Ebony Moon
Holmes County is an Amish town in Ohio where the Amish carry on their practices and beliefs to this very day. It was a town where the grass was greener, where everything was home, and hand-made, where everyone got along and respected one another, where everything was quaint and old fashioned.
However, it was a town that was peaceful and pure; that all changed when a group of Amish teenagers decided to rebel against the ways of their parents and grandparents. They chose to rebel against long-established customs dating back generations and live like the outsiders.
A group of four teenagers, two boys, and two girls, sneaked their way out of their town and trespassed into a city where the outsiders lived, and picked up a newspaper about a boy who went missing, his disappearance believed to be caused by Black-Eyed Kids.
Black-Eyed Kids are aged between eight and sixteen with human countenance...all but their eyes which were pure black, no white or color...just black. These mysterious kids knock on people's doors, asking to use their bathroom or telephone to ring their parents because they are lost—that's when their victims see it, the majestic, yet frightening beings' black eyes. Their eyes are evil but mysterious, their appearances are strange, and their origins are unknown. Some say that they are fake, while others say that they are hybrids of aliens and humans. However, this boy, who is an outsider to the Amish, summoned them. The four teenagers began to read about what the ritual is about; anyone who wants to contact the strange beings directly must go into an abandoned building with candles, matches, a knife, and a valuable that was chosen to sacrifice.
Then, they must chant:
Black-Eyed Kids, Black-Eyed Kids, Black-Eyed Kids,
We are trying to contact you,
We know you're real,
We know you're worth,
We know that you may or may not come after us. If we are chosen, show us your wrath,
And if we are not, dismember us.
If our sacrifices are not enough,
Please, do not cover us.
We are doing this out of free will, Please, let us become one and whole.
Black-Eyed Kids, Black-Eyed Kids, Black-Eyed Kids,
Show us what will become of us.
After, they must use the knife to mutilate their sacrifice, which means something to them. If any or none of the participants don't have a Black-Eyed Kid who calls out to them, the mysterious beings will cut them into pieces because they are being said in vain. However, the Black-Eyed Kids want someone who calls out to them, they will come and get them, and turn the participant into one of them.
The four teenagers decided to try it out for themselves since silly rituals and games like the one they just read are things that the outsiders participate in. The four wanted to fit in with the outsiders since they hate being different. They each took an item valuable to them, something that represents them and would take away their identity if destroyed, and met in the old and abandoned farm in the middle of an empty, but a large piece of land at the end of their town. The old barn building gave everyone the scares. A few of the teenagers in the community or outside the city went into the barn to do bad things; black magic, voodoo, sacrifices, and killing animals.
Strange things happened in this particular barn. The Amish who are brave enough to visit said that they can see the owner, a middle-aged man with a straw hat and overalls, walking around his property, as if he isn't dead. By the end of the field is his old, white house, which took the form of its surroundings; old, broken, and starting to turn black, the house isn't a pretty sight. Not to mention that it is falling apart, the windows are broken, and the door is opened all the way but is silent unless something terrible is about to happen, then the door will slam. Some say that the door slams are caused by the evil entities brought there by malicious people, while others say it is the farmer himself warning people of evil.
One teenager named Raven Ebony, a sixteen-year-old dark-haired Amish girl, who craves rebellion and adventure stood in front of the abandoned barn. Raven hopes to leave her town someday and do something different, she feels her way of life holds her back from what she wants to do and can do. Doing this ritual will make her feel like an outsider, something she has always wanted. She has always felt different, even with her own people, and she has always hated it.
The four Amish teenagers all entered the abandoned farm that smelled like animals and death. The four set the candles up in the middle of the room, lit them, and placed the knife on the floor. The four sat and circled the candles while placing their sacrifices in the middle. Raven chose her bonnet, her bonnet shows her identity as an Amish girl, and her sacrificing the hat will make her break away from her Amish living. The other three brought other things; a stuffed animal, a tie, and black dress shoes, all signifying their way of life.
They grabbed each other's hands and began to chant,
Black-Eyed Kids, Black-Eyed Kids, Black-Eyed Kids,
We are trying to contact you,
We know you're real,
We know you're worth,
We know that you may or may not come after us. If we are chosen, show us your wrath,
And if we are not, dismember us.
If our sacrifices are not enough,
Please, do not cover us.
We are doing this out of free will, Please, let us become one and whole. Black-Eyed Kids,
Black-Eyed Kids,
Black-Eyed Kids,
Show us what will become of us.
They each took the knife one by one and perished their sacrifices—-objects with significant meaning to them—-and when they finished, they felt different but accomplished. They took great pleasure in their endeavors and felt the cold, dark air surround them.
The old farm whispered to them with the air swirling around them, warning them that something would get them. The four then began to feel scared, feeling the air get colder, and heard a door slam from a distance, jumping at the sudden sound.
"I think the abandoned house's door slammed," boy one said.
"Why?" the other girl asked.
The first boy looked around the interior, "It must be warning us."
"The rumors are true, something bad is about to happen!" the second boy panicked.
They heard something by the corner and turned to see the farmer's transparent figure staring at them with intensity but warningly. The cold air left the room as the fire began to move around and dance in their place; the farmer stared at them, but his eyes...they held darkness and nothing but the color black—-they realized that he is one also. He then slowly disappeared, and the candles went out, leaving the air dark, and the cold reappeared.
Raven looked around in paranoia, "Let's get out of here!"
They dashed through the empty field, but Raven stopped when she saw a boy around her age with pale skin and black eyes. She started running the other way, but he quickly appeared in front of her. Raven heard the bloody screams of her friends from a distance. The creature smirked and got closer, and every time she took a step back, he took a step forward.
"What do you want? Go away!" she yelled. "Go away!" she screeched like a banshee.
The creature tilted its head and smirked, "May I borrow your phone? I am lost, and my mom needs to know where I am." It seemed to be mocking her.
"That's bull! I'm Amish, we don't have cell phones."
The creature stepped closer, their noses touching. The boy's smirk twisted and became malicious, "My mother won't like that."
Her banshee-like screams filled the dark, cold, and quiet air.
***
Holmes County talked about it; for weeks, the three dismembered bodies with limbs and body parts torn apart, and the blood all over the field was the talk of the town. For weeks, no one knew where Raven went—the only clues were the candles, matches, the knife, and their torn belongings found in the abandoned barn. Everyone was scared, and no one knew what to do, not Charlotte Moon, Raven's best friend.
Charlotte is the complete opposite of Raven, reserved and abides by the rules. Charlotte has never wanted to be an outsider; she loves being different, something Raven could never bypass. Strange things began to happen to Charlotte because Raven's presence was felt everywhere. Charlotte felt her friend's presence, she could smell her scent, but something was off about the presence she felt and the smell she inhaled. All of that went on for another week until she heard it --- she heard her best friend speaking to her.
'Charlotte, you can see me again, if you do the ritual yourself....' The voice said in her head. 'And how do I do that?'
'Just take an object that you have a deep connection with. Take candles, matches, your object of sacrifice; an object of meaning, and a knife. Go to the abandoned barn at the end of town and light the candles, sit by them, and chant...I will tell you what to chant. Then, once you're done, cut up the object.'
'That's strange, you were never alone.'
'Please, just trust me!' the voice said, though, it sounded persistent.
Charlotte felt something was wrong, but decided to listen to her best friend, hoping that the voice would forever go away and that Raven can be at peace. 'Okay, I'll go tonight.'
And she did.
Later that night Charlotte walked through the dark and cold air, feeling something watching her on her journey to the barn, her source of light from her flashlight and the full moon, its brightness and purity glowing. She saw the small barn at a distance and walked over with her flashlight showing the barn's condition, the red on the exterior began to rust and looked brownish, and it smelled horrible inside. She walked in slowly, seeing everything from the last four in the barn a month ago still in their places. Charlotte kicked them to the side and took everything out from a cloth handbag and set up everything.
Charlotte heard her friend chant the Black- Eyed Kids' song in her head, and she repeated, then cut up her journal when she was done. Her diary hid all of her thoughts, findings, things she has learned in school, and her secrets. The journal knew more about Charlotte than anyone else.
Charlotte saw something form in the corner of the room and turned to see the farmer's transparent figure staring at her with intensity but with curiosity. The cold air left the room as the fire began to move around and dance in their place; the farmer stared at her but with his gentle blue eyes rather than pure black eyes.
He smiled at her but quickly frowned afterward. "You shouldn't be here. You need to leave."
"I'm sorry if I'm trespassing, but my friend said I could see her again if I did this ritual. I wanted to perform it to put her at peace."
The ghost shook his head. "That thing that contacted you isn't your friend. Those things are evil."
"Why would the Black-Eyed Kids want to contact me?"
"If you mean something to your friend, they'll want you. Perhaps there is something about you that is valuable. Run, run, and don't look back!"
Charlotte nodded and sped out of the barn. The Amish teenager ran all the way back to her home without looking back but felt something coming for her. When she reached her house, she ran inside and slammed the door closed, breathing for air in the process. Her lungs are on fire, but she will not allow those creatures to come and get her.
After a few moments, there was a knock at the door. Charlotte turned around to see that it is much darker out than before. The family is sleeping, she is the only one awake, which makes it scarier. She decided to have some guts and opened the door to see an outline of what looked like a teen boy.
"Hello, I was walking and got lost. May I use your phone? My mother will worry."
Charlotte narrowed her eyes, something was off about this boy. His voice was way too deep, and something seemed sinister about him. "We're Amish, we don't have phones," she gulped.
He looked up, and she felt her heart drop to her stomach, fear hit her as her whole body became paralyzed. His eyes were all black. "Your friend is waiting for you, Charlotte."
"You.... you're the one that was talking to me, not her!"
Charlotte tried slamming the door, but the entity grabbed her and dragged her back to the abandoned barn with her kicking and screaming for help, but his strength was nothing like human strength. He held onto her as bright lights blinded the sky, and she felt herself being lifted off the ground and was in and out of consciousness; bright lights danced in her sleep. Charlotte finally returned to reality when she was strapped to a table with others with human-like features, but with black eyes, surrounding her.
Charlotte saw her friend Raven come over and smirked as she handed Charlotte a mirror. Charlotte's reflection horrified her, she has her own set of all black eyes, just like all of them.
"You're one of us now, Charlotte."
At first, Charlotte was stunned, but then smiled back as she felt some unknown force take over her, and she felt the evil inside of her stand on her arm hair, making them stick up. She felt different, she felt powerful, but most importantly, she felt evil. Laughter filled the mysterious room as Charlotte's new pair of eyes glistened with evil intentions.
As their laughter died down, the full moon went from white and slowly turned black, setting the night full of darkness and evil. Because of this, Holmes County called the moon Ebony Moon, named after the two girls who went missing, and it returned once a year after that, and people have said to see the two girls by the barn with black eyes. It is said to be the night of evil in the town, all because four teenagers wanted to fit in, and all because Charlotte thought it would save her friend, but in the end, she was also chosen.