Gourds Gone Wild on Main Street
By Stanley McBride – Staff Reporter

Moonridge residents along Main Street are losing sleep thanks to an unusual chorus of voices that seem to rise from the town’s decorative pumpkins. Reports began trickling in last week, with several shopkeepers claiming the pumpkins outside their businesses begin humming shortly after midnight. By two in the morning, they say, the gourds are harmonizing in full.

“They’re not bad singers,” admitted Evelyn Crowder, owner of Timeless Treasures Antiques. “Last night they did something that sounded a lot like barbershop. But it’s loud, and I can’t keep my upstairs tenants happy if the pumpkins are out there belting tunes until dawn.”

The town’s young witch coven confirmed the pumpkins are enchanted, but insist the effect is harmless. “It’s a seasonal charm, meant to bring luck and boost harvest energy,” explained Hazel Thornton. “They probably picked up on passing music and decided to try it out. There’s no danger in it. Unless you count off-key notes.”

Moonridge High football coach Darren McKee isn’t laughing. He’s complained to town officials that the midnight melodies are leaving his players exhausted. “We’ve got a big season ahead, and my boys can’t be dragging through practice because they spent all night listening to pumpkins sing Oops, I Did It Again,” McKee said. “If this keeps up, we’ll be off our game before we’ve even hit homecoming.”

Sheriff Ben Harlow has promised to look into the matter, though he admitted it’s hard to cite produce for a noise violation. “We’re encouraging the coven to keep the enchantments under control,” Harlow said. “Pumpkins are for pie, not karaoke.”

In the meantime, residents are advised to bring their pumpkins indoors after dark if they’d prefer silence. For those willing to put up with a little nocturnal music, the impromptu concerts are drawing small crowds. As one teenager was overheard saying during Tuesday night’s chorus of Born This Way, “It’s weird, sure. But I’d rather listen to them than half of my teachers.”

To the Citizens of Moonridge,

The recent Blue Moon Festival should have been a night of joy and unity for our town. Instead, it turned into a night we will never forget for darker reasons. Many of us placed our trust in Bianca Mayweather, who we now know to be the witch Ravena Blackwood. Her deceit cost us dearly. Families were tricked into buying her so-called supplements, homes and businesses suffered destruction, and the safety of our community was shaken.

Yet, even in the worst of moments, Moonridge proved itself resilient. We owe a debt of gratitude to Blake Carter and the werewolf pack, who stood strong when our town needed defenders. I also want to recognize Hazel Thornton, La’Tasha Morehouse, and Coco Montoya, our young witch coven, who worked with courage and skill to protect lives and stop Ravena before more harm could be done. Their bravery reminds us that the bonds between us—human and magical alike—are stronger than the forces that try to divide us.

There is much to rebuild, but we will rebuild it together. To mark this commitment, I invite every resident of Moonridge to join us at Amethyst Lake for a New Moon Festival. The forest around the lake has borne scars from fire, but Hazel, La’Tasha, and Coco are already preparing to begin its restoration. The gathering will not only honor what we’ve endured but also what we can create moving forward.

Let this be a time of healing, of community, and of remembering what our founders intended: Moonridge as a place of peace, acceptance, and shared purpose. We have weathered a hard season, but together we will see brighter days.

With gratitude and hope,
Mayor Grant Peterson