We all laughed at Rob when we found out he had seized up his jaw. It came as a surprise to everyone. He hadn't said anything or made any gesture to let anybody know he was in trouble, so we only found out after Mr. Green asked him to continue with the reading. The overwhelming ensuing silence called the whole classroom's attention, and we all turned to see him shrinking and reeling back as if attempting to disappear behind his desk. We stared wide-eyed, nobody said anything until a faint nervous mumble escaped from his purpling lips, and somehow everyone realized then that he wasn't able to open his mouth.

Jane and I took him to the infirmary amid peals of contagious laughter. How had he managed to do something like that? He must have been chewing on a pencil. I imagined the end of it—rubber included—was already on a one-way trip to his stomach. We tried our best, but we weren't able to hold our chuckles either.

The nurse had to take him to the hospital. Nothing serious she said, but Rob didn't come to school the next day. When we questioned Mr. Green about it, he told us how apparently, Rob had had similar eventualities happen to him before, and how sometimes things of the sort could occur, even to children. He insisted that we should pray and forget about it for Rob's sake. Then he asked us to open our books again, and continue reading.

P.S: thanks for the creative and generous giveaway, b. I really enjoyed reading the jokes and stories going into the cauldron, and my apologies if this story came out more messed up than spooky and lighthearted, I challenged myself to write something under an hour and this is what happened :S.
If possible, I'm in for:
~ Hollow Knight: Silksong
~ Hollow Knight
" Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

I should really stop reading such stories at night. But sadly, nothing similar happened to me, and first-hand accounts, from long ago, are tales that I cannot tell in justice. So here is something I read.

In 2003, during the production of a soap opera called "O Teu Olhar" ("Your gaze"), a shot was being prepared in the church of the castle of Montemor-o-Velho, in Portugal.
Suddenly, all electronic equipment stopped working, which puzzled the technical staff. When they made the cameras work, the screen was all red or gray, and then it would stop again. About the same time, the production crew started reporting several actors feeling ill. Actress Patrícia Tavares was quite affected, displaying a male voice and vomiting blood. It took several people to hold her. Moments of affliction and panic followed, and the crew called for a local priest.

The priest dismissed the matter, and said it was the moist environment and the stress.

However, I will not stop my story here. Because this place is of historical significance. I will try and keep this short.

In the 14th century, king Afonso IV was worried about the woman his son was in love with: a Spanish noble woman (Inês de Castro). Rumors of their secret wedding were whispered, and the plot of this woman and her brothers murdering the prince's first son so that her offspring would inherit the throne (she was actually a servant of his first wife; the prince, Pedro, was a widow at this point, but his love affair started much earlier).

The king feared for the Spanish influence over his son, feared the loss of independence of his country, but he also knew he could not keep his son away from that woman. So, after a discussion with his advisors, in that very church, he gave the order of killing Inês de Castro.

While the prince was away, three of the advisors grabbed Inês de Castro and cut her throat. This triggered a conflict between the prince and the king. The queen managed to make peace between the two (after many months), but two years later the old king dies, and the new king had revenge burning in his soul.

The killers managed to escape to Spain, but king Pedro manages to drag two of them back to Portugal. The third one managed to seek shelter in France. Of course, they were tortured and then executed. He ordered them tied to two poles, and one heart extracted from the chest and the other heart extracted from the back. And the new king watched this execution while he feasted. Then he bit the hearts and had the bodies burned, to erase them from the earth. (Historical records do mention that the executioner convinced the king that it was too difficult to execute them that way, so maybe they were killed differently).

There is still more! Then the king ordered his lover to be digged back up, and sited on the throne next to him. All noblemen were to accept her as their queen and kiss her hand or be executed (which, of course, was a threat everyone took seriously at this point). It seems they did marry in secrecy, her children were eligible to the throne (well, the male ones) and Inês de Castro was given a royal funeral. Hence, she is known as "The one who was queen after dead.".

The king ordered two tombs made, very rich in detail (remember, 14th century), one of her and one for himself. They were placed facing each other so that, at the world's end, when they both arise, they can look at each other's face once more.

Thank you bjgamer for the spooky event. It was nice sharing this with you.
If still possible, I would be in for
- Hollow Knight
- Black Book
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
- Rogue Lords - Blood Moon Edition
- Costume Quest

Are entries going to be checked for AI?

The moon is once again covered by clouds as the GOGyard gates slowly creak closed once more. Leaves fall lifelessly to pile upon the quiet earth. The mist swirls, ghostly shadows within drifting closer. The keys within the Cauldron bubble upward, and ghosts and ghouls await the Hand of Fate's casting.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

The list of entrants will passed to the Hand of Fate (Random.org) where it will be randomized 13 times and winners will be announced. (I am working overtime tonight so it will be a few hours, after I get home and have dinner.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Using the AI artwork to illustrate or enhance the tales for the community's enjoyment is fine. Some tales have been quoted from other sources and credited accordingly, in the spirit of this seasonal giveaway.

A Spooktacular Thank you to all participants! We have had some ghoulish fun with your spectrally creative, hauntingly imaginative and horrifically historical tales, poems and jokes! I have enjoyed them all! And now ...

Don't Blink ... Don't Blink ... DON'T BLINK! Your eyes begin to water as you stare at the menacing vampiric looking angel statues in front of you. You can swear there is movement out there in the swirling mist. Are there more? They are coming! You take a slow step backwards, then another. From somewhere behind you comes the grating rasp of the stone lid sliding ever sooo slooowwwly off of the sarcophagus. You take another cautious step back from the horrific statues, and one more ... until you bump into the edge of the Cauldron. Suddenly a hand emerges from the Cauldron's depths, grabs you by your shirt and pulls you down into the spectral brew where you are whirled about and sent spinning within a blue phone box which is bigger on the inside, as you consort with ghosts and monsters and all sorts of strange creatures!

You come to resting on the ground in front of the mysterious Cauldron, which sits empty and still. Shaking your head you wonder at the strange haunting dream, but as you go to get up you notice a skeleton key grasped in your hand. Looking up you see two monstrous angel statues, frozen in place as they stare over your head. Turning, you see another angel statue that must have emerged from the tomb behind you, now frozen in place with its eyes locked on the other two. A shiver slides down your spine as you realize it wasn't a dream after all. As the GOGyard begins to fade around you, you run for the gate, hoping the key in your hand will unlock it in time, or you'll be stuck here until the haunted GOGyard reappears next year ....

For those of you who didn't recognize the angel statues, they are from what has been called the scariest episode of Doctor Who, Blink (Season 3, Episode 10 of the third series). If you enjoy a good mystery and scary story, I recommend it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cue the spooky laughter ... turn up the mist ... now raise the ghostly gifts ...
We have winners! :D

From the Witch's Cauldron the Hand of Fate reaches out to tap the following Ghasts on the shoulder and summons a Poltergeist Messenger (PM) to materialize a key into their grasp ...

~ Black Book ~~ kultpcgames
^ Costume Quest ~~ Gede
~ Creaks Collector's Edition ~~ matterbandit
~ Death's Door Deluxe Edition ~~ erbello
~ DOOM (2016) ~~ (ø,ø)
^ Dracula Origin ~~ ywzywz
) Frostpunk ~~ 4thDown
~ Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure Deluxe Ed ~~ servobeupstry
~ Goetia + Goetia 2 ~~ FPS2023
~ Grim Dawn ~~ Dawnsinger
~ Grim Fandango Remastered ~~ KillingMoon
^ Haunt the House: Terrortown ~~ MyTropico
~ Hollow Knight ~~ Hirako__
~ Hollow Knight: Silksong ~~ CthuluIsSpy
~ In Sound Mind - Deluxe Edition ~~ ChFra
) In Sound Mind - Deluxe Edition ~~ Unexposed2605
~ INSIDE ~~ KiliKelvin
^ Keep in Mind: Remastered ~~ JP4n
~ LIMBO ~~ Takashi_Hafuza
~ Necroking (not Amazon) ~~ ppavee
^ Pinstripe ~~ Geralt_of_Rivia
~ Pumpkin Jack ~~ LynXsh
~ Rogue Lords - Blood Moon Edition ~~ gogtrial34987
~ Sherlock Holmes The Awakened - Premium Edition ~~ RenKalan
~ Sherlock Holmes The Awakened - Premium Edition ~~ Edward_Carnby
) Stories Untold ~~ Provide_A_Username
~ Tainted Grail: Conquest ~~ DiffuseReflection
~ The Beast Inside ~~ BJMcKay
~ The Cat Lady ~~ altosy
~ The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition ~~ nevarRed
~ Tormented Souls ~~ PMPMGamer
) Tormented Souls ~~ MaxFulvus
~ Unbound: Worlds Apart ~~ Rep7icant
" Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines ~~ sm5..
^ Zombie Night Terror ~~ pawel-t

) Cast into the Cauldron by KillingMoon. Thank you! :)
^ Sacrificed to the Spirits by RenKalen. Thank you! :)
" Interred into the Crypt by ssling. Thank you! :)
Please thank the appropriate donor if you have received one of these specially marked games.

Congratulations Spooksters! Your keys to your new realms will be haunting your way shortly!
Thanks again to all participants! Spook you next year! (OO)

Congratulations to the winners!

Thanks for the opportunity bjgamer and donors!

Thank you so much Bjgamer for the Death's Door Deluxe Edition.

I wish everyone Happy Spooktober :)

Thank you very much, bjgamer, and congratulations to the other winners! Also thanks for the many stories, more than I could read until now.

Congrats to the winners and thanks again for the giveaway and for getting our creative juices flowing, It was so much fun :)

Thank you for a wonderful gift - and congratulations to all my fellow winners!

Thank you RenKalan for donating this amazing Game
And Thank you too bjgamer with this sppoky adventure

Thanks bjgamer both for the gift & for this amasing giveaway !

Thank you very much bjgamer for the wonderful gift and for the really cool event! Congrats to all the other winners!

A Spooktacular thank you, GOGyard dweller, Keeper of the Stories, our gracious hostess, for handing me the Key to the Awakened realm!
Thank you all, ghouls, ghosts and goblins for sharing your grim stories and congratulations for those chosen by the Hand of Fate!
Happy Halloween