By Tytarchuk Fedir Alexandrovych
“Halloween! Halloween!” shouted little Uh-u-Hoo, racing excitedly around the burrow. His tiny feet pattered across the floor as he searched for his costume. “Where’s my sheet? How are we going to scare them?”
Mom A-ah and Dad E-eh exchanged uneasy glances as they dressed in their worn Halloween disguises.
“When are we leaving?” the little one chirped, darting between their legs. “I’ll climb the trees, throw leaves at people’s heads, and laugh real scary! Like this—BWA-HA-HAAA!”
“Yes, yes, you do it very well,” Mom A-ah said, though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
The source of their sadness flew right over Uh-u-Hoo’s head. He was too focused on the night ahead, too full of anticipation to notice.
“We’ve been thinking,” Mom A-ah began gently, her tone heavy with hesitation, “you’re still too young. It’s not time yet for you to go out into the human world.”
“Especially not tonight,” Dad E-eh added firmly.
“But you promised!” Uh-u-Hoo protested. “I’m already one hundred and twenty years old! You always say I’m too small, that I’m not ready, that humans are scarier than forest spirits. But I don’t believe it!” He crossed his arms, planting his feet in defiance. “You’re lying! I’m going to find out for myself!”
Mom A-ah and Dad E-eh looked at each other and sighed.
“Children are so difficult,” muttered Dad E-eh.
“Especially the little ones,” Mom A-ah agreed.
“We’re only trying to protect you,” Dad said gently. “It’s dangerous up there.”
“Why? What’s so dangerous?” Uh-u-Hoo pressed. “Everyone in the burrow says humans are awful—that they bring disasters and misfortune. That we used to live above ground before they came!”
“They’re right,” Dad E-eh nodded solemnly.
“So what happened?”
“And now,” Mom A-ah said softly, “we live deep underground.” She sighed. “When I was small—only a hundred years older than you—the first humans appeared…”
“And what happened?” Uh-u-Hoo asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
“We moved underground. It was the only way to stay safe.”
“And fools like you,” Dad E-eh pointed at him, “who go to the surface and try to reclaim the world… they never come back.”
The little one was quiet for a moment, confused.
“Then why you going?” he finally asked. “Why not just stay here? Read me a story about Uncle Christ and his merry adventures.”
“It’s tradition,” Dad E-eh said with a bittersweet smile, ruffling his hair. “We must go.”
“It’s been that way for centuries,” Mom added. “We have no choice. It’s our duty.”
Half an hour later, they left the house, locking the door behind them and forbidding Uh-u-Hoo from going anywhere near it.
But doubt had already taken root.
“They’re hiding something from me,” Uh-u-Hoo whispered to himself. “It can’t all be true. No way. I have to see for myself. Just a peek. Just a minute.”
“Where’s my sheet? A-ha! Got it!” He wrapped the old embroidered sheet around himself, opened a window, crawled through, and crept up towards the surface world.
He emerged in a dark alleyway, unnoticed by anyone. Not far ahead, a crowd had gathered in a square, surrounding an empty pedestal. Sparks flew into the sky, and people in wild costumes danced and shouted. They tried to mimic ghosts with exaggerated movements and weird noises.
It wasn’t scary at all—it was funny. Uh-u-Hoo giggled behind his sheet, watching the humans clumsily imitate creatures like him. He wandered closer, caught up in the excitement.
Then, without thinking, he let out his own eerie, bone-chilling laugh.
The sound cut through the noise like a blade. The crowd fell silent. Heads turned. Every eye in the square focused on the tiny figure in the embroidered sheet.
“Look at this little one!” called out a thin man in a jester’s hat.
“Right!” another laughed, staggering over and spilling beer. “Who is this guy?” He leaned in with a grin, reeking of alcohol.
Uh-u-Hoo froze. His eyes widened.
Oh no.
The worst-case scenario.
“Students!” Uh-u-Hoo screamed at the top of his lungs. “STUDENTS!! Run for your lives! Save yourselves!!”
His shriek echoed through the square as he bolted, the tipsy crowd erupting with laughter and giving chase, thinking it was all part of the act.
Behind him, the students cheered and howled, their footsteps thundering in pursuit.
And little Uh-u-Hoo? He ran faster than he’d ever run before, realising maybe—just maybe—Mom A-ah and Dad E-eh had a point after all.
About the Author
Tytarchuk Fedir
Tytarchuk Fedir was born in the distant 1977, in the city of Kharkov (then still the USSR), at a time when, they say, literature was different, and science fiction was more cheerful.
He graduated from a university in his time with a degree in engineering and economics and now belongs to the category of specialists in the analytical field.
In addition to his seemingly interests in the exact sciences, he is also involved in literary activities, is the author of several books and hundreds of stories written in various literary genres — Including his favorite genre since his youth — science fiction.
Our weekly podcast features the stories from recently published issues, often narrated by the authors themselves.
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