Halloween Horror

• Yatish Varmora, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2022

I sauntered through the streets trying to find a house that had its lights on. “I knew I shouldn't have gone trick or treating this late”, I whispered to myself. My shoulders were weakening by the second from my bag of lollies I ate. I looked at my watch and just then, it hit 2:27 am. I looked anxious as I stood in the cold and blistering wind. I was getting more fatigued by every step I took. I walked to the tail end of the street and one mansion with a pool filled with water in the front yard was decorated amazingly, as if it was a real gingerbread house. I suddenly realised that the front door was already open. I looked from outside…

There were all these lights outside, but inside, it was the whole opposite. It was as pitch black as a black panther’s fur. I stuck my head in to get a glimpse of the house but as soon as I did I was pulled inside with much power. I woke up, completely disorientated. I was tied. I looked around the unlit room.

I quickly shook the rope off me as I was scrawny enough to do so. Suddenly, I heard sudden footsteps. I quickly put the rope on me as a middle aged man with large muscles walked towards me. He made sure I was still tied up. The creepy man left the empty mansion but locked every single door. I slid out of the rope once again and started roaming around the house.

I climbed up the stairs to the upper level. All of a sudden, I heard a car park in the driveway. I ran down the stairs and tied myself up once again. “You will be staying here for the rest of your life”, the man exclaimed. Those words hit me like a bullet. I have to find a way to escape in the following few hours, I thought to myself.

As soon as the man turned back and was a couple of metres in distance away from me, I took my opportunity. I threw the rope to the ground and I knew exactly where I was going: the stairs. I skipped every second step as the man suddenly realised I was trying to escape. As soon as I reached the top, I found this square outline on the ceiling. I pulled it down in a hurry. It was a ladder that led to the attic. I clambered to the top as I found the only window in the whole mansion. I punched it as hard as I could. The man had just reached the ladder. I saw the pool full of water below me. I jumped… I landed in the pool, as I hurried to get out of there. I ran like I never did before. It was now 6:44am. I leapt onto my bed. I will never go trick or treating again.