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Signing up. Give me a SPOOKY FLASH RULE too! I'd prefer not a song, if it's all the same.
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Oct 8, 2018 18:08
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| # ¿ May 14, 2024 14:05 |
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The Creepy Old House that No One Lives In 870 words Pete had been in the house for ten minutes when his flashlight died. He rapped it on his palm a few times and only got a few sputtering gasps of light for his effort. Glancing back down the dusty, darkened hall he’d come from, Pete was having second thoughts. Even if it wasn’t haunted, did he really want to spend his whole Halloween in here? But… he didn’t want the other kids in the neighborhood to think he was chicken. Better to just wait it out. There will be more Halloweens, right? His internal debate was cut short when he heard the floorboard beneath him let out a sickening crack. Pete looked down, and as if in slow motion, he saw the floorboard sag, then break. He fell into darkness. _______ “I bet you can’t stay in there until midnight. No one ever does.” The green monster pulled up his mask, and young boy grinned at Pete, saying, “Anyway, I’m Jason. What’s your name?” Pete’s twelve year old mind was so busy taking offense at his new Trick or Treating partner questioning his courage that it took him a moment to even register the question. Stammering as his mind caught up with the conversation, Pete said, “P-pete. And I’m not scared!” Jason’s grin didn’t move as Pete spoke. A long moment of silence passed before Jason spoke again, saying, “Prove it! I bet you my bag of candy against yours that you can't stay in there for an hour.” As he was saying this., Jason held his plastic Trick or Treating jack-o-lantern in front of Pete, and Pete’s eyes went wide. It was filled up to the brim with candy.. And was that a full sized Hershey’s bar? Before he realized what he was doing, Pete said, “Deal.” Jason didn’t say anything. He just kept grinning. ____________ Eyes fluttering open, Pete saw moonlight through the tattered shades of the window a floor above him. Blinking, he started to sit up, but his pounding head protested. Pete took another moment to stare up at the moonlight. Jason was leaning over the hole in the floor, staring down at him and grinning wider than ever before. He started speaking, but the words didn’t quite line up with his mouth as he said, “You’ve been out a while, Pete.” Jason leaned back until his head disappeared from the first floor. Then, Pete jumped as he saw Jason’s grin, now an open leer peek out from under the basements stairs as he said, “Do you know why no one stays here past midnight, Pete? Because the people who stay longer, never leave.” Jason’s face slowly moved back under the stairs until it disappeared. The hairs on the back of Pete’s neck stood on end as he felt the presence of something behind him. Pete didn’t dare turn around, even when he heard Jason’s voice whisper hoarsely into his ear, “You know, Pete, I’d say you’re almost out of time.” The grandfather clock on the first floor began to chime midnight. One. Two. In a panic, Pete lurched towards the stairs out of the basement. Even through the fog that was currently filling his head, he was sure that the stairs would bring him to the front parlor. Three, Four. Halfway up the stairs now, Pete lowered his shoulder, half expecting the door to be locked or to find Jason on the other side, trying to hold him inside. Five, Six. Pete burst through the door with almost no resistance, his eyes wildly searching for the front door. It only took him an instant to spot the massive pair of doors in the front of the house. He sprinted towards it. Seven, Eight. Suddenly, he was yanked back and sprawled out on the ground. His vision start to swim as his head hit the ground again. Jason had him. He was sure of it. There was no chance now. He turned back to stare down the monster Nine. Ten. His candy bag had caught on a splintered table. The bag tore and spilled his candy across the floor. He heard Jason’s laugh coming from all around him, sounding like nothing more than the sound of the house itself creaking and groaning. Eleven. His heart leapt. He still had a chance! Pete reached a hand out towards the open door and- Twelve. The door slammed shut. ________ Tommy was eleven years old and new in town. Hoping to make a friend, he’d begged his mom to let him go Trick or Treating around the block by himself. By the looks of the kid in the sheet ghost costume walking the block with him, he thought he was well on his way to making his first friend. After a Trick or Treating together for half an hour, they reached a large, old house with a wrought iron fence. The ghost said, “You know, no one goes in there. They say it’s haunted on Halloween.” “Yeah, right! Ghosts aren’t real!” The boy in the ghost costume said, “I bet you can’t stay in there till midnight. No one ever does.” The young boy pulled up the sheet and grinned at Tom, saying, “Anyway, I’m Pete. What’s your name?”
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Oct 26, 2018 05:55
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All very reasonable and helpful thoughts. Appreciate it. Also, thanks for the contest!
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Nov 2, 2018 00:57
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