A Spooky Halloween Tale

By Alycia Downs

Oct 09, 2019

It’s pitch black outside. You’re all alone, wandering in the darkness, when something odd catches your eye. This is a spooky Halloween tale you’ll tell for years to come.

It’s pitch black outside, almost as if there was no moon at all. No twinkling of stars or street lights to cast out what waits in the shadows. You’re all alone, wandering in the darkness, when something odd catches your eye. You pause to take a harder look; in the distance, a soft glow permeates the black nothingness. You move closer, intrigued, but a little spooked quite frankly. The soft light begins to get brighter.

You cautiously scan the perimeter, but proceed anyways for reasons unbeknownst to your conscious logic. The glow is within reach, nearly blinding, it’s so bright. You get the strange feeling that you’re not alone… but it’s too late. You enter the light and realize there are others just like you. They’re hardly moving, just lingering there with a zombie-like stare.

All of a sudden, a disturbance overhead. Everyone looks up to see a dark object, but before you can process the situation, they rush towards it and attack! One of the guys seizes the unidentified object with his mouth, wrangling it like a coyote taking down its prey. Suddenly, an unseen force from overhead pulls him up into the darkness.

Poof! And just like that—he’s gone.

Your mind reels in astonishment, What the heck just happened?! Why did I come here?? Is this some sort of zombie black magic? But before you can formulate any answers, he comes gliding back into the glow with a look of satisfaction on his face.

You’re shocked at what you just witnessed, so you swim up to the guy to demand an explanation. He looks at you and chuckles, “Hey fish, calm down, dude. I remember my first time at the dock light. A free snack, a short ride; it’s an out-of-water experience, but totally worth it.”

Happy Halloween, ghouls and gals!

Alycia Downs
Alycia Downs
Alycia Downs is a freelance content creator and avid sportsman who contributes to numerous publications promoting tourism, fishing, and outdoors. Alycia is a member of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association and is actively involved with conservation and fishing non-profit organizations. Visit her personal blog at tideandtale.com or on Instagram @tideandtale.