Arodang House - a Halloween Story

A young man discovers the real mystery of Karodang House, an ancient ruin on his grandparents farm.

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WARNING

! All of my writing is intended for adults over the age of 18

ONLY

. Stories may contain strong or even extreme sexual content. All people and events depicted are fictional and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Actions, situations, and responses are fictional

ONLY

and should not be attempted in real life.

All characters involved in sexual activity in this story are over the age of 18. If you are under the age of 18 or do not understand the difference between fantasy and reality or if you reside in any state, province, nation, or tribal territory that prohibits the reading of acts depicted in these stories, please stop reading immediately and move to somewhere that exists in the twenty-first century.

Archiving and reposting of this story is permitted, but only if acknowledgment of copyright and statement of limitation of use is included with the article. This story is copyright © 2024 by The Technician.

Individual readers may archive and/or print single copies of this story for personal, non-commercial use. Production of multiple copies of this story on paper, disk, or other fixed format is expressly forbidden.

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The Karodang house has been on the side of the hill... forever. There are some old frontier pictures of great-great-great-grandma's sod house from when they first settled their farm and the old stone house is in the background sticking our of "Granite Hill" as the locals call it. Some people from the state university came down and dug around a little both inside and outside of Karodang. There only conclusion was, "It's old." They also said, "Maybe it was used as a hunting shelter." But they couldn't find any evidence of anyone having actually lived there. There were no fire pits or pieces of pottery or arrowheads or anything like that to indicate it was used as a dwelling. "Maybe it was supposed to be a tomb," one of them said as they gathered up their things to leave. He added just before he left, "That word carved into the stone above the door is Kerudung. It's an Indonesian word for mirror or something like that, but it's written in what appears to be a variation of an old Indonesian alphabet. I wonder how that language got way the hell over here. I wonder even more how people around here knew to call this... whatever it is... something so close to that."

Karodang house is made entirely of granite and is built into the side of Granite Hill. To me, it always looked like they started to build, then hit solid rock and stopped. A geologist friend of mine from college who came out and looked at it says someone cut the stones for the house out of the granite dome and then assembled them against the cut face. He said that the cut face had been polished at one time, but was now covered in layers of dirt and grime. He also said that most of the house was initially buried in the side of the hill so that only the entry door and window were visible.

However it was built, and whoever built it, the inside of the house is only a little deeper than I can reach fingertip to fingertip and is about ten paces from one side to the other. There is a door in the center of the long exterior wall with a small window next to it. Those are the only openings. As kids, when I was visiting Grandma, I and some of the neighbor kids used to go in there to play, but Grandma would always come out and shoo us back into the front yard. "You might see something bad in there," she would always say. I don't know what she thought we would see. It got pretty dark as soon as you moved away from the door.

Grandma was very superstitious. Even while Grandpa was alive she would always come to stay with us at Halloween. She said it was because she liked handing out candies to the kids and no one came all the way out to the farm to trick or treat. What I remember most clearly, though, was that she always added, "Besides, the veil is very thin on Halloween."

As I grew up, I spent more and more time out on the farm with Grandma, especially after Grandpa passed away. Dad was their only child and he died young. I was Dad's only child, so I was the logical one to help Grandpa with things out on the farm. After he passed, I basically ran the farm even though I was still living in town with Mom. When Grandma passed away, I was the logical one to inherit the farm. It seemed strange living in that big old farmhouse by myself but it was going to be a lot more convenient during planting and harvest.

When that first Halloween came around, Mom asked if I wanted to come into town for trick or treat. When I said, "No," Mom turned very pale and said very softly, "Then you be careful. The veil is very thin on Halloween."

I sputtered, "What?!" but she just patted my hand and repeated, "You be very careful."

I'm not currently serious with anyone, so I was all by myself for Halloween. I didn't expect any trick or treaters, but I had some Halloween decorations up for people who might drive by. I had grown some giant pumpkins and had them carved and lit in the front yard. I also had big eyes staring out from the second story windows. I thought it looked pretty creepy, but that is what Halloween is supposed to be.

Just after dark, I heard several cars coming up the lane. They sounded really odd, like the old-timey engines in a Model T or something like that. I went to the front door, but whatever it was had already driven past the house and turned toward the old barn.

My first thought was to turn on all the outside lights, but just as I reached the switch, the power went out. I used my phone to find my high-intensity flashlight and my shotgun and stepped outside. I swept the area with the flashlight and sure enough, there were three shiny black, Model T Fords sitting at the entrance to the Karodang house. Several people got out of those cars and went into the house.

That surprised me, but I was really stunned by two other things. One, they totally ignored a rather high-powered light pointed directly at them, and two, they didn't cast a shadow when I swept the light across them. I thought I was imagining that, but as I got closer, I shone my light on the Model Ts and none of them cast a shadow against the hillside.

I crept closer to the doorway. There was a blue flame burning in the small window next to the door. I looked closer and could see that the small bowl-shaped depression in the rock on the bottom side of the window was filled with a clear liquid. On top of the liquid floated a thin disk of wood that was almost as big as the bowl. A twisted wick of some sort stuck up from the center of the disk of wood. Since the flame was blue, I assumed that the liquid was alcohol.

I shone my flashlight through the window into the interior of the house and to my amazement, it was empty. I stepped inside and suddenly I could faintly hear music and laughter. Then I noticed that the back wall of the house seemed to be shimmering. I leaned my shotgun against the outside wall and pushed the palm of my hand against the shimmering inside wall. I immediately lost my balance because I was pushing against nothing. I stumbled through a short distance of wavy darkness and came out of a doorway that led to a... speakeasy.

There were no signs that said, "Speakeasy," but it was obviously a nightclub. Everyone was wearing clothes that looked like they were out of the 1920s, and the band was playing a song I thought was from that era. A singer stood up to an old-fashioned looking microphone and began singing, "Valencia! In my dreams it always seems I hear you softly call to me."

I turned and started to leave but a young woman in a very short, black-sequined dress that had long rows of shiny beads hanging from the hem stopped me. "You look lost," she said and then gave me a pouty smile and added, "... like you don't think you belong here."

I stood there with my mouth open trying to think of what to say when she smiled, opened her eyes wide, and said, "Oh! You've never come through the veil before."

She pointed back at the doorway through which I had just come and said, "It is very important that you remember which doorway you came through. I see you came through Kerudung. See, it is written above your doorway."

I looked where she was pointing and could see the same strange writing that was above the doorway to Karodang house. I could also see orange and black crepe-paper streamers and orange cardboard cutout Jack o'Lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

"Is this a Halloween Party?" I stammered out.

She gave me a very big smile and said, "You mean a Mischief Night celebration." She took my hand and pulled me toward the bar as she said, "Real mischief starts at midnight."

"I don't have any money on me," I stammered as we stood in front of the mahogany bar. I had to get control of myself or I would look like a total fool.

"Don't need it," she replied. "Not on Mischief Night. While all those brats and punks are out there stealing iron gates, tipping over privies, and putting cows on top of the barn, we will be in here creating our own mischief."

"Do I need a costume?" I asked, pointing to one of the cutout white cardboard skeletons hanging from the ceiling.

"We are not ashamed of what we do on Mischief Night," she said firmly. Then she smiled and said lightly, "So, no masks are needed. No names are needed either, but you can call me Anna."

"Whata ya havin'?" a gruff voice said and I turned to face the bartender. He was huge with a scarred puffy face and huge, flattened ears. He looked like he had once been a boxer but had lost way too many fights.

As I stared back at him the only thought going through my mind was that I wouldn't stand a chance against him. Then somehow I pulled myself together. "Whatever's most popular tonight," I said brightly. My mind was finally working. I had no idea what drinks were popular in the 1920s, especially in a speakeasy, but at least I wouldn't ask for the wrong thing.

"Gin and tonic it is," he replied and almost immediately set the drink on the bar in front of me. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the drink was in a tall, clear glass with two small ice cubes and a twisted segment of lime. I took a sip and it was both sweet and bitter at the same time.

"Interesting," I muttered under my breath and Anna held the palms of her hands up facing me and said in an exaggerated style, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."

From an old movie I once saw, I recognized that as a the tag line of Al Jolson, a famous singer of the 1920s. As I was debating mentioning that, she once again grabbed my hand, said, "Let's dance," and started to pull me toward the center of the room. I held up my drink and she said, "Leave it on the bar, it'll be there when we get back."

I had no idea what everyone was doing, but Anna said, "Don't worry, the Charleston is a new dance. Just watch everybody else and try to do what they are doing."

Thankfully, the dance number was short. I think I moved around somewhat like the other people were moving as they danced. After the band paused, Anna pulled me back to the bar.

As I took a deep drink from the gin and tonic she said with a sly smile, "It's after midnight. Are you ready for a little mischief?"

I answered, "I guess so," but she immediately replied sternly, "The magic word is 'Yes'," so I said, "Yes, I'm ready for some mischief."

"Close enough!" she exclaimed and pulled me towards a rather massive door alongside the bar. She knocked on the door in a strange rhythm. It was sort of "tap,tap,tap,tap,tap... tap tap." The first five taps were syncopated in a strange and yet familiar way. For some reason, "Shave and a haircut... two bits," floated through my mind.

A trapdoor in the center of the door opened and a pair of beautiful emerald green eyes gazed out at us. A rather deep woman's voice said simply, "Password?"

Anna looked over at me and gestured for me to speak. How was I supposed to know the password? Then it hit me. She had just told me the password.

"Yes," I said firmly and the door swung open. There was a long, arched, hallway with divided wooden shelves on both sides that formed rows upon rows of small cubicles. Most of the cubicles seemed to be filled with cloth.

"Men to your left, women to your right," the green-eyed lady said from behind us. Then she added with a slight laugh, "And remember your box number or you might go home naked."

I almost said, "What!" but the shock of Anna taking off all of her clothes next to me left me speechless. Soon she was standing there totally naked and barefoot.

"I thought you said you were ready for mischief," she said in a mocking, sing-song voice.

"I did... I am... I will..." I sputtered as I began to take off my shoes. I set them in cubicle M42 and soon pushed my pants, shirt, and the rest of my clothing in on top of them.

"Let's go make some mischief," Anna said brightly. She then stuck her arm through mine and pulled me toward the other end of the hallway.

When we walked through the door on the other end of the hallway, we were back in the speakeasy... except we weren't. Everyone... except, thankfully, the bartender... was naked. A naked female singer was singing something that the band leader had introduced as, "The Undertaker's Blues."

Anna led me to an empty table and sat down. There were two drinks on the table. Mine was another gin and tonic. Hers was a bloody mary. As we sat there, a rather tall, well-built man wearing nothing but a black top hat and a male g-string walked into the center of the room and called out, "Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah. It's midnight and that means it's time to bob for some apples."

Four large, very muscular yet very plump men who were wearing what appeared to be cloth diapers wound around their groins began very slowly pushing a large tub of water out to where the MC was standing. The tub was recessed into a round platform of some sort that had small wheeled casters all the way around it.

Once the tub was in place the MC called out, "Our hostesses will now pass among you with the selection bowl. Each woman will take out a piece of candy. If the candy is wrapped in white, it is a mint. You can just eat that. If it is wrapped in orange, you are selected." He laughed and said, "And don't think you can cheat by just eating the orange candy. The orange ones contain some special herbs from the high mountains of Tibet. If you eat that orange candy, you will end up giving us a special show that you really didn't intend to give us tonight."

Two nearly-naked hostesses in tight black corsets, black g-strings, and small, black, frilly hats came through one of the doorways. They were wearing very high, shiny black heels and smoky black stockings that were held up by garters attached to the corsets. Their heels clicked loudly in time with their wiggling asses as they quickly moved among the tables. They were holding a large black, glass Jack o'Lantern that was open on the top. They held it up so the woman choosing could not see inside as they selected their piece of candy. Those who pulled out a white wrapped mint yelped in joy and quickly stuck the mint into their mouths. Those who pulled out an orange-wrapped piece looked much more sullen and sat there silently.

The MC loudly counted off the orange pieces. The count was at six when the last woman pulled the final piece of candy from the top of the black Jack o'Lantern. She had looked very upset as she put her hand into the bowl. It was obvious she was expecting her candy to be orange. Then she began yelling in surprise, "A mint! A mint! A mint!" and she quickly put the white candy into her mouth.

The MC raised his hand and began waggling his finger at the crowd. "Someone isn't playing by the rules," he said in a mocking tone. "I warned you what would happen, didn't I?" He turned slowly so that his gaze fell on everyone in the room. He sounded like a teacher admonishing a class as he said, "There were seven orange candies." He smiled broadly at the group and said gleefully, "Someone ate an orange candy. Someone ate an orange candy. Someone ate an orange candy." Then he folded his arms in front of himself and said almost quietly, "Wait for it.... Wait for it.... Wait for it."

Just as he repeated "Wait for it," the third time a deep, almost guttural woman's voice called out, "Oh, my God!" Then she began saying "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have eaten it, but I didn't want to display myself in public like that."

She stood up and staggered toward the wooden tub in the center of the room. Her breathing was very ragged. As she walked one hand was mauling her breast while the other was between her legs rubbing her sex.

"Oh, no! Oh, no. Oh, no. This can't be happening," she said almost incoherently as she collapsed onto the floor and began rubbing herself furiously. Her cries and groans echoed through the room as she thrust her body up into the air. Her left hand was now buried in her cunt while her right hand moved rapidly back and forth from one breast to the other squeezing her breasts and violently pinching her nipples. When she finally climaxed with a deep groan, the MC walked over to the tub, reached in, and pulled out an apple.

"This may go on for a while," he said to the crowd as he stood over the woman who continued to moan as she rubbed her cunt and twisted her nipples.

"This will keep you quiet," he said as he shoved the apple into her open mouth.

"Don't bite through it," he warned, "or you will end up in the pillory so we can have some other fun with you."

The woman just whimpered and continued rubbing her cunt and thrusting herself into the air.

"Now," the MC said as he recentered his top hat on his slick, black hair, "it's time to bob for some apples. The six ladies who picked out an orange candy... and are playing by the rules... come up and get ready. And remember to bring your orange candy with you."

As the six women were walking forward the MC laughed and said, "If any of you would rather just eat your orange candy, you may." He laughed again and said, "We will wait for you to finish just like Miss Elaine here." He pointed to the woman still thrashing slightly on the floor.

One of the nearly-naked hostesses stood next to the MC with a black cloth bag in her hands. She was bent over more than slightly so that the bag hung down well in front of her. Bending over like that also meant that her naked ass was very much on display beneath the tight black corset. I couldn't help but think that the hostess looked much more naked than Anna even though Anna was wearing nothing while the hostesses were wearing corsets, stockings, g-strings, high-heeled shoes... and that weird black frilly hat.

Each of the six women made a show of holding the candy up for everyone to see before dropping it down into the bag. Then the six stood around the tub almost at attention.

The MC barked out, "Positions!" and they dropped down on their knees with their legs pushing against the side of the tub.

"Before you start," the MC said in an almost melodious tone, "we need to pick the winner."

That really confused me so I turned to Anna and said, "What?!"

She laughed and replied, "Bobbing for the apples picks the loser. The second round of candy picks the winner. Just watch and you will see."

The nearly-naked hostesses hurried out once again with the black glass Jack o'Lantern. When one of them got to our table, she held it up to me rather than Anna. "You have to pick," Anna whispered softly so I stuck my hand in the globe and pulled out a candy.