Without A Head At Halloween

Smoke poured out from tiny chimney pots blown by the wind that battered hard against the little cottages of Hallowgrove . Scattered around Hallowgrove were some isolated cottages in the glens .

Within the whitewashed walls of one of these homes lived Nancy and Clancy O'Shaunassey . They lived away from town for a number of reasons.
Some said Nancy liked the quiet live. But the truth if it was that Clancy liked a drink and Nancy bought the cottage in the glens because it was a fair stretch of the legs from the pub.

Clancy was a desperate man for the drink and he loved the quick swallow any time he could get a chance. Now that they lived away from the town it was getting difficult for him to escape. In saying that Clancy was great making excuses for an exit.

So it was one Halloween evening as he sat twiddling his thumbs and Nancy sat with her needles knitting in the corner. All he could think of was a drink.
He had this terrible want fort wetting his whistle before Hallowgrove Inn closed its doors for the day.

"What ever is the matter Clancy? You haven't stopped fidgeting and fumbling for the past hour and a half?"

Nancy said.

"Clancy replied,

"Oh there's nothing the matter with me. I'm just thinking about poor old Mrs O'Casey I, the widow in the glen. Sure now isn't it such a terrible thing that she's to be left alone on such a terrible night with out anyone to talk to?"

"Oh you're right there Clancy.”

She replied.

Clancy waited as moment and continued,

"You know what I was just thinking Nancy. Maybe I could drop in to see if she's all right. Wouldn't we be the ones without a heart not to call in now and then? Just in case she's had a fall or something.”

'Sure maybe you're right.”

Nancy said.

"I know I'm right. Maybe there's a little job she needs done. Since her man has gone there must be repairs here and there. I could always offer her a hand Nancy. What do you think?"

Said Clancy who was now seeing his exit.

"That's nice of you Clancy "
She said as she kept knitting away.

"She might need a few extra spuds, or a few bits of turf for the fire.”
He continued to push.

"Sure enough.”
She said.

"Wouldn't it be a shame if we couldn't lend a hand to a old widow not far from our door.”

Clancy saw Nancy put down her knitting.
She stood up and walked to the pantry and pulled a few things from the shelf.
She put them in the pockets of Clancy's overcoat that hung from a hook on the back of the front door.

Then she took her purse from the kitchen cupboard and opened it up.
Taking out a few spare coins, she passed them on to Clancy , she said,

"Here give this to the widow O'Casey . If she won't take it slip it somewhere without her knowing, where she can see it."

She went to the door and from a hook she took Clancy's overcoat. She brought it over to him and took out a few more coins from her purse. and gave it to Clancy.

"Is that for the widow as well then ?"
He said

" If Barney is slicing up the bacon in the shed get us a few rashers . "

"Sure enough then ."
He said,

"Oh and if Mrs Maguire is in ask her for a six small white eggs.”
She said.

Right, six eggs it is then. OK"
Said Clancy who was now almost choking with thirst.
"Oh and Clancy.”
She said as he was making for the door.

"What is it now?"
He burst out .

"Mind you stay out of Mulhollands now. Off you go and don't be all night about it.
Clancy grabbed his cap and was off like a shot and out the door.

Twilight was fading fast and Clancy was heading for the town like a greyhound after the bunny. All he could think of was getting a belly full of Mulhollands brew before closing time. He rushed straight past the widow's and never spared a thought for the bacon and eggs.

Three hours later Clancy stumbled out the door of the Hallowgrove Inn.
He stagged along the road singing and swaying when suddenly, like a bolt of lightening out of the blue, came this harsh but recognisable voice.
It called out to him and said,

" Clancy. Tell me what have you done with my head?"

Clancy spun around and there before him stood his old drinking companion Bapper Thompson. But the strange thing was that Bapper had been dead for about ten years now. His head was hanging behind him in a bag that was tied around his neck.

"Get away from me Bapper. You're dead.”
Clancy said.
But Bapper stood there and continued,

"Clancy. Where is me head? "

I'll tell you what I've got instead. Clancy lifted a stone from the ground and threw it at Bapper. The stone turned into a pumpkin and landed where Bappers head should have been.

Clancy gave a loud scream of terror and started to run away but he kept slipping and falling every few three to four strides. Crawling on his hands and knees with Bapper chasing after him Clancy was yelling out for help,

"Away from me, leave me be. "

But Bapper continued to shout over and over,

"Clancy where is my head. Give me back my head.”
Clancy could see the head in a netting bag tied to the back of his neck run.
He collapsed to the ground and could hardly take any more.
He began to breath heavily and at the same time tried to catch his breath.
Then he said.
"I don't know what you're doing here Bapper. I haven't done anything to you .Why are you doing this. Leave me alone. For Gods sake just go away.”

His screams echoed out all over Hallowgrove .
After a few moments Bapper was gone and Clancy sat there alone by the side of the road. In the eerie silence he started to fall asleep but just before he dropped off he heard the sound of horses hooves thundering towards him. He was startled and jumped to his feet. Then along came this lady dressed in a long black cloak. She sat on a white horse. Both horse and the lady had a dark hood that covered their heads. The white horse reared up before him and Clancy shivered in the night wind.

Then he thought about Nancy and what would she be thinking.
He realised he had been away a long time and knew the ear bashing he would get on his return home. The he started to think if he would get home at all. He stood there quite drunk and oblivious to what was going on.

The lady on the horse pointed her finger at him and Clancy said,

'Well hello there. I wonder if you would do me a favour. My wife is waiting for my return. Is there any chance you could take me on that big horse of yours to the cottage in the glen.”

Not a word did the lady speak.
From her hollow eyes a piercing stare burnt deep into Clancy’s heart.

'Clancy was getting nervous and continued,

"I know it's a lot to ask but on the way if you could stop at the widow O'Caseys who is this very night on her death bed with a terrible cough and me almost ready for my heart to stop after walking ten miles on this bitter night.”

Again not a word was spoken.
The lady on the horse summoned Clancy to get up on the horses back. Then she reached out her arm. Clancy took her arm and he was pulled up to sit behind her on the horse.

Clancy clung on tightly around her waist as the horse galloped wildly down the road and over the hills where it went straight past the widows cottage and continued to gallop past his own cottage.

"Stop. You've gone past my home.”
Clancy screamed but the horse just kept on going.

At the top of Hallowgrove Glen the horse came to a stoop beside a Gallows tree. There was a noose swinging from a branch and the lady pushed Clancy off the horse. She turned and pointed her finger to the noose and then pulled the hood down from her head to reveal a skeleton skull. The face had no form at all. Without expression or life in her voice the ghostly rider just sat staring back at Clancy, then she wailed like cat from hell.
The horse reared up and Clancy began to sweat and scream.

"Please leave me alone.”
Clancy continued to scream but the lady again pointed her finger at the noose on the gallows tree.

A harsh voice echoed out beside him.

"Clancy, what ever you do, don't give her your head.”
Clancy looked and saw it was Bapper standing there with his head in his hands.

"Bapper you've got to help me."
Said Clancy.

"Its too late now Clancy. The finger is upon you.”
Came the reply.

Suddenly a crowd of headless men approached and gathered around the gallows tree. Some of the men Clancy recognised by their frames and how they swaggered. He knew them by their clothing and recognised them as locals who had once drank at the Hallowgrove Inn. It was frightening as many of them had died years before .
Some had heavy chains on their feet.
The moon shone down upon the gallows tree.

Other men who had departed years ago now joined their company .
They all talked among them selves about the times that had been and times yet to come. Then they turned their conversation towards Clancy.

"So, said the late Mr O’Casey.

"You were to visit my wife this evening then. Indeed I was hoping that you would. But Clancy you never stopped did you?"

"Please leave me alone. I'm sorry. You have to understand. It's the drink, not me.”
Clancy replied.

"Oh the poor widow. She might have enjoyed some company tonight.”
Said another.

The remainder laughed and added their own weight to the conversation.

"And what about the bacon and eggs you were to buy for that good wife of yours O’Shaunassey?"

Everywhere Clancy turned another comment was made.

"You couldn't wait to get to Mulhollands. Could you?"

They poked fun and hurled abuse and tormented him, more and more.

"How are you going to enjoy them with no head on your shoulders?"

The lady pointed to the noose again.

"No you won't have me.”
Clancy shouted.

Everyone tutted.

"Give me a chance.”
He said.

"You've had too many chances Clancy "
Said another.

'I promise I'll make it up. I'll quit the drink for good. Just give me one more chance.”
The crowd laughed and another said.

"You had more than one chance before to make it up.”
Clancy felt something in his inside pocket. Thinking it was a bottle of whisky he said.

"Ok then .If its me head you're after, have it. But first I need a drink. You can't deny me that. Surely a condemned man deserves to have a last drink.”

The lady on the horse lowered her finger and nodded her head in agreement. Clancy went for the bottle in his pocket. Just before he took a swig of the bottle, he saw what was written on it.

Now sometimes life can take a turn for the better because as on the side of the bottle it said Holy Water.His good wife must have put it there for the widow O’Casey.

"Be Jeazzus"
Clancy said.

Without a moments hesitation he opened the bottle and threw some of the water all over the lady and the horse and those gathered around.
The horse bolted and the lady vanished the crowd all ran to the cliff and jumped off. With the horse following behind them.
Dawn came and Clancy found himself near the widow’s cottage.

He asked himself a question, could it all have just been a dream.
Clancy began to walk back home and was wondering what on earthy he was going to say to Nancy.

So by the time he had made it home he had made himself ready for a tongue-lashing. So as soon as he walked in the fireworks started. Nancy was sitting in the same chair knitting furiously. The sound of the needles was almost deafening. She gave him a look that said it all.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Well I don't know Nancy .I think I must have fallen or been attacked. This morning I awoke outside the widows’ house. "

Clancy said.

"Did you give the widow the bottle of holy water I sent in your pocket?

“. Ah, I gave a the bottle.did you say holy water?"

Then it started to come back to him.

Clancy took a gulp and gasped.

The End

By Paul McCann