Halloween Short Story

One crisp Halloween night, in a barely-lit, haphazard town known as Switch, all twelve of the town’s folks gathered for their annually anticipated pumpkin carving contest. The very house they kept the event in, ‘The Tumbledown Cottage’, had its own legend. It was said to be haunted by Casper Hoggle, the town’s founding father who, according to the lore, was quite disgruntled if the town’s excitement for Halloween ever dampened.

As the contest reached its climax, the room went eerily quiet. Each carver awaited the judgement of Mayor Crumble, an eccentric lady with a twisted sense of humour. Suddenly, all the candles began to flicker, causing light to dance upon the carved pumpkins. The townsfolk gasped. The door squeaked open and in came a carved pumpkin bobbling along, bearing no body even remotely close.

The room went quieter than a graveyard at midnight. Even Mayor Crumble’s jokes were hushed. The bobbling pumpkin then stopped at the judge’s desk. With a wicked smile, Mayor Crumble declared, “Looks like Casper Hoggle wins this year!” Proving once again, that in Switch, it’s not just the living who partake in Halloween fun!

Once upon a Halloween night, in the ghoul-infested hamlet of Whispering Hollow, lived an ambitious cat named Whiskers with a penchant for pulling pranks.

Not just any pranks, but ones that make cold sweats blossom and hearts throb like bass drums.

His favorite haunt, the pantry of the creaky old Mansion-on-the-Hill owned by wily yet kindhearted Old Widow Gumble.

Every year, Whiskers would tiptoe into the mansion, knock over Old Widow Gumble’s jam jars, sending her out into the night in a frightful flurry, her shrieks matching the chilling wind.

However, this Halloween, as Whiskers sauntered into the pantry, he bumped into something furry and squeaky. Each bump echoed an exaggerated “Eek!” that sent shivers down Whisker’s spine. Fear, a feeling unfamiliar, and quite distasteful to him, slithered into his heart.

Running out the mansion, his tail between his legs, he scurried with squeaky echoes following him, eyes shining through the inky night. The whole of Whispering Hollow heard of the “Ghost” that had scared away the fearless prankster Whiskers.

The following morning, a triumphant smile flickered on Old Widow Gumble’s lips as she clutched a small battery-operated toy mouse. “That’ll teach you a lesson, Whiskers,” she whispered, perfection meeting wicked glee.

Young Timmy eagerly waited all year for his favorite holiday: Halloween. Each year, he’d bravely venture through the haunted house on Dead End Avenue, facing ghosts, ghouls, and the formidable Candy Monstrosity.

Yet, this Halloween was going to be different. Timmy decided he was going to defeat the Candy Monstrosity to gain the ultimate prize: the Everlasting Pumpkin Treat. Dressing up as a fearsome knight, Timmy crossed the ghoulishly decorated avenue, fear stalking him like a shadow.

He entered the haunted house with a gulp. Awful groans echoed through the dilapidated manor. When he finally confronted the Candy Monstrosity, it scoffed, “What’s your weapon, boy?” Timmy, pulling out his plastic sword, declared, “My bravery!” The room fell into a derisive laughter.

Undeterred, Timmy charged forth. But to his surprise, instead of fighting, the Candy Monstrosity extended a hand, offering the Everlasting Pumpkin Treat. “Bravery, rather than bitter rivalry, earns you the ultimate prize.”

With a skip in his step and a treat in his bag, Timmy left, leaving the monsters in awe. For, this Halloween, the real monster was not the Candy Monstrosity, but the resilient bravery of a little boy!

Every Halloween, Old Mrs. Witherbee’s house emitted an eerie glow, just as the clock struck midnight. You could enjoy the spectacle peacefully, as long as you resisted the urge to ring her doorbell. That is, until Timmy Plunkett, the town’s known mischief-maker, decided to take the dare.

With a pumpkin-shaped bucket full of candies and trembling knees, he approached the rickety gate. Heart pounding, he pressed the rusty doorbell, its chime echoing behind the weathered cedar door. The door creaked open slowly revealing nothing but cold darkness.

Suddenly, out leaped Mrs. Witherbee, wearing an outrageous purple hat adorned with playful ghosts. A withering yell escaped her lips, but instead of a frightening shriek, it was a hearty “Happy Halloween!” To Timmy’s surprise, there lay a colossal candy pile labeled ‘For Ding Dong Ditch Daredevils.’

Word spread through town, and soon enough, Mrs. Witherbee’s place became the popular candy spot. Halloween was no longer a terrifying night of eerie lights at Mrs. Witherbee’s but a sweet (and abundant) surprise.

And what about our daredevil? Well, Timmy Plunkett is now known as the Candy Connoisseur and his dare? It’s now a beloved tradition. Remember, you never know which door is a trick and which one’s an absolute treat!

In the olden days of All Hollow’s Eve, two delightfully mischievous youngsters, Jack and Jill, were infamous for their pranks around the tranquil town of Frightendom. They lived for Halloween, planning their tomfoolery all year round. This particular year, they set a spooky scheme leading their friends into a supposedly haunted mansion nestled at the unfrequented end of town.

News spread about the bravery challenge, and the whole town was abuzz with whispers of the misadventure to be. Arriving at the dilapidated mansion on a chilly Halloween night, the town’s children gathered with bated breaths, their candy bags quivering in sync with their heartbeats. As Jack and Jill entered the mansion first to check for safety, their friends waited anxiously outside.

After what seemed like an eternity, out they sprung with exaggerated horror-stricken faces, infusing hysteria among the crowd. Amid the absolute chaos, the brave duo vanished down the old, dark alley, voices stifled by mischievous laughter. But a surprise awaited them; sudden rustling noises followed by eerie whispers filling the dark alley. With widened eyes and bewildered expressions, they realized the prank was no longer a prank. They stumbled upon the real haunted alley of Frightendom, the back alley everyone had forgotten, making Halloween truly spooky for the pranksters.

It was Halloween night and Billy decided to visit the eerie Pennington House, popularly known as the “Ghost House”. The dilapidated mansion had been abandoned for years since Mrs. Pennington mysteriously disappeared.

Billy, in his pumpkin head costume, carefully tread the creaky wooden stairs, each step echoing throughout the empty mansion. He entered the old study, a room full of ancient artifacts and dusty books. His heartbeat raced.

As Billy explored the room, he spotted a large, grand mirror. Unlike the other objects, it was surprisingly unscathed, not a smidgen of dust on its shiny surface. As he looked into the mirror, he froze. There in the mirror, he saw Mrs. Pennington waving at him.

“You look just like my pumpkins,” she said, smiling warmly, pointing at his Halloween costume. Suddenly, Billy felt less afraid. They spent the night talking about her beautiful garden, her cats, and the joy of Halloween.

As Billy left the house, he felt happy, not scared. The house was not haunted by a scary ghost but by a lovely old lady who loved Halloween as much as he did. And the surprise? Billy went back every Halloween, not because the house was haunted, but because it was the most homely house he had ever visited.

Young Sarah always loved Halloween, but this year was different. She was determined to win the famed Steeplechase town costume contest. Searching in the attic for inspiration, she stumbled upon an old sepia picture of her great-great-grandmother, wearing a jaunty witch’s hat.

Bingo! Sarah decided to be a classic witch. She stitched green fabric into a dress, applied exaggerated wart makeup, and hobbled an old broomstick. On the day of the contest, cheers and shrieks webbed out in delight as she hobbled in, looking the picture of an old-school witch.

The contest carried on, with fantastical aliens, gory zombies and sparkling unicorns strutting their stuff. But as soon as the Mayor, Mr. Withers, saw Sarah, his eyes bulged in living fear. He abruptly announced Sarah as the winner and rushed off the stage.

The town was puzzled but ecstatic for Sarah. Everyone clapped and danced as Sarah thanked them humbly, rather feeling sorry for Mr. Withers’ odd behavior. At the after-party, the elderly Mrs. Hobbs pulled Sarah aside.

Mrs.Hobbs chuckled, “Oh honey, that picture’s not of your great-great-grandmother. That’s an infamous town witch. Remarkably, you copied her appearance to the detail. No wonder Mr. Withers got so scared. His great-great-grandfather was the one who banished her!.”

And thus, Sarah’s victory was sweeter, her tale haunting, and her witch costume curiously more authentic than she’d ever planned. Spooky, yet playful, right?

Once upon a time, in a small, peaceful village called Willow Glen, Halloween was the busiest day of the year. The locals took dressing up seriously, especially old man Jenkins, the town eccentric. But on this particular Halloween, something was amiss; Jenkins had not been seen all day.

As night approached, the neighborhood kids, undeterred by Jenkins’ absence, decided to trick or treat at his notoriously haunted house. Bravely, little Tommy, a dinosaur for the night, ventured first to the ominous open door. He got his candy bowl ready and shouted into the darkness, “Trick or Treat!”

Just as the words left his mouth, a ghostly figure swooped from behind the door, emitting a blood-curdling scream. Tommy, suddenly bold, reached out to remove the sheet. To everyone’s surprise, instead of finding Jenkins, they found Mrs. Gonzalez, the sweet, innocent librarian!

Giggles filled the silent night as she told them how Jenkins had sprained his ankle and asked her to spearhead the frightening tradition. And so, the scariest Halloween in Willow Glen turned into the funniest one thanks to the surprising ghost, Mrs. Gonzalez.

Once upon a spooky Halloween night, there was a house at the end of Maple Street. The house, old and abandoned, whispered tales of haunted happenings, making even the bravest kids shiver. The local legend said that every Halloween night, the ghost of Old Lady Crawford, a woman known for her infamous pumpkin pies, roamed in search of her missing recipe.

On this moonlit night, two curious kids, Tim and Rose, decided to test the legend. Armed with flashlights, they stepped inside the rickety, groaning building. In a dusty kitchen, they found an ancient cookbook. Tim, turning the time-worn pages, spotted the lost pumpkin pie recipe!

Feeling brave, they tried reciting the recipe, the words echoing spookily around the empty room. As they finished, a pumpkin pie, fresh and warm, manifested on the kitchen table! Shocked, they tasted the pie. It was the most delicious pie they’d ever eaten.

As they left the house, still in a daze, they looked back. For a brief moment, they saw a figure in the window. A sweet, grandmotherly figure, happily waving them goodbye. From that day, kids no longer feared the house on Maple Street and every Halloween, Old Lady Crawford’s ghostly pumpkin pies became a delectable tradition.

On a chilled Halloween night, young Tommy, decked out in a ghostly sheet, was on a quest for the perfect trick-or-treat loot. The old house at the end of the street was reputed to give out the biggest candy bars, but it was also rumored to be haunted.

Bravely, Tommy knocked on the creaky gate and walked towards the house. It seemed vacant, not a single light was on. He stood on the porch and knocked. Suddenly, the door creaked open, revealing a deep, spooky darkness. With trembling hands, Tommy held up his candy bag, blinking eyes adjusting to the gloom.

Out of the shadows, an arm reached out, dropping a colossal chocolate candy bar into his bag and followed by a low, eerie laugh.

Relieved and thrilled, Tommy ran back home, eager to devour his prized possession. As he unwrapped his prize, instead of the promised candy, he found a healthy, green apple.

With a sigh, Tommy understood. Sometimes, even ghosts care about dental hygiene. Then he heard a familiar chuckle nearby, Aunt Agnes, the town dentist, also a meteoric prankster! Certainly, his Halloween night was one to remember.