ANNUAL HALLOWEEN PARTY LOOKS FOR A REDO

By: Arial

Famed vampire and rural dream world resident, Count Anastasius, has announced the return of his annual Halloween Party— and it looks to be a redo of last year’s.

The Count made the announcement earlier this week from his mansion, that despite being the site for the other parties he has held in the past, will not be held there. Instead, he is looking to move the party to the Club dimension once again. This comes after last year’s party was subject to a power outage that would later be connected to Operation Blackout.

“Yes, I intend to hold my annual Halloween party at the Club once more following last year’s, ahem, incident,” Count Anastasius told reporters, “I have been assured by DJ Techno that there shouldn’t be any incidents this year. If so, I look to have a redo and hopefully start setting things up later this month.”

The Count has held annual parties on Halloween at his mansion for over half a century now. His gates are opened up to the public so anyone from anywhere can join in on the festivities. However, he looked to move it to the rural dream world to a more “community” setting last year. Once more, that will be the case.

“Similar to all of my previous events, this one will be open to the public. Yes, anyone will be able to join in,” he said, “Do not be afraid to come! I know last year was different but I think this year will be one to remember with great memory.”

The Count said that there is no specific dress code but recommends people to attend in costumes or Halloween related attire.

“The dress code is not strict but you know, dress like if it was a Halloween party, which it is,” Count Anastasius explained, “I look forward to see everyone join. I will give more details soon.”

This is a developing story. Stick with the Tribune for the latest information as it develops.

SPECTER SIGHTINGS SEE A RISE

By: Oswald

Several sightings of specters have been seen in the dream world as of late.

According to reports, specters have been seen a tad bit more than usual by the general public. This is due to the Halloween season, though the Dimension Protection Force assures the public that this is not like 2023.

“In 2023, we saw a rise in specter sightings across the rural dream world due to Francis’ doing and while that was resolved, it’s become a bit of an annual thing,” a DPF spokesperson told the Tribune, “These are human spirits who are curious to venture out into the dream world and check out ongoing Halloween related matters.”

While a grand majority of human spirits live in the famed Quartier Fantôme, some may visit and even end up living in the rural dream world. Those who live in the rural dream world live quiet lives amongst us but will visit the Quartier Fantôme just as those in the Quartier Fantôme will visit the rural dream world. Sightings typically rise in October, again, due to Halloween.

“It’s cool to see human spirits come to see what we’re up to,” Gayle, a local resident, told me, “I bet the Quartier Fantôme is pretty nice. I’d visit if I knew how to get there!”

“I’ve been to the Quartier Fantôme many times before and it’s pretty awesome!” Almoral, a local necromancer told me, “They got, like, lots of cool stuff to see and do there. It’s neat! It’s cool that they like to visit us too!”

With these sightings on the rise, it has also prompted avid ghost hunters to partake in the hobby.

“Oh yeah, we’ve had fun catching ghosts for many years now. It’s a fun hobby,” Talsin, a ghost hunter of 30 years, said to me, “They like partaking in the fun and being sneaky too. It’s a thrill!”

The DPF says that there is no threat stemming from the rise in specter sightings nor do they pose any sort of threat to the public. For more information, visit our website for additional details and news about ongoing sightings.

Q/A: Ask Nate

Dear Nate, is it safe to use a ouija board to talk to spirits?

By: Kal Ling

Hi Kal! Ouija boards have long been a method in contacting those who have passed away. They also made their way to the real world where humans can use them as well but you might’ve heard some stories about ouija board experiences going awry. So time to make things clear around here if you’re planning to use one!

Ouija boards are typically wooden boards made from the wood of old, cursed trees that hold a special magic that allows the living to get in contact with otherworldly entities. This is important to keep in mind when using boards! The boards themselves are pretty simple as they have letters and numbers that can be used to spell out words, phrases or anything numeric. There are also the “yes”, “no” and “goodbye” options that could be selected. The user or users will ask a set of questions and if there is someone on the other side, the planchette will move to spell out or answer these questions. It can be rather exciting to get responses!

However, it is important to note that ouija boards are NOT just for speaking to spirits. As I said before, these boards are used to speak with otherworldly entities in general. When you begin to use a board, you are essentially opening a door into our world— think of it like opening the front door to your house. Because of this, if there is anything nearby, they can walk into that door and begin to answer your questions. This can be the spirit of a deceased person but it can also include other entities such as the notorious demon! Certain types of demons can hold on to this door and pass themselves off as a spirit. Because you’ve opened this door and let someone in, they have the power to start acting bad to you or those around you. It’ll then be hard to get rid of them! You need to be quite careful…

Ouija boards are a simple way to talk to those on the “other side” but beware! Anyone can answer your call to speak and it could end with pretty bad experiences! Yes, you may have a chance to speak to a spirit but you also have a chance to speak with notorious entities with ill intentions. If you need to know, dream demons don’t need a ouija board to communicate with the other side as they instead communicate through dreams therefore I won’t be answering a ouija board! I would personally avoid using them but if you are truly curious, you can use one yourself but at your own discretion. You’ve been warned!

Dear Nate, why are dolls often haunted?

By: Chuck E.

Hiya Chuck! I’m assuming you’re talking about the kind of dolls that are typically stuffed and sewn and come in all sizes! There are doll people in the dream world, but they are real living people! We have our own dolls and plushies that we make to comfort us, but how come we often hear stories of haunted dolls?

I had this question myself long ago when I was investigating a strange case of a haunted object. Of course, this was when I worked with Lucid! It was an old, antique doll that was already worn out, but we were told it would come alive when no one was looking. It was so much for the owner who wanted to know what kept making things around the house bump in the night! I had to ask Lucid why dolls are often haunted.

If I remember correctly, Lucid explained to me that sometimes a spirit will inhabit a doll or plush toy as a way to remain “human.” If you recall, spirits in the dream world are deceased humans who made their way here from the real world. However, sometimes a spirit is not content with not having a physical body. Unlike demons, they cannot possess a living person, but they can “possess” physical non-person objects like dolls! Dolls typically resemble humans or people and have arms and legs. This allows the spirit to essentially use the doll as a way to continue living their life as if they were human, although it’s a bit limited being in a doll’s body!

Not all dolls are haunted, though. Spirits may attach themselves to a physical non-person object they may have had a strong connection to when they were alive— say, a child with their plush animal. Sometimes, a spirit may just find a doll or plush toy lying around and decide to call it their new home. If you have a doll that’s inhabited by a spirit, it’s best to leave it alone. I mean, you wouldn’t want to anger whoever is inside of it. Can you imagine a haunted doll going around wrecking havoc? Worst case scenario, just call the professionals!