The Book of Monsters.

The Pumpkin Thief.

Imagine...

This was becoming really annoying.

For the past two months, someone, some dirty little thief, had been sneaking into your farm and stealing your prized pumpkins. It was only one pumpkin at a time and it was only every so often but it was STILL driving you crazy. They weren't random pumpkins, they were your pumpkins. Pumpkins you had grown, pumpkins you had worked for. You had almost caught the thief a few times, having heard strange noises and stepped outside to investigate. But each time the would escape, running off into the darkness with another pumpkin. And every time it happened, you only got madder and madder.

It was your hard work being whisked off in the night, your very livelihood. Farming was difficult work and you were a difficult woman. You didn't know who this person was or why they kept stealing your pumpkins but it didn't matter.

You were over this.

So you set a trap.

A trap to catch your dirty little thief so that you could teach them a lesson about stealing from hard working farmers. You set your trap and you waited...and waited...and waited. You waited until you heard it. Those strange noises in your pumpkin patch, the same ones as all of the other nights. And then you heard an even sweeter sound, the sound of a net snapping someone up.

You jumped up from your hiding play with a loud 'HA' and looked up, shining your flashlight onto your allusive pumpkin thief.

Only to see...no one? Well, not totally no one.

You could make out...something in your net. You could see a body of a tall thin man. It, or rather he, was dressed in riding gear and a tattered black cloak. You could make out tall leather books and matching gloves and even the crescent moon pin on his cloak. But what you couldn't make out was his head.

Because there wasn't one, you realized...Your thief had no head...

"Pardon me? Down here." A voice suddenly said.

The accent was British and it caught you attention. You pointed the light down towards where you had heard it, finding a pumpkin rest at your feet. One of your pumpkins. It was half carved with a mouth and only one eye, a little light already flickering inside of it.

"I ought to explain." The pumpkin said, it's perfectly carved mouth moving.

You said nothing, staring in shock at the pumpkin...head.

Had you fallen asleep? Was this all some crazy dream? Were you just crazy???

"My name is Ira Sparrow," The pumpkin continued, "and I am...what you might call a headless horseman. I've been having some trouble with a hunter and have been losing quite a few heads as of the late. And, I do know it's wrong to steal but, well, your pumpkins are very well grown!"

You said nothing. What could you say?

'Oh, thank you Mr. Monster for stealing from me, glad to hear that my pumpkins are getting the five star reviews! Would you like to check out my cabbages?'

"Could you cut me down? Please?" Ira asked.

You did. You didn't know why but you did, cutting the net and letting Ira fell into your pumpkin patch with a dull thud.

And then you ran back inside, still hoping that this was all some kind of strange dream...and if it wasn't...well, you didn't know what to think. For the next week, you didn't think about it at all. You didn't want to think about it. Until the night that you heard the noises outside again. It was cold and late and they sounded louder now and closer. You crept out of bed, grabbing your light and opening the front door slowly.

You expected to see Ira.

Instead, you saw two of the most massive men you'd ever seen. They both froze for a second, as shocked as you were, but then they smiled. You knew that smile, you'd seen it painted on the faces of disgusting men all of your life.

One of them took a step towards, reaching out to grab you with a meaty hand. You took a sharp step back, fear rushing through your heart. There were two of them and one of you and you feared what would become of you...

Until you heard the laughter.

It was a deep, scary laugh that grew louder and louder. It echoed in the cool air until a rider suddenly burst out if the darkness. A rider with a pumpkin for a head.

The two back backed away in horror as the rider grew closer, the thudding if horse hooves pounding out. His black horse screamed as it ran and, as he grew closer, he reached up, pulling the pumpkin off of his shoulders. Fire poured out of the carved face as it sailed through the air, little laughing wildly. It smashed into the ground it a bright flash and the men ran away from your farm screaming into the night.

Ira stopped, stumbling off of his horse and onto the ground, one foot still tangled the stirrups. His long arms reached out, one pointing towards you pumpkin patch. He had saved you, you realized, from only God knows what. You acted quickly, plucking a nicely sized pumpkin up. Emptying it out, you poured the insides onto the ground with a wet sounding 'plop' and you got to work. You weren't the best pumpkin carver and you ended up carving a slightly shaky, somewhat crooked but still nice face.

The pumpkin suddenly filled with fire and by then, Ira had untangled him self from his horse. He stood up and brushed himself off as the pumpkin sprung to life in your hands.

"Well, this isn't too bad. Needs a little work but...still quite dashing."

He reached out, placing the pumpkin upon his shoulders. He tested it out, blinking and smiling as he looked at you, fire flickering in his hollowed out eyes.

"Thank you, Miss..."

"Y/N." You replied. "And thank you, Ira."

The pumpkin face smiled even wider at you and, strangely enough, you found yourself smiling back at him. As annoyed as you had been before, you realized how lucky you were that Ira had become so fond of your pumpkins.

Ira kept coming back after that.

It was strange but...not too strange. You didn't mind his visits at all, you actually liked them. You liked him. Ira was charming and playful, even about his situation. You even found yourself looking forward to his little visits, hoping and wishing everyday that he would come.

You were working in the vegetable garden when you heard his horse (Shadowmare, you learned she was called, who was very fond of your carrots) clipping closer.

You looked up, smiling as Ira wandered over.

"Hello there, Miss Y/N."

"Hello there, Ira."

Who knew a pumpkin thief could become someone so dear to you?