The Night of the Living Mystery

7th Grade, 1st Place

by Kalpansh Bhandari, Springwood School

One spooky Halloween night, a group of kids called each other before school. The texts were because the kids were doing a devious prank to all their classmates. They would have a Halloween night so school would start at night, and they would trick or treat and learn. So they got an idea. Billy, the mischievous ringleader of the group, had a plan that was bound to make their Halloween unforgettable. He had discovered an abandoned, decrepit school building deep in the woods, a place shrouded in eerie legends. The school was said to be haunted, not by demons or witches, but by something far more sinister – the ghosts of the children who once attended. With torches in hand and costumes donned, the group gathered at the edge of the woods as the sun dipped below the horizon. The old school building loomed before them, its broken windows and peeling paint sending shivers down their spines. They exchanged nervous glances but pressed forward, eager for the thrill of the night. Inside, the air was heavy with the scent of dust and decay. Broken desks and faded chalkboards hinted at a time long past. The children crept through the dimly lit hallways, their footsteps echoing eerily. They had come prepared with textbooks, flashlights, and even a portable projector to create a makeshift classroom. As they settled into a room, their excitement grew. Billy stood at the front, ready to play the part of the teacher. “Welcome, students, to a most unusual school night,” he announced with a mischievous grin. The others giggled nervously. But as they began their makeshift lessons, strange things started to happen. The chalk began to write on the board by itself, forming eerie messages. The classroom temperature dropped, and the children’s breath turned to mist. They exchanged frightened glances, but none wanted to admit they were scared. Determined to keep their cool, they pressed on. As the projector flickered to life, ancient images of children in old-fashioned clothes filled the wall. They seemed to be staring directly at the intruders, their eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and sadness. The lessons took an unsettling turn as the ghostly children seemed to interact with the material, answering questions before they were asked. It was as if they were reliving their lessons from a bygone era. The classroom itself seemed to come alive, the walls pulsating with unseen energy. As the night wore on, the children’s fear transformed into fascination. They were no longer playing a prank; they were experiencing something inexplicable and mysterious. They learned about the history of the school, about the lives of the children who once studied there, and about the tragedies that had befallen them. In the end, they left the abandoned school not with tricks or treats but with a newfound respect for the past and a sense of wonder at the mysteries of the world. They had encountered no demons or witches, but something far more profound – the lingering spirits of the past, eager to share their stories. As they walked back through the woods, they looked at each other with a mixture of awe and trepidation. This Halloween night had been unlike any other, a night they would never forget, filled with the spooky tales of the school’s spectral inhabitants. And as they returned to their world, they couldn’t help but wonder if those ghostly children still lingered in the darkness, continuing their eternal lessons.