only right scenario written for Xavier by Him.
The girl led Xavier through infinite fields, meadows, until the sky turned blue. He didn't know how far away they were from his domestic village, but never had he ever felt as fulfilled as now. Never...
Parallelly, Salty Lake woke up with a feeling that somebody lacks in their small homeland. Just like someone had vanished into the air. After thorough searchings, they were almost forced to announce inconsolably the number of residents had decreased. Those who had been getting on splendidly with the missing person were conscious of the overwhelming loss the village faced.
Was it an unfortunate accident? Or just an unpredictable plot twist? These questions belong to the ones that will never be answered. Sometimes life writes its own illegible scenarios, turning everything upside down. And so far, no one has found an accurate reason for that...
THE END…
Epilogue
"I love you. I always did." - A mystical soprano voice has been heard for the first time, miles away from Salty Lake...
Page design: Daria Grygorowicz
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