A time to remember the dead

In order to write about Halloween, I have to know what Halloween stands for.

I learned the 31st of October is the first day of Allhallowtide. This Christian feast stretches out over three days: the first day is Halloween, the second day is All Saints Day, and the third day is All Souls Day. It is a time to remember the dead, and the veil between the material world and the afterlife is thinned. The color white, which is symbolic of victory and life, is an important color these days. So is souling, in which bands of children, or of poor men, went round to the houses of the well-to-do on Souling Day, as they called it, begging money, apples, ale, or doles of cake. Trick or treating in modern times. So far for the facts found on the Net.

What can Halloween mean to me?

In my country, we don’t really celebrate Halloween, although the pumpkins and the witches are there in the shops, decorative, and inviting. But the practice of trick or treating is not common and I have never in my life seen this being practiced. Perhaps you have to be an American to appreciate this feast of the dead, although Halloween horror parties take place in faraway countries as Singapore. It gives rise to horror stories, that’s for sure.

So, a horror story has to be told here.

A synopsis for a longer teen story: The veil of death. The search for Bee.

Three real ghosts meet at a dark and sinister place outside the realm of people. They plot a devious trick for Halloween. In order to lure the souls of innocents, they roam through the night on Halloween dressed up as ghosts and tell tales to passersby. When they captivate their attention they snatch the spirit of that person, feast on their flesh, and leave the dead carcasses to rot in the night. Only one fifteen-year-old girl in the land has the power, given to her by an elf who overhears the conversation of the three ghosts, to defeat them. She can transform evil into good and can save people. One problem: the elf has memory loss and can’t remember which girl is the One. A group of kids is formed who will assist the elf in trying to find the girl. Will they be in time before the next horrific murder spree?

It could be a good story if and when I have time to flesh it out more. So this week I am writing a teen horror shorts. I am looking forward to letting the creative juices flow on this one. I could always dedicate the story to my parents who are both deceased now. On Halloween: a time to remember my dead.

Word count: 462