About the Story

“What started as our backyard woodland adventure, the Haunted Trail turned into a rich tradition that scared hundreds of youngsters on Halloween night. After ten years of note taking, scribbling early drafts in airports and hotels, editing and final production, I struggled to bring this first story into a handcrafted, finished form. Carol Blinn at Warwick Press took a great interest in making this happen. We often battled over words but her editing skills prevailed!” This is an account of how the magic returned for a few years as a result of dedicated efforts of our families and friends. The Haunted Trail is also an account of many experiences shared by our children as they passed from adolescence to young adulthood.”

Excerpt

Halloween had been on a long steady decline since early childhood days. No Cabbage Nights, overturned garbage cans, setting fire to piles of leaves in the streets or in the cemetery. Now, because of society sickos who viciously sabotage candy with pins and razor blades, even "Trick or Treat" was threatened as a treasured Halloween tradition. The magic had been striped and stolen from this scariest of scary nights. Something had to be done.Instantly, a pile of leaves exploded into the fall air.”

Leaves fell everywhere as the unmistakable form of Dracula energed from the darkness. A chalk-white face and blood-stained mouth became all too real as this living demon lunged out at the unsuspecting person and wrestled her to the ground in a frenzy. Dracula's scarlet cape somthered both bodies while his twisted teeth sought the flesh of the young victim's neck.”