The Watchman ~ A Dolloween Special

Hey friends! E here! I finally wrote a new photostory! I thought this would be a great way to introduce one of my newer dolls, Nanea. Just ignore the fact that I've had Nanea for almost four months... Anyway, I wanted to get something out for Halloween! It was super rainy and gross when I was working on this, so I couldn't get a lot of the outdoor photos until today. It's also not terribly spooky- horror is not my forte. 😅 However, I hope you guys enjoy it regardless! 

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I sat at the kitchen table, listening to the clock tick. The house was quiet now. Weirdly quiet. A stark contrast to the usual daily chaos that I was still getting used to. Between the blinds drawn tightly and the setting sun, it was dark, too. I wanted to turn on the lights, but Maryellen had ordered me to leave them off. So I sat in darkness and quiet. What I would do to draw something right about now, I thought. But of course my drawing tablet was broken. It had to be broken now, of all times. Just when I needed something to do. 

 

A haunting laughter suddenly rang out around me, scaring the living daylights out of me. That’s when I remembered that Nellie had changed the doorbell chime to something “more Halloween-ish.” Apparently that’s something you can do with those fancy video doorbells, but of course Nellie is the only one tech savvy enough to know how to change the doorbell chime. 

I held my breath. Whatever you do, don’t open the door. I had been specifically instructed not to open the door for anyone tonight. 

Actually, I had been told to open the door. It was Halloween night, and I had finally decided that at fourteen years of age, I was too old to trick-or-treat. My siblings, on the other hand, were still driven by the desire to get free candy. Most of them, anyway. Everyone who wasn’t out depending on free candy handouts were at parties. But me? I wanted to stay home and just relax. 

Maryellen had also wanted to stay home, and Marie Grace agreed that we could stay under the condition that we hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters. 

As soon as everyone left for the night, Maryellen turned to me and said, “Turn off the lights, don’t make a sound. If the doorbell rings, don’t open it. You really thought we were going to waste our time giving out candy? Not on my watch.” 

“But we agreed to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters!” I protested.

Maryellen laughed. “Oh Nanea, you’re such a goody two shoes. Just trust me. Knowing this house, someone already ate all the candy.” 

And so I agreed. What can I say? I’m always being roped into things. 

Just as I thought I was about to die of boredom, Maryellen burst into the kitchen carrying a backpack. 

Maryellen looked at me with that crazy expression she gets when she’s about to mention a conspiracy theory. “We’re going monster hunting.” 

“We’re what now?” I asked.

“Have you ever heard of the Piney Woods Watchman?” Maryellen asked me, setting her things down on the table. 

“The what?”

“The Piney Woods Watchman.” 

“You’re speaking nonsense,” I told her. 

Maryellen sat down at the table. Right then, I knew I was in for a long story. “The Piney Woods Watchman. He’s something of an urban legend around here. They say that Halloween of 1862, back when Piney Grove extended north to the river, he was a watchman for one of the old buildings in town. Now, the old watchman had a reputation for being awfully shady. Some say he was a thief, others say he was just a straight-up liar. Others even go as far as to say that he had some sort of connection to evil spirits in the woods. The townspeople were weary of him. But that fateful Halloween night, someone set fire to the town. Some say the watchman himself was the one who started it, but we’ll never know for sure. All that is certain is that some of the townsfolk saw a figure with a lantern walk towards the blazing fire as Piney Grove turned into ashes. After the smoke cleared, most of the town was gone. No one ever saw the watchman again. They say that it was his lantern that people saw headed towards the heart of the fire. And every Halloween since then, his ghost is said to come back and wander through the ashes of the old part of town.” 

(Sorry the photos got bad... my camera died. 🥲)

When she finished telling the story, I just stared at her. “I think that’s made up.” 

She scoffed. “I’ve been trying to get proof of his ghost for years. This is the year I finally catch the Piney Woods Watchman.” 

“Well, you have fun with that,” I told her. 

“Oh no…” She smiled. “We’re both going after the Watchman tonight.” 

What did I say? I’m always being roped into things. 

***

Meanwhile…

Courtney: “Logan!! Your costume is too scary! Oh wait, you’re not wearing a costume… oops.” 

Logan: “Ha ha, very funny. You’re one to talk. What are you even supposed to be?” 

Courtney: “You seriously don’t know?” 

Logan: “No.” 

Courtney: “Well then, let me tell you a story…” 

***

                       

“Don’t you think it’s a little bit dangerous to be out here by ourselves? Especially if the woods are haunted? I mean, we should at least have someone with us who knows the forest better, like Kaya, just so we don’t get lost,” I said. 

Maryellen looked back at me. “We’ll be fine as long as we stick to the trail!” 

I watched Maryellen skip ahead happily. The wind blew and I shivered and rubbed my arms, wishing I had brought a heavier jacket. Stepping carefully over rocks and tree roots jutting out of the dirt path, Maryellen and I trekked further and further into the woods, our surroundings becoming less familiar and more menacing. The sun hung low in the sky, creating long shadows in the trees. I looked over my shoulder, trying to shake the feeling that someone— or something— could be watching us. 

Finally, we reached a small clearing. 

“Right here is probably where we’d get our best chance at spotting the Watchman. Most eyewitness reports come from this exact spot,” Maryellen said. 

I shivered, but not because of the frosty air this time. I was standing in the exact place that a ghost was supposed to show up! What is this? Scooby-Doo? 

Maryellen crouched down behind a bush and beckoned me to hide with her. 

“What now?” I asked. 

“Now we wait.” 

***

Logan: “So are we going trick-or-treating, or are you just leading us hopelessly through the woods?” 

Courtney: “Oh hush, I have a much better idea than trick-or-treating.” 

Logan: “What’s better than free candy?” 

Courtney: “Logan, free candy is the last thing you need. You already ate all of the candy that we bought for the trick-or-treaters. Live a little.” 

***

We waited for what felt like weeks, the sun eventually disappearing below the horizon and the air growing colder than it already was. Maryellen and I stayed camped behind the bush, waiting for a sign of a haunting or something like that. I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if we did have a run-in with a ghost. Would it try to eat our brains? I always thought zombies were the ones that ate brains, but I wasn’t so sure what ghosts did. 

Noticing my leg was starting to fall asleep, I carefully tried to change into a more comfortable position 

 “Shhhhh!!!” Maryellen shushed me. In the darkness, she didn’t see me roll my eyes in response. 

“What time do we give up and go home?” I asked, cold and slightly annoyed that Maryellen had dragged me all the way out here. This was no less boring than just sitting at home. 

Maryellen’s voice had a slight tone of aggravation. “Just be patient.’ 

I looked up at the cloudy, moonless sky. There weren’t even any stars to be seen. The world was wrapped in a complete blanket of darkness. I leaned my head against the bush and listened to the crickets chirp and a soft breeze rustle through tree leaves. The woods seemed peaceful enough. Maybe there was no ghost after all. 

I swear we waited a million more years before I felt Maryellen’s hand grasp my shoulder and I peered through the branches of the big bush. My heart stopped. A faint light appeared at the end of the clearing, growing brighter as it moved. The eerie light seemed to come closer to us. Please don’t find us, I silently begged, hoping it wouldn’t hear the heartbeat pounding in my ears. I shuddered to think what would happen if it knew we were there. Maryellen stared, seemingly in awe, as she quickly snapped a picture on her phone just as the light disappeared into the trees. 

So maybe the stories were true. I had just seen a ghost. I felt frozen in place, unable to move. Maryellen slowly stood up. 

“Come on,” She said nervously, “we can go now.” 

I stood up, my knees shaking, and using my phone’s flashlight as a guide, Maryellen and I started to head back to the house. 

***

Logan: “Do you think we scared them?”

Courtney: “Of course we scared them.” 

Logan: “I still think trick-or-treating would have been more fun.”

Courtney: “Oh, alright. We might still have time to do a little trick-or-treating.” 

***

THE END

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Ta-da! Like I said, I hope you guys enjoyed this. Have a happy Halloween and remember to have a nice side of veggies with all your candy! Stay safe! Bye! <3