Halloween
A brief history.
Halloween, the name applied to the evening of October 31, preceding the Christian feast of Hallowmas, Allhallows, or All Saints' Day. The observances connected with Halloween are thought to have originated among the ancient Druids who believed that on that evening, Saman, the lord of the dead, called forth hosts of evil spirits. The Druids customarily lit great fires on Halloween, apparently for the purpose of warding off all these spirits. Among the ancient Celts, Halloween was the last evening of the year and was regarded as a propitious time for examining the portents of the future. The Celts also believed that the spirits of the dead revisited their earthly homes on that evening. After the Romans conquered Britain, they added to Halloween features of the Roman harvest festival held on November 1 in honour of Pomona, goddess of the fruits of trees. The Celtic tradition of lighting fires on Halloween survived until modern times in Scotland, Wales and Scunthorpe, and the concept of ghosts and witches is still common to all Halloween observances. Traces of the Roman harvest festival survive in the custom, prevalent in both the United States and Great Britain, of playing games involving fruit, such as ducking for apples in a tub of water. Of similar origin is the use of hollowed-out pumpkins carved to resemble grotesque faces and lit by candles placed inside.
Justice
The 69 Mustang tore up the dirt along the Nevada highway. Its two passengers though tired, were anxious to get to their destination.
Earlier in the day they had robbed a Vegas jewelry store leaving with a suitcase full of diamonds and leaving a dieing security guard on the floor.
“Did you have to shoot that guard back there? inquired John”
Grady looked at his partner and replied, “It was a lot simpler. He may have tried for his gun and shot one of us. This way we were sure of not getting hurt and a quick get away.”
“But you shot him in cold blood” Returned John
“So what, I didn’t tell him to take that job. It’s his own fault.” Said Grady
This all started when John met Susan at a bar and after a couple of dinner dates he learned about the diamond shipment to the Jewelry store she worked at. There was supposed to be 10 million dollars in diamonds at the store and this made John perk up and dream of retiring for life on some beach in Brazil.
John a career criminal learned much while lying back in bed after a night of lust and passion. Susan craved the attention he gave her and carelessly divulged details of the shipment to John.
John put all the information he gathered together and the recruited Grady to help him with the job but now he was not only a thief but probably a murderer too.
Halloween, the name applied to the evening of October 31, preceding the Christian feast of Hallowmas, Allhallows, or All Saints' Day. The observances connected with Halloween are thought to have originated among the ancient Druids who believed that on that evening, Saman, the lord of the dead, called forth hosts of evil spirits. The Druids customarily lit great fires on Halloween, apparently for the purpose of warding off all these spirits. Among the ancient Celts, Halloween was the last evening of the year and was regarded as a propitious time for examining the portents of the future. The Celts also believed that the spirits of the dead revisited their earthly homes on that evening. After the Romans conquered Britain, they added to Halloween features of the Roman harvest festival held on November 1 in honour of Pomona, goddess of the fruits of trees. The Celtic tradition of lighting fires on Halloween survived until modern times in Scotland, Wales and Scunthorpe, and the concept of ghosts and witches is still common to all Halloween observances. Traces of the Roman harvest festival survive in the custom, prevalent in both the United States and Great Britain, of playing games involving fruit, such as ducking for apples in a tub of water. Of similar origin is the use of hollowed-out pumpkins carved to resemble grotesque faces and lit by candles placed inside.
Justice
The 69 Mustang tore up the dirt along the Nevada highway. Its two passengers though tired, were anxious to get to their destination.
Earlier in the day they had robbed a Vegas jewelry store leaving with a suitcase full of diamonds and leaving a dieing security guard on the floor.
“Did you have to shoot that guard back there? inquired John”
Grady looked at his partner and replied, “It was a lot simpler. He may have tried for his gun and shot one of us. This way we were sure of not getting hurt and a quick get away.”
“But you shot him in cold blood” Returned John
“So what, I didn’t tell him to take that job. It’s his own fault.” Said Grady
This all started when John met Susan at a bar and after a couple of dinner dates he learned about the diamond shipment to the Jewelry store she worked at. There was supposed to be 10 million dollars in diamonds at the store and this made John perk up and dream of retiring for life on some beach in Brazil.
John a career criminal learned much while lying back in bed after a night of lust and passion. Susan craved the attention he gave her and carelessly divulged details of the shipment to John.
John put all the information he gathered together and the recruited Grady to help him with the job but now he was not only a thief but probably a murderer too.
Back at the store Jeff Stillman was laying on the floor in a puddle of his blood. Susan the sales girl was by his side holding his hand.
“Hold on Jeff”, she begged “the ambulance is on its way”.
“I won’t make it Sue” Jeff whispered. I always wanted to be a cop but I failed the physical. Now I am going to die as a wanna be cop”.
“My great grandfather was a deputy Marshall here in Nevada, in some small dirt town now dead and gone in the desert.”
“I used to hear the stories from my grandfather about all the outlaws he shot it out with. From the first time I heard those stories I wanted to become a Marshall but this is the best I could do.”
“You did good Jeff, you never had a chance they came in and just shot you. They were animals” cried Susan.
”Still I should have seen something, I failed and now I will pay for my mistake. My great grandfather would have been ashamed of me” said Jeff.
“No Jeff it wasn’t your fault, you didn’t fail” said Susan but there was no one to hear her.
Jeff Stillman had spoken his last words and passed on thinking himself a failure.
“Hold on Jeff”, she begged “the ambulance is on its way”.
“I won’t make it Sue” Jeff whispered. I always wanted to be a cop but I failed the physical. Now I am going to die as a wanna be cop”.
“My great grandfather was a deputy Marshall here in Nevada, in some small dirt town now dead and gone in the desert.”
“I used to hear the stories from my grandfather about all the outlaws he shot it out with. From the first time I heard those stories I wanted to become a Marshall but this is the best I could do.”
“You did good Jeff, you never had a chance they came in and just shot you. They were animals” cried Susan.
”Still I should have seen something, I failed and now I will pay for my mistake. My great grandfather would have been ashamed of me” said Jeff.
“No Jeff it wasn’t your fault, you didn’t fail” said Susan but there was no one to hear her.
Jeff Stillman had spoken his last words and passed on thinking himself a failure.
The Mustang flew down the road at 100 mph. Dipping and turning leaving a trail of dust behind. A coyote attempting to cross the road met its fate not even half way across before the right front tire splattered it.
“Did we hit something back there?” asked John
“I don’t know and I don’t give a fuck. What am I supposed to do, stop for every fucken rat that decides to cross the road” snapped Grady
The wind was starting to build up outside and was swirling the dust around. It was getting thick and hard to see through.
“You better slow down before we drive off the road and get killed”said John
“Did we hit something back there?” asked John
“I don’t know and I don’t give a fuck. What am I supposed to do, stop for every fucken rat that decides to cross the road” snapped Grady
The wind was starting to build up outside and was swirling the dust around. It was getting thick and hard to see through.
“You better slow down before we drive off the road and get killed”said John
“You’re becoming a fucken nag you know that man? You're starting to sound like my ex fucken wife and I loved her so why don’t you shut the fuck up before I divorce you too” ordered Grady ”and don’t tell me how to drive, you got that?”
Just then, ahead in the road a dust cloud appeared in front of the mustang and a man was standing in the middle of the road.
He was wearing a long duster like the cowboys did and a stetson. In his hand he held out a pistol.
Grady swerved to avoid him and drove off the road. The car hit the ditch and went spinning through the air.
The car hit the ground and rolled over a few times before it came to a halt.
John opened his eyes. He couldn't move anything but his eyes.
He looked at Grady, his face was gone and the only thing left was the crater where once there was a mouth, nose and eyes.
He must have smashed into the steering wheel.
He gazed out where the widshield had been and he could hear a jingling sound. It was getting closer and louder. The wind was blowing sand and dust in from the opening in the front now.
The sound got louder and it sounded like foot steps,
Through the dust cloud he now could see the approaching feet. They were clad in a worn out pair of cowboy boots with spurs.
John closed his eyes and when he opened them again the feet where standing at the front of the mangled Mustang.
John closed his eyes for the last time and the dust filled the car.
The sun was hot and you could see the heat waves dancing off the hood of the cruiser.
“Is this them?” asked the state trooper
The detective reached in and pulled the suitcase from the front seat and opened it. He looked in and could see the stolen jewels.
“Yeah it seems that way” said the detective
The trooper walked around to the front of the Mustang and looked down. He called the detective over. “Hey, come here and look at this.”
The detective walk around the car and looked down at what the trooper was looking at.
The front tire was sitting on a tombstone.
It read:
Deputy Marshal
Jeff Stillman
Born 1846
Died 1888
Walker
EXIT
Just then, ahead in the road a dust cloud appeared in front of the mustang and a man was standing in the middle of the road.
He was wearing a long duster like the cowboys did and a stetson. In his hand he held out a pistol.
Grady swerved to avoid him and drove off the road. The car hit the ditch and went spinning through the air.
The car hit the ground and rolled over a few times before it came to a halt.
John opened his eyes. He couldn't move anything but his eyes.
He looked at Grady, his face was gone and the only thing left was the crater where once there was a mouth, nose and eyes.
He must have smashed into the steering wheel.
He gazed out where the widshield had been and he could hear a jingling sound. It was getting closer and louder. The wind was blowing sand and dust in from the opening in the front now.
The sound got louder and it sounded like foot steps,
Through the dust cloud he now could see the approaching feet. They were clad in a worn out pair of cowboy boots with spurs.
John closed his eyes and when he opened them again the feet where standing at the front of the mangled Mustang.
John closed his eyes for the last time and the dust filled the car.
The sun was hot and you could see the heat waves dancing off the hood of the cruiser.
“Is this them?” asked the state trooper
The detective reached in and pulled the suitcase from the front seat and opened it. He looked in and could see the stolen jewels.
“Yeah it seems that way” said the detective
The trooper walked around to the front of the Mustang and looked down. He called the detective over. “Hey, come here and look at this.”
The detective walk around the car and looked down at what the trooper was looking at.
The front tire was sitting on a tombstone.
It read:
Deputy Marshal
Jeff Stillman
Born 1846
Died 1888
Walker
EXIT
1 Comments:
Walker - Good Halloween stories! A good, haunting read, both of them!
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