The mysterious lady - my entry for the story contest

Dear readers,

already a month has past since Halloween, but I was finally able to do my Halloween story for the story contest in the Sylvanian Families forum. I had some trouble with the lighting - still haven't found the best place for taking pictures in the new flat. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my story :)

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It was a cold and foggy morning, when Muddy McBurrow left the house for school. First he fetched up Anton Löffel.

„Uah! What a weird weather!“, Anton put on a woolen hat, „I hope it will be better tonight.“

Muddy agreed, „But if it stays foggy like that, it will also the perfect atmosphere for Halloween.“

„That’s right.“

Then the two of them walked on and soon they knocked on the door of  the Buttercup farm.

„Morning boys!“, Hornbull opened the door, „Paddock will be here soon. Will you come in?“

„Yes, thank you.“, they entered the Buttercups kitchen.

„Good morning!“, Daisy greeted, „Have you slept well?“

„Good morning.“, Anton shook his head, „Too short.“ Muddy laughed, „Me too.“

„You sound like Paddock.“, said Daisy amused, „By the way, is he still in his room? Paddock?“ She yelled louder: „PADDOCK! Your friends are here! Hurry up, or you’re to late for school!“

„Coming mum!“, the boy run down the stairs and waved his friends, „Sorry, I prepared my costume for later.“

„Haven’t you done this before?“, his mother asked irritated.
„Yes, but I made it better!“, Paddock grinned.

„We will look so cool!“, Muddy explained, „We’re the most horryfing ghosts the village have ever seen!“

Anton agreed proudly, „Indeed and we will scare the hell out of everyone!“

„Yay!“, the boys gave themselves a high five, while Paddocks parents laughed loudly.

Hornbull accompanied them back to door, „Take care…“

In school the planned Halloween trip oft he second class was the big theme of the day. All children talked about it. During class and during the breaks.

In the last break Sophie Snow-Warren and her friends went to the boys. „Listen.“, Sophie said, „Yesterday my grandpa told me a horryfing story.“

Anton looked at this cousin, „Which one? The one with the zombie bee?“

Sophie laughed, „No, not that one.“ But than turned serious again, „It’s about the ghostwoman, who searches for her child!“

Muddy, Anton and Paddock looked at eachother.

„What the hell is that for a story?“

The rabbit girl lowered her voice: „It is said that many hundred years ago a beautiful woman lived together with her child in a castle. Her husband was killed in the war. The lady loved her child very much and she played with it every day.

But one day a cruel and ornery man appeared and stole her child!

She was begging to give her the baby back, but he just run away. The lady searched for them everywhere.

 Even after their death. The legend says that you can see the lady all fifty years searching for her child. In a halloween night! She has porcellain white skin and eyes, which are shining like emeralds!“

„That’s a fantastic story, great uncle Bernard thought of!“, Anton grinned, but couldn’t hide that he was a bit afraid.

„Very creepy!“, Muddy shivered, „But it’s just story, isn’t it?“

Paddock nodded, „For sure.“

„I just wanted to warn you…“, Sophie said, „Because today fifty years have passed!“

The day passed very slowly. But then at around 7 p.m. it was finally the time! Muddy, Paddock and Anton met together with the other children on the market place, then they started trick or treatin

After an hour they already had a huge bag of sweets – and a few vegatables (Mona Hazelnut had a very healthy attitude.)

„As I said, we are sooo spooky!“, Paddock said happily, „We will make an all-time record with the sweets we have!“

„Indeed and…“, Muddy stopped.  In the corner of his eye, he saw something, „What was that?“

„What was what?“, asked Anton irritated.

„Nothing…“, the mole looked around, „I just thought that  I…“

At that moment Paddock shrieked, „Look! Look at that!“ Just three metres away from them a strange looking man with a young girl in his arms ran towards the restaurant and disappeared.

„What the…?“, Anton began disbelieving.

„It must have been a phantasm… Like a mirage…“, Paddock said.

„Yes.“, Muddy fastly nodded, „That was it for sure!“

„Help me!“, the chrystalclear voice of a woman spoke behind them.

Almost frightened to death the three boys turned around.

„Help me finding my child! Please!“, a pale lady, wearing an old-fashioned dress, looked at them with sad eyes. Eyes, which had the colour of an emerald!

Shocked Muddy said, „You are… You are that… that ghost!“

„What ghost?“, the woman looked around, „I can’t see a ghost. But please, please tell me! Have you seen my child? A man took my baby!“

„W… We have seen a man…“, Paddock bit on his lips, „He had a child on his arm.“

„Where?“, she asked excited.

„There!“, Anton pointed on the restaurant, „But, he disappeared…“

Without another word the woman ran towards the restaurant.

„Should we follow her?“

„Uhm…“, Muddy scratched his head, „Isn’t she that ghost? So shouldn’t we run away and scream?“

„Are you a man or a mouse?“, Paddock said, but wasn’t convinced himself.

„After all she’s a woman in trouble.“, Anton said, „Ghost or not. We should help her! Sophie didn’t say that she’s dangerous…“

„And maybe she’s no ghost. Ghosts are not real!? Aren’t they?“

The mole sighed, „Right. So it is settled.“

Nervously, but with the will to help, the boys followed the woman.

„He is running too fast!“, the lady cried, „I can’t catch him.“ She was desperate, „My poor baby!“

„Don’t cry!“, Muddy said, „We will catch him!“ With those words the boys ran as fast as the could.

Soon they could see the man again, but he really was fast.

Without thinking Anton grasped into the bag he was carrying and found the zucchini, Mona Hazelnut gave him. With all the power he had, the rabbit hove the zucchini at the man.

To his big surprise the man fell over and the baby on his shoulders tumbled over his back.

„Wow!“, Paddock was amazed, „Good shot!“

„Laura!“, the mysterious lady fell on her knees and hugged her child dearly.

Touched the boys looked at that scene, while the kidnapper disappeared with an ornery facial expression.

When the lady stood up again, she slowly walked to the boys. „I don’t know how I will ever be able to thank you. All those centuries without my daughter…. Thank you so much!“

„Oh well… It was a pleasure…“, Muddy said.

„We’re glad we could help!“, Paddock and Anton added.

„God may bless you!“, the lady softly layed her lips on each of their foreheads. The kiss felt soft, like a mild summer breeze. Then she walked away, hand in hand with her beloved child.

With growing disbelief the boys saw how they slowly vanished into thin air.

„Was that…?“

„That definitely was…“

„Trust me…“, Paddock said quietly, „That was the strangest Halloween we will ever have!“

Closemouthed his friends agreed.

At that moment Sophie and her friends walked over to them. They also had a full bag of sweets. „Hey, lads!“, Rose Tuxedo asked, „Is everything ok?“

Sophie giggled, „You look like you’ve seen a ghost!?“

The boys looked at eachother, but said nothing. No one would believe him that they actual met - and helped - a ghost. It would be their special secret - for ever.

The End

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I hope you enjoyed that belated Halloween story :D. 

Yours Kyra