The Strangler

Squish squish, thump thump, went the terrain of The Temple of Zios, as I walked through the damp grass. Seeing all the decorations placed in the land made me excited for the Night of the Phantoms. Large jack-o-lanterns lit the somewhat dark areas, and tombstone decorations stood tall next to the temple. ''Ghosts'' were floating next to the temple too, which I liked to glance at when entering the forest from Crystal Sands.  I loved the Temple of Zios, mostly because of the beautiful wildlife and plants scattered around the forest. I approached the river, checking for any water striders or needlefish as I strolled through the water. After getting out, I quickly shook my fur, as a ton of warm water  from the river splashed onto the stone path. I had finally reached the bridge, which was leading into Jamaa Township. I walked pass, admiring the silence of the Temple of Zios, before entering the township. Instantly, I saw other jammers, advertising for parties or other stuff, trading, and, of course, jammers who were begging for either gems or items. Honestly, in my opinion, the beggars always get on my nerves, as I try to convince them to work for their rares or money.

I watched as warm drafts blew leaves around the township. I walked to the center of the town, still staring at the leaves. Suddenly, I was interrupted by a jammer, who shouted ecstatically: "Come to my den for a Night of the Phantoms dress-up party!"

I hesitated. Although I didn’t have a costume, I still wanted to go to the party. ''Well, I might as well go, even if I don’t have anything to wear. I’m sure it will be fine,’’ I thought to myself.

I had arrived at the party. As soon as I was close enough to actually see a few jammers, I realized that some jammers didn’t have a costume either, so I figured it would be fine if I stayed. Most of the jammers were dressed as famous hackers, such as the Lost Jammer, Wretched Jungle, or, the most famous, Fman122. As I got even closer, I could tell that the den was a Haunted Manor, which was one of my favorite dens. Fog machines created a ton of fog, and decorations similar to what I had seen in the Temple of Zios were also in this den, along with many other decorations. Jack-o-lanterns, tomb stones, and ghosts were placed in the den. A gate was standing at the front of the stairs leading to the door, which were both open. I went into the building, to see all different types of costumes. Witches, wizards, mummies, and skeletons, just to name a few. They seemed so happy, and they were enjoying the food and candy that was placed on the tables. I grabbed a chocolate bar from a bowl, and stuck it in my mouth. I chewed and swallowed a piece, and slipped the rest in the pocket of my bag. I casually padded back outside, glancing at the other jammers. The air smelled like candy, like candy corn and lollypops. I looked at the other jammers, and most of them were having fun with their buddies and eating food.

But one of them stood out. It was a lynx, who had a black pelt, with the moon pattern in grey, and large paws that were colored a bright white, and crooked, sharp claws. Most of all, their eyes were large, and had very small pupils. It seemed like they were staring at me. At first, this seemed a bit strange, but I remembered that this was a dress-up party.

Instinctively, I walked up the cliff they were standing on, which was guarded by spooky fences, and questioned in a friendly tone, “Hey, who are ya dressed up as?”

“I am Strangler,” they responded in a low voice.

“Who is that?” I replied, before realizing that their username was actually “Strangler.” I waited for a bit for Strangler to talk back, but they just stared at me. I tried to buddy them, but they weren’t accepting requests.