The Warring Witches

When the air turns crisp

And the trees change their coats

And the spiders seek warmth inside,

You know it’s October

In Fearnot, Pennsylvania

Where the Warring Witches reside.

Halloween on Dare-to-tread Lane is legendary.

Walking past the stately, Victorian homes of the infamous Warring Witches thrills my heart and chills my bones. Though both wear ageless faces, they are direct opposites. Madame Marjorie struts on high heels from her brilliant black abode boasting eggplant shutters, matching her violet-streaked, midnight hair. Tending daffodils, Lady Adelaide’s red, wavy locks kissed by sunny highlights demand notice as does her home, with fiery red shingles, a screaming yellow door, and a creaking porch swing that never seems to rest.

Daytime is dull, but evening brings light flashes, booming explosions, and wafts of sulfur seeping from triangular-silhouetted windows. The odd overtures epitomize as autumn blows in, culminating in the great revelation on Halloween night for all to judge which sister can frighten the children most.

Five years ago, Mme Marjorie’s silky cobweb laced over razor sharp blades of grass earned the victory. I’d swear the animated spiders and creatures caught in it were real.

The following year, Lady Adelaide answered with glorious, glowing jack-o-lanterns sitting atop her hedges whose taunting faces sneered and rose on scarecrow bodies that reached out to grab passing children.

The most astounding year ended in a draw. While Mme Marjorie ladled brew from a bubbling cauldron, causing hallucinations of her guardian, garden gargoyles chasing the children, Lady Adelaide grew ghosts from a ghoulish graveyard, rising from crypts and flying through them.

Each year, more children drag their parents to Dare-to-tread Lane anxious to be scared by the Warring Witches. And when they’re grown, parents like me drag their children. And the sisters never disappoint.


This story is brought to you for the Spooktober blogfest. Thanks Dani & Jackie for hosting! Happy Spooky Writing!