Haunted

• Maya Weiss, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2016

Haunted

It is Halloween, the spookiest night of the year. I am eight years old. My sixteen-year-old cousin pulls me into the haunted house at the Halloween festival.

Before I know it, it is our turn. It is extremely dark. I make sure I can feel my cousin’s hand. Suddenly she screams and I jump. ‘Get out of the way!’ she squeals. A huge spiked mace is swinging towards us! I leap out of the way, but then I realise I have lost my cousin and I begin to sob.

‘Mwuhahahaha!’ Walking towards me slowly, surrounding me, are rotting, bloody figures. I am petrified and let out a shrieking scream. One zombie grabs my hand. What is he doing? Then he pushes me into another room. I look around. This one is illuminated by torches - real, flaming torches. Old, mouldy brick lines the walls. A steep staircase is in front of me. I slowly climb the stairs, slipping a little on the mould. Finally I’m at the top.
Suddenly, a horrible screech fills the air. A white shape glides towards me. Then it splits into two! Then four, then six...until twelve phantoms are surrounding me with blank, empty eyes. With yet another horrible screech, all twelve dive straight into me...it seems like they are aiming for my heart. Instead, the thick white smoke blinds me. While I am short of sight, I feel movement. When I can see again, I realise I am in a totally different room. This time, though, I am in a bedroom. It is complete with faded portraits, dusty walls and floors, tattered sheets and a musty feel. I sit on the bed. I shut my eyes, praying, praying this is all a dream.

I open my eyes and shriek. The bloodiest eyes I’ve ever seen stare back at me. Moving my eyes downwards, I am more scared than I have ever been in my life. I see the palest face I’ve ever seen, paired with the most immaculately groomed, slick, black hair, and pointy, extra-white teeth...dripping with blood. My first instinct is to run as fast as I can, which I do immediately. I run until I end up in another illuminated room, but this time with a silvery orb. Then I hear an aggressive growl. All of a sudden a sharp pain radiates through my body; a huge four-legged thing is upon me. Before I know it, I am covered in fur. My eyes are unseeing. A howling noise echoes through the air. And then I pass out.

Finally I see light, and the fur is off me. I stumble outside, only to have my cousin slam into me. ‘OMG!’ she yells. ‘I was so worried about you!’

Since then I have never felt quite right when the full moon comes around.