The Wylder Funeral Home was filled with the scents of cinnamon and clove, and large candles burned gently on the kitchen table where the happy residents of Wylder Wood carved their pumpkins. Trays filled with yellow guts and seeds sat between the chatting monsters and widely smiling man that only recently began calling this place home. The last few hours had been spent cleaning the interiors of the gourds and talking about what to carve on their respective pumpkins. The town would be lit up with jack-o-lanterns of all shapes and sizes once the sun went down, and Rhys was excited to experience his first Halloween in the Wood.

Molly was in the kitchen making pumpkin scones, and the group had mugs of cider on hand to sip between their long sessions of pondering and artistry. She scooped up the pumpkin seeds to cook them in the oven and brought out a seemingly never ending assortment of treats for her friends to snack on that were filled with autumnal flavors.

“These pumpkins are perfect for carvin’, Rhys!” Cane said happily as he plunged his knife into his oversized gourd.

“I agree, your patch was picked clean and the kiddos were excited to have big jack-o-lanterns this year. I'd say the farm is doig well,” Vic noted as he watched Rhys purse his lips in thought.

“I’m glad, but I didn’t plant them so I can’t take any of the credit,” Rhys corrected.

“You did manage to keep them alive during that awful heatwave, though, so you can take some of the credit,” Cas replied.

“I suppose. It’s just nice to know I didn’t manage to kill them off,” Rhys said with a chuckle. “I hope they’ll grow again next year! I need to get around to winterizing the garden.”

“We can tackle that tomorrow, move some of it into the greenhouse before it gets too cold,” Cane said as he leaned over to look at Cas’ pumpkin. He scoffed, “Showoff.”

Cas snickered and went back to delicately peeling away the outer layer of the pumpkin to add some depth and shadows to their overly detailed carving of a gothic cathedral. They always went overboard with their carvings, and Cane's simple wolf silhouette and crescent moon design seemed childish in comparison to his partner's. Their artistic side came out in full force during the later months of the year with so many festivities to partake in and decorations to make.

Vic leaned back in his chair and snuck a peek at Rhys’ pumpkin. He couldn’t help but smile at the classic-looking jack-o-lantern face he carefully lined with sharpie on the bumpy surface. It was cute; fang-toothed and grinning with tiny triangular eyes and little whiskers.

“Making Cleo?” he asked.

“Yes, the white pumpkin was too perfect to pass up the opportunity,” Rhys replied as he picked up a scone.

Vic sipped his cider and contemplated what he wanted to carve into his own pumpkin. It had been a long while since he had done something like this. Cas and Cash were still kids the last time he partook in any Halloween festivities, and it was nice to be a part of the day’s activities.

Rhys leaned over to look at the blank pumpkin, “You could draw a vampire face.”

“That would be so cliche,” Vic replied, almost whining. He thought of the same thing but felt as if it were the easy option.

“What did you do on yours, Cas?” Rhys inquired.

Cas merely turned their pumpkin around and both Rhys and Vic felt their jaws drop at the masterful artistry that they whipped out so effortlessly on their gourd. The details were immaculate and it would be stunning once it was lit up.

“You're just one of those artistic geniuses, aren't you? You can paint, sculpt, carve—you're a machine,” Rhys noted.

“I like being creative, I'd also take at least five pumpkins from the farm every year to practice on,” Cas admitted with a cheeky grin.

"The patio is always covered in pumpkins, there's usually a whole scene laid out every year. A couple of years ago they the whole map of Middle Earth," Cane added.

Molly bounded into the living room with a tiny pumpkin in her hands, a painted face with a massive Cheshire grin was on its surface. It glistened in the candlelight, the paint had hardly been given the time to dry. She set it down on the table among the mess of treats, pastries, and chunks of gourd guts that littered the space. She loved it all, loved how much life and energy was being radiated in the home.

“I think you should do the vampire!” she proclaimed loudly.

“I agree, give it little cape lines and some wicked eyebrows and you’d have yourself a real winner,” Cane agreed as he set down a crescent-shaped chunk of pumpkin.

“And it’s easy; we’re running out of time before we need to go into town for the festivities and I want to secure a spot by the fire pit where it’s warm,” Cas added as they carved a tiny front door into the cathedral. Satisfied that their art was perfect, they set their tool down and picked up their mug of cider.

Vic turned his eyes to Rhys, looking for approval before he mangled the perfect pumpkin with his shoddy art skills.

Rhys smiled, “I think vampires are cute.”

Vic turned his head away to try and hide his childish grin. He picked up his thin carving tool and tapped the pumpkin a few times in thought. Rhys nudged him in the arm playfully and went back to cutting out the whiskers to his pumpkin recreation of his beloved feline roommate.

“Alright, vampire it is,” Vic said with a firm nod. He stuck his carving tool into the pumpkin and go to work creating the best damn vampire-faced jack-o-lantern the town of Wylder Wood had ever seen.

“This is going to be the best Halloween ever!” Molly said happily as she lifted her mug in the air.

The rest of the friends lifted their ciders as well with cheery grins and warmed souls, offering up a unanimous cheer in turn.

“Happy Halloween!”