The 2014 Times Newsweekly Scary Story Contest, cosponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Glendale, was another smashing success, with hundreds of entries received.
Thanks again to all the teachers who presented submissions from their classes and all those who made the Scary Story Contest possible, including Maureen Walthers, publisher of the Times Newsweekly; the Glendale Kiwanis; and the Ridgewood public library, which hosted the award ceremony.
Lastly, thanks again to all of the young writers who penned terrific stories. Keep writing, and don’t forget to dare to scare us next year!
NATALIE VIHODET – 5th Grade, P.S. 174, Rego Park
The Night Of The Black Cat
Molly entered what was supposed to be her new home.
Her parents rented a medieval castle that they said was “supposed to give Molly a wider understanding of the world and different cultures around her.” She should always expand her horizons, even if it means going out of Molly’s comfort zone.
Bosh! At least it was only for a couple of months. The stone walls were cold and the air was thick and heavy. What did her parents expect her to do-become a countess and live in this place? Yuck!
Besides, it was infested with mold and everything creaked, like in horror movies. It had about a hundred rooms with almost half of them locked. Having nothing better to do, Molly decided to look around.
She entered the dark and murky rooms, and finally came to the door at the end of the hall. She peeked inside, expecting the room to be similar to the others, but it looked like nothing more than a mere playroom. On the bed, she found a stuffed black cat. At its paws, she found a note that read:
Dear whoever this may concern, This cat was a toy passed down through generations. Please take care of it. Remember to do the following:
Keep shutters closed at all times.
Keep door locked when leaving the room.
Don’t let this cat be touched by moonlight.
Thank you!
The Von Frank Family II
Strange, Molly thought. But she played with the cat nonetheless.
One night, Molly forgot to draw the shades in the playroom. She also left the cat on the window sill, thinking it needed fresh air. Molly even forgot to lock the doors, not that it would have helped much anyway.
That same night, there was a full moon, and on Halloween, it was at its brightest. The moonbeam was creeping up the castle through the window of the room. It moved up the cat’s paws until it covered it from head to toe.
Stuffing turned into flesh, glass eyes turned into real ones and the smile obtained an insane twist. Even so, it was nothing compared to the cat’s twisted mind.
Molly ate her dinner and went straight to bed. She did not notice a thing. The cat chuckled. It was 11:59 p.m., and the old church bell had started to ring.
1, 2, 3, 4…
“Molly,” a voice whispered. “Molly, come out here!”
Molly woke up, confusion at the voice turned to worry, worry to panic, panic to wonder and that to curiosity.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter-come out here quickly.
… 7, 8, 9…
Molly, suddenly feeling worried again, rushed out the door.
“Where are you?” she asked.
… 11, 12.
The door behind her clicked shut, and Molly’s panic level was rising. The clock struck midnight.
“H-h-h-hel-l-l-lo?” she stuttered. She saw a small shadow run ahead of her, giggling. Molly followed it, growing more terrified by the second.
“Hel-l-l-lo?” More giggling in response. She continued to follow the shadow.
“Hello?” Hideous cackling continued. Molly stopped. In front of her was the little black cat.
“You should have done what the little letter said, dearie,” the cat said. “Now that I have come back to life, I will put my revenge on this wrecked manor, and you shall be the first one to suffer!”
All the locked doors flew open. Dark and shadowy figures of men and women drifted into the open. Coming closer, and closer, and closer and…
“AAAAGHHHHHHHHH!” Molly screamed and ran away, trying to seek shelter in different rooms. The effort was in vain, because all of the doors were locked. The cat laughed as Molly neared the end of the hallway and let out her final shriek of the night. Her blood flowed like a river down the hall.
Afterward, the cat walked to the playroom, went over to the bed and opened up the mysterious letter that Molly received. Then the cat made one small adjustment.
Von Frank Family III
Another scratch for another life wasted.
MEAGAN REYNOSO – 8th Grade, Ave Maria Catholic Academy, Howard Beach
Untitled
Tic tok,” I whisper coldly to the bare wall in front of me.
“Tic tock goes the clock.”
I’ve been locked up in this clustered cell for 23 years. Just me, a bed, the wall and a piece of chalk. All be cause of what, though? I killed her, my wife. Big deal, she was going to leave me anyway. I couldn’t stand the thought of her in another man’s arms; it sickened me.
So on June 6th, the night I knew she was going to leave me, I wrapped my hands around her neck and tightened my grip. She begun shaking and begging for mercy, but I couldn’t let go, it was so… satisfying.
Then she gave up and I couldn’t do anything but smile because my wife will always be mine. What seemed like minutes later, the cops found me. I mean, it was obvious that I killed her. I had a smile on my face, one that bared my teeth just enough so you can still see my chapped lips, which smelled of tobacco.
They cuffed my wrists, the same wrists that I had just used to strangle my wife. Next thing I know, I’m here alone. The only thing going through my mind was the way she looked at me while my hands were wrapped around her neck, the same way my mother was. Just the thought of my mother made me cringe. How dare anyone look at me like I’m insane?
No, it doesn’t work like that, I’m not insane. Do you think I am?
Today at 6:06 p.m., I will break out of here. I have been planning this for 22 years. I’m more than ready. I get this satisfaction of killing people, one I can’t get from anyone or anything else.
The clock strikes 6, and everyone runs to the dining hall. I set myself up and climb out the window. Bam! I’m out, I’m free. I run out of sight, maybe three miles or so, until I reach a field.
Aw, what a cute little bird. I run behind it and pick it up. The bird’s head is between my forefinger and thumb. It’s helpless and I can’t help but laugh. I twist its head, harder and harder, until the helpless bird is dead. I drop it on the floor and walk ahead.
I hear a pretty little girl. I approach her and the next thing I hear is the sound of alarms. “Beep, beep, beep.”
Back to square one, but I’m not finished yet. I’ll be out again, and now I’m coming for you. Yes you, that little voice in the back of your head, reading you. This is me. You can lock your doors but I’ll find a way, when you least expect it. One day, that voice in the back of your head will be gone, and I’ll be right behind you.
So turn around and watch your back. Because there’s nothing you can do about it..”
JOSIAH MOLTZ – 4th Grade, P.S. 174, Rego Park
The Cursed Pumpkin
One night a full moon was out. Way out in a pumpkin patch something was stirring. It was a witch!
This particular witch was looking for pumpkins to make her pumpkin stew. While she was looking for pumpkins, she tripped over a little pumpkin. The witch was furious.
“You dumb pumpkin,” she cried. “You made me trip and get mud on my best dress!”
The witch looked horrid with mud on her dress. Even without mud on her dress, she looked horrid. Her fingernails were huge and green with mold; her hair was black and looked like it hadn’t been combed in years.
The witch was so mad, she cursed the pumpkin. The curse made the pumpkin evil. Once he was carved, he would come alive and destroy things. By the night of Halloween, he would be invincible.
She also said that, if a little girl of seven who had magic in her blood went to the waters of immense power and splashed the pumpkin before he was invincible, the spell would be broken.
A week before Halloween, the cursed pumpkin was carved. It was carved by a little girl of seven. That night, the pumpkin came to life and destroyed a tree. When everyone woke up, they noticed the broken tree, but they didn’t suspect a thing.
The next night, the pumpkin was even stronger, so he destroyed a car.
One morning, the little girl whose name was Alexandra noticed something engraved on the back of the pumpkin. It was the witch’s spell. Alexandra had magic in her blood. That good magic knew the engraving was a spell.
Also, the magic in her blood knew that she had to go to the waters of immense power. So Alexandra set out on her quest.
Alexandra left a note to her parents that said she was having a sleepover. Alexandra wandered for days looking for the waters of immense power. Then, one day, her magic kicked in and helped her find her way. It was straight forward from then on.
After three days, she reached her destination. The waters of immense power were beautiful and sparkled and shimmered. Alexandra suddenly felt very refreshed. It was the amazing power of the waters that made her refreshed.
Alexandra got out her bucket and scooped up some water. She brought the water home with her pumpkin. That night, she found the pumpkin trying to destroy her house. Quickly, Alexandra threw the water on the pumpkin. Instantly, it was changed into the most beautiful carved pumpkin anyone had ever seen.
JENNIFER MURILLO – 8th Grade, I.S. 162, Bushwick
The Vampire Queen’s Tale
It was thundering all night long, lightning struck the sky,
I was on my throne watching my minions slave over me. Anyone who betrayed me would get a cruel punishment that everyone feared-death.
It is Halloween night. The night me and my minions go to feed. With my powers, I can track down those sweetblood humans and suck their blood dry.
It’s midnight now, the perfect time to attack! I gathered up the minions and we ran with super-fast speed to the town. Right outside the town, I smelled something that burned my throat: blood. I looked over to my left and saw two teenagers dressed as Little Red Riding Hood coming my way.
I hid behind the trees, waiting to jump out and feed. They came closer, closer and my throat burned even more.
The Vampire Queen’s Tale
I jumped out and hissed, showing my bare fangs. The two teens screamed out of fear right before my two minions held them down so I can feed.
The blood tasted so good. After I was done, the blood trickled down my fangs, I told my minions to go out and hunt for themselves. When they left, I set the girls’ bodies on fire, my crown shone in the fire of death.
I left and ran onto the top of a cliff that gave a view of the whole town. I heard screams fill the air the same time I saw smoke in the sky. Lightning struck once again, and I hissed. I stood there, the wind picked up and my cape fluttered in the wind. I muttered the Ancient Vampire Queen’s Poem:
At Halloween night it’s a fright.
The Vampire Queen comes out for a bite,
The ultimate ruler of the undead feeds again,
There’s no use hiding, though I find,
The Vampire Queen strikes at midnight.
I laughed as I saw the humans run in fear, as the dark crimson blood spread everywhere. These humans are just food, are they not? My arms crossed in front of me, trying to decide to continue savoring others’ blood. Should I? Must I? Yes!
I go out to feed. I only come out to kill on Halloween night, I am the one and only Vampire Queen.
It was getting dark; fog spread everywhere. My minions were still at the village. I went back to the castle. Sitting on my throne once again, my pet dragons are at my side, breathing fire. It is past two in the morning. I heard screams coming from outside the door. It opened, and my minions came in with humans.
Their scream of terror bounced off the torch-lit walls. I got down from my throne and went after the one blonde girl. I tore open her neck and sucked her blood dry, the pool of blood everywhere was overwhelming.
The blonde’s friends screamed in horror, for they knew that they were next. The second girl, I ended her quickly. I made sure it was painless as her face went gray, and she dropped to the floor.
The third girl I threw to my minions. She screamed as a boy minion took a chainsaw and slit her stomach open. Her intestines came pouring out, blood everywhere. My minions jumped on her and ate everything that came pouring out. I walked up to a wall with a burning-hot torch and set the bodies on fire.
At that moment, I had a flashback. I was once human, and when I was going out one day, some man jumped at me and bit me, killing me. I then transformed into a vampire and went back for my revenge.
I killed him in cold blood and I never regret it. I then had to, except that I was a monster and I will always be one. I am a Vampire Queen!
I then walked back to my coffin and slept til next Halloween.
