“Un-Pumpkinleavable Night”

by Dallas Jackson, 3rd Grade 2nd Place Winner

 

It was a dark and stormy night… just kidding. It was a normal, cold October night. The moon was big and white like a giant flashlight in the sky. The wind was howling like a wolf, and the trees were shaking their skinny arms like they were trying to grab somebody. I was supposed to be asleep, but I wasn’t. I was hiding under my blanket with my flashlight, reading my favorite KPop Demon Hunters comic book.

Then… I heard something.

Thump.

It was coming from outside my window. At first, I thought it was just the wind throwing acorns at the house. But when I peeked through my curtain, I saw something INSANE.

Me and my mom carved three big pumpkins last weekend. One had a smile, one had a frown, and one had a crazy face with its tongue sticking out. But now, all three pumpkins had glowing eyes—real glowing eyes, and their faces were changing. The smile pumpkin started frowning, the frown pumpkin started grinning, and the crazy one… started laughing.

My heart started thumping louder than the pumpkins. I wanted to scream for Mom, but she was sleeping. Grown-ups never believe kids about scary stuff anyway.

I did the unthinkable and grabbed my flashlight. When I got to the door, I opened it just a little. The pumpkins were bouncing down the sidewalk like orange basketballs. I followed them because, well… I was curious.

They rolled all the way to the creepy house at the end of our street. You know that house. Every neighborhood has one. 

The pumpkins bounced right up to the porch, and the door opened by itself. 

I whispered, “Nope,” but my feet didn’t listen. I crept closer. The pumpkins lined up in front of a dusty fireplace. Then I saw her.

She was a tall, bony lady wearing a black dress and a crooked hat. She picked up the smiley pumpkin and said, “Good work, my little pumpkins. Soon we’ll have the whole town!”

I gasped.  The witch spun around. “WHO’S THERE?” she yelled. 

I ran behind an old couch, but she pointed her bony finger at the floor. The pumpkins rolled toward me, glowing brighter, their teeth sharp like vampire fangs.

I grabbed the first thing I could find—a dusty broom. I swung it like a baseball bat. WHACK! The pumpkin flew into the wall and cracked like an egg. Goo and seeds went everywhere.

The witch screamed, “NOOOO!” and she ran after me, but she tripped on a pumpkin stem and fell flat on her face. I didn’t wait around. I ran out of the house, down the street, and back to my room. I locked my window and jumped into bed like a deer jumping across the road.

The next morning, my mom asked, “Why are there pumpkin guts on your pajamas?” I just said, “Long story.” Nobody believed me, of course. But I know the truth.

Some nights, I still hear it…

Thump.