Ghost S’mories
by Finnegan Flannery
Hi! My name is Vanessa and my mom lets me use the computer because I get good grades. I’m in Troop 666. I have a recipe for s’mores that will make you the best storyteller around the campfire. The other scouts will be talking about it even when you’re in high school!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Marshmallows, white as bones
Chocolate, dark as night
Graham crackers (NO CINNAMON!)
Here’s what to do:
Get a grownup like your troop leader or a scout mom to make the fire. Collect sticks that look like the twisting hands of a witch and leaves that have holes in them so when you hold them up to a flashlight, the shadow looks like a skull. Once you have your sticks, make them into the shape of a stick figure man using the threads of a broken friendship bracelet. Then place him in the middle of the fire and have the adults put the big heavy logs into a teepee shape.
Find a roasting stick that has two prongs at the end. When you find it, point your stick to the moon and chant, “Spirits of the woods, I invoke thy divine wisdom!” three times.
Pass around the marshmallows counterclockwise. Roast two marshmallows on either end of your stick. Let the flames kiss the marshmallows until the screaming stops. Assemble your marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers. Now is when the fun begins!
As you eat your s’mores, tell a ghost story about anything you want! Don’t be nervous because the woods will whisper a story to you. The trees know many stories—they have seen so many creatures perish, and their records are released in the all-consuming flames. (Don’t look into the fire too long! Sarah J. did that and she doesn’t talk much anymore.) Watch your friends’ gaping maws drip gooey mess as they are hypnotized!
Everyone will pay attention to you and the adults won’t even have to do Quiet Coyote. The things in the woods like to hear the stories. There’s an audience beyond the woods, too! It creeps closer, recognizing the events lost to human memory. But the woods never forget. The darkness never falters.
Be sure to leave a s’more behind on a stump as an offering to the spirits. The most important thing is to have fun and be yourself. Remember, you are the mouthpiece of the darkness and eventually all fires die.
Enjoy!
About the author:
When Finnegan Flannery was in the 5th grade, ey found a pie under eir bed. It was delicious. This event best summarizes Finnegan’s humorous, chaotic voice when writing stories, fanfiction and comedy. Ghost S’mories is eir first published piece and first time writing in the horror genre. When ey’re not checking under eir bed for any other errant baked goods, Finnegan works as an editor for a foodservice company, reading proposals and correcting menus that say deserts instead of desserts.
