The following were this year’s entries in the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript’s Scary Stories Contest. Thanks to everyone who participated!
The Ghost Pony: First place
Every year at twilight on Halloween, Ghost Pony reveals himself. Some say he is merely a phantom, an unnecessarily dreaded mythical character, while others settle at him being an entirely untrue tall tale. Regardless, he is truly a snow-white, fair-looking horse. Don’t let that fool you…for it is said that he can bespoke death upon you with one…evil…glance!
In a nearby hamlet, three girls (or rather two) were giggling about how silly it was that little children walked around begging for candy, feeling too old for fun. Repulsed by this discussion, the other girl ran off, disgusted at the display of cowardliness. She wandered aimlessly, then stopped in confusion. She was unable to comprehend which path would lead her back to society. She looked around, and then bigger issues ensued.
She heard a faint rustling of leaves deep in the woods. Instinctively, she looked toward the mysterious noise and finally they spotted each other. She stopped dead in her tracks when two glimmering evil eyes showed. She recalled the tales of the grave stare the appearing equine could cast upon you. The girl ran, and she didn’t stop until she was safe at home.She lay in bed for what seemed like forever, the scary events of the previous escapade rolling through her mind. At last sleep intervened and she lay peacefully dreaming.
Ghost Pony? In her dreamy state, all seemed confused. The cloudy figure was not an enemy, but a friend. It was hard for her to comprehend, but she felt content. She and her steed galloped over clouds. She had never felt so free. Meanwhile, Ghost Pony has enjoyed a similar dream. There was a bond; there is no mistaking that.
When the girl woke up, she was feeling a magical reciprocation. She bounded to the forest where she had first seen her other half. She was scared that she would have to tame this horse, or that the horse did not feel the same, but deep down she knew that wouldn’t be the case. She looked off in the distance and saw four thundering hooves galloping towards her. She ran to meet the key to her lock. When they finally met, the shared emotion was heartwarming. Her new best friend bowed down and she climbed into his warm back and the pair galloped off into the sunset.
By Sarah Jackson
Age 13
Sharon
Scared: Second place
One fall morning, a boy named Joe was riding home from school on his bike. When he heard footsteps nearby, he was too scared to turn around, so he rode home as quickly as he could. He rushed to his room and closed the door. He looked out the window. No one was there.
The next morning, he is suspicious but the sound of footsteps is not there. He arrives at school wondering if he will hear the footsteps again. In school he lost focus; he was too worried to pay attention. He left school and started to pedal as fast as he could. He started to hear feet coming, he built up enough courage to look back.
It was a tall skinny woman with brown curly hair wearing all black. This woman did not look familiar to him.
POP! His tire hit a sharp rock and it was deflating by the second. He looked back, the lady was chasing him. He ran and ran but she caught up to him. She stabbed him with a sleeping needle and he fell to the ground. She picked him up and brought him to an abandoned house. The house was big and covered in graffiti. It was abandoned 10 years ago when people mysteriously disappeared.
The next morning, he woke up wondering where he was. He was in a cold, dark, quiet room, too quiet. He wondered what was going to happen next. He heard a voice, but he did not see anyone. He saw light, and there was a woman coming down the stairs. Joe is shivering with fright, She says, “Hello.” Joe asked, “Who are you?” “I’m Amanda White.”
Joe says in a quiet voice, “I’ve heard of you.”
“Have you?” Amanda says.
The police get a call from Joe’s parents reporting their missing child. They drive toward his house for clues. They see his bicycle lying on the side of the road. They take it to the station and look for fingerprints. One of the cops who has been with them for a long time remembers a case exactly like this. He remembers every 10 years on Halloween a child has been missing in this same area. He looked in the files, at the last case.
Joe hears sirens! As the police are breaking through the front door, they see Amanda White in their flashlights.
By Carter Bergeron
The Forbidden Campground: Third place
One night, the Googer family went to a campsite in the forest for the holiday. These kids loved going to this burnt shed to play. It was next to the campsite. The girl’s name was Mandy and the boy’s name was Max.
One night, there was a glowing moon. They followed the light of the moon and saw a pile of bones. The bones rose. Max and Mandy yelled, “MOM, DAD!”
They told Mom and Dad what they saw. The parents turned around to Max and Mandy and said, “There’s nothing there!”
Two vampires were right behind the parents and the parents fell to the ground after the vampires bit them.
So, Max and Mandy ran away deeper and deeper into the forest. They saw the vampires chasing them. They ran even deeper.
It was finally morning. Mandy and Max were in the sunlight. The vampire turned to dust when he ran into the sunlight. Max and Mandy looked around and found a house. They knocked on the door and they went in.
Two people came out and asked, “Are you lost?”
Max and Mandy said, “Two vampires were following us.”
“Ha ha, Nice joke!” the house owner said.
“No, it’s true!” said Max and Mandy.
The house owners said, “Come in. You must be cold. Let us give you some hot tea.”
They went back to the city and the new people became Max and Mandy’s parents.
By Braylen Geiger
Age 8
Grade three
Temple Elementary School
Halloween: Honorable mention
The pumpkins are orange. The night is scary. The Zombies chased Pete the Cat.
By Trinity Nagle
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
The Spooky Story: Honorable mention
It was Halloween! Creak, creak, creak went the door. A skeleton screamed. A zombie screamed. There are cobwebs in the sky. Why are the cobwebs in the sky? I screamed. I was scared. Pumpkins were smashed.
By Maggie Banister
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
Night’s Greatest Spooky Halloween Night: Honorable mention
On Halloween everyone screams and runs. The moon goes down and ghosts start hiding. Then at night time the zombies ghosts and werewolves come out from where they hide. They run around the town on Halloween night. They steal the candy. They throw it at all the people.
By Easton Jeffers
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
My Jack-o’-lantern
I have a jack-o’-lantern. He is on my step. One day, my jack-o’-lantern’s top came off. The ghost popped out of the pumpkin. He said, “OO OOO.” He scared Abby. Abby yelled, “Ghost! get out of here!”
He ran away. Abby ran away too.
By Nicholas Geiger
Age 6
First grade
Temple Elementary School
The Scary Ghost
One day, I was sleeping. Nicky was sleeping in my room, too. We heard a big noise. The ghost floated out of the closet and scared us. We told him to go away. He took a toy away from me. He drew a picture of Nicky. Then he floated, ran away and disappeared.
By Abby Racine
Age 6
First grade
Temple Elementary School
The House King
One dark summer night, a black and green monster truck drove out of the ground. The monster truck runs on ooze. It ran out of ooze and it stopped.
A humongous skeleton rose out of the ground. He picked up the monster truck and carried it to the ugly mean haunted house that walks. The skeleton puts the monster truck in the haunted house.
The house wakes up, and it has terrifying red eyes. The house takes the skeleton apart. He puts it in the house. The house rumbles and runs to the village. The house screams, “I am the boss and you will listen to my commands!”
The village people were very frightened. They sadly listened and followed the House King’s orders.
After two years, the village people stopped listening. They chopped off one of the house’s legs. The haunted house kicked everyone out of the town. The haunted house was sad, angry, upset and lonely.
By Jackson Ellis
Age 8
Third grade
Temple Elementary School
An ogre
An ogre with two spiders on its shoulders and a bat shattering everywhere.
A lava guy.
A creepy lizard crawling everywhere.
By Faye Ratcliffe
Age 4
Rindge Memorial School/ Pre-K
The Spooky House
Skeletons, zombies, vampires and spooky pumpkins were out in the yard. Spiders were there too. There were ghosts and haunted houses near the zombies.
By Hunter Lewis
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
Pennywise
Pennywise ran on a dark and stormy night.
By Landon Carmichael
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
Halloween
In the night, spooky skeletons are in the night. It is so scary. Spiders are coming to eat the skeletons. The spiders eat them, crunch, crunch, crunch!
Zombies are disgusting when they eat people! Roar, roar, roar!
By Aiden Lehto
Age 7
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
The Spooky Halloween
On Halloween night, there was a skeleton. It was creeping down the street. In the sky there were vampires. Everyone screamed! Zombies screamed! Halloween was very dark. Bats were flying and pumpkins were walking. It was the scariest night of all.
By Winslow Lawrence
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
Spooky Night
There were zombies. Everyone was screaming. Everyone is running. They go into the house. Inside the house there were very spooky things. One hundred thousand spooky things.
By Eloise Handy
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
Spooky
Vampires at night on a spooky night. Mummies on a spooky night. Bats on a spooky night. Pumpkins on a spooky night. Spiders on a spooky night. Snow bees on a spooky night. Cobwebs and vampires in the air. The haunted house is very scary. Zombies were very near.
By Makayla Simmons
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
Scary Monsters
There were a bunch of people with baskets and candy. At the last door, there was a creak.
Bats were in the sky. It was dark. The sky was very dark. Creatures, witches and bats were in the air. It was so scary. NOOOO! The zombies were coming.
Dragons were in the sky. WHOOSH! Two dragons were in the sky. Everyone screamed! Then they all ran home.
By Meadow Blanchard
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
The Werewolf Battle
The werewolf went to fight with Huggy Wuggy. Then the werewolf won. So then the vampire said, “The werewolf won.” Then the ghost said, “BOO!”
By Levi Wight
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
Halloween Night
Once there were three zombies on the road. Everyone was scared. Vampires in the air. We heard a noise. It sounded like “screek, screek, screek.” It was scary. We all screamed.
It was Halloween night. That noise was scary. We all wanted to go to bed, but we couldn’t. We had to figure this out. We tried to figure this out. But we couldn’t. We tried and tried. But we couldn’t. It was windy outside and foggy. We could barely see. There were ghosts and bats everywhere in the air. We all ran home.
By Addison Colston
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade
Halloween
Pumpkins get carved. Skeletons die in the morning. The bats go to sleep in the morning. The creatures are spiders. The cobwebs catch the zombies.
By Anthony Deiana
Age 6
Jaffrey Grade School, first grade