Little Sarah shook with fear,
she knew not what to do.
She clung to Daddy with trembling hands
as a ghost floated up and said “Boo!”
She had seen a bright green witch,
monsters and a vampire bat!
Why would her parents take her outside
and not protect her from that?
They dragged her toward a spooky house
with a cauldron that smelled like feet
they rang the bell, she closed her eyes,
Someone yelled “Trick or Treat!”
The pumpkin-shaped basket she carried
filled with strange weight
she looked inside to be surprised
by more candy than she ever ate.
This post is my entry in the (2nd Annual!) HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST!!!!! that was recommended to me by Nancy when I read her entry. The rules are simple:
“The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not included in the 100 words), using the words witch, bat, and “trick-or-treat“. Your story can be scary, funny or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over!) Get it? Halloweensie - because it’s not very long and it’s for little people
“
Be sure to post it today (by 11:59 pm EST) and link it back to Susannah Leonard Hill’s blog. Have some spooky fun!
Oct 31, 2012 @ 13:04:59
Halloween is scary for wee ones! Great entry and good luck.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 13:12:14
Thank you, Heather. I remember the real Sarah (my daughter) being completely freaked out on her first Halloween. Those days are gone though, sadly.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 13:53:08
Very cute…our first Halloween was very similar.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 13:54:30
I think most first Halloween’s are very like that. I’m not sure this was exactly Sarah’s but I wasn’t creative enough to come up with another name.
I hate names.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 13:56:27
Ooops. I missed the deadline. Here in my own little corner, I completely forgot today was Halloween. No trick-or-treating for us tonight.
Good luck on the contest.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 14:00:10
You didn’t miss the deadline. 11:59 PM. You have all day and only 100 words to get your Halloweensie on! I would have forgotten if I didn’t have a 9 year old.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 14:07:02
Yay! You tossed your witch’s hat into the cauldron! Love it!
Oct 31, 2012 @ 14:08:38
That’s a great image, Nancy! Thanks for leading me to the contest, it was fun to write.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 14:07:55
A very first Halloween indeed! My son would want to head home even if the pumpkin wasn’t full – just heavy enough for little hands!
Oct 31, 2012 @ 14:10:05
Those were the days, when you could trick them into thinking one or two houses was a good haul. Looks like a dark, chilly night for Trick-or-Treating, but now Sarah will want to go for miles and miles and pounds of candy.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 14:18:51
We are lucky this year in northern Colorado – I think it’s about 75 out right now (noon), and even with the evening drop it should be pleasant! We’ve had blizzard conditions before, so I feel for you!
Oct 31, 2012 @ 14:21:22
LOL. We lived in Durango, CO and had several snowy Halloweens. Fun, fun, fun! Actually, this year is better than last because Halloween got postponed because of the freak October storm. Since our area wasn’t too damaged by Sandy, we’re lucky. I feel bad for those truly suffering from the storm.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 14:24:26
Me too, I’m from LI, and still have not heard from one aunt.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 16:11:07
This was my favorite line: a cauldron that smelled like feet Too funny!
Oct 31, 2012 @ 16:17:26
That one took me a while to get right!
Oct 31, 2012 @ 16:47:59
Excellent! I’m glad she got lots of loot!
Oct 31, 2012 @ 16:52:26
To a young child, even a handful is lots of loot. Thanks for reading.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 18:32:17
Great entry Lisa!
Oct 31, 2012 @ 19:50:31
Thanks, PiP
Oct 31, 2012 @ 19:02:16
What a cute rhyming story!
Oct 31, 2012 @ 19:49:04
Thank you, Catherine.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 19:29:35
This is such a good perspective and reminder that for really young kids, Halloween is actually kind of scary.
I laughed at the ‘more candy than she ever ate” line — I think my daughter is hauling home more candy than she *weighs.*
Oct 31, 2012 @ 19:48:48
My daughter has done that before. She actually was reasonable this year, and due to some new orthodontia she had to give away a lot of candy . . . but she kept the chocolate.
Oct 31, 2012 @ 20:35:40
What a wonderful entry, Lisa! I love that you wrote the story from the POV of a little one who hasn’t got Halloween all figured out yet, and that it ends in such a sweet surprise. I’m so glad to “meet” you through this contest – I think I owe Nancy a big thanks as she has introduced me to several new writers today! Thanks for joining in the Halloweensie fun
Oct 31, 2012 @ 20:45:01
Susanna,
Your contest was so much fun. Thank you for sponsoring it. I enjoy writing through the eyes of children, because they still see the magic in the world.
Nov 01, 2012 @ 03:57:45
Halloween can be scary for young ones, but it sure doesn’t take them long to figure out how to work the cuteness for extra candy
Nov 01, 2012 @ 07:15:30
The terror only lasts until the first candy is consumed. Then the innate “please sir, can I have some more” instinct kicks in.
Nov 01, 2012 @ 04:39:35
Sweet story and, as Susanna said, so wonderful to be told through the POV of the child. Sometimes we forget to kneel down and look at things through their eyes! Those goblins must be terrifying!
Nov 01, 2012 @ 07:14:25
Last night, while trick-or-treating with the real (9 year old) Sarah and her friend, her friends family took the dogs (dressed as the cowardly lion and a mermaid. I kept thinking, it its terrifying for little ones but they at least get sweet stuff out of it, how must these dogs feel?
Nov 01, 2012 @ 22:46:56
What a sweet story because it reminds me of my son’s first Halloween experience.
Nov 02, 2012 @ 06:58:59
Thanks Romelle. I think many of us had similar experiences. There’s really no way to prepare a little one, is there?
Nov 01, 2012 @ 23:48:09
I agree, Lisa. Sometimes we forget how terrifying all this Halloween stuff really is! And little ones don’t yet have the understanding of what is real and what is not.
I loved your story…It’s wonderful to see so many more joining the fun!
Nov 02, 2012 @ 06:57:59
Thanks Vivian, it was fun. I don’t think Halloween is as scary anymore. Maybe I’m too old, but I think it has lost some of the mystery to “sexy” costumes. Sad.
Nov 26, 2012 @ 15:53:03
You;re right, Lisa! Kids need to be empowered to be kids!
Nov 26, 2012 @ 17:58:49
They need to be empowered to be kids, but adults need to remember what it was like to be a kid and let go of the reins a little bit.
Nov 26, 2012 @ 22:49:19
You’re right, Lisa. Unfortunately, some parents never put on the ‘bridle’…and there is no one holding the reins…those kids are not happy either.
Nov 02, 2012 @ 10:53:44
Very sweet! Oddly, my 6 year old is a lot more afraid of the scariness of Halloween than my 2 year old is. Go figure.
Nov 02, 2012 @ 11:08:14
Actually, I think that makes sense. To the 2 year old it might just be cool colorful costumes. To the 6 year old, there are words and stories related to the images.
Nov 07, 2012 @ 13:19:01
You captured the emotion of trick or treating well!
Nov 07, 2012 @ 14:05:02
Thank you, Lauri.