Funk-N-Fiction

It’s Halloween!!! And we’re starting today’s flash fiction stories off with Rayvn Salvador‘s quest story, inspired by this haunting image. Be sure to check after the story for how to enter to win a cool prize!

The Long and Winding Road
by Rayvn Salvador

The moon hung low in the sky, a pale sliver of silver against the ink-black canvas of the night. The air was thick with the promise of rain, and mist cloaked the woods flanking the narrow, winding trail. This was no ordinary road. People whispered about it in hushed tones. It was a place where the living dared not tread after dark. They called it Crow’s Hollow, a name that sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest souls in the nearby village.

Crow’s Hollow was an ancient byway, its origins lost to the fog of time. It wound its way through the heart of the dense forest, a place untouched by the hands of progress. The trees loomed tall and foreboding, their gnarled branches interlocking overhead to form a natural canopy that seemed to devour the feeble light of the moon, and the path was overgrown with ivy and thorns as if nature herself conspired to keep intruders at bay.

The legend of Crow’s Hollow told of a rider, a spectral figure clad in tattered garments, who haunted the road at night. They said he was a nobleman who’d met a tragic end centuries ago, betrayed by his kin. His name was Lord Bacchus Blackwood, and it was said his spirit roamed the woods in search of revenge.

On this particular night, a lone traveler named Eryn found herself on the edge of the village, her horse-drawn carriage jolting along the uneven path. She was an outsider, a woman of no small mystery herself. Her raven-black hair framed her porcelain skin, and her eyes were the color of stormy seas. Her arrival had been the subject of much speculation in the village, and now, as she made her way toward Crow’s Hollow, the villagers’ warnings echoed in her mind.

“Stay away from that cursed road,” they said. “Venturing there will mean your end.”

But Eryn was not one to be dissuaded by old wives’ tales and superstitions. She had heard the legend of Lord Bacchus Blackwood and his haunted road, and it greatly intrigued her. With her hunger to uncover the world’s mysteries, Crow’s Hollow was a puzzle she simply could not ignore—and was determined to solve.

The oppressive atmosphere weighed on her as her carriage trundled deeper into the forest. The air grew colder, and the shadows seemed to close in around her. The trees whispered secrets she could not decipher, their leaves rustling with eerie, almost human-like laughter. Yet Eryn pressed on, her curiosity driving her forward.

The night was so quiet that the clatter of her carriage wheels on the cobblestones seemed deafening. The occasional hoot of an owl or the distant cry of a wolf only added to the otherworldly ambiance. She knew she was getting closer to Crow’s Hollow when the moss-draped trees began to part, revealing a path winding deeper into the woods.

It was then that she saw him, the spectral rider of legend. He materialized from the shadows, his form insubstantial like vapor given shape. Lord Bacchus Blackwood was astride a magnificent black steed, its eyes gleaming with an unnatural, fiery light. He wore a tattered cloak that billowed in the wind, and a shadowy hood obscured his face.

Eryn’s heart quickened as she beheld the ghostly figure, but she did not turn back. Instead, she met his ethereal gaze with a steady one of her own. The rider spoke not with words but with a mournful, haunting melody that seemed to emanate from the very depths of his being and seep into her soul. It was a lament, a song of betrayal and longing that tugged at Eryn’s heart.

Without knowing why, she felt a deep sympathy for Lord Bacchus Blackwood. She could sense his pain and yearning for justice. It was as if his spirit could not rest until the truth came to light and things were set to rights. With her unquenchable thirst for knowledge and innate empathy, Eryn felt a deep connection to the tormented soul.

She stepped down from her carriage and approached the spectral rider. The black steed snorted but did not move to impede her. Eryn reached out a trembling hand and touched the tattered fabric of Lord Bacchus’s cloak. It was cold as ice yet seemed to pulse with a strange energy.

“What do you seek, noble spirit?” Eryn whispered, her voice barely more than a breath of wind.

The rider’s mournful melody grew louder, filling the forest with its haunting strains. It was a story of treachery. Of a family torn apart by greed and ambition. Lord Bacchus had been the victim of a plot to steal his inheritance and cast him aside like a discarded toy. Betrayed by those he loved and trusted, he then met his end on this very road, his life extinguished by a cruel hand.

Tears welled in Eryn’s eyes as she listened to the tragic tale. She understood now why Lord Bacchus could not rest. He needed retribution for the wrongs done to him. And he required her help.

With a determined resolve, Eryn vowed to assist the tormented spirit. She would uncover the truth of Lord Bacchus Blackwood’s betrayal and ensure that those responsible faced the consequences of their actions. She told Lord Bacchus as much, and the spectral rider nodded in approval, his mournful melody softening into a wistful tune of gratitude.

Together, Eryn and Lord Bacchus embarked on their journey to unravel the secrets of the past. They combed through ancient documents, piecing together the puzzle of the Blackwood family’s dark history. As they delved deeper into the past, they uncovered a web of deceit and treachery that stretched for generations.

But the more they unearthed, the more dangerous their quest became. The living members of the Blackwood family were determined to keep their skeletons safely hidden in their closets, and they would stop at nothing to protect their ill-gotten gains. Eryn and Lord Bacchus found themselves pursued by nefarious figures, her life and his soul threatened at every turn.

Yet they pressed on, driven by a shared determination to bring the truth to light. Eryn’s empathy for the tormented spirit grew stronger with each passing day, and she could always feel the lord’s presence beside her, guiding her steps. Together, they were an unstoppable force, a living woman and a haint bound by a common purpose.

As they delved deeper into the heart of the mystery, they uncovered a hidden chamber beneath the ancient Blackwood Manor. In its depths lay the evidence they needed to expose the treachery that had torn Lord Bacchus from his mortal life: letters, diaries, and long-forgotten family records that told the story of the betrayal and greed in chilling detail.

Armed with the damning evidence, Eryn and Lord Bacchus confronted the living members of the Blackwood family and summoned the constabulary. The truth was revealed, and justice was finally served. The guilty were cast out, their ill-gotten riches stripped away, and the name of Lord Bacchus Blackwood was restored to its rightful glory.

With his mission fulfilled, Lord Bacchus’s spectral form began to fade, his mournful melody growing softer and softer until it was but a whisper in the wind. He turned to Eryn, gratitude shining in his ethereal eyes. Then, with a final, haunting glance, he and his steed vanished into the mists of Crow’s Hollow, their spirits finally at peace.

Eryn watched them go, her heart heavy with a mixture of sadness and fulfillment. She had helped a tormented soul get justice and find peace. And in doing so, had uncovered the mysteries of Crow’s Hollow, satisfying her curiosity. She knew she would carry this experience with her for the rest of her days, a reminder of the power of empathy and the enduring strength of the human spirit. As she turned to leave Crow’s Hollow, the moon emerged from behind a cloud, casting a silvery glow over the ancient road. The forest seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and the shadows that had once been so foreboding now felt like a friendly hug. The legend of Lord Bacchus Blackwood and his haunted road would live on, but now it was a story of redemption, a tale of a spirit finally finding peace with the help of a kindred soul.

I hope you loved this story!!!
Rayvn is offering a chance for readers to win a signed copy of the HAUNTED NEW ORLEANS Omnibus and some awesome swag!!

To enter — click here for the rafflecopter. Easy peasy!!
(Updated link — thank you for your patience. <3)

Contest starts today, and goes through midnight on November 1st. Our winners will be chosen from all eligible entries on November 2nd and notified, and then announced in our wrap-up post on November 3rd.

Good luck!!