A Halloween Night Essay

The town next to ours was a little mining town called Cheshire. Despite it being a productive and rich mining town, it was well known for the Legend of the Witches Circle. It was said that twelve witches used to live here. At the struck of midnight, they would fly around the town, creating nuisance and scaring off anyone in their path. After many deaths, people fled the town, fearing falling victim to the evil witches. Mining was halted and the town was abandoned. No one has returned to Cheshire ever since. The mood of Halloween was in the air. It was the end of October and large pumpkins were being put out for sale at the farms. Everyone in Saintsbury was getting ready for Halloween. Statues of goblins and evil witches could be seen everywhere. It was finally here, Halloween night. The streetlights were not working. Instead, the faint glows of candlelight lined the street. I was a bit old to go trick or treating; I had better plans with my friend. Jack, a good friend of mine had planned for us to pay a little visit to Cheshire, to prove to ourselves right that the legend of the witches were just a myth. I met up with him downtown and we got what we needed, and set out on the dark winding path through the forest leading into Cheshire. The noise began to slowly fade away. The forest was strangely quiet that night. I could hear myself breathing heavily. We walked arm in arm, guided by the dim light from the small torch. It was a true Halloween night. The full moon was shining through the bare branches casting eerie shadows on our path as we walked. A cool breeze was blowing sending leaves dancing messily across the forest floor. I remember thinking to myself that this night was truly the kind that you imagine when you listen to a scary tale. Holding tightly to the person next to you, just like I was holding Jack as we walked that evening. The path we walked on would take us past the cemetery and end at the crest above Devil’s Den, where it is believed the witches used to slay their victims every night. We chose this path because of it being the night it was. We were feeling young and out for an adventure. An adventure that led us into the heart of the townà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s legendary witches’ circle. As we walked past the cemetery a group of mischievous boys came jumping out from behind some tombstones and trees. My heart was in my throat and I felt Jack give a startled jump. â€Å"Oi, what the hell do you think youà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½re doing!† shouted Jack. They ran away laughing, off to find their next victim. My I was still looking terrified and when Jack turned to see if I was all right, he started laughing too. Then jokingly, I sent him stumbling backwards over a log into a big pile of leaves from a nearby oak tree. I ran and found a good spot to hide, to do some scaring of my own. I had settled in behind a rock above Devil’s Den and feeling pleased with myself, waited for the sound of crunching leaves. I listened carefully, but what broke the silence was not the sound I expected. From below, in Devil’s Den, I heard chanting. I slowly turned around to see who or what it was that was chanting. Suddenly, from behind, an arm grabbed me. I opened my mouth to scream, but it was quickly covered by a second hand. As I struggled to get loose I wondered what had happened to Jack and if I was going to die tonight. Reality set in when I heard Jack’s voice whispering my name. When I finally settled down, he whispered for me to be quiet before he released his hand from over my mouth. As he released his hold, my eyes drifted down to the strange sight below. † Oh my God!!!† I said. In the valley below, surrounding a large stone altar, stood twelve figures. They were dressed in black gowns with hoods that hung over their faces, giving them an eerie appearance. As they stood encircling the altar their soft chanting could be heard. Soon my body was covered with goose bumps as their voices softly filled the night air. From the cover of the night we knelt watching in silence. Then there was silence as a man leading a goat appeared out of the darkness. They tied the goat to the altar while a new figure entered the light. In his hand was a large dagger that he carried to the top of the altar then knelt and chanted softly. Slowly he rose, raising the dagger high into the air, then with a loud cry he lowered the blade into the screaming goats chest. With ease he sliced open the goat while it cried and squirmed. Then, as if it was an orange he began to peel its skin from the body. When he had finished he held the head and skin high into the air as if he was praying to his god. He called for power as he placed the goat’s head in place. The skin was still wet with blood and it clung to his back. Blood covered his face as it ran from the goat’s head before falling to the ground. Then he turned and spoke to the darkness. A young woman entered into the light and in her arms she carried a small child. There was no expression on her face as she placed the child upon the altar before turning and walking back into the darkness. The child laid cradled in the carcass of the goat as the leader fell to his knees at the side of the altar. The other twelve, still encircling the altar, continued the chanting. Their cries became louder and louder. Suddenly there was silence as the leader stood. He raised the dagger into the air, a cold dark expression on his face as he again prayed to his god. Just as he was ready to plunge the blade into the child, a scream pierced the night. Their eyes searched the darkness for the intruder and soon all eyes were on me. The eyes of the Death Leader locked into mine. Then all went black. I woke up with the sensation of heat against my skin. I looked around and saw twelve black figures standing around me. My hands were tied back to a pole and around me was a big ring of fire. Barely opening my eyes, because of the intense heat, I looked for Jack. I could not find him. Then I saw it. On the altar, lay the body of a young man. I tried to stand on my toe to see is he was all right. I felt sick. His body was covered with blood. A deep cut ran straight down his chest. I turned away, not being able to bear what I just saw. I looked up to the figure sitting next to the altar. It was terrifying. It was the most hideous face I had ever seen. It had a pale yellow skin and had holes for eyes. He stared at me coldly and stood up before reaching for the dagger, soaking in blood, from the altar. I got terrified and struggled to free myself, to no avail. I let out a scream, as he raised the dagger into the air, his cold eyes staring into mine. I held my eyes shut, waiting for it. Then all went silent. I opened my eyes, much to my relief. Everything was gone, my hands were untied. The rays of sun, arising amidst the clouds, broke the darkness. The altar and fire was gone too.