The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Clever Jack 
by Rie Sheridan Rose

Jack was a failed one. He knew it. Had always known it. His eyes didn’t match; his teeth were lop-sided; his maker had carved him too late—the rot had already begun…

But Jack was clever.

He used his psychic abilities—which all jack-o’-lanterns are born with—to whisper into Cedric’s ear. You don’t want to keep this reject around…someone might see it! You’d lose all claim to Pumpkin Master. No, you need to get rid of it as soon as you can! Take it to the forest and dump it there…

Of course, Cedric’s first inclination was to throw the malformed pumpkin to the curb…literally…but Jack wheedled him out of the notion.

C’mon, dude…you don’t want to do that! You might get caught, and you’d never hear the end of it. I bet your mom would ground you till Christmas if you did! Nah—you want to dump it in the woods. Think of the karma. Some deer will eat it or something. You’ll be a woodland hero.

Cedric liked the idea of some deer coming along and eating it. It would probably get sick and die, as gnarly as the pathetic thing was. That would be outstanding!

Cedric never had gotten the hang of karma.

But it worked. He took Jack to the woods and dumped him under a tree. “See you never, loser!”

Jack felt his grin expanding as he heard Cedric bounding out of the woods. Finally free!

He dared to rise onto his tiny legs and start wandering through the clearing.

“Anyone here?” he called softly.

A pinprick of light appeared on his right. “W-who are you?” whispered a tentative voice.

“My name is Jack. What’s yours?”

“They call me Pipsqueak,” came the reluctant answer, as a tiny creature tiptoed forward.

He didn’t look like a pumpkin…too tall and thin. Maybe a squash of some kind. Didn’t matter. He was a new friend…and potential accomplice.

“Nice to meet you, Pip. One can never have too many friends.”

“You…want to be my friend?”

“Sure!”

Pip’s light brightened visibly. “Shall I introduce you to the others?”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Pip gave a sharp whistle, and lights started appearing all over the woods. They were all shapes and sizes.

As the lights began converging on them, Jack smiled slyly. Yes, this is going to be fun.

.

Fiction © Copyright Rie Sheridan Rose
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from Author Rie Sheridan Rose:

Overheard in Hell:
Dark Poetry

Poems exploring hell and damnation. Tales of sorrow, vengeance, betrayal, and redemption. Ghosts, ghouls, and demons stalk these pages. Don’t read in a lonely house…in a darkened room by a single candle…

…unless you like the touch of an icy finger up your spine.

Available on Amazon!