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

The Reckoning for Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones

Sometimes you get what you deserve

Synopsis of Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten

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. Pumpkin Jack traps the children in the attic. Sherlock attacks Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones and the children escape. Charlie finds Susannah Stewart and her animal companions, telling her of the children’s narrow escape. Susannah goes to Penelope’s cottage to remove Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones.

Punishment is justice for the unjust.

Augustine of Hippo

Grandmother Iline could feel the smug satisfaction in the house the moment she opened the front door, righteous contentment usually associated with a victory well-earned or a task brought to its proper conclusion. Knowing the unique nature of the house, she uneasily wondered what had brought about that feeling.

Entering the front room to ask Susannah if she knew what had happened that so pleased House, she saw her surrounded by heaps of Halloween decorations.

Forgetting her question in her eagerness to explore the decorations, Ilie smiled at the girl and started sorting through the piles, straightening, separating, and happily greeting old favorites: the cock-eyed cat with its rakish witch hat that always stood by the front door and the ceramic pumpkin luminaries.

Like all her family, she loved to celebrate Halloween, and one of her favorite annual pastimes was to unpack the decorations from previous years and to plan how to include new ones.

Suddenly she paused, a puzzled look on her face.

“I’ve never seen that salt and pepper shaker set before. I wonder how it came here. That was a clever idea, wasn’t it? Bloody Bones as a saltshaker and Pumpkin Jack for the pepper. Though they look so angry, I wouldn’t trust what they would shake out.”

She glanced over to share the joke, and Susannah gave her grandmother a stern look.

“That’s right. Never trust that pair, Grandmother. Always remember that this set of salt and pepper shakers is for looks only. Never forget.”

Susannah thought for a moment then said, “Most of their power to do meanness is behind them, but on a bad night, say All Hallows Eve, the salt might come out as strychnine and the pepper as deadly nightshade.”

“Promise me you will never use them except as decorations,” Susannah said firmly.

Grandmother knew it was not wise to argue with Susannah when she was in her “warnings of doom” mood.

She immediately agreed with the solemn-faced girl.

“All right, of course, I promise. The shakers will be ornamental only.”

Grandmother laughed hesitantly.

“You’re a strange child, Susannah. It’s hard to know when you’re joking. Sometimes I almost believe you’re serious when you say such things.”

To Be Continued Daily Through Halloween

Part one

Part two

Part three

Part four

Part five

Part six

Part seven

Part eight

Part nine

Part ten