I love Halloween. I like sparkly fairies in tutus and small shy dinosaurs. I absolutely adore lit pumpkins. I love walking through fallen leaves at night, the way lit by a flashlight, and laughter in the air. But, I’m not one for scary. I abhor horror movies and have no desire to step foot in a haunted house. I don’t like costumes with blood and guts. I do, though, love the odd and the weird and the strangely spooky, and that’s why I’ve been saving this photo for the week before Halloween. Bunnicula has nothing on the story behind this photograph.
What tale is being told here, you ask? I see a ghost rabbit in the girl’s lap. Do you? I think that the story begins with this sentence:
Margaret Mary heard the gardener’s footfall on the path. He would not reach her here in the field under the oak trees. She knew how to stop him.
Maybe not. What do you think the opening line to this Halloween story is?
As the Gardener approached the woods he knew there was something odd going on under the big oak tree, dare he go further?
Love the picture and the open story to create. Kind of magical. So sorry to see one of your Barred Rock girls down. She will be missed. Dont know which one she is, but so beautiful. It’s sad when the flock gets old. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Had the gardener seen Fluffy? How could that be?
Her plan to stop the gardener from coming near her rabbit was a long shot and now was made even harder since she had to wear this stiff white dress and these ridiculous tights. She stroked Fluffy on her lap to reassure him that no one would ever snatch him away. That no one would ever know his secret. She knew the other animals would be fine. Faint chatter and laughter came through the trees from her Aunt’s garden party. If her plan didn’t work she could always scream and someone would surely hear her. No, she couldn’t think that way! It had to work! Then she heard the crunch of a boot on the path and stiffened.
It was now or never. Setting Fluffy down beside her, she shifted her weight and reached forward to grasp the long strand of twine with her small hand. She took a deep breath, and then pulled the twine with all her strength. A sharp snap sounded through the woods, startling a flock of birds nearby and silencing her Aunt’s guests.
“Oh my goodness! What was that?” she heard her Aunt exclaim in the distance.
Her booby-trap had worked just as she had hoped it would, but she knew there was not much time before the gardner’s attention would return to the giant oak.
“Fluffy! Come here -we must hide!”
She frantically tried reach out for him, but each time, her hand met with nothing but air. He was magically moving away from her and towards a shining object -unfortunately located right in the direction of the gardner!
Another dreary day dressed in confining clothes and ways. She new in her own mind she lived by the rhythms of nature and things that could not quite be explained. So on this October day she stole away to her favorite woods not knowing what was awaiting her………
“Bunnicula”! One of my childhood favorites!
Hmm, maybe the story would be about a ghostly girl who is scaring rabbits to death, or maybe cuddling them to death…then the ghosts of the rabbits would be her pets for all eternity!
She knew how to stop the gardner from coming to fine her by allowing her rabbit to run freely in the etablished asparagus patch. In horror, the gardner watched as the rabbit started to dig through her six foot asparagus patch ruining all their roots. In delight the devil bunny laughed and vanished in a puff a smoke to a place whose’s name you can’t say on a G rated site. ;)
You have awesome readers. lol Nail biting!!
This picture IS very creepy.
Elsie concentrated really hard and slowly the rabbits began to disappear before her very eyes…..if she kept trying perhaps the chicken would go too. The powers were strong under the old tree. Could she go too?
Mary Margaret knew he was a creepy mean old man. And she knew his secrets about the disappearing animals and where he put them in the garden. She knew just how to handle an old codger like him. He especially hated her bunny, but this time it would not be the bunny disappearing. Soon as he approached she’d show him.
“YooHoo”, Mr. Crowley, it’s Mary Margaret, can you come over here by the oak tree. I need you for a minute.”
Now, she thought, now or never.
Terry, There nothing spooky about this photo. I have two girls and let me tell you, that look on her face is what we call at my house “The Tough Cookie Lookie”. Apparently boys don’t do it?
So sorry about your loss this week. Heart felt condolences.