A scary Halloweensie story
It’s that time of year for a teeny, tiny Halloween tale called Halloweensie.
Author Susanna Leonard Hill began this contest and dares us (well, maybe encourages is a better word) to write a 100-word Halloween story for children. In addition to the 100-word limit, this year’s entry must contain the words Black Cat, Spooky, and Cackle.
Here’s my effort:
A Scary Halloween
By Stacy S. Jensen
Oscar thought Halloween was extra spooky this year.
Zombies cackled.
Witches moaned.
Black cats barked.
His mom howled at the moon.
Fruits and vegetables filled his trick-or-treat pumpkin.
“I think there’s a problem!” he said.
Oscar ran home and searched the pantry.
One small candy bar remained. He ate it.
The room spun around.
His mom tapped him on the shoulder, “It’s time to trick-or-treat.”
Halloween returned to normal.
Zombies moaned.
Witches cackled.
Black cats meowed.
All was normal, except, Oscar saw a yellow banana in his pumpkin.
“Ahhhhhh!,” Oscar yelled. “Let’s go!”
***
Wow. I have chills thinking about potatoes and carrots in a Halloween Pumpkin!
Entries can be posted on your own blog or in the comments on Susanna’s Halloweensie story until 11:59 p.m. EDT Halloween night (Oct. 31). You’ll find links spooky, scary, and funny entries on Susanna’s blog.
And one more thing …
I also have a post this week over at the Pikes Peak Writers Blog Writing from the Peak.
“What’s Your Game Plan for Your November Challenge?”
I wrote about my preparation for Picture Book Idea Month. I’m almost finished with the task I outlined for myself before November. I also share my goal for PiBoIdMo this year.
I’m ready for Picture Book Idea Month to begin. Are you participating in any November challenges like NaNoWriMo or PiBoIdMo?
Have fun skipping around the Internet this week!
This is terrific and fun, Stacy! What a great twist! Excellent job!!! And good for you getting things done and prepping for PiBoId Mo! I hope November will be a productive month! 🙂
Thanks Susanna for hosting the contest and daring (encouraging) us to write! I hope it is productive too!
Susanna is very “encouraging” for our writing efforts, eh? FUN story. As much as I love veggies, on Halloween I want CHOCOLATE!
I want chocolate on Halloween too (well, and other days too).
Oh, this is fun. Great job, Stacy!
Thanks Cheryl!
Nice one!
Thanks Julie.
Fun twist! I would NOT want to be given vegetables as “treats” for Halloween. 😉
Maybe chocolate covered vegetables? Could be yummy.
I love this! What a great twist. I could definitely see this one as a full on 32 page picture book.
Thanks Kirsti.
Scary indeed! Cackling zombies and fruits and vegetables for Halloween are what nightmares are made of. Well done.
Yes Nightmares!
Nice! Way to turn the treat into the trick!
Vegetables might be the best trick!
Veggies for Halloween? Now that’s a spooky story, Stacy!
Indeed Donna!
Nice story! I’m excited for PiBoIdMo too.
The PiBoIdMo excitement is building!
Scary! No little one wants any vegetable other than a pumpkin for Halloween. And a big plastic one at that, perfect for carrying home lots of sugary loot!
Cathy, Those plastic buckets are a favorite in our house. This year, kiddo has a felt pumpkin. He’s been practicing!
My grandson would think a pumpkin full of vegetables would be a trick, not a treat! Cute idea!
I am with your grandson!
Good plot, lots of humor and a nice twist in only 100 words! Amazingly well done!
Thanks Marcie.
Great story, Stacy! As I began to read it, my first thought was, “Oh no, Stacy has made a mistake!” Hahaha…I should have known…Stacy knows JUST what she is doing! Awesome ending.:)
Yup, I am signed up for PiBoIdMo…cleared my workspace after reading Marcie Colleen’s Pre-PiBoIdMo post.:) I even told Susanne Gervay about it (she is doing the December Will Write for Cookies and had sent me her answers ahead of time AND a fantastic Banana Cake recipe). I’m excited because her book, I Am Jack, is being performed with a touring theater company…and it is coming to the US! And one of the cities is Manchester NH (in March) which is only 8 miles from us here! And I’m going to be interviewing the actor who plays Jack – what fun!
Now I’m laughing at “Stacy knows JUST what she is doing!” ha ha. Awesome about Susanne Gervay! Very cool you will see the performance AND interview the actor.
WOWZA Stacy! Mine pales in comparison. What a fun story. The ending is one of the best endings I’ve ever read! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Robyn. You are too kind. I’m looking forward to your story.
Nothing scarier than fruits and veggies in the trick-or-treat haul! 🙂
I know!
Just read your post on Pikes Peak Writers…great thoughts to prepare us for PiBoIdMo or any writing challenge…thanks, Stacy!
Thanks for reading Vivian!
Cute story! I’d never hand out veggies…the kids would probably egg my house 🙂
If not egging, I believe there would be mumbling as kiddos walked by on the streets mentioning THAT house. 🙂
So funny! I love your mixed up beginning. My favorite line—His mom howled at the moon.
Great job, Stacy!
Thanks Penny. I hope I’m not howling at the moon on Thursday!
Vegetables! I’m gonna have nightmares tonight.
I loved it!
Thanks Mike!
We never went trick or treating as a child and we never heard of pumpkins, I don’t think they grow in Ireland. Maybe I should buy one this year, dress up and go join the fun! Your story make me want to be part of it!
Grannymar, I love pumpkin spice muffins. They are yummy. Halloween is fun.
Very creative, Stacy! A healthy Halloween indeed. I love the casual mention of mum howling at the moon.
Thanks Catherine.
Grape twist, Stacy! Love it.
And I”m so rushing over to read your Pikes Peak post. I usually love those also although I don’t always comment. Don’t think I”ll do PiBoIdMo this year as I am taking two classes of a different nature. And unless ideas pop in my head, which has happened before, I ain’t writing them down. So lets hope they pop into my head. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Clar. Good luck with the other classes and capturing any ideas that pop up!
Love your mixed-up sounds and treats, Stacy!
I tried to mix it all up Buffy!
Fun! Mom howling at the moon. Good suggestion, and candy makes everything better 😉 Happy Halloween to you and E!
Thanks Sue. We should have a fun evening. Hope you do too.
Cool creative twists, Stacey.
Thanks Joanna!
I don’t know what that story structure is called (and I know it has a name), but I love it! Great idea — could definitely see this being a Halloween PB.
Thanks Margaret.
Very clever, Stacy. . .and I like the way the words appear on the post. Well done!
It’s always difficult to work the words into the story in a unique way. I’ve read some wonderful entries this year!
Oh! A wonderful story!
And I have to tell you – your new site ROCKS! It’s so gorgeous – simple, refined, classy.
Thanks Karen. Glad you like the new site.
*shudder* What a great (horribly scary) entry! I like your uniqueness! 😀
🙂 Glad you saw the horror of it all Erik.
Very creative! I like it! 🙂
Thanks!
Nicely Done! Reminds me of the story of the farm animals who got their sounds all mixed up in a dust storm, just can’t remember the title of the story!
I’ll have to look for that book Juliana.
This is going to sound terrible, but I wish we handed out produce on Halloween. I know, I’m such a kill joy. Well, there’s a reason trick-or-treating is for kids and not adults. Fun story. My children would be truly scared!
Not a killjoy at all Hannah.
I love the barking cats. Fresh produce for Halloween does sound like a nightmare. Who’s candy would all the parents raid?
True. Who wants to raid fruits and vegetables?
Scary indeed! Unless, of course, the offending fruits and vegies had razor blades in them.
Now that would be scary.
Love your story…:)
Thanks Catherine.
What a different kind of premise! I liked it!
Thanks Pam. Glad you liked it.
Very creative Stacy. I loved the reversal. A lot of fun!
Thanks Patricia.
LOL, Stacy, fruit in the pumpkin WOULD be scary…to a kid! I like the twist you gave to Halloween frights in this story.
Thanks Carrie.
Nice twists – can’t go wrong with barking cats! 🙂
Thanks Renee.
Wow. Very creative. You said so much in 100 words. Every kids fear…friut for a treat on the one night they get to pig out on candy!
Thanks for stopping by Keila. Yes. My kiddo liked the candy he gathered in his “Easter Basket” last night. He refused to take one of his pumpkins!