13 Spooks of Halloween, Because... thirteen.

[Krader]

Huh... Where can I get one?

Seriously though, all of these are quite awesome.

[Mecha-GREGOLE]

The Vampire Eater



The undead have always been there to remind man that his place on the food chain was not the top. It's only fitting that they too be stalked through the night.

Hailing from Western Europe, this arthropod is rarely found far from civilization. Much like the humans it shares a symbiotic bond with, however, its kind has spread globally. The mortician, the coroner, the forensices who clean up crime scenes, the hermit on the edge of town, or perhaps closer still. So long as it has access to human corpses, it remains happy.
The vampire eater travels in groups consisting of one massive alpha and hundreds of cockroach-sized betas. Once they have found a fresh human cadaver, they make quick work of its innards, leaving only skin and bone behind. Then they enter the gruesome veil and align themselves until it's able to move in a wretched parody of life.

The creatures don't sleep. Days are spent in seclusion. Most vampire eaters are able to mimic human speech to some degree. A relative youth will know only stock phrases it uses to pass for human. The elders, however, are often able to master language completely, and even hold down jobs.

By day, they wear their veils silently. Once the sun sets and their neighbors sleep, however, the perpetually insomniac entity leaves the shelter of human civilization to prowl the night in search of its favorite prey: Nosferatu.
Much as a snake wriggles its tail like a worm to lure in fish, the vampire eater poses as a single wandering, often quite vulnerable human, irresistible to most nocturnal bloodsuckers. Once the undead lays hands upon the creature, however, it springs! Hefty pincers restrain the vampire while silver-tipped proboscis pierces the heart, restraining the undead's movement. The creature's huge, circular maw makes quick work of the body, and the creature withdraws back into its guise. The betas will then latch onto their alpha's soft underbelly, draining their share of the nutrients from the meal.

Today, vampire eaters are all but unknown. Many integrate with human society almost perfectly, and some have even managed careers as professional vampire hunters, revealing their true nature only to their short-lived victims.

At least, until they enter their chrysalis stage...

[Mecha-GREGOLE]

The Maw



What is a ghost? Some say it's the life energy of a mortal being, no longer weighed down by its body. But how does such a thing hold itself together?
Some say it's the lingering willpower of someone with some unfinished business in life. But what of those without a goal?
And then, some say that a ghost is merely an afterimage of a life, forever burned into reality itself. And if reality can glitch around such a thing, what else might be burnt into reality?

There is scarcely an animal on the planet, nay, the universe that doesn't fear predation. Not a single creature doesn't feel at least the slightest tinge of unease towards the unknown. Not a single creature doesn't fear those higher on the food chain than it.

Perhaps that's what it is. Perhaps the ghostly, disembodied jaws and burning red eyes are not a living thing, but a physical manifestation of the very idea of being eaten. But what of those who vanish into the void at the center of the great maw? Are they truly consumed, or do they merely cease to be?

[The Outsider]

Maybe it's cause it's late, or maybe I'm just stupid, but the "Breeder" one doesn't seem scary. Weird, yeah, but not scary. It harmlessly absorbs human genetic samples. Whoopy-doo. The closest to "scary twist" is the fact that the locals want to keep their little toys a secret from the folks back home. Someone doesn't want to share, ooooh, scary.

[Mecha-GREGOLE]

Was going for more of a subtle eeriness than any actual sense of menace.
This whole project is basically one giant experiment with various different ideas. Some of them might not click as well as others.

[Mecha-GREGOLE]

Teratus Familiaris



Better known as the common monster, teratus familiaris is a nocturnal, urban predator.
Typically found in human homes, the common monster tends to hide itself in extremely confined, small areas such as closets, under beds, and in rooms one is forbidden from entering.
Its diet consists primarily of children, a prey that requires considerable skill to obtain, as children typically share the same habitat as the monster's only two natural enemies: Adults and light. If exposed to either of these things, the monster will cease to exist utterly.

Despite its great size, the monster is able to squeeze itself into the tiniest of crevices and remain completely motionless for days and, in some cases, years on end. Only when a child exposes themselves to attack does the monster spring, devouring its prey whole and slinking off to find new hunting grounds.

When dealing with the monster, teratologiests recommend hiding under a blanket. Monsters display a natural aversion to bedding, which is why even when one is under the bed, a human can sleep soundly. It is recommended that one cover oneself completely, however, as the more desperate monsters have been known to attack exposed body parts.

Modern science today suggests that the monster may share ancestry with the bogeyman, though this is mere speculation. Despite the name, monsters share no relation with the more elusive daikaiju, or 'giant monster'.


***



If you haven't figured it out, this is what my childhood self always imagined monsters to look like.

[Mecha-GREGOLE]

Jackson



Not all daikaiju are city-smashing, brawling, bloodthirsty brutes. Some of them are subtle, clever and easily satisfied.

The elusive Jackson is bigger than a whale, and yet his existence is known only to a small handful of citizens (mainly hobos, drunks and those who are otherwise prone to extremely late hours). With shapeshifting powers that put even the mimic octopus to shame, the titanic lizard is visible only when it wants to be, and can vanish into almost any terrain. The glass and concrete of the urban jungle is no challenge. Entire lives go by under the thing's nose, none the wiser. It's only those that Jackson takes that learn of his presence, (and not always even then). A person snatched from the street or from their window ledge, a group of cars driving into a tunnel, only to find the interior disturbingly fleshy, a dark alley that only gets darker.... Few ever become the wiser.


***


Scorpius



Since the dawn of his birth, man has looked up at the stars.

One night the stars looked back.


***



The Burning Siren



The entertainment business can be savage. Raw talent isn't always enough to succeed, especially when the competition will do anything to get ahead.

Melissa Leer learned this the hard way. She poured her heart into her music, and it showed. But she was not a business woman, and despite enjoying a moderate popularity, soon fell out of favor with the public. She didn't take it well.

No, no matter how hard she fought to make her music the best that it could be, it wasn't enough. As her savings dwindled, so too did her will. One evening, she grew fed up and decided to end it all. True to herself, she refused to simply wink out, and decided to go out with flare. In other words, she drove off the edge of a sheer cliff, engulfing herself and her van in a massive fireball. She lived long enough to feel the blaze flay her skin right off.

Melissa Leer died. Her artistic spirit, however, was not so easily extinguished. A month later, she rose up from the wreckage, the flames that silenced her still burning. They didn't hurt now, however. They made her crave something... Something she wasn't used to being without.
Fishing her guitar from the wreckage, she mended the strings and resumed playing.

It may be that, for perishing in despair, Melissa is a damned soul. It may be that she will play until the end of time.

She is completely okay with this.


***


WELL! That was a close one, but I just made it!

This was an enormously fun exercise. It took some reaching to fill out every single slot, and yet I still have so many more ideas.
It was tough to keep on schedule, but I made it, and I'm proud of myself for it. Some of these are concepts I've always had a weakness for, and some were completely made up on the spot. Some are scary, some are merely unsettling. And I managed to break out of my comfort zone with several.

One way or another, this was a really fun project, and I hope to do another next year. Some of these guys might even become literary characters in the future.

I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I have.

[Rugnor]

I must say your childhood monster looks incredible, i must congratulate your child-self for thinking this creature.Also the burning siren just screams METAL!