Introduction

Hello! I began the Walkings project in early October, and I was very inspired by the season. I made the first two entries (A for Autumn & M for Maple), then had an idea–-I really love Halloween, it’s my favorite holiday, so why not make it all Halloween themed? As I thought of how to stylize the writing, I thought about my past and my experiences. My mother has always been a preschool teacher, so I’ve helped out a lot with her classes over the years—naturally, as an English major, I did a lot of reading to them. The ABCDEary format we were instructed to write in reminded me of children’s books, and so I had the idea to write this project to read like a children’s book on Halloween! For the town connection, I chose to write the project as a story telling about a town (Blacksburg, though not named to be easy to apply anywhere in America) preparing for and getting ready for Halloween. This proved some challenges for word choices, as I wanted to make sure each word was not only Halloween or Autumn related, but I also wanted to use the word in its respective entry. This culminates in the final entry, Z for Zenith, where I wanted to use every word once again. I was inspired by many music albums; it’s not an uncommon theme to have the closing song on an album reference all the previous songs in the album. It’s a device I really love, so I wanted to make sure the climax of the project included this. 

In terms of pictures, I did procrastinate and I ended up having October pass me by with lots of pictures I could’ve gotten now gone. For other words, there wasn’t an opportunity to get my own pictures, so for some of the pictures (all are explicitly mentioned not to be mine and what the source is) I found them online and collected them. I did take care that each picture I found originated from a Blacksburg or VT source. I planned this out to be similar to an illustrated picture book, and while I know there’s certainly edits that need to be made in order to have this be an appropriate children’s book (easier words in certain places, for example), I like how it turned out. Thank you for reading!

A for Autumn

Sheetz Parking Lot. Photograph and Text. Oct. 9th

A certain small college town’s gas station sits on a hill, a bit higher up than the street in front of it. The gas station is surrounded by uniformly placed trees, all exactly a foot apart from each other. It’s the beginning of October, so the colors of the leaves are starting to change as Autumn sets in. The trees are caught mid-transformation, frozen in place for this one day to give a simple glimpse of metamorphosis. Lush greenery bleeds to a dull red, taking a detour through sickly yellow. (90)

B for Bats

Greater Horseshoe Bats. Photograph and Text. Oct.15th

In the nearby caves, many families begin to wake up, Mother Bats spreading and stretching their wings with big yawns. The babies start to chitter and chatter, hungry for food and ready to begin their flights. Their month has finally arrived, and they’ll be sure to make the most of it. The Bats will fly through the town, visiting all the shops, admiring all the decorations, scaring all the town locals, before returning home to their caves to prepare for Halloween Night, the big climax of this special, spooky month. (90)

C for Candy

CVS Candy Aisle. Photograph and Text. Oct.9th

Small stores and local aisles carry the season’s treats, sporting bright yellow “sale” tags to make themselves more appealing. Kids shopping with their parents see and beg for the sweet treats, and the yellow marker convinces the parents that it’s alright to buy this bag of candy. The stock usually runs a little low at the start of the season, when lots of families start buying up candy in advance. The piles will grow once again, and near the end last-minute-raiders will fill the store and gobble them all up. (90)

D for Darkness

Downtown Blacksburg. Photograph pre-2025. Text. Nov 20th

This time of year, the sun is chased away earlier and earlier each day, ushering in long periods of darkness. The creatures of the night thrive this season, lurking in the shadows and roaming the streets. It’s time for them to walk the streets, visiting shops and buildings themselves. The lights come on downtown, allowing enough light for the humans to walk amongst the monsters. But fear not, this is the season for us to mix and mingle, with all of us clad in disguises to mask our true identities. (90)

E for Eyes

Text. Nov 20th

Costumes are worn by everyone during this time, both monster and human alike. We don clothing and masks to hide our true identities, but beneath the masks we all have our eyes beaming through. The eyes hold the window to the soul, letting personalities shine over appearances. While we’re all hiding our real looks, our real selves are on full display, allowing the monsters and humans to interact and forge relationships. Perhaps you’ll meet a monster of your own this time, or maybe it was just a human after all. (90)

F for Fate

Text. December 1st

The autumn air brings in many professions and activities, including the arrival of fortune tellers to the town. They take up residence in open buildings or even in tents around the town, gazing into their crystal balls and reading their tarot cards to make predictions about the future. For a little bit of money, you can have them peer into your own future and get information about your coming days. Beware, however, as knowing one’s fate can be both a blessing and a curse. Beware the roads of the fates. (90)

G for Gravestones

(picture on its way. written oct15th.)

All roads lead back to the cemetery, the not-so-final resting place of the towns’ people. ‘Tis the season of ghosts and ghouls, and the long-dead loved ones of the families will rise for a time to celebrate this time of year. Twisting paths wind through the Gravestones, making a long and tangled walkway for the ghosts to take. They’ll march out of their sacred grounds, this paranormal procession, with cheers and laughter galore, making their high-spirited journeys back to old homes to see all of those here who miss them. (90)

H for Hallow

Halloween-decorated home. Photograph Oct.31 2025. Text. Nov 21st

Humans and monsters alike both decorate their homes for the season, making protective hallowed spaces for them. Unreal uglies and skeleton shams hang from their trees while gleaming glows and hollow headstones line the paths up to the front steps, where the residents leave out bowls of goodies for visitors and trick-or-treaters to help themselves to. When the bowls run out, fear not! The black cats, the witches’ fantastical familiars, prowl at night, carrying candied apples and appetizing candies, making sure to fill everyone’s bowl to keep the celebration alive! (90)

I for Imagination

Text. Nov 21st

‘Tis the season for celebrations, and it’s the time for imaginations to run wild. Creepy banners line the walls and silky spiderwebs map the ceilings, setting the mood for these paranormal parties. Humans and monsters both love these events, mixing together to enjoy and celebrate all things Halloween. Lanterns set the atmosphere as they burn on the tables, providing a soft glow to show us those closest, while still allowing others to creep out of the dark. All decorations lie under Pumpkins’ watch, the gourds making sure things run smoothly. (90)

J for Jack O’Lantern

Jack O’ Lantern decoration on a porch. Photograph and text. Oct.15

Though this season isn’t all parties and pastries; along with our creepy companions arising once more, scary Ghouls also use this time to walk the land. But never fear, for Jack O’Lantern is here! He sits on our porches to ward off the monsters, scaring them away with his blazing grin. He stays there all night, candles lit aflame, making the area safe for everyone to enjoy. He lies on every house on every street, making bubbles of safety for the humans to travel between while they trick or treat. (90)

K for Kitties

Text. Nov 22nd

Good Ol’ Jack isn’t the only guardian of this time; Fall is the season of kitties, the chosen assistants of all magical creatures. Black cats carry out the orders of their masters, making sure that the October’s hallowed rules are followed by everyone, both humans and monsters. They strut the streets with their golden eyes, seeing expertly through the dark and taking note of everything around them. Their swiveling ears hear all around, and their dexterous tails help them reach heights we cannot, to greater their watch over the town. (90)

L for Lanterns

Text. Nov 22nd

Lots of the holiday’s decorations center around providing light to dispel the darkness, though they tend to serve multiple purposes. Ol’ Jack and his pumpkin patches both glow bright and chase away evils, but Lanterns are traps that keep evil inside. Their glass chambers keep trickster spirits inside, preventing them from terrorizing the town with their pranks. They flicker angrily inside, making flames and shining brighter than even Old Jack himself can. These lanterns are foolproof, always able to keep these wisps inside forever…or until something breaks their glass doors. (90)

M for Maple

Donut shop products. Photograph and Text. Oct.9th

The town’s local doughnut shop has run for years, continually supplying everyone with delicious treats. The bakers wake up in the dead of morning to start their craft, making sure to have plenty of goods ready for everyone else’s breakfasts. Ovens on and whisks out, they tirelessly bake hundreds of treats before everyone else wakes up. They add whimsy to their foods, changing up flavors and frostings to match the season. Fall is Maple syrup season, and the bakers are ready to cover their pastries with the sweet, sugary glaze. (90)

N for Nightmares

Text. Nov 23rd

While the bakers begin their work in the early hours of the morning, these hours of darkness are still under the domain of night, when most other humans are still fast asleep. Lost in their dream worlds, many are visited by the dark spirits of Nightmares, little shadowy horses who bring bad dreams. With every step of their hooves, they leave behind frights and scares in the peoples’ dreams, turning their sweet dreams into frightful nightmares. The people toss through the night, until the rising sun chases these pranksters away. (90)

O for Owl

Barred Owl. Photograph June 29 2022. Text. Nov 23rd 2025

Outside their windows, in the highest branches of gnarled, leafless trees, sit mystical owls. These giant birds of night are akin to cats, night-roaming animals that can see through the veil with their big, glowing eyes. These patient birds sit and watch, observing the creatures as they go about their duties on these nights. With a stretch of their great wings they take flight, covering the moon and casting their ominous shadows over the residents. They don’t bring harm, they’re historians, recording the events of the town through the month. (90)

P for Phantoms

Text. Nov 24th

Under the owls’ watch, spirits roam various areas of the town. Phantoms haunt the homes they lived in while alive, returning this month to visit home once again. They phase through the walls and walk the stairs, leaving sounds of footsteps and the chill of cold air in their wake. They live with humans in the houses, giving these mortals a scare every once in a while, but they mean no harm. Phantoms are guests, visiting for the month to have a place to stay before they move on again. (90)

Q for Quiver

Text. Nov 24th

When these humans catch a glimpse of the houses’ phantoms, the chill they bring along with them causes the humans to quiver in fright! The humans get startled by a “Boo!” before the phantoms vanish, fading away into the cold air and being unseen once again. The chill lingers, making the people inside just a little bit colder. It’s the touch of the afterlife, an iciness that comes straight from the graveyards themselves, temporarily brought into the homes of the living. Back at the graves, guardians await the air’s return. (90)

R for Ravens

Corvids in the snow. Photograph March 12 2022. Text. Nov 25th 2025

While owls often sit in the trees of cemeteries as well and watch the rise of the undead, another bird black as night protects the graves. Great Ravens keep diligent watch over the graveyards, keeping an eye on these hallowed places to keep them safe. They allow the undead to exit and enter this month, controlling the spiritual gates and allowing them to open and close at will. These Ravens gift auras of cold air to the leaving ghosts, providing them a special ticket to get back into the afterlife. (90)

S for Skeletons

Skeleton Halloween decorations outside storefront. Photograph and Text. Oct.15th.

The Skeleton Construction Crew are hard at work putting the decorations up for the 31st, getting the town ready for a scare! Bright yellow caution tape restricts their work area and lawn chairs mark the property edge, closing off the area to keep it safe for everyone. They climb their ladders to hang terrifying tinsel and horrific ornaments, decking the town with boughs of wolfsbane and scary apparel. Despite their wiry frames, they work fast, and by All Hallow’s Eve, the town will be decorated with pumpkins and bats galore! (90)

T for Teeth

Text. Nov 26th

Even the skeletons can enjoy the treats of the season, and everyone devours their goodies with their teeth. Skeletons and humans have their little teeth, lining their gums and letting them chew through anything they want to eat. The vampires use their long fangs to pierce through, sucking the jelly out of donuts and the juice out of apples. Cats have their sharp fangs too, letting them carry their treats around from house to house and catch other, smaller animals for dinner. Though everyone has teeth, some have lost numbers. (90)

U for Undead

(no pic yet. Written November 10th).

As the moon rises, so too do the dead. Zombies, ghouls, and the Undead twist and crawl out of their graves, arms reaching and bones exposed. On this night the dead walk among us, so it’s important to wear a costume so they mistake you as one of their own. The zombies shuffle out of their graveyards and to the main town, making their slow crawl along the streets to Trick or Treat, trying to find humans…Do they want to see their old loved ones again? Or are they just hungry? (90)

V for Vampires

(no pic yet. Written November 10th).

Under the moonlight glow, fancy coffins inside dark castles open up. With big yawns from the sleepy residents, the vampires are ready to get up and scare! They hunt for blood and they hunt for candy, going around to the houses to get a Treat—or to play a Trick. But don’t worry—they can’t come in unless you invite them. On this night they’ll come out to play, but once the moon goes down and the sun comes up, they’ll be nestled back into their coffins to sleep for another year. (90)

W for Witches

(no pic yet. Written November 10th).

“Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble,” the Three Witches chant around their concoction, stirring up the perfect brew for everyone to enjoy. It’ll take some time, but it’ll be ready for tonight, when Trick or Treaters and other Ghouls will show up on doorsteps, asking for a surprise. Trick or Treat? Well, they’ll certainly see. Will this brew turn them into a frog? Will it make your tongue glow, or talk slow? Will this potion clog up your brain with fog? Only the Witches will know. (90)

X for Xylitol

Text. Dec 1st

Mirroring the big witches, little pixie witches brew their own concoctions this month in preparation for the big night. Trios of pixies gather around tiny cauldrons to make candies for the trick-or-treaters. As they’re so small, they can’t go and buy sugar at the store, so they make their own artificial xylitol. They use their little sticks and stir in the fake sugar until it solidifies, trapping the stick inside to use as a handle for these lollipops. The pixies deliver these treats to candy bowls, ready to be eaten. (90)

Y for Yellow

Yellow waxing moon in Virginia. Photograph August 17th 2024. Text. Dec 1st

As night falls on Halloween, the great yellow Harvest Moon rises into the sky. Its golden glow pierces the night it brings, bringing both light and casting shadows all over the town. The golden moon is a sign to all residents that the true holiday has arrived, and it is time for humans and monsters to mingle in the streets. Trick-or-treaters don their costumes and begin their searches, while ghosts and ghouls begin their parties to celebrate their last night of the year. With everyone out, it is time for… (90)

Z for Zenith

Text. Dec 1st

…the Zenith, the climax of Autumn. Bats fly through the sky and pixies drop candy into bowls. The lingering dark creeps in alleys, obscuring the eyes of those traveling. Phantoms celebrate before returning to fated graves, as humans party in hallowed imaginations. Jack O’Lanterns light the path for kitties to find their ways home, bringing treats like maple donuts back to their owners. Nightmares finally begin to disappear, as owls watch over the quivers of fright in the night. Ravens sit at the cemetery gates to allow the skeletons and other undead back in when the night is over, back to their resting places for another year. Vampires’ sharp fanged teeth glimmer in the moonlight as they search for their blood and candy, and witches cackle as they ride their broomsticks through the air. The xylitol lollipops are savored by children acts the town, not noticing the different taste between real sugar and this fairy phony. As the yellow Harvest moon sets on the end of the night, the town ends their Halloween season with one final cry: Happy Halloween! (180)

Word Count= 2,546