Bogleech.com's 2013 Horror Write-off:

" The Silent Bard "

Submitted by Pyro Gibberish

The Silent Bard rode into town atop a dying steed.
He stumbled blithely through the twin doors of the old town hall,
Starting down the first steps of his enigmatic deed,
Wordless and unknowable, a mystery to all.

The Silent Bard was dressed in clothes of countless vibrant hues.
Patterned, silken, precious things, exotic as can be.
A cloak of violet, green, and black, and the deepest blue,
A mask of far-off animals and beasts we'll never see.

The Silent Bard began his song, a whimsical refrain,
And soon the town had lost itself in the soundless hymn.
People would dance in the streets, setting aside their pain,
They'd sway and hum in merriment, and life wasn't so grim.

The Silent Bard began to pack again in just a week,
His songs grew slow and somber, and so too did the town.
The hushed concert he gave was gloomy and bleak,
Within an hour he had fled, and still there was no sound.

The Silent Bard had ridden out in that eerie mask.
The town resumed its normal life just again that dawn.
Save for the whispered, worried questions asked.
"Oh dear, oh dear, this cannot be! Where have the children gone?"