A new twist to the old tale~
After a few hours of Trick-or-Treating, having been sticking near a random group that was going from house to house, the sky was dark and clouded, many small children having their baskets’ fill and readying to home.
Looking down into you’re not quite yet full sack and humming, deciding to hit a few more houses before turning in for the night.
After all, All Hallows Eve only comes once a year. Something anyone in their right mind will take advantage of.
Adjusting your costume slightly you turn down another brightly lit street, bag at your side and ready to swoop up some last goodies.
At first everything seemed normal, a few parents and children walking past you, only until halfway down the winding street did you start to notice the lack of childish laugher.
If fact, all around you was silent. Save for a few ‘Spooky Sounds’ animatronics in peoples’ yards.
A little suspicious you spin 360, every house still had their porch lights on, every yard covered in Halloween decorations and styrofoam headstones, a few bowls of candy left awaiting Trick-or-Treaters new the doors, everything seemed perfectly normal, except for the little fact that you suddenly were completely alone.
You wait for a moment, still and listening; unsure whether you should take advantage of the unattended candy bowls or high tail it.
New music seems to surround you, a catchy little tune steadily growing louder. You can’t quite place the song, but it’s definitely upbeat and Halloween. You look for the music’s source but it seems to be coming from no place, as if it is circling around you itself.
Then it’s coming from behind. “What the…” you mumble before turning to it.
No longer so alone, but even more confused. A floating pumpkin, larger than you’ve ever seen floats a few feet in the air, a giddy face carved in front as it shines brightly, a few smaller floating Jack-o-Laterns spinning near it.
Maybe the oddest part is the boy sitting cross legged on top of the large pumpkin.
His outfit was not quite ‘vampire attire’, his hair long and tied with a ribbon, oval glasses and his lips ruby red, smiling with glee and surrounded by floating candles, he chuckled happily while the pumpkin floated down the street, twirling around with careless ease before noticing you standing in the middle of his path.
He gave a little look of surprise seeing you, his mouth forming a little ‘o’ as he came closer, as if he didn’t expect to see you either, especially the fact your eyes followed him as his pumpkin floating a circle around you before your speechless shock ended.
“What in the hell?” you decided was the most relevant phrase.
The boys eyes widened, nearly falling off his pumpkin, astonished when you spoke.
“You can see me!” he laughs loudly in amazement, eyes wide with radiant joy.
You cock your head “Well yeah I can see you, but what and how are you doing….that” you step back and gesture to the floating pumpkin while he watches you astonished.
He shakes his head quickly, taking him out of his thoughts when watching you
“The name’s Jack!” he spun his pumpkin around you “but dear creature, I don’t understand why you can see me” he says sounding genuinely confused
“What do you mean ‘why I can see you’? You’re floating down the street on a pumpkin, no one wouldn’t notice.” you realize the situation before adding “If anyone else was here that is.”
“But my dear,” you raise an eyebrow at him “-of course no one else is here, they’re all in the human realm. ” he taps his chin
“Which is exactly where you should be.” he adds whilst giving you a look that reminds you of a confused puppy, scrunching his eyebrows cutely. “Quite the anomaly indeed…” he murmurs trailing off.
You would have roll your eyes if he didn’t seem so sincere and serious, but magically floating pumpkin or not this was ridiculous, and you probably should be heading home, before everyone decides to turns off their lights.
“Well Jack, not to be rude and all but I need to be heading back…” you cautiously step around his pumpkin, keeping a watch as he mumbles.
Shaking him out of his thoughts quickly though “W-wait! I didn’t even get you’re name, why must you leave?”
“It’s (Y/n), and it’s pretty late and all, should get home before it’s any later.”
he gives a small whine, quickly trying to figure out some way to keep you with him a little longer, it’s been so long, he’s been alone for so many years, decades…centuries at least. But it’s so hard to keep track of any time, but the world has changed, he has floated through as time continues without him.
“Please stay a while longer!” his pumpkin quickly floats to wear you had walked, scared urgency in his voice “Please (Y/n)?”
You stay silent, growing more suspicious of Jack, could you even out run the pumpkin? but where would you go, there wasn’t anyone around here by the looks of it, and if you did go missing due to the odd pumpkin boy…would anyone look for you?
“I’ve just…been lonely.” he wrings his hands shyly "I would like to chat with you before everything is over? before I am alone once more.“ his gaze downcast.
The sadness in his voice hitting you harder that you’d like it too and making you pity the boy, whatever his situation was. He was definitely lonely. Or an incredible actor.
Sighing in defeat, what more could a few more minutes do. "Alright Jack, do you at least know where everyone went by any chance?”
His eyes lit up when you spoke to him “Well I’d guess they’re still in their realm, I can see them all faintly, but you, you are in full color.” tears brim his eyes as he adds “And you can see me”
Going along with his story you sit down on the pavement, unwrapping one of the candies from your bag. You didn’t even notice yourself, bag in your lap, start floating until you were eye level with the boy making you yelp.
He giggles are your surprised face “I have some more candies if you like! they never run out really” he offers you the pumpkin in his hand, filled to the brim with any candy you could think of.
Swallowing your candy, you lean back as to not be merely inches from him “Thanks…and uh, how am I floating with you now?” you ask while starting to wonder if this is just a very odd, very realistic dream.
“An anomaly, an anomaly indeed, maybe fate has granted my wish to talk with another living being once more? It’s lonely, with only pumpkins and candles for eternity.” he nods in affirmation to his own words.
You bite your lip, contemplating your options, you could try and leave, insisting that you couldn’t stay any longer…but Jack truly did seem lonely, in a way you felt you shouldn’t leave him be. And his story, whether supernaturally true or just a very convincing act, sounded interesting enough to stay awhile longer.
“Alright Jack, I guess I don’t have to leave juusst yet” the way his eyes lit up with hope, you swore your heart jumped “What do you want to talk about?” you smile a little seeing his excitement.
Time seemed foreign and forgotten as you spoke with Jack.
Jack told you countless tales of the mischief he saw imps and other bothersome creatures causing within your realm. You couldn’t help but laugh, nor could you stop yourself from becoming repeatedly lost in his golden eyes, or how his nose scrunched when you would tell him a story back, or how intently he paid attention to your every word.
You felt foolish, falling for the “Love at first Site” shtick, but it seemed to be the only possibly explanation for your feelings about the sweet boy.
You hadn’t even realized you and the boy were chatting entirely through the night until the horizon started to lighten, and looking back, Jack’s skin was starting to appear almost…translucent?
He followed your gaze, looking at the sky before horror dawned upon his face.
“Jack? what’s the matter?” you nudge his knee with your own lightly.
Accepting it, he smiles sadly “This is the end of our time, (Y/n). Thank you for giving me your time, and I will cherish our talk endless earthly wanderings.” he looks up at you with tears starting to fall, grasping your hand within his.
“What do you mean? we can talk again, right? or would we have to wait until next Halloween?” you start to panic more as you see the trees outlined through his face.
“No (Y/n),” he swallows a cry “this night will be our first and last, my wish was granted. You are only able to come to this…realm in between once, and now it is past your time to head home.” he kisses your hand gently, barely felt as he was disappearing.
Hurriedly you reply while trying to grasp his hand, to keep him from fading further “But what if I don’t want to leave here? What if I want to stay here, away from my dreary life and stay with you, and have stories will all the Halloween spooks you meet?”
Jack looks up, surprise evident before shaking his head “No (Y/n), it is a lonely existence of mine which you do not deserve.”
Even his pumpkins dim as the sky grows lighter.
Something has to be done, and it has to be done fast. Do you really want to leave what you know? to wander around forever with Jack and his pumpkins, only seeing monstrous Halloween tales while you travel without end?
A quick decision, you’re not quite sure why, or how you thought it would change anything, but you pull your hand from being encased by his, grasping both his cheeks and pulling him forward to press your lips against Jacks.
He gasps into the sudden kiss, eyes wide in shock, he doesn’t move, not sure what to do as no one did this to him even when he was alive, let alone anyone as beautiful as you.
You held him firmly in place as you kiss him, lightening up on the pressure but not letting go as the suns rays shown over the tree line, hitting both of you.
Jack became solid in your touch, without any air left you break away from the kiss, looking around slowly as things seemed darker than moments ago. The seemingly just as shocked as Jack, his pumpkins slowly began to twirl once more, but the air seemed foggy, like a mist or haze that illusioned things to be just out of reality.
Quickly you glance back at Jack, smiling to see he was no longer half invisible, but completely clear in front of you, mouth still gaping as his glasses sat crooked on his nose.
“Jack? are you alright?” it took a few seconds longer than hearing you to shake him from his love struck stupor
“(Y/n)!” he shouted, unbelieving you were still in front of him “How-what-how did you-” he spun around, pumpkin as well seeing how the rest of the world seemed in a haze, how the paper boy riding past or the person walking out for their paper seemed just out of touch.
he looks back to you, noting how you looked as perfect and completely there in front of him as the night before and his face fell with concern “(Y/n)…this isn’t good”
“Hmm?” your smile still there as he wasn’t gone, a small idea of what happened not bothering you the slightest, not with Pumpkin Boy in front of you.
“This means you’re stuck here! you can’t go back, how did you do that, how did you know to do that?!” though there was no anger in his voice, merely selfless worry about you.
Leaning closer to him from your floating little seat “Go back to what? my life was one going no where, and now I’m here with you. I think I like this deal much more, and it wont be as lonely as you said now that we’re alone together”
he chokes at your words, or possibly just that your face is quite close to his again, “(Y-Y/n)!”
“Hmm?” a quiet sound as you thread your fingers with his and leaning closer, the tip of your nose brushing against his "something wrong, Jack?“
he stumbles incoherent phrases, unable to speak and not sure what he would say before sighing and relaxing a little, his hand squeezing yours gently "No, nothing” he shakes his head chuckling
“Nothing at all” he smiles sheepishly
“Good” you grin “Now, we have a ‘lonely and dreary existence’ to wander aimlessly through don’t we?” you pick a candy from his pumpkin, noticing your non-magically Trick-or-Treating bag lay abandoned on the ground below.
“Yes, I, I suppose we do.” he pulls you closer, making you float to sit beside him on the enormous pumpkin
you lean your head on his shoulder “You know, I think we’ll have some interesting adventures together, and this whole ‘wander forever’ thing? no participating in the worlds crappy decisions, just watching it pass by”
You talk about how this way will be much less troubling, he knows you don’t want him to feel guilty, and even though he can’t help but think you will entirely regret this later, Jack is grateful. Now he feels like this eternal curse wont be bad at all.
“Thank you (Y/n)” he whispers against your head with a kiss.
Some monsters just want to be loved~
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THIS IS BUT HOPE YOU ENJOY