A
HALLOWEEN STORY
By Heidi
It was
October 1874. On an Autumn late afternoon the eleven year old Mitch Cartwright
came by a deserted house. He looked at at it for a moment and rode then fast to
home. It was very late already and his father Adam Cartwright always wanted
that the boy came home straight home from school.
“Is someone
actually living in that deserted house where you pasby on the way to here?”,
asked Mitch asked accidently during supper.
“Not that I
know. Why?”, Ben Cartwright wanted to know.
“Well, at
school Patty and Patrick Jenkins said that there is living a witch with a black
cat”, his grandson replied.
“Witches
really don’t exsist. A black cat brings bad luck but that is superstition”,
said Adam.
“Who lives
there then?”, Mitch asked through.
“Nobody
knows that. In town they say that an old lady lives there. but no one has seen
her yet”, said Ben.
Meanwhile Adam looked at his offspring and feared for that plan of his. The others had that feeling too. From experience Adam knew that forbidding was no use for his son and so he said nothing.
At school
the mysterious house was thé talk of the day.
Patrick
Jenkins said to his twinsister Patty, “I dare to bet that that Cartwright is
afraid to knock at that witch.”
“Mitch is
just a coward. A big mouth yes, but doing something no!”, she replied.
Mitch had
onnoticed come to stand behind them and winked at his friend Jerry Baker.
“Do you
dare to knock then?”, asked Mitch.
The twins
flew about a meter into the air. Mitch and Jerry were rolling on the floor
laughing.
“We do but you don’t”, Patty said snappy.
“Why don’t
we go there to?”, asked Mitch.
“Good. We challenge you to knock at the door abnd to go
in by that witch”, said Patrick.
“Wait a
minute. You are together so that means that I can take also someone along”,
said the young Cartwright.
“Hm, you are right. Alright then. Just take someone along”, Patty said
reluctantly.
“Who is
that person?”, asked Patrick.
“My best
friend and that is Cody”, said Mitch.
“Is that a
boy?”, asked Patty.
“Not at
all. That is my hond”, Mitch said laughing.
“When are
we going?”, asked Patrick.
“On 31 October of course.Then it is Halloween”, said Patty.
“My Uncle
is celebrating his birthday then but I can get away easily and Cody too”, Mitch
reacted.
The twins
agreed with the mentioned date.
It was 31
October. The whole day Mitch behaved a bit strange. Adam blamed the weather and
the fact that his youngest brother was celebrating his birthday. Because Mitch
loved parties very much he went to bed extra late. Cody followed him like
always. After a while the couple left the ranch. For the security Mitch had put
on his belt and revolver.
At the arranged time
Patrick and Patty met their worst enemies.
“’Ready for
the chaalenge?”, asked Patrick.
“If you are
that also”, Mitch replied cool.
They
dismounted. The horses got hitched and the three children and the dog went to
the house.
“There sits
a balck cat in front of the window”,
Patty
Jenkins whispered.
“So what? At our place at the Ponderosa there are walking
black cats so much”, Mitch reacted nonchalant.
Patty and
her twinbrother Patrick became scared and didn’t dare to get any closer. Mitch
looked back and saw the scared couple.
“What is
the matter? Are you afraid?”, he asked amazed.
Patrick
said, “There lives a witch. She will bewitching you.”
“Nonsense.
there are no witches. Or it have to be Patty and her mother”, the young
Cartwright remakred dry
Patty wanted
to attack Mitch but Cody protected his little boss.
“We go home. Come Patty”, said Patrick.
“You see
for yourself what you do”, said Mitch.
Hij keek de tweeling even na en kroop toen met zijn hond naar het huis.
Doordat het erg donker was veel zag hij niet veel. Hierdoor stootte Mitch zijn
rechterknie heel erg aan de veranda. Hij gilde het uit van de pijn. In het huis
hoorde de vrouw de gil van Mitch. Ze kwam naar buiten en scheen met een kaars
op de jongen en zijn hond.
“Can I help
you young man?”, she asked friendly.
“I have
collided my knee and cannot walk very well.
May I come in?”, Mitch asked on his turn.
“Of course”, she said.
Mitch came up and limped inside. Cody followed them.
In the living
room the woman asked, “Sit down. What is your name?”
“Cartwright,
Mitch Cartwright. This is Cody”, Mitch replied.
“I am Mrs
Wilkinson and that cat is Blackie”, the woman said.
Cody snuffelde even aan de kat en andersom. Ze sloten al heel snel vriendschap.
“Cody is
used to cats because Uncle Hoss often takes strays home. To the annoying of
daddy, Uncle Joe and Grandpa”, Mitch told.
“Make your
trousers a bit loose and then I shall look at your knee”, said Gloria
Wilkinson.
Mitch did
that.
She rubbed
a few times over the injured knee and Mitch felt that the pain went away at
once.
“So, your
knee won’t be hurting anymore now. Go home fast before your father misses you”,
said Gloria.
Mitch got
dressed and said with Cody goodbye to Gloria and Blackie. They went outside and
walked to Caramel. Mitch mounted on and looked for a second at the house. Like
nothing had happened the young Cartwright looked at a completely empty house.
Mitch and
his loyal animals rode quickly to the Ponderosa where Adam had been missing
them already. He was talking to Hoss at the yard when the threesome came home.
“Where have
you been?”, Adam asked amazed.
“Those
twins of Jenkins challanged us to knock at that deserted house. We dared it but
when Patty saw a black cat she and her brother became scared whereafter they
went home. We up to that house and I collided my knee. The woman at the house
invited us in and we got to know each other. She healed my knee and sent us
home then. I mounte don Caramel and looked around. Then the house was empty.”,
Mitch told.
He slipped
out of the saddle and looked at his father and uncle questionable.
“Maybe it
was a witch but then one with a good heart”, Hoss suggested.
“Anyway,
you are gonna get washed and then to bed. Fortuantly it is only once a year
Halloween”, Adam said relieved.
His brother
agreed with that completely.
THE END