Saturday, October 30, 2010

AZ Sleuths: Nancy Drew Halloween Party Part 1

NANCY DREW AND
THE HAUNTED BRIDGE
OF THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN

I threw my annual Nancy Drew Halloween party on Sat. Oct. 30 with a classic Nancy Drew #15 The Haunted Bridge combined with a Legend of Sleepy Hollow/Headless Horseman theme. I set up the scene with the following short tale that I created--more pictures to follow tomorrow of the event...

NANCY DREW and her chums are visiting quaint Deer Mountain Inn near the historic village of Sleepy Hollow. An eerie haunted bridge in the spooky woods of Sleepy Hollow beckons Nancy Drew to solve the mystery of its ghost. Meanwhile, Nancy's father Carson Drew is on the trail of a ring of jewel smugglers pulling off thefts at wealthy inns around the area. Nancy must contend with pest Mortimer Bartescue, a guest at the inn who takes a fancy to Nancy and interferes in her sleuthing. Is he harmless or is he mixed up in the strange goings on around Deer Mountain Inn? Nancy's boyfriend Ned Nickerson doesn't take too kindly to Mortimer's schemes. While trying to avoid Mortimer, Nancy must help her father search for a woman carrying a mysterious jeweled compact who lost a trunk of jewelry, while she gets to the bottom of the ghostly business in the woods of Sleepy Hollow.

Legend has it, that a Hessian soldier in the Revolutionary War was killed when enemy cannon fire decapitated him. His ghost rides through the woods of Sleepy Hollow at night searching for his head. Lone travelers have found themselves stalked through the woods and chased--barely making it across the haunted bridge to safety. Some years ago in Sleepy Hollow, a strange fellow named Ichabod Crane met such a fate and was never seen or heard from again.

One spooky night at Hemlock Hall, Nancy and her chums assemble for a Halloween masquerade party. Nancy is costumed as the famous Katrina Van Tassel from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Ned makes a delightful Brom Bones. Whether by coincidence or fate, Mortimer finds himself costumed as Ichabod Crane. Nancy proves to be the belle of the ball and to Ned's frustration, is claimed for many dances by Mortimer Bartescue. Mortimer's penchant for superstitions is aroused when Ned dramatically tells the ghostly tale of the Headless Horseman and the demise of Ichabod Crane. Spooked, Mortimer begins to dread the long ride back to the Inn.

Long after the delicious food disappears and the apple bobbing and fortune telling subsides, the witching hour of midnight is at hand. Mortimer finds himself on horseback heading for Deer Mountain Inn. An owl hoots, the cry of a lone wolf pierces the night, and the moonlight glitters among the shadowy woods creating a sinister glow.

Rounding a bend, Mortimer spots the haunted bridge up ahead and begins to feel relieved. However, he fails to notice the hoofbeats of another rider just joining him along the trail. As the hairs on the back of his neck begin to prickle, he hears the angry snort of the Hessian soldier's horse bearing down on him. A chase ensues with Mortimer hanging on for dear life. If only he could make it across the bridge in time...

Nancy and her chums never did see Mortimer again at Deer Mountain Inn after that fateful night. All that remained was a smashed pumpkin and Mortimer's hat, found near the old haunted bridge. Was it the stuff of legends or a dastardly prank gone awry? One can never be too sure when traveling alone in the spooky woods of Sleepy Hollow...

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Pictures of the party and how it turned out tomorrow...

Jenn:)

2 comments:

Julie said...

What a great idea for a party. I can't wait to see some photos! What a blast. I am going to have to get a copy of the haunted bridge for next Halloween. Just love your website :-)

Jenn Fisher said...

Thanks Julie :) We had a lot of fun!

Jenn:)