The figure returns

In the minuscule town of Sadding, the yearly terrifying tradition had once again arrived. The woods began to grow: thick, endless, and devouring, just like a dark, black hole. As time passed, the weather worsened: rain fell in torrents that blinded the villagers’ eyes, the fog thickened until it could be mistaken for the smoke of a vicious wildfire. Furthermore, the faint smell of burnt flesh shook the town once more, for they all knew what was about to come.

One colossal lightning bolt split the sky, and the ritual began.

Anyone who dared to escape the town, which was seemingly enclosed by invisible barriers, would first need the head of a mysterious, orange-headed, slender figure lurking deep within the forest’s heart. The raspy chuckle that came from the figure echoed through the woods, with high hopes of finding a worthy prey.

Despite the whole town being on the hunt for this abominable creature, since they all knew about the legends that stated: “the mighty person that cuts off the Jack-o-lantern’s limbs gets to leave the never-ending nightmare of Sadding”. Only Jack stood a chance of successfully catching it.

Siklódi Lehel   XII. R

This year, Jack was ready. He laced up his boots and wrapped his knuckles. Ever since his father’s triumph a year ago, the ritual had become extremely important for Jack, he really wanted to take the Pumpkin Man down.

William carried his father’s blade, and mastered its use. He had trained for this moment  long nights prior, running through the foggy forest, trying to sharpen his alertness.

As the bell struck midnight, the town gathered at the square. The mayor, raised his torch and said that that day their adversary revived anew and the town’s saviour was among them.

A sound came from the forest.

Jack stepped forward, blade drawn.

”I’m not afraid,” he muttered.

The hunt began.

Jack ran into the forest with the aid of his torchlight. He moved carefully, calculating his every step. Somewhere ahead, he heard the scraping of vines and a quiet noise.

Therefore he rushed ahead. He tripped and instantly fell down, scared of his life, he quickly got up and continued running towards the vague sounds.

Jack got outwitted and lured out of the forest and through a cornfield, reaching a terrifying house amid the dead crops.

Görgényi Tamás   XII. R

Jack chased it into his old abandoned house and it started to freak out. Its head got engulfed in flames and stared writing on the wall with his charred fingers like it was trying to send a message. The text said:

"It’s been a long time since we played here".

Jack was confused and started to run out because the flames where burning him. The thing chased after him now even more powerful and full of anger. Jack ran into a cornfield but it just kept chasing him as if he had known exactly where he was going. He ran into an old shack where he used to play hide-and-seek with his family but to his demise it knew exactly where he had hidden.

       Jack gained more courage and leaped at it but the thing dodged it, the thing started to signal for Jack to stop because it didn't want to hurt him. While they were in the shack, the townspeople also arrived to kill it for the chance to leave this place. Suddenly, he saw a piece of ripped and burned shirt on the thing that used to belong to his father, and he started to attack him thinking the thing had killed his father. With the monster dead, he had won this year’s hunt and got the chance to finally leave this damned place.

In the morning he got into his car and drove off after saying goodbye to his friend, but as soon as he left the town's sign, his tears burst, and when he got out to check it he got abducted. The cult fastened him to a rod and placed him into the middle of a pumpkin patch to be the next year’s sacrifice.

Kun Tamás   XII H