The Halloween Parade!

Warning! This story does contain descriptions of various gore, murder, and blood! If that's not for you, I advise you not read this!

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The annual Halloween parade was a tradition spanning back at least 60 years! Members of the community got together every year to make it a sparkling standout event, somehow topping themselves every year.

As Mayor Bloom looked around the main street, he couldn't help but beam with pride. He tightened the arm around his wife, grinning at her when she bumped into his side with a giggle. "I can't wait to see what the kids came up with!" He mused, looking over at the stand for hot cider and cold pumpkin juice manned by the Robertsons- veteran teachers at the local middle school.

Mayor Bloom sauntered down the street, greeting friends and constituents while spotting his wife making her rounds and fawning over the homemade goods.

He greeted the Idletons who were having a blast at the haring toss game, and the Jeffersons who were making money hand over fist with their handmade Halloween figurines. He made a stop at the little booth of the teenaged Roland twins, who were selling the most adorable stuffed bats and cats that they'd been making since June, and bought one of each. He spied his wife cooing over the jewelry made by Old Mrs. Morrow, widow of the former mayor who was still a force to be reckoned with in their community.

Eventually, the Mayor strolled up to the stage, and took his place behind the podium. When his wife finally walked up, he looked around her curiously.

"I couldn't find the kids." she whispered, a glint of worry in their eyes.

"They know they have to be up here with us," he reminded her, frowning slightly. "We'll give them a talking too for this later tonight." With that, he faced the growing crowds and offered his most winsome smile.

"Ladies and Gentleman! Happy Halloween!" A great cheer rose up, and Mayor Bloom chuckled. "Yes, yes . . . how beautiful this town looks today. And the booths were stellar this year- let's have a round of applause for the PTA members for putting together a fantastic fair for us this year! Alright, alright . . . we best get this show on the road- I'm keen on trying those pumpkin cakes the bakery has still. Let's here it for the high school's Halloween parade!"

Mayor Bloom gestured to the DJ who started playing the appropriate background music for the parade, something meant to blend in easily to the school band's live performance as they marched down the street. The crowds gasped and cheered, truly blown away by the floats this year. Mayor Bloom and his wife cheered and clapped as well, but when no one else was looking, they gave each other perturbed glances.

The floats were a lot . . . gorier than the initial mock-ups had been. Sure they had the agreed upon floats- a witch's house and the cauldron brewing was the very first one, with the head cheerleader Veronica dressed in her very best witch's costume. A long back dress clung to her frame, sleeves off the shoulder and drooping. She was also holding a large, leatherbound book that was a new prop he hadn't seen before. In the cauldron her boyfriend, the star quarterback of the team, Drew, was sitting in the cauldron, assumedly half naked though whatever was in the cauldron covered him up most of him, and he was really acting as if he was distressed. Did they actually tie him up in there?! That had to be a safety hazard!

The float after was meant to show a spooky little cornfield, a couple dozen fake corn stalks surrounding a scarecrow but- there was more than one scarecrow strung up, and they all looked so bloody! And- and those scarecrows looked almost like real human beings! Mayor Bloom's eyes must have been acting up again because he could swear one looked like the eldest Roland boy with his mouth split open from one ear to the next.

The last float was supposed to be 50's themed, with girls in floaty poodle skirts and boys in leather jackets- which they were, but again, all the blood?! And why were there a couple of kids just sprawled out on the floor? Were those supposed to be bodies?!

"Honey, this is hardly appropriate!" Mrs. Bloom whispered sharply. "We didn't want anything that could scare the little children!"

"I know, dear, I know." Mayor Bloom placated his wife, but in truth, he didn't know. He didn't know if this was some kind of trick played on them, or the whole town, or if the bunch of rascals waving cheerfully and prancing on the floats- well all accept the 50's styled kids who were just shuffling around and looking dull- really thought this was appropriate. But, oh, he would be getting to the bottom of this. With every parent involved as well!

When the parade finally came to an end, the cheering had gone down considerably as many parents were looking furious, only the younger kids still enthusiastic. Mayor Bloom paused for a little too long, but with a gruff clearing of his throat, Mayor Bloom started. "Uh, thank-"

"Just a second, please, Mayor Bloom!" Veronica cut in with a dazzling smile, and the interruption caused mutters to ripple through the crowd. "As a special treat, we've got one more act to perform!"

Mayor Bloom wasn't so sure he wanted to see what else the little brats had cooked up. "Well, Veronica-"

"Give it a chance Bloom!" Veronica's father, always refusing to see his little girl as anything less than the star she was born to be, shouted out. Various other neighbors who, while surprised at the bloody display, were still into it, agreed with encouraging shouts.

"Well . . . yes, fine, go ahead." Bloom conceded.

Veronica clapped her hands gleefully. "Okay! So, um, let me just get to the right page . . ." The cheerful girl opened up her large tome and flipped through pages before finally smacking her hand down against the one she was looking for. "There!"

Veronica read it through once, just to be sure, and then looked out at the crowd as she intoned, "Culanes! Yocranis! Ti aler-nauk mortenis druis! Culanes! Vrantis! SIRANISH!"

Finished, Veronica proudly closed the book and propped it against her hip. Everyone waited for something to happen, but all Mayor Bloom could see was the 50's kids clambering down from the float in a very clumsy, almost drunken manner . . . had they been drinking?!

"What, um . . . what was that supposed to do Veronica? Is it the new school chant?" Mayor Bloom chuckled nervously, the dad joke prompting titters from others in the crowd.

"Oh, no, Mayor Bloom!" Veronica giggled. "It's actually a sacrificial ritual!"

"What?" Mayor Bloom had no other words, so shocked was he at what came out of that girl's mouth. He had meant to follow up with some more strict words but then-

Screams. Horrible, ragged screams coming from where the 50's kids had gone into the crowd. Mayor Bloom couldn't see what they were doing, but they were on the ground and limbs were tangled . . . they were even bloodier than they had started. He could see people around them starting too look scared, and they were backing away.

Mrs. Bloom gasped and grabbed her husband's arm, forcing him to look away and to where she as watching in horror- the corn field float was glowing! Somehow, from the only dozen cornstalk, creatures were walking from it- more than should have been able to fit inside that small space without having been seen, but he swore nothing was there before! Especially nothing like them- ragged things, some parts covered in burlap, other parts showing torn flesh and grisly bones underneath, no eyes in their heads but rows of teeth . . . who the hell made those costumes?! And all of them were carrying sickles. They jumped into the crowd, and swung their blades up before bringing them down on the unsuspecting revelers. He saw Old Mrs. Morrow go down with a blood curdling shriek, sliced from collar bone to hip. His next door neighbor was next to go with a sickle to his face, while his wife and children raced off with screams.

The band was suddenly disrobing, dropping their instruments to the ground with loud clangs and crashes, as they revealed pale skin and widely grinning mouths full of sharp teeth. They all screamed and leapt into the crowd, hands reaching out to grab anyone still foolishly close and sinking those sharp teeth into their necks.

More screams were filling the air, blood running off sidewalks and into the streets. Those same streets started to crack, large lines running through that forced people to stumble or leap over them while trying to escape. Those cracks widened into large gaps from which grotesque, terrible creatures crawled up into the open air. Those things too, sought warm flesh and blood.

All the while, Veronica laughed and laughed, snapping her fingers and causing the cauldron to glow red. Her boyfriend started screaming as the water began to boil and cook him. With a scoff, she stomped over and raised up the book, bringing it down on his head. Drew went under the water with a cut off scream and the mixture finally turned a dazzling array of reds before darkening into purple. With a satisfied hum, she turned around to witness Mrs. Bloom run screaming for her children, before being plucked up by a flying creature that had come from underground. Her screams died off as she was carried away to . . . well, Veronica didn't know or care. She was more preoccupied with staring at a bone white, distraught Mayor, who did nothing but tremble and grip onto the podium as the town was made into a feeding frenzy for her new friends.

Veronica smiled prettily and waggled her fingers. "Happy Halloween!"

I hope you enjoyed this story! If you did, perhaps you'd like its predecessor, Holiday Preparations. Please like and share this story, and have a good one!