•Y/N: Your Name
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Author's POV:
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Black, heeled boots clicked against dark cobblestone with a pep in each step, as an array of bright lights lit up the night, a chorus of joyous screams echoing through the streets as all those familiar fall scents and pleasantries graced all of her senses. To her right, she smiled to a tall, kitschy mascot costume of a black cat dressed in a sparkling, purple vest as it handed out orange balloons with jack-o-lantern faces to all who passed by it. Tipping it's hat, the false feline plucks one of the strings and hands it to the woman, receiving a small thank you in return before those heels continued down the path ahead, weaving through large crowds of people with ease as her free hand reached up to pet the furry beast laid out across her shoulders.
It wasn't easy, that much was certain. It took a lot of hard work and dedication, building and maintaining, but at last, after nine long years, an empire was created. There were some rough patches, of course. Many still preferred celebrating Halloween solely on the day of or just the month of October, but she stretched her claws out wide to draw in more and more crowds each year, adding more and more to build their spirits high, branching out to countries who had never even celebrated Halloween in the first place.
She drew them in by their curiosity, presenting them with an offer of a fun escape that everyone could enjoy, a new land of beauty and excitement with the most mouth-watering treats they have ever dreamed to taste. The biggest draw, however, seemed to be the price. The money never mattered, so long as there was enough made to keep everything running. The goal was to make the park accessible for everyone, so at the very least, admission was always free, food was always cheap, and there were always fun activities of no cost to the customer. What mattered to her most was that they kept their spirits high and stayed fully immersed in her world of Halloween. Bit by bit, her kingdom grew, but just one of the many parks truly held a special place in Y/N's heart. The very first of it's kind, residing in her own home town upon the old hill, where the old, creepy house remained.
It stands to be her most favorite place in the whole park, as in recent years, Jack had moved his portal to the manor. No longer was it used as a haunted house, though it's rickety exterior continued to be a looming presence over the land, a landmark that she had replicated in nearly every park, but none could ever compare, for inside held something most precious to her heart. The newly renovated doors made not a creak as Y/N pulled them open after turning the key in the lock, the handle shaped into a golden pumpkin with a grinning face. Barely stepping a foot inside, the resident of the home was already well aware of her entry, howling with excitement as he slid down the bannister, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"I feel so energized!!!" Without a single warning, the spirit jumped down in front of his queen and took her by the hands to twirl her around, dancing around the foyer making joyous sounds. "I feel it! This is the year I stay for all time!" Y/N gives a laugh and yelps as he leaned her body back in a shallow dip before nuzzling his nose to hers. "All thanks to you, my pretty pumpkin pie."
"These nicknames are getting out of hand." Laughing, Y/N raised her black-painted fingernails to the man's face as he stared at her with the most adoring eyes. There was not a moment where that gaze faltered when he look at her. Even after all these years, their love remained ever strong. "Let's hope so. I have a good feeling this time too." Confidently, she raised her head to kiss him, and to assist her, he raised her back a little more, smiling into to kiss before parting with a bright big grin. "What are you doing in here, anyways? Don't you want to enjoy the park? You're cooped up in here most of the year; you should come out and have a little fun." At that, his face flushed red as he stood her upright and took both her hands in his.
"Of course, but before that, there's something I want to show you."
"Oh? This isn't going to be another surprise attack is it?" Giggling, the spirit shakes his head before tugging her along.
"This way!" Eager to learn what he had up his sleeve, Y/N let him lead the way up the staircase to a window that went to the roof. Jack leaps out first, standing on the dark shingles before offering his hand to her. "Careful. Don't fall."
"Isn't this dangerous?" She questions accepting his hand regardless, knowing he'd never let her get hurt.
"Most definitely! Come on!" Being careful with their footing, they find their way to a nice spot to sit that held a view of the whole park. Pulling out his pocket-watch, Jack checks the time, the hands ticking loudly before it was shut. "Almost time for the fireworks. I'd say this is the perfect spot!" Chuckling, Y/N moves in towards the man a little closer, grabbing his arms to loop them around her.
"I can believe we built all of this. Look how happy we've made all these people." Smiling, the Queen of Halloween looks down upon her kingdom, reveling in the joy of her subjects as they chased each other around in attempts to scare one another as others cuddled up for a movie or shared a treat.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jack smiles to himself before snapping his fingers in front of the woman's face, presenting her with a lollipop. Taking it in her mouth with no question, she starts to suck on the delicious treat as she leans more into his chest and peers up at his face, weaving her fingers in the orange-blonde strands.
"Not more beautiful than you, Jack."
"Awe! You'll make me blush!" He giggles, the tips of his ears turning faintly red.
"All the better. I love when you make that cute face." The boy grins as she pinches his cheek when the first firework shot up into the sky, bursting with colors of orange and purple in the shape of a pumpkin face. Whiskers slid off of her shoulders resting in her lap with a low growl, so she pet his back in reassurance.
"Still not a big fan of the fireworks, huh?" She asks the cat as the next one set off. The cat growls more before slinking away to get through the window they came from.
"Scaredy cat." Smiling at his comment, Y/N maneuvered her tongue around the sweet only for her face to contort at the taste of metal. Immediately pulling it out of her mouth, she gave the creature a scolding look.
"Hey, I thought no more tricks with the food! What's in it this time, huh?" Chuckling, Jack tilts her head to have her look down. With the orange coloring worn down, the candy was now see-through, allowing her to see what resided inside. A loud boom was not enough to break her out of her stare, nor the crackling rain of the sparks falling as the color faded to smoke. "Is that a..." She trailed off, holding the lollipop up for a better look as it was not so lit up on the roof of the house. As another firework lit up the sky, her eyes widened more at the sight of a golden band shaped into branches, complete with little designs of leaves. A large, orange stone sat in the center, shaped into an oval, while underneath, a connected band of five, small diamonds added a perfect sparkle to the piece of jewelry.
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{Something like this. If it's not to your taste, feel free to imagine something else. I was also considering making the orange stone pumpkin-shaped, so you could also add that detail if you wish.}
"Are you so sure it's a trick this time, not a treat?" Still in shock, she looks up at Jack to find that wide smile on his face. Saying nothing more, he holds her close as the display of fireworks continues on. Looking back at it again, everything clicks in her head.
"Does that mean that this is..."
"Happy Halloween, my Queen." He whispers into her ear before kissing the lobe, neither confirming or denying her assumption. Slowly, she brings the candy down and smiles.
"You're so silly, Jack." The spirit chuckles.
"Is that a yes?"
"Absolutely." Turning her head, she managed to kiss his jaw from the position she was in. "Happy Halloween, my King." She giggles at the sight of his blush, leading him to suddenly scoop her up in revenge, skipping across the roof.
"From henceforth, I do declare, today will always be the best night of the entire year!" He shouts, swinging her around carelessly to give her a little scare. Y/N clung to the spirit, though she knew he would not drop her, laughing.
"I love you, you crazy pumpkin head."
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Author's Note:
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYBODY!!!!!
It's over! We did it! It's done! At long long last, our story here has come to a close. Thank you to all my readers who have stuck with me since the beginning of this wonderful adventure, and to all those who discover this magical tale. And here I thought I was crazy for coming up with a book that I'd only post for one time out of the entire year, but I'm glad to have shared this with you all. It was a fun tradition to have everyone gather to read every October. I hope I have created a story perfect for getting you into the Halloween Spirit each year. It's so bittersweet to see it end, but never fear, there might be a new holiday book on the horizon. Guess you'll just have to wait and see until then. Although, I'll probably update it more regularly than just during one month this time. Haha!
I'm going to do one last run-through of editing, but otherwise, the story is completely finished. I thank you once again for choosing my story, and I hope you decide to check out some of my other works too. I have a wide variety to pick from, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments or check out my author's notebook, Golden Throne, where I answer all manner of questions as well as show off my new ideas for future books.
Until we meet again, dear readers.
Have a Happy Halloween!
~ Golden ~