The Jack-O-Lantern's

Entry for Writing 4 Kids Contest 748 WDC word count. 2nd Place winner!

        It was All Hallows Eve, Halloween; the children were getting ready to go out and brave the night, no fear only smiles on those little faces. 

         “Hurry, Mommy, Daddy, we’re ready to go!” Jane and Jack pleaded together.

         “Ok, get your bags for the candy and we are ready,” Mommy said smiling.

         “Better watch out for the Jack-O-Lanterns!” Daddy said in a scary voice.

         “Oh, Daddy!” Jane and Jack laughed together as they all headed for the door.

         It was almost dark outside, but they all had fun, little Halloween flashlights to light the way.  All of the neighborhood kids were out with their parents too.  There were doctors, nurses, ghosts, zombies, Dracula’s, and cute little bug and animal costumes too.  Jane and Jack were dressed as Hansel and Gretel, Mommy was the witch and Daddy was Daddy.

         “Ok, go on up to the door and ring the doorbell,” Daddy said.

         Jane and Jack walked slowly up the walk, the house was a little scary, it was all decorated with ghosts, witches, strange lights, and Jack-O-Lanterns.  The Jack-O-Lanterns all had scary faces and with candles inside they were a little frightening.

         “Jane, do you remember Daddy saying to watch out for those?” Jack said pointing to the glowing faces of the carved pumpkins.

         “Did that one move?” Jane asked looking at the pumpkins.

         “I don’t think so.”

         “Let’s hurry and see if anyone answers the door,” Jane said.

         As they left that house Jane thought she saw the Jack-O-Lantern turn and look at her.  She ran to catch her Mommy and Daddy.

         “Look at all the things in this yard,” Mommy said. “There are headstones, skeleton hands coming out of the ground, spider webs in the bushes, and more Jack-O-Lanterns.”

         Jane turned and looked at the Jack-O-Lanterns, “Jack, look at that one,” Jane was pointing to one in particular.  “it looks just like the scary one at the other house.”

         “Well maybe they carved them together, so they look alike.”

         “I think it’s the same one, Jack.”

         “It can’t be Jane you’re just getting scared,” Jack told her. “Let’s go.”

         Jane was watching the pumpkins as she walked backward toward her parents. She was sure that was the same pumpkin from the other house and it still seemed to be moving.

         “Mommy, that Jack-O-Lantern is following us,” Jane told her mother. “It was at the first house and now it is at this house.”

         “Jane, darling, it cannot be the same one.” Mother said giving her a hug.

         “It is, Mommy.”

         Jane started looking for Jack-O-Lanterns after that, she was determined to see if it was the same one and figure out how it got to all the different houses.  As the night went on, she saw the same carved pumpkin at each house and it always seemed to be watching her.

         “Well kiddos, this is the last house for tonight,” Daddy said as he turned and smiled at Mommy.

         “Look at the scarecrows, they have scary faces too,” Jane said as she was looking around the yard. Then she saw it, the same carved pumpkin she had seen at every house tonight and it was staring right at her.

         “Jack, look at that pumpkin.” Jane pointed it out to him.

         “Mommy, Daddy come and look at this Jack-O-Lantern,” Jack called his parents.

         “It is the same one, it has been following us, I have seen it at every house,” Jane said adamantly.

         “It is not the same one and we can prove it. Knock on the door, Jane,” Mommy said laughing and smiling at us.

         “Why are you laughing at me?” Jane asked her Mom almost crying.

         “Oh, honey, I am not laughing AT you, you will be laughing too, now knock on the door.”

         Jane knocked on the door and the people who answered just happened to be her Aunt and Uncle.  We had been trick or treating in their neighborhood. We went in and of course, they gave us candy and some cider to drink.

         “How do you have the same Jack-O-Lantern that all the other houses do?” Jack and Jane asked their aunt and Uncle.

         “We decided as a group to all do the same scary pumpkin face and see if anyone noticed it.”

         “Did anyone else notice?” Jane asked.

         “No one but you. You are a very observant young lady.”

         “Wow, I was sure it was following me and it is really scary! This was a fun Halloween night!” Jane and Jack said.
         

748 WDC word count