avatarSusannah MacKinnie

Summary

In "Pumpkin Jack, Bloody Bones, and the Bad Children, Part Seven," Pumpkin Jack lures the children into the attic to use their fear and cruelty to regain his power, while the other Halloween decorations caution against his plans and the children's reactions vary from fear to fascination.

Abstract

Pumpkin Jack, a Halloween decoration with aspirations to become a fearsome monster again, has devised a plan to restore his power by exploiting the negative emotions of visiting children. Despite warnings from other decorations, he sets a trap in the attic. The children, a mix of bullies and more sensitive souls, are led by Muffy, who is inexplicably drawn to Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones. As the children enter the attic, Muffy becomes entranced by Pumpkin Jack, ignoring her sister Buffy's pleas to leave. The story culminates with Pumpkin Jack's eyes lighting up and the door beginning to close, hinting at the imminent danger the children face.

Opinions

  • The other Halloween decorations, including Agatha and Phineas Greystone, Ambrose and Oscar Swopes, Jacky O, and Dracula, are skeptical of Pumpkin Jack's plan and express their concerns through lecturing, mocking, and pleading.
  • Pumpkin Jack is portrayed as enraged and threatening, showing no regard for the other decorations' opinions as he focuses on his scheme to manipulate the children.
  • Muffy Haynes is depicted as being under the influence of Pumpkin Jack, showing a "queer intent expression" and a desire to stay with him, suggesting a sinister connection between them.
  • Vance Parker, initially scared by the attic's inhabitants, is pulled into the unfolding events by Muffy's actions.
  • Melanie and Charlie Harrison, two of the children, are characterized as more cautious and are reassured by the presence of cheerful Halloween-themed toys near the attic entrance.
  • The story includes a quote from Thomas Malory, "Good and evil, there never is one without the other," which may imply the interconnected nature of the characters' actions and the duality of the situation they are in.
  • The narrative builds tension by describing the attic's atmosphere, the children's reactions, and the transformation of Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones as they begin to regain their monstrous forms.
  • The closing of the attic door suggests an ominous turn of events, leaving the story on a cliffhanger and indicating that the children are now trapped with Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones.

SUSANNAH STEWART | PUMPKIN JACK, BLOODY BONES, AND THE BAD CHILDREN, PART SEVEN

Ambush in the Attic

Pumpkin Jack traps the children

Image created by the author on Canva and Prisma with the author’s photos

Synopsis of Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six

Pumpkin Jack has a plan to save himself and a reluctant Bloody Bones from life as Halloween decorations and to become fierce monsters once more. The other Halloween decorations, Agatha and Phineas Greystone, Ambrose and Oscar Swopes, Jacky O, and Dracula lecture, mock, and plead with Pumpkin Jack to accept his fate.

Enraged, he threatens everyone and plans to use the children who visit the cottage in his scheme to get his power back. He knows he can feed on the cruelty in Muffy and Buffy Haynes and Vance Parker and the fear he can create in Melanie and Charlie Harrison. He unwisely ignores the threat posed by Susannah Stewart.

Penelope gives the children permission to visit the attic, though she knows Pumpkin Jack is up to something. She sends her little dog, Sherlock, to watch after them.

Good and evil, there never is one without the other.

Thomas Malory

The children went to the door on the landing of the second floor and opened it, seeing the small attic stairs leading to a second door. The children walked up the steep, narrow stairs in a single file, Muffy in front of Buffy and Vance, ahead of Melanie and Charlie.

The doorknob at first refused to turn but then quickly released, and they burst into the room, bumping their heads on the low beams and rafters.

Muffy walked toward the back wall as if she knew exactly where she was going. Buffy and Vance followed closely.

Melanie and Charlie remained by the door, near a small chest with two pairs of figures on top, squishy molded jack-o'-lanterns with disagreeable cross expressions and a male and a female vampire, both busts of grey pseudo stone. In the corner next to Melanie and Charlie were a cuddly pumpkin stuffed doll with a plastic jack-o'-lantern treats bucket for a head and a plush Dracula doll with a kind expression, held upright on a wooden stand. They had a cheerful air that reassured Charlie.

The others had reached the two large figures in the back. One was a plastic skeleton, boney arms hanging loosely at his sides. Next to him stood a towering figure. His eyes were the dull red of smoldering ashes. He wore a ragged grey felt hat and a dandy’s jacket. Looming, grotesque, he looked in the pale light, very fearsome.

Vance said, “These guys gave me the creeps. Let's get out of here.”

But Muffy didn’t move. She stood there with a queer intent expression as if she were listening to something. She came even closer to the larger figure and reached out her hand to touch him.

She mumbled, “His name is Pumpkin Jack, and the skeleton is Bloody Bones. They need our help.”

Buffy, bewildered and a little frightened, said, “Muffy, come on. I don’t like this game. They scare me. Let’s go.”

Muffy whispered, “No, I won’t go. I’ll never go away. I want to stay here. I want to stay with him forever and ever.”

Suddenly Pumpkin Jack’s eyes flamed and his grin grew wider, showing his teeth. Blood flowed down Bloody Bones’ skull and his eyes glowed red.

The door slowly began to close.

To Be Continued Daily Through Halloween

Part one

Part two

Part three

Part four

Part five

Part six

Fiction
Storytelling
Horror
Halloween
Susannah Stewart
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