Number One Thirty - James Dean & his car

 NUMBER ONE THIRTY

A well-known actor, with a love of pure speed,

Had his-own wants, and also his-own needs.

Was a driver, of some very cool cars!

Always had to get, where he was going so fast.

Brand new toy, was silver emblazoned with one thirty,

It caused more than a touch, of admiration and jealousy.

But his clique of actors, had their own misgivings,

Couldn’t help but have, many uneasy feelings.

Took it out on the open road, leaving on route ninety-nine,

Other people’s premonitions were going, to be realised this time.

For the sun was playing tricks, the light closed in on the same day,

The little car ended up a wreck, and its driver passed away.

This was his new toy, had the number one thirty,

It was only designed, to go at real speed.

Everyone gathered around, his number one thirty,

They were chilled to the bone, by what they had seen.

He would get inside, and never leave number one thirty,

It ended in an accident, and it was a real life tragedy.

Adelaide Effect - Poetry about the 1989 Australian GP

Adelaide Effect

It was the second, grand prix I’d seen,

But this was, unbelievably wet,

It captured my attention, and enthusiasm,

All this was made possible, by the Adelaide effect.

Prost was true to his word, only doing the parade lap,

It left Senna in the lead, one he was reluctant to give back.

The Williams of Boutsen and Patrese, gave chase,

As the circuit now resembled, some kind of boating race.

Mansell hit the barriers, spun out of control,

While Nannini pressed the Williams, heading into the unknown.

Senna passed a backmarker, but left Brundle unsighted,

Turning the Mclaren into a tricycle, and leaving Boutsen delighted.

It was all down, to the Adelaide effect,

This race was a classic, and still ranks as one of the best.

It was all down, to the Adelaide, effect,

When it rained on this circuit, it really got seriously wet.

It was all down, to the Adelaide effect,

Not many cars and drivers, made it to the end of this test.

All down, to the Adelaide effect.

 

This is my poetic tribute to the 1976 Formula one battle - Niki Lauda v James Hunt

The race for victory

The series finished in Japan,

But there was more to the story than that,

You’ve won more races than anyone else,

Given your sport a following on and off the track.

A hero to millions of spectators,

They go and follow your every move,

You’ve lapped everyone up to third place,

Found that sweet spot they call the groove.

Hitting that old German track,

You had a good series lead,

Had the championship in the bag,

But that still remained to be seen.

Dry tyres on a wet surface,

Is never the best combination!

Crashing hard on a tricky corner,

That was when you encountered this unexpected situation.

You’re nearest rival won well,

Taking points away as you were on the road to recovery,

No ones to say he wouldn’t have done it anyway,

But we’ll have to put that down, as something that we’ll never see.

   Gave it all you had on your return,

Given a standing ovation,

You might’ve lost your crown,

But that’s the hazard of your occupation.

The race for victory, we thought you had it won,

From the outside looking in, it seemed to be a stroll in the sun.

The race for victory, took a turn for the worse I fear,

You said your life was more important, and you’ll have the title back next year.

All in the race for victory! 

  

 F1 1976 - Niki Lauda v James Hunt 

The Great Fire of London - my poetic tribute to it from one of my poetry books

Fire it spread in the early hours

It all started in a small bakery, in Pudding Lane,

A raging inferno tore through the streets, all from this small flame.

  The residents of London, were worried of the year,

For it was 1666, the year was there to be feared.

History remembers it as the great fire, for it took at least six lives,

It burnt Central London to a cinder, St Paul’s Cathedral failed to stand up to the surprise.

Helped by an east wind, that blew it on its way,

It destroyed churches and houses, and the flames burnt for days and days.

The previous year, they had suffered from the bubonic plague,

Now they suffered from the great fire, because that was the survivor’s fate.

They rebuilt the city soon after, making sure it was better than before,

 The early September month hit them hard, and would leave them changed forever more.

Fire it spread in the early hours,

It helped pull down old London Town,

Fire it spread in the early hours,

September 1666! Has come to try and break you down.

Fire it spread in the early hours,

Pudding Lane we’ve heard is to blame,

Fire it spread in the early hours,

A major city under attack from flames!

Five Guys In Hamburg - Poetic writing about The Beatles in Germany

Five Guys In Hamburg

Five guys flew to Hamburg, to become part of the music scene,

Their forty-eight-night adventure, built them up for bigger things.

Of course the group saw some changes, like anything it needed a tweak,

It was always going to be an effort, and they were working every day of the week.

August of nineteen-sixty, was when it all suddenly started to roll,

By the time it all ended, they had very much reached their goal.

In those early days, it was hard to imagine just how big they would become,

Just playing at the clubs such as the Indra, playing music and having fun.

Five guys in Hamburg, they were recently crowned Beatles,

But by the time they were finished, they had flown like eagles.

The group were made up of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Sutcliffe and Best,

That wasn’t how they finished up, as history would attest.

Five guys in Hamburg, the accommodation wasn’t up to much,

Staying by a cinema toilet, instead of sleeping in a tour bus.

Five guys in Hamburg, recently given some new haircuts,

The sixties were calling them, and the world would soon create a fuss.

Five guys in Hamburg, it’s funny the way big things tend to start,

The German audience, back in the day took them to their hearts.

Chicago's Waiting - poetic writing about life in prohibition Chicago

Chicago’s Waiting

Chicago’s Waiting, have you got an answer for them yet,

Your liquor licence is overdue, or did you simply forget.

Remember that agreement you had, you said your word was your bond,

It’s time to call and collect on the debt, because you did something very wrong.

They’ll hand out their own brand of justice, the old fashion way,

We made a deal with you, and one way or another you're going to pay.

Some bloke known as Johnny, has been hanging around like he knows you,

Before you lock up for the evening, it could be time you faced all your truths.

There’s a knock at the door, they warned you they would be coming today,

Tapping their guns on the window frame, even the clock tells you it’s too late.

You have no other choice, unlock the chain and open the door,

You were gunned down in a hail bullets; Chicago was waiting was waiting for sure.

Chicago’s waiting, and you have a call from a Mr Capone,

Chicago’s waiting, just think before you hang up the phone.

Chicago’s waiting, and for you there’s really no escape,

Chicago’s waiting, this is one call you hoped you could forsake.

Chicago’s waiting!

Curse of Tippecanoe - poetic writing about the President's Curse

Curse Of Tippecanoe

Curse of Tippecanoe, ran for a total of one hundred and twenty years,

It affected every President, elected when a zero came to appear.

Starting with William Henry Harrison, in the year of eighteen-forty,

Every twenty years, saw the elected face a similar kind of cruelty.

In eighteen sixty, Abraham Lincoln would find the curse carry on,

Out one evening, when he faced an aggrieved actor with a loaded gun.

James Garfield and William McKinley, would not be spared,

Each man shot after finding someone, objecting to them being there.

Warren .G. Harding and Franklin .D. Roosevelt, would also die in office,

They weren’t killed by someone’s hand, but died of natural causes.

John .F. Kennedy, would find, the curse waiting in a Dallas Street,

Ronald Reagan was shot, but he survived leaving the curse to defeat.

Curse of Tippecanoe, this battle took place back in eighteen-eleven,

William Harrison had attempted to bribe, the native - Americans.

Curse of Tippecanoe, Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, was left defeated by the charge,

But his brother Tenskwatawa, set the curse in motion causing real alarm.

Curse of Tippecanoe, each President elected in the same year would soon face,

Whether or not it was just coincidence, I suppose that’s for others to say.

Halloween Demon of Randall County - Chapter 1 of my kindle & paperback

Chapter One

The Nightmare

It was late in the evening of October 30^th and seventeen-year old Wesley Hawkins was sleeping in his bed. He was having a bad dream about something that could well happen tomorrow when he suddenly woke up and came over in a cold sweat.

“This can’t be true.” He exclaimed in worried fashion before he walked over to his curtains and peered outside at the dark night that greeted his eyes at this time. Wesley quickly closed the curtains and walked over to his desk where a book called the book of monsters was opened at the page where he had left it opened at before he had gone to sleep.

“Where are you?” Wesley wondered, as he continued to search for the Monster he had just seen in his bad dream and more like nightmare.

After turning several pages of the book Wesley located what he was looking for and started reading about the Demon in question, which had troubled him so much that he had dreamt about it.

“The Halloween Demon of Randall County was first recorded in history some two hundred years ago in the year 1883. Local legends had groups of early trick or treaters out looking for candy when they happened the way of the Halloween Demon. The Demon was said to have terrified all that it came into contact with and those it came across never arrived home they were presumed killed at the hands of the Halloween Demon.” Wesley read out loud to himself, but his voice had carried and his dad had heard this talking and wondered what was going on.

“Is that Wesley talking?” He suggested to his wife while wearing a puzzled look on his face.

“Go and see what’s going on?” His wife felt that it was his duty to do this and he soon got out of bed before putting on his dressing gown. He left the room and approached Wesley’s room while wondering what he was doing talking to himself in the middle of the night like this. His dad then knocked on his door stopping Wesley from reading anymore about the Halloween Demon at least for the time being.

“Who is out there?” Wesley called out causing his dad a few chuckles since whom else could it be other than his parents there was nobody else in the house.

“It’s your dad Wesley.” His dad responded before he opened up the door to find Wesley not in bed, but seated at his desk reading the book of monsters.

“Was I reading a little too loud then?” Wesley suggested to his dad who laughed at this idea since how else could he have heard him.

“Yes you were actually. What are you doing at this time of night reading that kind of stuff anyway?” His dad had noticed what he had been reading and wasn’t impressed by his choice of reading material.

“Is there something wrong with the book of monsters?” Wesley asked him what he really had against it.

“Honestly son I have nothing against the book of monsters, as a rule. I just don’t care for them disturbing my sleep at this time of the night though.” His dad thought the book was inappropriately being read at this time.

“I’m sorry, but I just had a bad dream.” Wesley admitted to his dad who looked concerned, but not surprised considering his reading material of choice wasn’t exactly something that would give him good dreams.

“Give me the book of monsters and I’ll let you have it back in the morning?” His dad thought that this was a reasonable request to make and Wesley reluctantly handed it over to him to take away with him.

“Which one was it anyway?” His dad asked him while feeling intrigued as to what had bothered him so much that he had dreamt about it.

“What do you mean by that?” Wesley wasn’t sure what his dad was talking about here and required some more information.

“Which monster scared you, because I take it something in here was responsible for the nightmare you had am I right in thinking that?” His dad was pretty sure of this and Wesley realised that he might as well tell him the truth since he already has his book.

“It was the Halloween Demon of Randall County that bothered me.” Wesley responded and his dad opened the book in order to view this Halloween Demon of Randall County for himself.

“Pretty scary looking thing isn’t it really?” His dad suggested to him.

“That’s right it is a scary looking thing and not something you should think of dreaming about.” Wesley confirmed this much for him.

“Just try and get some sleep. You look pretty terrible at the moment.” His dad noticed before he walked off with the book and then closed the door behind him.

Early the next morning Wesley was sitting at the breakfast table reading the scary stories in the local newspaper about Halloween, that the reporters had written to entertain the local community.

His mum and dad were seated on the couch watching the television set and an early morning show.

“Do you want your book back yet?” His dad called out to Wesley and Wesley did actually want it back.

“Yes. Have you got it on you then?” Wesley wondered where his dad had put it and his dad quickly got up off the couch before he picked it up and handed it over to him.

“We just don’t want you reading that kind of stuff at bedtime in future.” His mum reasoned with him and Wesley could see their point of view before he left the house for school.

After walking down the road he spotted his friend Freddy walking towards him before they both got into Wesley’s car bound for school this morning.

“What happened to you? I mean you look kind of rough this morning, did you have a bad night or something?” Freddy suggested to him while thinking that it was a distinct possibility here.

“How comes I’m friends with someone named after a horrific serial killer anyway?” Wesley asked him after noticing his striped sweater looked a bit like someone else called Freddy.

“I’m not named after Freddy Krueger if that’s what you are referring to here.” Freddy didn’t like the name association and felt that it was wrong to label him this way.

“I was just saying nightmare on Elm Street and all that?” Wesley suggested to him.

“For starters we don’t even live on Elm Street. You know what that Nightmare on Elm Street was named after right?” Freddy suggested to him and Wesley was for once at a loss here.

“No I don’t know what it was named after, so why don’t you explain it to me.” Wesley had no idea and wanted to find out what his friend had in mind.

“Remember how President John F Kennedy was riding along in an open topped limousine way back in November of nineteen sixty-three?” Freddy wondered if he recalled this event happening.

“I wasn’t there at the time and neither were you.” Wesley remarked upon hearing this come out of his mouth.

“I know that, but it’s one of the most famous events to ever happen right?” Freddy reasoned with him.

“Okay it was famous and tragic, but what point are you trying to make Freddy?” Wesley was still lost.

“President John F Kennedy was travelling down along Elm Street when he came under gunfire attack wasn’t he? It was a true nightmare on Elm Street.” Freddy proudly explained to him his theory as to how the name for the movie, which came out twenty-one years later, was named.

“Is that really why they named the film that?” Wesley suggested to him although he didn’t altogether believe the explanation.

“I don’t know the answer to that? Actually I don’t think it was, but when you think about it? Its such a strange coincidence right?” Freddy believed, as they approached the school gates.

“I’d have to agree with you there, because it certainly is a strange coincidence.” Wesley could see what he meant before he parked up in the car park and they both got out of his car.

They approached the school building to find Turner one of the school jocks with a bad attitude stood there with an arm around his girlfriend and chief cheerleader Julia.

“What do you think you are you looking at?” Turner asked Freddy and Wesley as they walked past him for the first time today.

“Nothing at all.” Wesley informed him before they walked into the school building.

“That was kind of close. Maybe next time, don’t make it so obvious you are looking at Julia.” Freddy felt that he had been walking a very fine line back there and been caught out by Turner.

“I can’t help it you know that I kind of like her.” Wesley didn’t need to remind him about this.

“Hey it’s not me you have to worry about it’s that big guy who is her boyfriend that you have to be bothered about.” Freddy reasoned with him, as they noticed Stacey and Brian stood there looking their way.

“Welcome one and all to Halloween this is the day of the monsters.” Brian called out although the false teeth he had in his mouth made him quite hard to understand.

“What did he just say?” Freddy wondered if Stacey might be able to help them out here and she had a reason why he had been speaking the way he had.

“He’s got false Dracula teeth in his mouth. I told him that it was pointless walking around with them in since nobody knows what he’s going on about, but would he listen to me?” Stacey suggested to them in exasperation.

“Take your teeth out Brian.” Wesley advised him before he went and did this.

“Anyone else want to have a go with them then?” He wondered before offering them to the three people stood around him none of which looked too impressed with the idea of putting them in their mouths.

“I think I’ll pass if it’s all the same with you.” Stacey wasn’t about to put these in her mouth and quickly distanced herself from Brian.

“I’m pretty good, thanks all the same Brian.” Wesley confirmed that he had no interest in doing this either.

“What about you Freddy you are always up for a laugh aren’t you?” Brian offered his Dracula teeth to him, but Freddy was less than impressed with this.

“No, thanks all the same though.” Freddy didn’t want to try them out either.

“Since when did you all turn into such bores?” Brian wondered before putting the Dracula teeth back into his mouth, but once he had done so Mr. McQueen one of the teachers’ walked over towards them.

“What’s going on here?” He wondered and Stacey, Wesley and Freddy tried to look away pretending that they had no idea what Brian was up to.

“Brian is trying out some new teeth this morning?” Stacey offered a partial explanation to him.

“I see, so you’ve started to take part in Halloween fun already have you?” Mr. McQueen asked him and Brian muttered something inaudible back from behind the Dracula teeth.

“I never thought I’d see the day when I asked a student to take their teeth out so that I might be able to understand them. So please can you take your teeth out.” Mr. McQueen explained to him and Brian realised he had no other option than to take his teeth out.

“Are you going to confiscate them?” Brian suggested to him and from the look on his face that’s exactly what Mr. McQueen had in mind.

“You can have them back sometime tomorrow.” Mr. McQueen confirmed for him before he walked off with Brian’s Dracula teeth for company.

“Tomorrow Halloween is gone though?” Brian reminded the others’ not that they needed reminding about this.

“Tough luck Brian. You should’ve saved those teeth for later on.” Wesley believed, but it was too late for warnings now since it was after the event.               

  

Turner and Julia walked into the building moments later hooked up arm in arm and gazing into each other’s eyes like a couple of lovesick puppy-dogs.

A number of other students’ walked up to and surrounded them before they started walking down the corridor together in a large group. 

“So big game coming up soon then?” Miles another school jock and Turner’s best friend reminded him not that Turner had forgotten about the game they would be playing.

“Doesn’t matter who we play really. We’ll still win the game!” Turner was conceited and full of himself, but he was a very good player who had attracted the attention of several top scouts during the season.

“Says you and one of these days you might not win and then where will you be?” Julia felt that he was heading for a fall with that kind of talk and this conceited attitude wasn’t something that Julia liked about him. Wesley, Freddy, Brian and Stacey watched as they walked past them.

“What are you looking at anyway?” Miles asked Freddy since it wasn’t obvious to him.

“There’s not a great deal to look at if you ask me.” Freddy responded showing that he wasn’t about to be drawn into an argument with Miles or anyone else.

“Better keep it that way then.” Miles told him as they walked on down the corridor together leaving Freddy, Brian, Stacey and Wesley stood there watching on.

“Those guys are just complete jerks. I can’t understand why women like Julia and Heather want to be seen with and be around them.” Freddy was disappointed at that and wondered what the others thought of this.

“They are two big guys and you aren’t.” Stacey didn’t hold her assessment back and spare Freddy’s feelings.

“Girls like jerks at least that’s what I’ve heard anyway.” Brian informed them, but Stacey just gave him an off look that spoke volumes for it-self.    

“Those are just the breaks I’m afraid to say. Besides we are busy ourselves with…” Wesley started off, but was unable to finish off his sentence before his friend continued for him.

“With giving ourselves nightmares and waking our families up in the middle of the night, is that it?” Freddy suggested to him and only now did Wesley realise what he was getting at.

“Okay so I kind of went and creeped myself out after reading about the Halloween Demon of Randall County. Are you telling me you wouldn’t have been worried having read about that thing the night before?” Wesley asked him.

“I would have been more than worried myself.” Brian felt sure about this and that was the reason why he kept comic books in his room rather than books on monsters.

“You really need to change your reading material Wesley.” Stacey was almost certain of this especially in light of it giving him nightmares.

“What do you reckon Freddy?” Wesley wondered what he made of this since he hadn’t yet said what he thought.

“How about I would have had more sense than to read about monsters before I went to bed.” Freddy reasoned with him before they headed off to a couple of different classes.

The teacher of the class Mr. Holmes looked up as Wesley finally wandered into the room in order to join the lesson, which had been ongoing for several minutes already without his presence.

“What excuse have you got for being late then Wesley?” Mr. Holmes asked him before checking the wall clock for confirmation of how late he was for class this morning and he had after all given him a-hurry up earlier on.

“I’m really sorry Mr. Holmes, but I went and lost track of time.” Wesley explained what had happened and hoped his teacher would understand about this.

“We saw you out in the corridor and we made it here in time.” Turner spoke up and turned the heat on Wesley in the process causing some more concerns for Wesley.

“That’s a good point Wesley. If they could turn up on time then why couldn’t you do the same thing?” Mr. Holmes wasn’t about to let this one go.

“I was talking to Freddy, Brian and Stacey about something and must have just forgotten the time.” Wesley admitted to his teacher while hoping that this might appease him.

“At last the truth finally rears its ugly head. Take a seat Wesley, so that I can get on with teaching my class without any more interruptions or latecomers.” Mr. Holmes told him before Wesley went to take his seat only for Turner to take his chair before he sat down. Wesley landed on the floor with a loud thud backside first. Mr. Holmes looked less than impressed by this and thought that Wesley was just playing games here.

“What do you think you are doing? When I told you to take a seat I was expecting something like a chair to be chosen to carry your weight. Why have you decided to use the floor instead?” Mr. Holmes wondered what had made him think that this was such a great idea.

“Yes why did you decide to sit on the floor Wesley?” Turner joined in knowing full well he had been the one responsible for this happening.

“It was an accident?” Wesley suggested to his teacher after realising getting into an argument with Turner was futile since he was pretty childish at the best of times and didn’t need an audience to egg him on.

Turner placed the chair back behind Wesley and this time Wesley sat down without any further issues.

“Now where were we before Wesley gate-crashed us? Ah yes! It’s Halloween the night when all the scary creatures, Demons and ghosts roam the planet once more. Anyone got a particular favourite we can talk about here?” Mr. Holmes looked for a volunteer here and Heather immediately put her hand up in the air to answer the question with what she had in mind.

“Go ahead then Heather.” Wesley found himself saying causing some mild amusement and funny looks from his teacher.

“I think you’ll find that it’s teachers’ privilege for me to pick out who I want to hear from first.” Mr. Holmes gave Wesley a swift lecture on whose class it was.

“I’m sorry about that Mr. Holmes.” Wesley responded to this news and felt rather sheepish about it.

“It’s lucky for you in that case, that I also want to hear what Heather has to say. Please go ahead Heather tell us about those scary things that bother you on Halloween night?” Mr. Holmes asked her.

“Freddy Krueger! He was one scary man and he creeps me out whenever I see him in a movie especially if I watch it on my own.” Heather informed her teacher and fellow students’ of what bothers her.

“Freddy Krueger the nightmare killer who gets you in your dreams, you mean? You’ve got to say for every kid that has heard about this, well he must seem the most terrifying entity to wander through movie land. Alas he’s only fiction and not a real character at all, so although he looks the part he’s not going to hurt anyone in real life. There is an actor under all of that worrying looking makeup. Has anyone else got somebody or should I say something on their minds to share with us?” Mr. Holmes looked for another member of his class to stick up their hand and suggest someone.

Miles quickly placed his hand up in the air and Mr. Holmes was pleased that he seemed to be paying attention for once and was only too pleased to ask him what he had in mind.

“Yes Miles? What have you got on your mind then?” Mr. Holmes suggested to him while the class waited for the identity of the person Miles had in mind.

“How about I surprise you with someone like Jack The Ripper?” Miles dropped the name of the famous nineteenth century London serial killer into the mix for Mr. Holmes to chew over.

“Jack The Ripper? Now there was a very bad person whoever he was? Although considering he was alive more than a hundred and twenty years ago the chances are his days of killing anyone now are almost certainly over.” Mr. Holmes felt the need to explain this to his class.

“He’s dead you mean?” Miles realised what he was getting at and some of the other students’ laughed as the penny had dropped for him.

“You are so much smarter than you look Miles.” Turner took the opportunity to make fun of his friend, but Miles laughed the comments off knowing that they were meant to be good-hearted and not mocking.

“How about you then Julia? Have you got anyone in mind here?” Mr. Holmes wondered and this caught Wesley’s attention and he quickly looked at her this caused Turner to wave his finger at Wesley showcasing that he should remove any thoughts from his mind where Julia was concerned.

“It’s not you she has in mind here Wesley.” Turner reminded him, that she was his girlfriend and not Wesley’s.

“Just leave him alone and out of this Turner.” Julia was getting fed up with the way Turner was always making fun of Wesley and making his life a misery at the earliest opportunity especially after he had already taken his chair away and made him look foolish this morning.

“The question still stands for you Julia? Have you got anyone in mind?” Mr. Holmes wasn’t looking for anything other than a monster or a spirit to come out of her mouth in a manner of speaking of course.

“Okay fine. How about someone like the Boston Strangler?” Julia suggested to her teacher who looked somewhat surprised by her choice of scary thing to avoid this coming Halloween night.

“The Boston Strangler? Albert De Salvo was the Boston Strangler, but he was murdered in prison back in nineteen-seventy three. I don’t believe that you have anything to worry about there though since he probably won’t be making an appearance this evening.” Mr. Holmes attempted to dismiss the monster she had in mind, but not everyone was willing to let him do this quite so easily.

“It’s wrong.” Wesley suddenly found himself exclaiming to the class in a rather loud animated voice.

“What do you know about this sort of thing anyway?” Turner asked him while feeling that he should keep quiet and not try and scare anyone.

“I know enough to know that Albert De Salvo might not have been the Boston Strangler put it that way.” Wesley explained to him and Turner decided that now was the right time to shut up.

“Come on then Wesley let’s hear this theory of yours?” Mr. Holmes looked for him to explain just who the Boston Strangler was in that case, well if he wasn’t actually Albert De Salvo after all.

“Nobody knows who the real killer was and from all of the recent data to come out of that case it points to several people having been responsible for what happened in Boston during the nineteen-sixties. All the murders were grouped together under one name the one of the Boston Strangler.” Wesley clearly was up on this sort of thing, but not up enough to provide anyone with a name or names or those who alternatively had been responsible.

“See this is precisely why you have nothing to worry about Julia. Wesley has acknowledged the death of the man presumed to the Boston Strangler while coming up with new theories, which cannot be proven. What you also have to take into account of course that the strangler or stranglers struck almost fifty years ago and going by the general age of the individual if he were still alive he would have to be at least seventy or eighty years old by now and hardly wandering around looking to hurt someone this evening. The chances are he’s not even with us anymore.” Mr. Holmes dismissed the threat posed by the Boston Strangler for Julia this Halloween night and to anyone else for that matter.

“What do you make of that explanation then smart ass?” Turner decided to bait Wesley, but Wesley just looked away knowing that he had no comeback to this since the explanation was theoretical anyway.

“Anyone else got any other ideas in mind here?” Mr. Holmes looked to continue to get this class moving with some more ideas.

“How about you come up with something?” Julia asked Wesley who had yet to come up with something himself and he had certainly something in mind all right.

“Well what about it then Wesley?” Mr. Holmes wondered what he would come up with now the floor was all his.

“How about The Halloween Demon of Randall County.” Wesley knew that once he had been asked there was no holding back this name he had spinning around in his head.

“The Halloween Demon of Randall County? Now that’s much more, like it. A real scary monster that could very well be out there tonight…dressed up in fancy dress costume of course since I’m not trying to scare anyone here.” Mr. Holmes reasoned with the students’ watching on.                        

“What did it do in Randall County anyway?” Miles wondered what it had been responsible for and why it was so scary.

“Hang on to your hats here, but the Halloween Demon of Randall County was apparently responsible for two attacks on separate years in Randall County. Back in 1893 the Halloween Demon was said to have killed up to thirty people before it was eventually subdued and defeated. It vowed to be back and it then one day it indeed was.” Mr. Holmes started off explaining to them.

“When did it come back then?” Heather asked her teacher if he had an idea of when it had come back to do more damage.

“It returned some twenty-seven years later. The year was nineteen hundred and twenty. Randall County still wore the scars and the scares of the attack from twenty-seven years before, but it was at least back to normal by then. Halloween came around and the almost unimaginable started occurring once more. People were disappearing left, right and centre. The police were called in to deal with the menace behind it and they eventually tracked down the thing responsible and were astonished to find the Halloween Demon of Randall County had returned from being seemingly dead. It claimed a total of fifty-six lives that night before it was killed off once and for all.” Mr. Holmes had read about this legend and more in depth than Wesley had in his book of monsters.

“That’s some seriously scary stuff you came up with and if my girlfriend gets a nightmare then I’ll be coming for you and giving you a punch in the head.” Turner was angry at this monster that Wesley had come up with mainly, because it was very scary and not something that could be dismissed out of hand like every other idea had been so far.  

“But we have nothing to worry about here, because we aren’t living in Randall County are we.” Mr. Holmes reminded his class while coming up with a reason to dismiss the Halloween Demon from the equation.

“Lucky for you in that case Wesley.” Turner was still annoyed at him for bringing up something, which wasn’t originally supposed to have been human.

“Surely you aren’t scared are you Turner?” Wesley suggested to him and Turner realised that he had to say or do something here since everyone was now looking in his direction.

“Scared of what exactly? A figment of someone’s overactive imagination! It will take more than that to bother me.” Turner reasoned with him and after all he was used to tackling many big players on the football field, so maybe he had a point even though not everyone was so convinced about this act of bravado.

“It’s not real you have nothing to worry about.” Julia felt that she should say something here.

“I’m not worried.” Turner reasoned with her while Mr. Holmes had secretly scared himself after being reminded about the Halloween Demon of Randall County. He looked for more people to share their scares with him in order to get the Halloween Demon out of his mind.

“Yes Hannah what have you got in mind?” Mr. Holmes wondered what she would come up with.

“I was thinking about the Zodiac Killer.” Hannah responded with her chosen fright.

“The Zodiac Killer!” Mr. Holmes found himself repeating back to her.

“Will he be, back this evening?” Alan sat there wondering if he would make an appearance.

“Much like the Boston Strangler you’ve got to take into mind when this happened. This was after all nineteen-sixty-eight through nineteen sixty-nine, so the Zodiac Killer who was reported to have been in his thirties forty years ago would be at least seventy years old now. He wouldn’t present that much of a threat to you or anyone else anymore.” Mr. Holmes was certain that this was the case.

“If he did would he more likely be after Hannah than me?” Alan suggested to his teacher who immediately realised that he had to intervene here and say something.

“Not necessarily, but the man generally taken for the Zodiac Killer is after all dead now. He died in nineteen ninety-two.” Mr. Holmes explained to him.

“Lucky for you Hannah.” Alan responded, but Mr. Holmes looked to clarify things for him here.

“I’m afraid that the Zodiac Killer didn’t have a preference who he killed male or female. You should bear that in mind.” Mr. Holmes soon shut Alan up much to Hannah’s relief.               

Following the class Wesley met up with Freddy who looked a little lost about something, that wasn’t immediately obvious to Wesley. 

“What’s wrong with you now?” Wesley asked him after noticing a distant look in his eyes.

“I was just thinking about that Demon of Halloween Randall County thing.” Freddy reasoned with him while getting the words jumbled up and causing Wesley to smirk.

“We’ve already established that it was just a myth though haven’t we?” Wesley suggested to him while he felt sure that was where they had last left off with this.

“A myth or urban legend it maybe, but a damn scary one at that.” Freddy believed that the idea of this thing roaming about wasn’t one that appealed to him and he wasn’t the only one who felt this way.

“You don’t have to tell me about it. I was the one that had the nightmare. So gym class is up for us next then?” Wesley reminded Freddy not that Freddy had forgotten about what class they had next since he never looked forward to it taking place.

“We have to face Miles, Turner and the rest of those goons he calls his friends.” Freddy realised exactly what they had in mind for them, but he didn’t know that Wesley had been winding Turner up in the previous lesson with Mr. Holmes.

“It’s going to be indoor’s so that means non contact sports, well usually that’s what it means.” Wesley reminded him.

“I don’t think they know the meaning of the words non contact.”  Freddy had been winded on more than one occasion when they had participated in these so called non contact sports, which Wesley had just mentioned.

“Looks like it’s going to be the moment of truth then?” Wesley suggested to him, as they walked towards the gym together.

“Don’t make it sound that severe.” Freddy didn’t need to feel anymore worried about this than he already was.

“I’m sorry, but even you’ve got to admit that you are kind of doing a good job of winding yourself up?” Wesley reasoned with him.

“That’s only because I don’t like the lesson and Mr. Curtis doesn’t care much for teaching me.” Freddy was almost certain of this causing Wesley to realise if he said anything else Freddy would just start reading into it.    

Inside the gymnasium the tall games teacher Mr. Curtis was stood there with a whistle hung around his neck. He was wearing a sporting t-shirt and shorts. He was every bit the gym teacher you would imagine with no time for cocky students’ or egos in his classes. He waited patiently out on the gym floor for the students’ to join him so that he could get his lesson underway this morning.

“It’s about time you all got out here. Any longer and I would’ve called search and rescue in to find out where you’d gone.” He told the students’ as they joined him for the lesson.

“Basketball today is it?” Freddy wondered if that’s what he had in mind for today’s gym lesson and Mr. Curtis smiled wryly at the remark.

“I never realised this before, but nothing gets past you does it Freddy?” Mr. Curtis realised while the rest of the class sniggered in appreciation of the sarcastic comments made by the teacher at Freddy’s expense of course.

“Thanks a lot Wesley?” Freddy was disappointed to find him having joined in with them and laughing in his direction.

“I’m sorry, but it was kind of funny even you’ve got to admit to that.” Wesley reasoned with him, but this still didn’t make up for it, as far as Freddy was concerned.

“Anyway I didn’t get you out here for a stand up comedy routine. This is my games lesson and as such we will be doing serious work out here.” Mr. Curtis took both himself and his job very seriously, well most of the time.

“Then what’s Freddy doing here in that case?” Turner suggested to his teacher.

“He’s here to learn and to also get fit. Just like the rest of you are. In fact he has the ability to do well if he concentrated for once. Can you please stop talking Freddy?” Mr. Curtis noticed he had continued talking with Wesley while he had been engaged in conversation with Turner.

“I’m very sorry sir.” Freddy apologised for having been caught talking, well in reality all he was sorry for was having been caught out by his teacher.

“That’s much better. Now I want a couple of laps from each one of you of the gym. I want you all to warm up and this is the best way to do it before we start the real activity.” Mr. Curtis explained to them before they all started jogging around the gym.

“That guy loves his job.” Freddy believed that Mr. Curtis liked the idea of watching other people doing the work while he sat down and studied the newspaper for tips on football games.

“Be quiet or he’ll hear you Freddy.” Wesley didn’t want to face the wrath of his teacher since he knew that he would only make an example of anyone that he deemed had stepped out of line with him.

“Come on Turner keep up if you can?” Miles suggested to his friend, but Turner just smirked at this attempt to race him.

“Not me. I’m not using all of my energy up on racing around the gym with you. There’s other activities planned and I want to have some energy leftover for that.” Turner informed him and Miles now slowed his pace down after realising that he could run out of breath when it came down to the real activity. 

“Miles by name and he’s running Miles by nature?” Freddy suggested to Wesley, but Miles overheard the remark and looked at Freddy in a way he didn’t particularly care for.

This caused Mr. Curtis to put his newspaper down in order to signal for them to keep it friendly here or he will be stepping in to mediate between the pair of them. 

After having finished off doing two laps of the gym the basketballs were lined up in a row with Mr. Curtis instructing the students’ in a quick rapid shot firing game to see how many can score a basket right off the get go. Mr. Curtis himself picked up the first of the basketballs and gave a demonstration of how to sink the basketball with it going straight in the basket, but there was never any doubt of his scoring here.

“See there’s really nothing to it. Now I want to see what you can do here.” Mr. Curtis explained to his students’ what he expected to see them do and that was exactly what he had just done.    

“Just watch me go now Miles!” Turner was confident and cocky as per usual and strode up to the first ball he picked it up and chucked it at the basketball net without thinking about it.

The ball squirmed around the rim for a few moments before sinking straight in causing some smug looks to come from Turner before he raised his hand in the air for a victory salute.

“Was there ever any doubt here?” Turner suggested to the others while Miles picked up a basketball and chucked it at the net. His shot bounced around the rim three times before eventually falling in and once it had done so he high fives with Turner.

“I didn’t use up all of my energy running around the gym after all.” Miles explained to him.

“Wesley, come on son get out here! We have to get on with this.” Mr. Curtis ordered him and Wesley reluctantly walked towards the basket in order to pick up the basketball where he would have to do what the others’ had already done.

“Faster pick up those feet now!” Mr. Curtis was disappointed at the speed he had been moving and Wesley quickly picked up the basketball after the encouraging words from his teacher.

“You can do it Wesley.” Freddy called out some encouragement for his friend, but the talk behind him from Turner and Miles indicated that they thought that he probably wouldn’t be able to do it.

“This could go either way for me. Five bucks tells me that he misses it?” Turner suggested a bet to Miles.

“I don’t know? I think I’m going to pass on that bet Turner.” Miles was reluctant to take a chance on Wesley since he was pretty athletic and didn’t look like he would miss the basket.

Wesley stood at the point and then let the basketball fly through the air where it nestled straight into the net without even hitting the backboard. His basket was the best of all so far and it was appreciated by some of his fellow students who clapped at this result.

“Nice shot there. Wesley.” Mr. Curtis was impressed with his accuracy even though he wasn’t impressed with his speed before he had picked the basket up.

“That was a very good shot indeed Wesley.” Freddy told his friend before he walked towards the basketball that evidently had his name written all over it.

“Ten bucks tells me he’ll miss it?” Turner tried to lure Miles into another bet, but Miles knew that the chances of Freddy sinking this were pretty remote.

“No thanks Turner. We both know he’s going to miss the basket.” Miles had no faith in Freddy’s capabilities unlike the faith he showed in Wesley.   

Freddy attempted to ignore the talk going on around him and concentrate before he picked up the basketball and fired his shot towards the waiting basket, but he missed the target and the basketball limped away from the court before hitting the far wall.

“Unlucky Freddy you’ll get it right next time. I’m sure about it.” Wesley attempted to make up for laughing at him before.

“Get it right? More like hit someone with that kind of shot up his sleeve.” Turner felt that this was much more likely to happen. Freddy walked over to another basket and without even thinking then chucked it at Turner.

“What are you doing?” Turner couldn’t believe that Freddy had done this and got up off the bench to confront him only for Mr. Curtis to pull them straight apart before anything went off.

“Okay Turner could you just back off.” Mr. Curtis told him in authoritarian manner while showing him exactly who was in charge here.

“What are you going to do about him though?” Turner wondered while he felt that some kind of punishment should be dished out to Freddy for having chucked the basketball at him despite the provocation.

“First before we go any further I want an apology.” Mr. Curtis felt that this was a necessity here. 

“I’m sorry Mr. Curtis.” Freddy responded, but this wasn’t the sort of apology the teacher actually had in mind.

“Not me! I want you to apologise to Turner.” Mr. Curtis asked Freddy to do something that he really would find hard to do.

“Come on then I’m waiting to hear this apology of yours?” Turner suggested to Freddy with his hands placed on his hips.

“I’m sorry Turner for having thrown a basketball at you. It was entirely the wrong thing to do.” Freddy explained his actions.

“Good, but is that all? Are you going to punish him?” Turner looked for more to be dished out than this.   

“Freddy laps of the gym and lots of them right now!” Mr. Curtis ordered him and Freddy started doing the laps while everyone else kept participating in the basketball drills.

“We’d better steer clear of him you never know when he might throw himself off the side sidelines and barge into us.” Miles warned Turner who saw the fun in this not that their fun was shared by Wesley or Mr. Curtis.

“Come on concentrate on the basketball drills.” Mr. Curtis reasoned with them and they got back to doing that, as Freddy continued rushing around the gym doing laps.  

After the lesson Freddy was still annoyed with himself for having missed the basket where everyone else seemed to have scored. Then he had gone and picked the tallest and strongest member of his class to have an issue with.

“Wait up Freddy?” Wesley called out after him before he ran after him in order to catch him up.

“What for? I’m useless and I was the only one that didn’t score a basket in that damn game. That’s before I started doing laps for throwing the basketball at Turner.” Freddy wasn’t about to let this one rest.

“Who cares about any of that anyway?” Wesley felt that this wasn’t particularly important, but Freddy was still annoyed about it.

“Says you, but you scored your basket and didn’t lash out against anyone that was taunting you about missing.” Freddy reminded him, that he had scored his basket.

“It was just a lucky shot. Anyway we’ve got the dance to look forward to later on and that’s got to be something to hang on for right?” Wesley suggested to him and Freddy smiled for the first time since they had left the gymnasium.

“You are right. That is definitely worth hanging around for.” Freddy found himself agreeing with him.

“I believe you, but we’ve got to get through the rest of the day yet and there’s no guarantees that we won’t be involved in more scrapes before this day ends.” Wesley reasoned with him and that’s the last thing that Freddy wanted to hear. Turner and Miles walked over towards them and Freddy realised now he would have to probably face the music.

“Look if you are going to hit me? Just get on with it.” Freddy felt that he might as well get this out of the way.

“What you think that I’m just some jock thug who goes around thumping everyone that doesn’t agree with me is that what you think?” Turner suggested to him.

“That’s pretty much what I thought actually.” Freddy confirmed this much for him.

“Look I’m not that kind of guy. I was wrong to taunt you and say those things and you had every right to do something about it.” Turner showed a human side to himself from out of nowhere.

“You aren’t going to bash me after all then?” Freddy hoped that he wouldn’t.

“Like I said I don’t go around doing things like that.” Turner explained to him before they shook hands and called a truce to the war of words, that had raged throughout the last lesson.

“Come on Turner we’ve got some things to do.” Miles reminded him before they walked off and left them alone.

“How about that then?” Wesley was surprised since he fully expected to have been helping Freddy back up off the ground at about this time.

“I’m kind of shocked. When you think about it? I should’ve copped a thump really shouldn’t I?” Freddy suggested to him after he had thrown the basketball at him.

“I would’ve hit you if it had been me.” Wesley wouldn’t have let him get away with doing this and maybe Julia had been behind Turner’s new mellow demeanour.

     

Mr. Holmes suddenly approached them with a strange look on his face indicating that he would most certainly like to have a word or two with them.

“I’ve been looking for you for quite a while.” Mr. Holmes explained to them while indicating that he was only actually talking to Wesley.

“What have you been looking for me for exactly?” Wesley wondered what could be so important for him to have come to find him like this.

“The Halloween Demon of Randall County?” Mr. Holmes pinpointed what he had in mind for them and it gave Freddy a bit of a start since this was the last thing he wanted to talk about right now.

“What about it? It hasn’t come back to life by any chance or has it?” Freddy wondered if that’s why he had been so desperate to find them.

“No it hasn’t come back to life and as far as I’m aware it was just an urban legend and wasn’t actually real to begin with.” Mr. Holmes showed them exactly where this myth or urban legend sat with him despite the information he might’ve had on it.

“So what did you need to find us for then?” Wesley was clearly at a loss and required some more information.

“Tonight we have the Halloween dance and I feel that it was irresponsible for you to have brought up the Halloween Demon of Randall County on a day when the dance takes place.” Mr. Holmes was obviously there to tell him off that much became pretty obvious to Wesley.

“Look I just came up with a real Halloween monster where everyone else came up with something else. Something that they had seen in either a movie or a serial killer that had long since died off or maybe faded away.” Wesley explained to him.

“Let’s face it giving a teenager ideas like you did could provide some serious problems for us this evening with people dressing up as the Halloween Demon at the school dance.” Mr. Holmes could well do without this kind of thing happening.

“What’s the big deal about that anyway? I mean it’s not real and won’t be any more real than anybody else’s costume.” Freddy believed that his teacher was overreacting to say the very least here.

“Let’s hope that’s the case.” Mr. Holmes accepted the explanation.

“You are acting like you are genuinely scared of this thing yourself even though you’ve already acknowledged that it’s not real?” Wesley suggested to Mr. Holmes.

“Put it this way. I’ve done enough research into it over the past few years to know that there are other things I’d like to see come to life in preference to this Demon from Randall County.” Mr. Holmes explained to them before he walked off causing some strange looks to come from both Freddy and Wesley.

“What was that all about anyway?” Freddy was still confused, as to what had just happened and why it had happened.

“I don’t know? Maybe he’s more worried than he’s letting on about the Halloween Demon showing up for the dance.” Wesley realised that’s probably what he had on his mind.

“Are we going to Tempest Café for lunch today?” Freddy suggested to him while he looked forward to his lunch.

“Of course we are. It’s going to be nice to get out of here for a little while, because even the teachers’ are getting hyped up for the dance by the looks of things.” Wesley realised before they headed over to his car, which was parked up on the opposite side of the road.

Mr. McQueen looked on, as Mr. Holmes walked over towards him still feeling fairly ruffled as to what had happened during his debate with Wesley and Freddy.

“Usual Halloween stuff I’m afraid to say.” Mr. Holmes explained to his colleague.

“Tell me about it. I confiscated this from Brian this morning.” Mr. McQueen responded before he showed Mr. Holmes the Dracula fangs he had taken away from him.

“I hope they aren’t the only teeth he has on him in that case?” Mr. Holmes rediscovered his sense of humour after temporarily losing it while speaking with Wesley and Freddy.

“Don’t worry he has another set his real set. I just didn’t think that this was appropriate for this morning.” Mr. McQueen informed his colleague about the reasons why he had confiscated his fangs.

“Are you giving them back to him later on?” Mr. Holmes suggested to him while feeling that he would be giving them back before the dance this evening, as it was probably part of Brian’s outfit he planned to wear this evening.

“I told him he could have them back tomorrow.” Mr. McQueen informed him.

“You should probably let him have them back before the dance takes place. You know his parents don’t you? They like to complain and they will if you spoil his enjoyment of the dance by taking part of his costume away.” Mr. Holmes explained to him.

“You’ve got a good point there I almost forgot about that.” Mr. McQueen recalled Brian’s parents’ habit of complaining about things at the slightest opportunity.

“Are you going to give them back to him?” Mr. Holmes wondered if he had given up on his stance.

“What other choice do I have in the matter?” Mr. McQueen realised that there was no other option here and then planned to give the fangs back to Brian when he saw him again. 

“You look pretty wound up yourself?” Mr. McQueen looked to find out why he felt like that.

“I had a class earlier on that spiralled sort of out of hand I’m afraid to say. I had it all covered to start off with, but then the usual cast of fantasy and serial killers was replaced by something far more sinister.” Mr. Holmes informed his colleague.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mr. McQueen wondered how it had spiralled out of all control.

“Wesley brought up that Halloween Demon of Randall County and even though I know it’s only a myth or urban legend, well it got to me?” Mr. Holmes suggested to him.

“It was harder to explain away than you thought it would be was it?” Mr. McQueen worked this much out before they walked back to the school building together.