The Night of the Roosting Shadow

In the heart of a rural farming village, nestled among the rolling hills and dense woods, stood an old, abandoned farmhouse. The house, now decrepit and overgrown with vines, was once the home of the Johnson family. Over the years, whispers of their tragic demise had turned the house into a local legend. Among the tales, none were as eerie or persistent as the haunting of the chicken coop.

The coop itself was a small, rustic structure, nestled in the corner of the property. It was said that the coop was where the Johnsons kept their most prized possession—their beloved rooster, Red. Red was not just any rooster; he was a legend in the village, a symbol of luck and prosperity. It was said that the Johnsons’ farm was the most productive in the area, and Red was credited with their success.

One autumn evening, as the harvest moon hung low in the sky, a chilling wind swept through the Johnson farm. Inside the coop, a shadow moved, as though something or someone were lurking. The sound of clucking filled the air, but when the Johnson family checked on their chickens, they found no sign of intruders. It was as though the coop were haunted.

The family was skeptical at first, but as the incidents grew more frequent, they were forced to confront the possibility that the coop was indeed haunted. The roosting shadow, as the family came to call it, appeared more often, and the chickens became increasingly agitated, pecking and squawking at the mere sight of the shadow.

The story of the haunted coop spread quickly among the villagers, and soon, curious townsfolk began to drop by at night to catch a glimpse of the roosting shadow. The Johnsons, however, were not eager to share their fears. They had enough trouble with the coop as it was.

It was on the eve of the Harvest Moon Festival that the Johnsons decided they needed to take action. They called upon an old friend, Eliza, a local medium who claimed to have the ability to communicate with the dead. Eliza arrived at the farm under the cover of night, her eyes glowing with the light of her lantern.

The Johnsons led Eliza to the coop, and as they stepped inside, the roosting shadow materialized before them. It was then that Eliza revealed the truth. She explained that the shadow was not the spirit of a mischievous ghost, but the spirit of Red, the rooster. Red had not passed on peacefully; he had been wronged and was trapped in the coop, unable to move on.

Eliza performed a ritual, speaking to Red and asking him why he had not found peace. The rooster’s spirit responded through her, revealing that he had been betrayed by a rival farmer who sought to take over the Johnson farm. The rival farmer had poisoned Red, hoping to bring the Johnsons’ fortune to an end. Red’s spirit was bound to the coop until he could avenge his death.

The Johnsons were horror-stricken to learn of Red’s tragic end. They vowed to seek justice for the poor rooster and to protect their farm from any further attacks. Eliza helped them to cleanse the coop and release Red’s spirit, allowing him to finally find peace.

The Harvest Moon Festival passed, and the Johnsons were able to resume their lives, their farm thriving once again. The coop was no longer haunted, and the roosting shadow had vanished. The villagers, however, continued to speak of the mysterious events at the Johnson farm, never suspecting the true story behind the haunted coop.

As the seasons changed and the farm flourished, the Johnsons never forgot the lessons they learned from Red’s spirit. They understood the importance of protecting their home and family from those who would seek to harm them. And though the roosting shadow was gone, the legacy of Red, the haunted coop, and the Johnson family lived on in the hearts of the villagers, a chilling reminder of the power of justice and the enduring spirit of those who had been wronged.