The Ritual

[OtherMoons]

"The time has COME" boomed the sinister voice of the Hanging Tree.

"The Ritual! The Ritual!" chanted the assorted ghouls in response. The unblinking masks hung from nearby trees and candles throughout the clearing bore silent witness to the grim proceedings.

"On this night shall all spirits come forth!" intoned the Tree.

"Come forth and haunt the earth!" sang his followers. A few nearby ghosts, drawn by the energies of the circle, floated in toward the clearing to view the proceedings.

Slowly, a spectre of a small foal rose from the corpse. "My goodness, whatever happened?" the astonished spirit asked.

"Your flesh prison has died," explained the disciple. "Now you shall walk the earth as a spirit."

"Oh. Well... beats being dead, I suppose." The foal's little ghost looked around the clearing. "Who's all this then?"

"The welcoming committee!" said a tiny hamster ghost. "Welcome to your afterlife!" All of the assembled spectres threw confetti into the air and cheered.

"Now go forth my children, and haunt the living," the Hanging Tree called out.

"What's that mean?" the foal asked.

"It means he's throwing a house party," the disciple explained. "We hoped you'd come, since you're new and all."

"Aw sweet! Let's go!" said the spirit of the foal.

Cheering and whooping, the restless undead and the restless dead alike scampered in all directions, gathering snacks and tunes for the haunted house party.