Writing Challenge - Halloween and a Jack-O-Lantern

Okay, I've decided that I want to start up a writing challenge. This came about by my looking around and seeing the ceramic Jack-o-lantern I am repainting and something just clicked that I should write something for Halloween about a jack-o-lantern. So, that's what I'm up to. I'll give a two week deadline on the challenges and if they're popular may even make a blog or website just for writing challenges. Two weeks is just an even round number for someone to have time to write a decent 250-500 word short story.

Please note that the effort does NOT have to be perfect, but you do have to be willing to take a little criticism. If you don't want anyone offering criticism then note it at the start and I ask others please be kind and honor such requests - also, anyone that offers non-constructive criticism (attack of the writer rather than a friendly discussion about their story based only on the merits of the story) will be punished to the fullest extent of the blog. (Y'all can figure out for yourselves what that means. ;-))

And note that stories can be as short as 1 word, or long as however long you can post. Absolutely NO posting the same word over and over. (One BOO! is okay, but BOO! (or another word/series of words) repeated five or more times is not okay.)


Anyway - the first official challenge -

A story: 250 to 500 words long (shorter or longer is fine) that if focused on Halloween (or Samhain or another similar kind of day that focuses on the same history and traditions). Story must somehow involve a Jack-o-lantern or pumpkin - either the carving of one, an explanation in story form of how the first one came about, the POV of a pumpkin waiting to be carved, a ceramic one on a shelf behind the action, whatever. Just so long as it is set for a day with the traditions of Halloween and involves a pumpkin.

Have fun and please feel free to share what you write in the comments if you want to