The Battle Of Halloween
Three friends, neighbors and very curious, met every afternoon, after finishing their homework, at the playground in their village nestled in the green Tuscan hills. There, sitting on a bench in the middle of the lawn, they plotted how to end the day with fun. Usually, they got up to mischief and sometimes ended up in peculiar situations.
The days passed, and summer was now just a memory. But despite a bit of rain and an autumn breeze, one afternoon they met on the usual bench. After much scheming, they gathered all their courage and decided that one of these nights, they would secretly go to the old abandoned cemetery. It was located behind the church, at the foot of the hill, about 2 kilometers from the village center.
Ghost stories linked to the cemetery, whispered by the elders, had discouraged them many times; moreover, they had heard rumors of a strange character, somewhere between real and imaginary—a mysterious guardian who sometimes watched over the main gate at night.
It was autumn, dense clouds darkened the sky, and the days were gray and foggy—the perfect season for the adventure of the three kids, before winter arrived. The calendar marked October 31, and that very night, Halloween night, would be simply perfect.
A handshake, then a goodbye, and each went home. They had dinner and went to bed early as usual, not to arouse suspicion. Lying in bed, they dozed off, but in their half-sleep, every noise—the bang of a shutter, the creaking of the floor, or the squeak of a door—seemed like spirits moving, maybe ready to join them on their adventure. As planned, at exactly the tenth toll of the bell from the church tower, they snuck out, each from their bedroom window, slipping out through the back of their houses.
Almost at the same time, they met at the designated spot and in the darkness made their way toward the cemetery. Lina, who seemed the bravest, held a small flashlight, pointing it behind her to light the way for Sara and Teo, the other two companions in the adventure.
They were all a bit nervous, stopping to hide at the slightest rustle or the appearance of a sudden shadow. Once they reached the church, they hurried determinedly towards the entrance of the cemetery, and that’s where the night started to get interesting.
For starters, Martino, the mysterious guardian they had heard so much about, was really there. They saw him with their own eyes in front of the old, rusty, and decaying gate. He was sitting, half-asleep, but certainly alert to the slightest noise. He held a still-lit pipe in one hand and a harmonica in the other. A jet-black raven perched on his right shoulder, and a small yet regal-looking dog sat by his left side, keeping him company.
The fear of being discovered froze them instantly. They caught their breath and, in the blink of an eye, reached the wobbly fence barely standing at the back of the cemetery. From there, they climbed a large elm tree and sat on the highest branches. The call of some owls with big, piercing eyes echoed like a dark omen, but a glow unexpectedly appeared on the other side of the crumbling wall.
From the large elm, Lina, Sara, and Teo witnessed an unusual and astonishing sight. In front of them lay a well-kept green park, like a secret garden. Small graves, with tombstones shaped like dogs, cats, and other pets, adorned with flowers of every shade, were scattered in every corner.
In the central part stood imposing statues representing sacred figures for the cemetery and its inhabitants. These were the statues of the Royal Frog, the Wise Turtle, the Noble Horse, the Mysterious Cat, and the Faithful Dog.
Looking around from their vantage point, they saw pumpkins of various sizes, carved with images of animals and lit by candles. Lanterns and various objects typical of Halloween Night were placed around the graves. Curious, they decided to climb down from the elm and, little by little, started walking toward the park, paying attention to the movements of the faint, flickering lights that cut through the mist. The atmosphere was enchanted and magical.
They moved quietly, Lina always leading the way. Every now and then, she would stop Sara and Teo, saying, “Do you hear that noise? Are we sure it’s not a ghost?”
“N-n-no, just the wind... we hope,” whispered Sara and Teo — But it was Halloween Night, and anything could happen.
In the center of the park, the spirits of the animals living in the cemetery jumped and flew, carried by the air with the help of colorful pinwheels spun by a gentle breeze. It was a full-on celebration. Paper lanterns lit up small stalls filled with all kinds of treats for the joy of the animals. Cookies and snacks shaped like little ghosts, skulls, and bats, small fruit pumpkins, and—believe it or not—mini chicken and turkey sausages for dogs, and fish ones for cats!
Several spotlights rose into the sky at the edges of the park, operated by magpies that vigilantly watched over the cemetery. Suddenly, all the beams of light illuminated one area of the lawn. What was happening?
The magpies had sounded the alarm. A white dog with black patches was running away with a string of sausages dangling from its mouth. A dark brown wolf intercepted him immediately:
“Woof! Woof! Oh, stop! Halt! What are you doing, running off with sausages in your mouth? What’s your name? Where are you from? What are you doing here?”
“Oh! Calm down. My name’s Spot!” replied the white dog with black patches. “I live on the other side of the cemetery’s fence; through a secret passage, I sometimes meet my friends who live here. Every year for the Halloween celebration, I take the chance to visit them and grab some tasty treats to eat. Everything’s so good, Mmmh Mmm… what a delight!”
Then the wolf said: “Ooh, but don’t you know that it’s dangerous to wander around on Halloween night? You might run into malevolent supernatural beings.”
Meanwhile, all the spirits of the cemetery animals were already bringing more goodies to give to Spot, and in chorus, they said: “Stay with us for the Halloween celebration!” The dog happily accepted the invitation, wagging his tail and doing a thousand somersaults. The Halloween celebration had begun. Soon the twelve chimes of the church bell would echo through the silence of the night.
While everyone was having fun and eating to their heart’s content, the moon darkened: thunder, howls, meows, and other strange noises created a ghostly soundtrack. Then, a dense mist and absolute silence fell over the cemetery like a threat. It was midnight, and a destructive force was being unleashed, led by ghosts and skeletons armed with bone scythes and glowing green swords. The dry trees snapped like twigs as they passed. The spectral ghosts appeared wrapped in long strips of mist-made fabrics. Their intention was clear: to reach the sacred statues of the animal protectors and destroy them.
In this terrifying situation, the three companions, who had spotted a crypt at the far end of the park, instinctively took off running toward it to seek refuge. But, passing by the maintenance shed, where all sorts of tools were stored, an idea suddenly struck them. They stopped to gather nets, ropes, mousetraps, sticks, rakes, and shovels. They immediately used them to create improvised traps to stop the malevolent intruders. The skeletons tripped and fell apart with a creak, while the ghosts got caught in the traps with their fabric strips.
But these figures were driven by a destructive force and formed a large group ready to advance and wage battle. Only a small number of them had fallen into the traps, but most of them were moving swiftly, causing devastation and terror, destroying everything in their path. They were dangerously approaching their goal. When all seemed lost, the spirits of the domestic animals, led by Spot, the wolf, and the magpies, formed a circle around the statues. Even the three friends had joined the battle to defend the cemetery.
Despite this extreme act of courage, the malevolent forces did not seem intimidated and continued advancing, shrouded in the mist that accompanied them, among ghostly sounds.
While all of this was happening, Martino, the guardian at the main entrance, though half-asleep, was suddenly awakened by a cold wind and his faithful, alarmed, and attentive companions. He immediately stood up, shivering, and peered through a thick, mysterious fog that partially obscured his view, while inexplicable noises came from the park.
The raven on his shoulder took flight, reaching the old, rusty sign of the gate, while King Lilo, the dog, sniffing the night air, walked without hesitation along the main path. At that point, Martino placed the harmonica to his lips, grabbed his old cane, and walked down the path, following King Lilo; the raven soared into the air.
Soon, they reached the group that was bravely resisting the attack. As they approached the battleground, the music from Martino’s harmonica intensified, while his raven flew directly toward the malevolent forces, distracting them from above. King Lilo, fast as a beam of light, circled around the brave protectors and positioned himself between them and the spectral invaders. Spot, Lina, Sara, and Teo did not hesitate for a moment and stood by his side — and so did all the other spirits of the domestic animals.
It was at that point that the ghosts and skeletons halted their march, and when the sound of the magic harmonica reached them, they floated into the cold night air and vanished into nothingness. Finally, the nightmare was over, and the celebrations could resume.
The three friends were greeted by a multitude of wagging tails and were invited to spend Halloween night in their company. Of course, even Spot the dog, the guardian Martino, King Lilo, the Black Raven, and the Brown Wolf joined the celebrations with plenty of treats and few tricks — because clearly, everyone had already had enough of tricks and scares.
Like a dream, the mysterious adventure of three curious friends vanished with the dawn, and all three woke up happy and incredulous in their beds. But what had really happened on that mysterious Halloween night?
Perhaps only Martino, the guardian, and his loyal companions, who knew the legends and secrets of the night, could know, but no one ever saw them guarding the entrance to the abandoned cemetery again.
Well, they weren’t seen again for a while; to be exact, not until the Halloween night of the following year!
Happy Halloween to everyone!
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