SUSANNAH STEWART | PUMPKIN JACK, BLOODY BONES, AND THE BAD CHILDREN, PART FOUR
Pumpkin Jack Has Plans for the Children
He wants to use them to revive his power
Synopsis of Parts One, Two, and Three
Pumpkin Jack has a plan to save himself and Bloody Bones from life as Halloween decorations and to become fierce monsters once more. They have a loud argument. The other Halloween decorations, Agatha and Phineas Greystone, Ambrose and Oscar Swopes, Jacky O, and Dracula lecture and mock the two, enraging Pumpkin Jack. He threatens to wreak destruction on everyone when he gets the chance.
It is a fact that cannot be denied: the wickedness of others becomes our own wickedness because it kindles something evil in our own hearts. Carl Jung
Dracula replied, “Ah, but they are not the only children who visit, are they? Others have visited more often. Little Charlie and his sister Melanie are frequent guests and are kindhearted. How do they affect you?”
Pumpkin Jack dismissed the two nicer children scornfully. “Melanie is milquetoast, namby-pamby, neither here nor there. She goes along with whoever she’s with. As for her oddball brother, he’s no threat to me.”
Jacky O stood his ground and disagreed. “Yeah, Big Boy, Charlie himself is no threat, but you mighta forgotten that Charlie’s dearest friend is that very Susannah Stewart we spoke of. That’s a kid who does not like villains and who believes evil deserves retribution.”
“She would be furious if any harm came to Charlie. And an angry Susannah is lousy news for monsters. Bad news for everyone if you wanna know the truth. No telling what will happen if she loses her temper.”
Dracula said, “She has the dictionary, Merriam Webster, to guide her and has the aid of Stewart House. Both they and her animal guardians are loyal to her and willing to help Susannah in anything she wishes to do. Are you prepared to deal with that?”
Nothing, no warning, no threat was stopping Jack. He replied vehemently with a nasty air of arrogance and condescension.
“Codswallop! I’m not worried, nothing to do with our plans. That accursed house is far away, and the girl has not visited in many weeks. As for that know it all dictionary, he needs to mind his own business, or there might be a book burning when I get my power back!”
Bloody Bones was not so sure of the helplessness of their adversaries.
“But Jack, there were those stories about what happened to those other supernatural beings who came to this place. Some were our friends, and no one has seen them since they went inside that dreadful house with that awful little girl. At least no one has seen them in their original forms.”
Despite Jack’s thunderous expression warning of an imminent explosion, Bones kept trying to make his case.
“Don’t you remember those rumors, folks telling about pictures, whatnots, even wallpaper that resembled them, tucked away in hidden rooms?”
“Shut it, I said!”
Still seething with anger, Jack was in no mood for prudent advice. His sole focus was regaining his devilish strength. He eagerly elaborated on his plan.
“Now here’s what we do when they visit this afternoon. If I concentrate, I think I can reach the oldest girl. She is horrible and genuinely enjoys bringing suffering to others.”
Pumpkin Jack’s mood improved, and he was laughing cheerfully at the thought of hurting others once again. “We lure them up here. We frighten the brats, pick up some energy from their fright and misery, start getting back to our old selves.”
Loving the sound of his own voice, he continued to scheme aloud.
“Perhaps a fall down those stairs, they are very steep and uneven. If one child would die, that would completely revive us. We turn to living flesh again. Some of us would anyway, you get my meaning, Bones,” chuckled Jack, pleased with his cleverness.
“If not death or injury, perhaps I can persuade those bad children to remove us from here. They would not hesitate at thievery, I am sure if they thought there was gain to be had. Those girls think only of themselves, and the boy is besotted with the oldest one, Muffy, and will do anything she asks.”
Rubbing his hands in jubilation, thinking of destruction and rejuvenation, Jack said, “It will be just like the old days. Play it by ear, see how it goes, and do what does us the most good and everyone else the most harm.”
Turning from Bones, Jack savagely addressed the other Halloween decorations.
“Not a peep, not a twitch from any of you. Remember your own rule: you are inanimate objects when any human is around. If you know what’s good for you, you stay that way.”
To Be Continued Daily Through Halloween
Here is part one.
Here is part two.
Here is part three.
