Round 3 of 4!
After narrowly escaping the acephalous equestrian, I hesitated before my next gate. There's really no way to know what you're walking into. These Halloween masters don't fool around, they'll cobweb the entrance and load it with -
jewel-eyed spiders!!?
After
holding-absolutely-still I determine these spiders have been recently fed and confidently continue into Dr. Faust's spooky front yard. It feels like walking into the kitchen of a connoisseur orc camp. There are unusual cuts from all manner of species strewn unceremoniously about. I notice a menu on the ground, still clutched by a hand, and don't see
"vegan elven priestess" listed anywhere. Oh good! I'm certainly very safe here.
I head in further, almost mesmerized, lulled even, and come face to face with the most grisly, ghastly, but luckily penned, mobs I had ever seen. In one cell, a wolf was pulling a man's flesh off while he yet lived! D; And in another, a mutant man with an unsightly hand bellowed frightfully and slapped the cage bars. O.O But in the third cell, I noticed a grounded, but living, gazer all lidded up, and wondered what could be its trouble. A chopping sound behind me stops, and I turn my head to greet a pair of staring-right-at-me gruesome chefs. It is then that I notice a freshly skinned gazer's eye leaning out the stew pot, next to a scrawled sign reading, "
New Dish: Gazer".
That wasn't on the menu... Um... Why are the chefs grinning at me like ---
AHHHH!!! I *rel por* to the entrance and fly through the portal straight into
Keth'laa's. Just what I needed after that macabre smorgasboard. It's very subtly festive and quite architecturally striking. I walk around, my eyes roving along the lines and floating atop the colors. When my foot could climb no higher, I turned south to take a deep visual inhale, when I then see, mere tiles from me, a witch on a broomstick soaring past. I stare in awe, when her head turns and she looks right at me.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I retreat, running, the witch's cackle close behind, chasing me down, round, and out the beautiful château,
into Ellewyn's cabin. I let out a *deep* sigh of relief. There's a welcome feast and plenty of. The table is enormous and I seat myself. I stare out the window at the changing fall orchard, and drool at the barrel of their fruits by the hearth. I wait patiently for a hostess or server - but none come.
How odd, all this food and not a single person... I notice a staircase and decide to investigate.
At the top floor I find my answer in the spectre of a woman seated at a diary. She smiles warmly and gestures toward the book. I read it. She was murdered here in this very room... :O She looks at me and I quickly curve my :O into a :> and attempt a res in three different languages.
Sorrowed by the woeful ghost's demise, I mindlessly meander straight into Davmustin's grove of druids, heavily shrouded, ominously chanting.
The sound seems to twist of its own volition, and the grounds dance and rise, the spiders hiss and the fires roar and climb, when all of a silent sudden it -
stops - and 6 cloaked angry faces turn to stare SW! Ughm - :> -
RUNNNNNNN!!!
to Golden Temptress. Phew. The bright orange color is a kindred hug and I take a deep breath, relaxed at last. After all that adrenaline it's like reaching holy ground.
The eerie soundtrack of the previous haunt is here contrasted as a distant song of elves and angels. Even the spiders are polite, off to the sides and out of your way, practically tipping their hats hello. Ahh,
mercy, hello.
I wander in and peer down into an endless darkness, before choosing a side and heading upstairs
to something delicious. I snatch a glowing muffin from an armored cicada and pocket it, then watch, baffled, at is slowly rematerializes out of my pocket back onto the table. Hmm. Keeping an eye on the table, I nimbly step over the baby giant spider
and whoa!! What a tree!! No wonder the food is glowing here!! The spiders all giggle bashfully - until I tried to steal an apple - when they suddenly surrounded me with bared full rounds of -
gulp - very angry fangs. I release the tugged apple and gently step back, open-palmed, and they instantly resumed their pleasant, innocent smiles as if nothing happened. Counting my blessings, I head back down, for a second nab at that muffin, and this time go for a bite. But, just as I almost have it, the edible neon dematerializes out of my hand and back upon the table.
Foiled again! Definitely a haunted house.
At this point I'm not sure which gate I haven't visited yet, as I haven't been observing any sort of procession order. I backtrack through
just saw,
just there, hey what's this??? I swear I've
seen this too but...
OH HEY! That's +N+V's house! HAHA!! The roof, the bushes, the pumpkin layout, the leftside gravel, the little trick or treater girl and the teal pumpkin!
And the candy table on the tile floor, haha xD Every detail!
Finally I got my glowing treat, full-size and allergy-free! I am so hitting that house again next year. How did Baxter pull that together so quickly? I twirl my new lightcircle high in the air, skipping off to my next portal...
one set left ^_^
After standing here oogling too long, I notice some other trick-or-treaters head upstairs. I follow. SCORE! 
It's a feast for braving her spooky haunt! 
I ran right up and tried to trick or treat them, but my voice went all WAHHHH WAHHHH WOHHH WAHH and anyhow they seemed to be empty. Apparently they stayed up all night waiting on a Pumpkin Claus...? But, one did give me a rock, and another recited a spell for restitution, and then the beagle offered me a kiss. 
AHHHHH!!! Run away!!!
