📖 The Haunted Halloween Night
It was Halloween, and the moon shone brightly over the dark streets of Millford. Children ran from house to house in colourful costumes, their bags filling quickly with candy.
Liam had dressed as a skeleton, with a white-and-black mask that made him look almost real. His best friend Sophie wore a witch costume, complete with a pointed hat and a tiny stuffed cat on her shoulder.
They decided to visit the old haunted house at the end of Willow Lane. Everyone said it was full of ghosts, bats, and even a giant spider. Liam wasn’t sure he believed the stories, but the scary part made it exciting.
As they walked up the creaky steps, a pumpkin with a toothy grin sat by the door. Its light flickered, casting dark shadows across the porch. Sophie reached for the door, but before she could knock, a bat swooped down from the roof. She screamed, then laughed nervously.
Inside, the air was cold. A huge skeleton decoration stood in the hallway, but when Liam looked closer, it seemed to move. A shadow passed across the wall — shaped like a ghost. The sound of tiny feet scurrying made them glance down, where a black cat darted past.
“Maybe we should leave,” Liam whispered.
“Not yet,” Sophie replied. “I heard there’s a treasure of candy hidden here.”
They crept into the kitchen. On the table sat another pumpkin, carved with the face of a monster. Behind it, a cupboard door opened slowly by itself. Out crawled a huge plastic spider — at least, they hoped it was plastic.
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the haunted house. The moonlight through the window made the dust swirl like mist. A tall figure in a witch’s robe appeared in the doorway. Her voice was low and scary:
“Who dares enter my home on this night?”
Liam and Sophie froze — until the witch removed her mask, revealing Mrs Carter, their friendly neighbour. She laughed and handed them a bag overflowing with candy. “You were brave enough to make it to the kitchen, so you win the prize!”
On the way home, they passed groups of monsters, ghosts, and tiny bats hanging from costumes. The night felt less scary now, but the adventure still made their hearts race.
As they reached Sophie’s house, the black cat from earlier sat on the fence, staring at them under the moonlight. Liam grinned. “Next year, we’re going back — maybe the spider will be bigger.”
Sophie smiled, holding her bag of candy. “And maybe the witch will have more prizes.”
Halloween had never been so thrilling.
