Little Witch and Jack O'Lantern is a creepypasta on the nosleep subreddit that is meant as an homage to "Children's show with dark secret" creepypastas like Candle Cove and 1999: Creepypasta. Logan, the adult protagonist, recounts his memories watching the obscure titular TV show as a kid. It was a Halloween-themed Edutainment show starring the little witch, Melanie, and the powerful warlock, Jack O'Lantern. Melanie lived in Jack's castle; Jack, a once-human sorcerer who now has a pumpkin for a head, took in Melanie and now teaches her the ways of magic. There was a cast of other characters as well, like a skull on the wall, a black cat, a bat who would come in to sing a song, and a sentient sneezing bookcase, but Melanie and Jack are the ones Logan remembers. Once an Episode, Jack would open a book and tell Melanie about "everyday magic", which is his name for various scientific phenomena—he would deliver the scientific lesson of the day, then end the episode.
One night, Logan sees an ad for a hotline where the caller can speak with Jack and Melanie. Being the ecstatic fan of the show that he is, he asks his parents to call the hotline. He finally gets to speak to Jack and Melanie—or so he thought, but on reflection, he recognizes that it was likely a recording. Jack would relate some anecdote about him and Melanie, what they did for the day, then send Melanie to bed and bid the caller goodnight. Logan would turn this into a nightly routine, wherein his parents would call the hotline every night, hand him the phone, and leave him in his room. He loved this routine, and would always be exited to receive each call.
But starting from one night, the calls take a strange turn. Jack and Melanie start acting... out of character. And gradually, what was once Logan's greatest delight became a recurring nightmare.
Can be found here
. Also, Mr Creepypasta does a dramatic reading here.
This story contains examples of:
- All Witches Have Cats: Melanie has a black cat as one of the characters in the show.
- Asshole Victim: It is never confirmed, but heavily implied that Timothy Clay, a Serial Killer who was on parole for his crimes, was murdered by Melanie's actress for all the torment he put her through.
- Big Bad: Timothy Clay, the actor who plays Jack O'Lantern and the creator of the show, is a Serial Killer who is responsible for abusing Melanie's actress and stalking Logan.
- Catchphrase: Jack, at the end of each episode, would always say “A fine effort you’ve made Little Witch, but remember that there’s magic in the world in places you’d never suspect!” before reading the scientific story of the day, and when he finished, “Always remember. There’s everyday magic in places you would never expect.” He would also open his bedtime story calls with “Hello there, young spellcaster!”
- Cute Witch: The titular little witch Melanie is a little girl who is learning magic from Jack O'Lantern.
- Dark Is Not Evil: The titular Show Within a Show's characters are all Halloween-themed, including a talking skull, a bat, and a possessed/sentient bookcase. All are friendly characters who serve to entertain children. The stars, Melanie and Jack, also count: Melanie is a Cute Witch who wants to learn how to be a good spellcaster, and Jack is a tall, red-robed figure with a pumpkin for a head who speaks in a deep, booming voice, has an Evil Laugh, and initially scared the protagonist Logan as a kid, but is the Big Good and a benevolent caretaker/tutor in magic to Melanie. But Jack's actor, Timothy Clay, completely subverts this. He uses the character as his Serial Killer persona, taking on Jack's voice, laugh, and mannerisms and giving them all a much darker meaning.
- Depraved Kids' Show Host: Timothy Clay plays Jack O'Lantern and, on the show, is a fatherly sorcerer who teaches Melanie and the viewers about "everyday magic", or scientific phenomena. Off-set, he's a Serial Killer, cannibal, and abuser of the Melanie actresses.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: After the hotline call that changed everything, a scared Logan talks to his mom, who asks him what happened. Not quite understanding the meaning of Jack/Timothy saying he “carved Melanie’s face up” and sent her to an “eternal slumber”, he says that Jack/Timothy sent Melanie to bed early, prompting his mom to think it was no big deal.Logan: That was about as much as I’d been able to understand from what Jack had said. What exactly he’d meant when he’d said he’d ‘carved Melanie’s face up’ had gone over my head. I’m sure that if my Mom had known about that part, she wouldn’t have taken what I’d said so well.
- Edutainment: The Show Within a Show was this, or at least the end of each episode was, as Jack would explain a scientific phenomena (for example, the water cycle) and refer to it as "everyday magic".
- Evil Sounds Deep: Subverted with Jack—although Logan is intimidated by his booming voice at first, he learns that Jack is a pleasant person. Played straight with his actor, Timothy Clay, who uses the same voice as his Serial Killer persona.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: After he drops his facade, Jack/Timothy’s voice sounds harsher and with a hiss, as Logan recounts.
- Faux Affably Evil: Timothy Clay uses his polite, wise, and fatherly Jack O'Lantern persona even as he speaks to Logan of the horrible things he has done, like carve Melanie's face and cook a friend of hers into a stew.
- Forced Transformation: Jack became a Pumpkin Person for some reason—the narrator Logan thinks he accidentally cursed himself, but he doesn't quite remember.
- Inept Mage: Melanie wants to impress Jack with her spellcasting but screws it up nearly every episode. For example, in one episode she tried to make food out of nothing, only to learn such a thing is impossible; in another, she tries to use a spell to stop the rain so she can go outside and play, but winds up causing a flood instead. During one of the hotline calls, Melanie recounts how she tried to change the weather only to cause a hurricane in the library.
- I'm a Humanitarian: The Serial Killer Timothy Clay has eaten at least one of his victims, according to his conversation as Jack to Logan, where he recounts having kidnapped a friend of Melanie and cooked him into a “nostalgia stew” which he fed to himself and Melanie—and he later recounts having eaten his previous assistant and their parents.“My nostalgic potion has reminded our Little Witch of her duties in my castle, lest she join her predecessors and that oh so charming man in their wakeless slumber down in our dungeon… When left to simmer, his flesh took on such wonderful flavors. I should not indulge so often but I must confess the temptation is… difficult to resist... especially when there is meat so readily available.”
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: At first, the calls on the bedtime story hotline, starring the characters from the Show Within a Show, seem to be recordings sent out to all the children who call the number. But then, on the last call, Jack actually responds to Logan and calls him by name. It is ambiguous as to whether Jack/Timothy really does have magic powers or if he simply stalked Logan for whatever reason.
- Meaningful Name: Jack O'Lantern is a Pumpkin Person with a Jack O'Lantern for a head.
- Nice Character, Mean Actor: The titular Jack O'Lantern is the Big Good of the show and Melanie's father figure who always teaches her and the kids good lessons. He is definitely a Dark Is Not Evil type character—despite his intimidating appearance, he loves and cares for Melanie and is a Friend to All Children. His actor, Timothy Clay, is a Serial Killer who uses his character as his persona, is indicated to have abused Melanie's
various actresses, and stalks the kid protagonist Logan. - Once an Episode: Every episode ends with Jack sitting Melanie down, getting a book, and explaining an instance of "everyday magic", which is basically a science lesson.
- The Other Darrin: In-Universe, the character of Melanie is noted by Logan to have been played by at least two different actresses. It is indicated that Jack/Timothy may have killed at least one of them, then replaced her.
- Pumpkin Person: Jack O'Lantern, as his name suggests, has a Jack O'Lantern for a head. He used to be human, but something happened—according to Logan's hazy memory, Jack accidentally cursed himself.
- Running Gag: In-Universe. In the Show Within a Show, the sentient bookcase would breathe in dust and sneeze, sending his books flying towards Melanie. The books would hit her and he would say, sadly: "Sorry Melanie."
- Shout-Out: Logan directly compares the show to Polka Dot Door, The Big Comfy Couch, and Pee-wee's Playhouse.
- Show Within a Show: The titular Little Witch and Jack O'Lantern is a live-action/puppet Edutainment show with a Halloween theme starring the Little Witch Melanie in her quest to learn magic from the wise wizard Jack O'Lantern.
- Wham Line: One of Logan's hotline calls to the characters of the titular Show Within a Show is going a bit odd, since Melanie is absent. Jack explains the reason for her absence... and then says this:Jack: After her latest catastrophe I decided it would be best to carve up her face just like mine...
- Would Hurt a Child: The Serial Killer Timothy Clay, as Jack O'Lantern, claims to have carved up Melanie's face, and is hinted to have abused the other actresses of Melanie, physically or otherwise.
