Chapter 1
“Such a morsel…”
Felix shivered as he hurried past the decrepit witch gardens behind the red fort, stumbling over snaking roots that seemed to come alive in the night. He had never believed in monsters before, but the eerie voice that now spoke in his head was very real. A raven eyed him in the dark, cackling with glee.
“Let me feed you, boy.” the voice offered. “You will never wish to eat again …”
Blue smoke gathered at his feet, and it grew thicker as he sprinted across the dead grass, pale as milk in the moonlight. Legend claimed the garden was marked with the eye of an ancient gluttonous noble. She had fed on pumpkins, their seeds, their leaves, even their flowers, and had devoured herself to an early grave. On nights like these, when the veil between the human and spirit world was cut open, she was said to return as an evil blue ghoul, for even in death, she grew hungry for more.
The fog grew thicker, and Felix’s vision blurred. His foot caught onto something strange, and he fell forward, coming face to face with his enemy. Blue smoke leaked from the pumpkin’s eyes in greeting, a terrifying grin on its face as if it had been expecting a guest.
As he shot to his feet, a chill ran down his spine. He realized he wasn’t alone. A beautiful woman stood behind the pumpkin, eyes that were black pools of starlight. The blue fog rose from her skin as if she were made of mist.
“Aren’t you hungry?” she asked him.
When she spoke, a soothing calmness washed over Felix. He watched her twirl a squash blossom in her hand, yellow like the sun. As she smiled prettily with gleaming white teeth, she took a bite of the flower.
“Come, Felix.” she said invitingly. “Let’s eat.”
