It’s that time of year again!!
Children’s author Susanna Leonard Hill is hosting her 5th annual Halloweensie writing contest. This is my second crack at it. I love everything about Halloween, but I especially love this writing contest. There are always so many creative entries, so don’t just read mine, head over here to Susanna’s website to read all the fabulous entries!
The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not included in the 100 words), using the words costume, dark, and haunt. Your story can be scary, funny or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over!) Get it? Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people 🙂 (And yes, I know 100 words is short but that’s part of the fun and the challenge! We got over 130 fantastic entries last year so I know you can do it!) Also, you may use the words in any form – e.g. haunt, haunts, haunted, darkness, darkening, costumed, whathaveyou 🙂
So here is my entry:(exactly 100 words)
The Haunting
Tonight when children go to bed,
I’ll be that thing that they all dread.
I’ll creep into their darkened room,
A spirit from the grave exhumed.
For this is Halloween tonight,
When even darkness shakes with fright,
But I’ll be laughing with delight
When frightened children bolt upright!
What’s that in the children’s room?
A gang of youngsters in costume!
They’re waiting for me in the dark,
A clown, a monster,
…is that a shark?
Now it’s me who shakes with fright!
The children laughing with delight,
I bolt back to my burial site,
I won’t be haunting them tonight!
Nightingalechronicles.com 
This is wonderful! Love the turn of events (though your ghost might not…). 🙂
Thanks Carrie, my ghost is nothing but a scaredy cat!
I love how the children turn the tables on that creepy spirit! This is a wonderful Halloweensie entry, Jean. Happy Halloween!
Thanks Gabi, I just love Halloweensie, so much fun!!
I love this story! So many great entries this year.
Thanks Jen!! and yes I’ve been having a blast reading all the great entries!
I love a good rhyme and a twist. You nailed it Jean!
Thank you Donna, and I really love the Halloweensie, such a fun contest!
This is awesome! Nice work.
Thank you Greg!!
Very kid fun. Good luck.
Thanks so much!
Good job, and good luck 🙂 I also like your “keep calm and scary on” sign!
Thank you Christie. I liked the sign too, perfect for the Halloweensie contest.
Great Halloween poem. Take that creepy ghost! The children know just how to get to you. 🙂
Thanks Traci; yes it’s about time the children learned to fight back…now if I could only get my own kids to go upstairs by themselves lol.
Great build up and climax!
Thanks Joanna!!
Not sure which scares me most – the clown or the shark. Probably the clown! Yikes!
Happy Halloweensie Jean.
In my house it’s definitely sharks…thanks for stopping by!
Hahaha! The tables turned! Love that the sharks are scariest of all 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in the Halloweensie fun, Jean!
Yes sharks are the scariest of all in my house lol. Thanks for such a great contest and all the work you put into it!!
What a great twist in your story/poem it starts out eerie and really flips at the end, great!
Thanks!! I was happy for those brave kids standing up to that creepy spirit.
Perfect! I loved that the tables were turned! This was such a fun read, Jean. 😉
Thanks so much Vivian it was so much fun to write!
Good to see the children get the better of that ghost! Good luck!
Me too Charlotte, it’s about time they fought back, at least in story, my kids are still hiding behind my back lol! Thanks for stopping by!