Congratulations to this year’s 8th grade winners of the Parnassus Halloween story writing contest.

Twisted Fantasy 

by Madyson Anderson 

Ahhhhhhh! I lurch forward in my “bed”. As I try to catch my breath, I claw the dried tears on my cheeks in an act to get them to disappear. A sense of disgust and horror washes over me when I think back to what I dreamed. It was so terrorizing I woke myself up from screaming so loud. As I take a look around me I realize that I am no longer in my house, but in a mausoleum. I feel paralized in fear as I look to my right and see an unlively body, hanging over the side of a wood cabinet. I jump to my feet and the wood creaks eerily around me, it seems to make the walls shake. 

I run up to the door and jiggle the door knob, the door is locked from the outside. I swear I hear a moan or a rustling from behind me, I turn back to see nothing different. Its as if the door all of the sudden unlocked by itself, I stumble forward and I about fall over, until my foot hits something. I instantaneously look down to see I was stopped by a tombstone, it’s dark edges are rugged and dirt is packed in the lettering. I am shuddering as I look up to see I am obviously in a graveyard, as I feel something touch my shoulder. 

I turned to see a crow had landed there, but as I took a closer look I let out an ear piercing scream. The crow had a necklace in its mouth and blood was trickling from its mouth onto my shirt. I look into its dark red eyes and realize I am meant to take this necklace, and not everything is what it seems. I clasp my fingers around the necklace and I pluck the necklace from its beak. The necklace has a silver chain with a clasp and there is a black diamond sitting in a gold frame. I have a feeling come over me as I slowly put the necklace on. 

The black diamond represents death in ancient India, it is meant to look like a crow or a spider. The Aryans (first warriors in India in 2000 B.C.) used to make their victims wear these when they wanted to control them in a way. Legend has it that when these warriors died out their essence “flew with the birds on Halloween night”. 

The crow dug into my shoulder with its beak, and as it did so I felt satisfaction as the blood trickled down my arm and seeped into my shirt. My eyes turned a deep shade of red as the crow started flying away and I followed it into the night. It leads me to a grave, on the grave it states “Here lies a man that never wronged people, but people only wronged him, he said I will be alive forever so if you are in my Aryan tribe don’t forsaken me. Richard Girnt Butler R.I.P”. He has a single graveside chrysanthemum flower next to his grave and whoever takes it will transmit their soul and swap it out with Richard. She has an urge to pick it up and she becomes a crow flying next to her past body.

“Time for school, wake up!” I sat up and rubbed my eyes, that was all a dream. Thank gosh. My mom calls down from the kitchen, “Honey get the door please.” I walk down the stairs to find a crow dead on the front doorstep. I suddenly felt the urge and I grabbed my collarbone to find a necklace that wasn’t there before. Oh no.

Could You Lend Me a Hand? 

by Vyncent Fredrick 

As I walk down the dark street I breathe in the thick, damp air. The night is silent and peaceful. Rain drizzles overhead, and thunder crackles softly in the distance. The street is empty, I am the only one outside during this time of night. I am walking back to my apartment from my job at the accounting office on Main Street. I had stayed last to prepare for the big meeting early tomorrow morning. 

Passing through an alleyway I can hear soft, muffled crying. I can’t tell where it’s coming from. 

“Hello,” I say, “is someone there? Are you okay?” 

The crying stops, and a young boy walks out from behind a building. He is short and thin, wearing a band tee and ripped jeans. I walk up to the kid to see his face. His face is covered in colorful bandages, and there are tears running down his cheeks. 

“I didn’t mean to disturb you sir. I’m sorry.” the little boy says in a small, sweet voice. 

I ruffle the boy’s short, fluffy hair and say, “You didn’t bother me at all kiddo, did you need anything?” 

The young boy meets my eyes and his smile fades. “Yes,” he says, “could you lend me a hand?” 

I nod my head and the kid slowly reaches into his pocket. Before I can do anything the little boy pulls out a knife and slits my throat open. With blood spewing from my neck, I fall to the ground. Little boy’s face widens into a twisted smile, laughing

and crying at my misery. He grips the knife once more and slowly cuts away at my arm. He smiles as he adds mine to the collection of hands people have lent him.

There is a Killer in my School

by Jayla Justice

Wednesday, October 31,2011

I woke up this morning and was really excited to go to school for Halloween! I had my costume ready and everything. I had everything planned for this morning, heck, for all day! Just so you know, my name is Jayla and I am an overachiever. Anyway, this was my plan..

  6:00 am: Wake up

  6:05 am: Get dressed in costume

6:07 am:  Do my SPOOKY makeup

  6:10 am:  Re-do my SPOOKY makeup

Blah, blah,blah!

I arrived at school and saw a majority of students wearing the same costume! I was one of them!!! The school bell rang and I didn’t care. I was in my own thoughts of hate for all the people who wore the same costume as me. The teachers, too, thought the same. A basic Black costume with an Oracle face. Next thing I know, there was a scream that rang through the hallway. All I saw was Mr. Berkinshaw lying on the floor with a knife stuck in his throat. Some thought it was a con act until he started coughing up blood. Everyone went into panic mode, running into each other, pushing, stepping on each other. As they were running around, another scream rang out. I didn’t worry about myself getting hurt. I wanted others to get to the classes safely. But I should have went to a classroom. I really didn’t know why I did what I did. I didn’t know who the killer was. I helped ¨it¨ into a classroom. I didn’t know what ¨it¨ looked like. The only thing to hear next was a full class filled with high pitched screams! By the time I made it into that classroom, the door was open and there lay three dead Oracles, Anastasia, Jacob, and Bianca. It took me five seconds to realize who the killer was killing. The Oracles….. I was filled with fear and anger at the same time. I ran to the cafeteria kitchen, struggling to open the heavy wooden door to the lunch line. As I made it in, I saw¨ it¨. The ¨Oracle Killer¨! But it was an Oracle itself. Then, I realized, ¨it¨ wanted to be the only one in an Oracle costume. Just like me, only I didn’t want to hurt the others. I think I might´ve spaced because ¨it¨ was staring at me and started running at me with a knife! I screamed a blood curdling scream and ran! The door seemed to become lighter as I ran out of the lunch line. I screamed threats while running. Such as,¨ I´ll tell your mom about this and she will whoop you!¨ I was scared to death, so I tried to get ¨it¨ away from me. It didn’t work. ¨It¨ started laughing as ¨it¨ chased me into the Ag Wing. I knew ¨it¨was a ¨he¨ now. Now, even more scared of not only getting killed, but to be raped. I threw the closest objects at him to slow him down. I hit him in the head with a stapler and he yelped with pain and slipped on the FFA banner I threw ahead for him to slip on. It worked and I tried to run out the Ag doors, but they were locked!  My plan failed, so I kept running. My mouth was dry from running with it open. My feet hurt from running in Doc Martens. My heart hurt from it pounding. I turned a corner to run into the locker rooms and I locked the door once I was inside, only to find him right behind me as I was locking the door! My back facing him. I turned back around to unlock the door to run. I felt pain, utterly shocking pain in my thigh! I fell forward and struggled to get up. My face makeup was running. He stabbed me again, except in the shoulder blade, that time I couldn’t get up! So I kicked and kicked and kicked until I couldn’t anymore. ¨You are my last kill. Everyone wearing the same costume is dumb. I only deserve to be an Oracle.¨, he said. 

¨No, you don´t!¨ I screamed ¨An Oracle is a leader! I am an Oracle!¨

Narrator: The killer had stabbed Jayla, three more times before slitting her throat. He had cut her arms and legs off and hid them around the school. He hid in a spot when Police arrived and killed anyone who found a body part. In total 16 students, 2 teachers, died. 23 injured. The killer has not been discovered…..