A Supernatural Celebration in Halloween

Every Halloween this little town has a secret ritual where everyone gathers around a scarecrow and calls those who have died within the last year. One of the recently departed will animate the scarecrow and answer questions from beyond in “We, The Fortunate Bereaved” by Brian Hodge. This short story is from Halloween: Magic, Mystery, and the Macabre edited by Paula Guran, a collection of eighteen new stories that have something to do with Halloween.

In the ironic “For the Removal of Unwanted Guests” by A.C. Wise, a witch with a cat moves in with Michael who at first is not pleased with his new roommate but might be able to find a way to get rid of her. While in “Pumpkin Head Escapes” by Lawrence C. Connolly a young man learns the perils of jilting a woman and returning to help her with a Halloween performance. Other authors included are Stephen Graham Jones, Laird Barron, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and John Shirley.