by: Gracie Lou Freebush
It was Halloween night and the wind was howling, the rain was pelting the windows like bullets, the lighting was crackling through the sky, and the thunder was shaking the earth. My parents were gone so I was lying in my bed with the lights on, waiting for the storm to end.
This is the worst Halloween ever! I thought. My dog, Henry, was at my feet, wagging his tail. All of a sudden he jumped off the bed and started barking at the window. It felt as if my heart sent an electric shock throughout my body, setting every single nerve on fire. My head was pounding, my palms got sweaty and my knees started to shake. What was out there?
I crept over to the window and peeked out very carefully. I saw nothing but I kept looking, searching for something. Henry stopped barking. Well whatever it is it’s gone now, I thought, but I thought wrong. Next thing I knew I heard the door downstairs swing open with a loud, never ending creek. Now my whole body was frozen, I couldn’t move. My insides were screaming in fear! I heard someone or something walking on the wood floor. I heard the steps slowly coming up the stairs. Henry scrambled under the bed and stayed quiet. Henry was smarter than I was! I didn’t know where to go. I quietly got into my closet and closed the door. The footsteps got louder and louder.
It was in my room now. I got a glimpse of what it was through the tiny crack between the closet doors. It was a tall figure, draped in a black cape and hood. He examined my room, sifting through all my clothes on the floor as if he were looking for something. He didn’t find anything so he left the room. I finally started to breathe again after he left, but I didn’t know what to do! I didn’t have a phone with me or anywhere near me. My only choice was to sneak downstairs and call the cops with the phone in the kitchen.
I carefully opened the closet doors and waited until I was sure he was in the other room. I could hear him rummaging though things. I took a couple steps out into the hallway, and then stopped to listen for him. He was still in the room. I tip-toed down the stairs, and went into the living room as quiet as a mouse. Then I heard him walking in the hallway. I jumped behind the couch as he came down the stairs. I looked around the corner and saw him heading for the kitchen! Now my plan was ruined. I had to attack the man. I had no choice! I built up some courage and ran into the kitchen screaming at the top of my lungs ready to tackle him, but he wasn’t there.
Great, now he knows where I am in the house and 
I don’t know where he is. I just stood there, waiting in terror. I saw his body come around the corner, slowly moving towards me. I couldn’t see his face because of the big hood. He walked over the drawer full of knifes and pulled out the biggest, sharpest knife we had. He stood there behind the counter as he raised the knife above his head, ready to throw it at me! I was getting ready to die, thinking about how much I would miss my family, my room and Henry. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for him to throw the knife. But nothing happened.
I opened my eyes and saw him holding a bag of candy. He sliced the bag of candy open with the knife, then started to laugh. He took off his hood and I saw my best friend Brennan!
“I knew you had candy hidden somewhere around here!” Brennan laughed.
“You didn’t need to scare me like that! Next time just ask!” I yelled.
“Sorry I had to scare you, it’s Halloween!” he replied.
I finally decided to forgive him, as long as he never did anything like that again. And with that, we stayed up all night watching scary movies, while eating candy. I had to keep all the lights on, and check to make sure the doors were locked about every ten minutes because I was still freaked out from earlier. Despite the absolute horror I had encountered, I had to admit that this was the best Halloween ever.
The Pine Needle 