A Halloween Tale
A Halloween Tale
By Lee Bragan
Darkness creeps across the land,
The midnight hour is close at hand.
A night of evil awaits us all
On whom will Death choose to call?
There’s no place to hide till morning light
All are helpless, in the dark, in the night.
Creatures rise from long-sealed tombs,
searching for souls to join their doom.
The witching hour calls them out,
to search for blood there is no doubt.
Some float through space, none spurn any fight.
All powerful are they, in the dark, in the night.
Young Thomas dances deep in the woods,
A blazing fire crackles bright as it should.
A blade of fine silver, a bell made of brass,
Sparkle in the firelight where they rest on the grass.
Spirits are moving, about to take flight
Thomas dances on, in the dark, in the night.
A woman appears from out of the gloom,
Dressed only in black, she’s a bringer of doom.
She beckons Thomas come to her
Red eyes glow as she begins to purr.
Thomas drinks her potion made to excite
The woods grow silent, in the dark, in the night.
A circle is drawn nine feet round,
Other spirits have joined but none make a sound.
Thomas is stripped, naked and bare
The magic circle has become his lair.
He looks at the woman not fearing his plight,
‘He is coming’ she whispers, in the dark, in the night.
The spirits dance in wild delight,
On this Halloween night that’s meant to fright.
Soon another will join their rank,
Deals with the devil, their master they thank.
A beast has appeared in the dwindling firelight
Nothing will save Thomas, in the dark, in the night.
She reaches down and hands him the bell,
‘Ring this loudly’ she orders, ‘at the gates of Hell’
His eyes fly open but he cannot move,
The potion he drank has done more than soothe.
He cannot scream, he cannot run, he cannot fight,
Still his wish shall be granted, in the dark, in the night.
Thomas shivers: the beast steps through the fire
His spells and incantations were bought from a liar.
The life Thomas sought,
Will all be for naught.
He prays to God with all his might,
But He is not listening, in the dark, in the night.
She raises the knife as the spirits close in,
His eyes swelled with tears, Thomas life is at end.
Nothing will save him from the beast’s fierce strike,
Deals with the devil are really all alike.
He tempts you when you sleep, and in the broad daylight,
But promises are broken, in the dark, in the night.
Doris calls from the kitchen, worry in her voice,
The husband’s sleeping, but she has no other choice.
‘Where is Thomas, it’s late and he’s not home?
We warned him not to go off alone’.
He looks at the clock: the witching hour has passed,
They race outside, their hearts beating fast.
But they dare not wait for the coming light,
An evil presence lingers near, in the dark, in the night.
Thomas will not return to them, his spirit has taken flight,
This evil night has claimed another
who went down without a fight.
He has joined many others in a place we all know,
Deals with the devil have cost the boy his soul.
His parents search and find firelight,
Doris faints at the horrible sight.
All Hallows’ Eve holds few delights,
So be careful what you wish for,
in the dark…in the night.
Copyright © Lee Bragan | Year Posted 2014
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