Chapter 1
The small town slowly came to life as the last breath of day turned to dusk. It was Halloween, and preparations for the night began in the early evening hours. Small groups of children and teenagers ran through the streets, screaming and laughing, their voices mingling with the rustling of leaves that the cool autumn wind blew over the cobblestone streets.
Flickering lanterns dangled in front of houses, their hollow faces filled with candlelight. Some windows were covered with fake cobwebs, with little plastic spiders hanging in them, while ghostly sounds emanated from the gardens - mechanical ghosts that howled at the push of a button, and witch figures that looked down on passing children as they moved.
In the center of town, in the small marketplace, there was a great deal of activity. The bakery had traded the smell of freshly baked bread for the tantalizing aroma of sweet pumpkin pie and cinnamon sticks. Apple rings dipped in caramel and sprinkled with chopped nuts were everywhere, while witch’s fingers - crunchy finger-shaped cookies with red almond tips for nails - were piled high on baking trays in the ovens. Parents had bowls of candy ready, and some doors had „Trick or Treat“ signs on them. The costumed children could hardly stand still. Little vampires, witches, zombies, and ghosts gathered in groups, their baskets and bags half full of candy even though the trick-or-treating had not yet begun. A boy in a wobbly Frankenstein costume paced back and forth while his sister - dressed as a scary doll - waited patiently for him, her large eye mask in hand for better vision.
The older teens, who often found small town life boring, were full of energy tonight. They had their own way of celebrating Halloween: some planned pranks like throwing toilet paper over the neighborhood trees or scaring younger children by hiding behind the bushes and jumping out, howling eerily. Others adorned themselves with elaborate, scary masks, hoping to outdo each other in scariness.
The kitchens of Halloween fans were steaming. Adults were busy preparing their own little Halloween parties and snacks that were as scary as they were delicious. Monster brownies with green icing and chocolate eyes were on display, along with red drinks labeled "Blood Cocktail", while a large bowl of steaming punch waited to be served in one corner.
The evening air was filled with the tinkling of bells, the slamming of doors, and the laughter of children. Here and there, puffs of smoke rose from small bonfires that the townspeople had lit for their Halloween parties. But behind the laughter and fun, the glittering costumes and merry bustle, there was a barely perceptible tension in the air - an undefined uneasiness that was more than just child’s play.
An elderly man carving pumpkins in front of his house paused as he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. His eyes wandered to the edge of the forest that began just behind his house, and for a moment the darkness there seemed deeper and blacker than usual. He rubbed his hands, as if to chase away the goosebumps, before continuing his work. But something lingered in the air - a faint foreboding that echoed through the night like a whisper, barely perceptible but present. Halloween was the night of ghosts and monsters, everyone knew that. But there were rumors, old stories that only the elders told the naughty children at night - stories of things that lurked in the darkness and were more than just harmless pranks or costumed children.
Tales of werewolves and vampires...
