May The Best Jack Win

     I've participated in a local Jack-o'-lantern contest for a few years now but never managed to win it. I didn't even make it to the podium. I began to wonder what could be the cause of my failures and came to a conclusion that I was always trying to make my lantern the most frightful as it can be, but the sinister eyes and jagged smile filled with needle-sharp fangs I had been carving every time were too cartoonish, not scaring the jury at all.
     This year I tried a different approach. This time I focused on realism and decided to make my pumpkin look like a human skull. I spent a lot of time on carving, carefully recreating every detail.
     The end result was impressive, but not satisfying. I needed something more, something original that would sweep the jurors off their feet.
     I decided to decorate my lantern with a few little things that will enliven it a bit. I placed eyeballs into the sockets and filled the mouth with teeth. I even added a tongue. I didn't even think of using fake rubber ones. My lantern had to be one of a kind, so I used real body parts. And because I would not find nice, fresh eyes and a tongue in the cemetery – well, the person who won the contest most often won't be a competition for me anymore.