Halloween Horror Story

A very old gentleman lived alone in a large house, with creaky floorboards and windows which rattled in the wind. It was Halloween. He had very happy memories of celebrating Halloween when he was young. He once won the pumpkin carving competition at his local church. He had loved to dress up as a ghost and try to frighten his neighbours. He smiled to himself now as he thought of those happy times in the days of his boyhood.
These days on Halloween he always had sweets and little toys at the ready, in case the local children would call on him. That year on Halloween a few small groups of children did visit him early in the evening and were all rewarded with treats. One of the mums gave the old gentleman a home-made apple pie, made with apples from her own garden. This was his favourite dish. Later that evening he had a slice of the pie with some clotted cream. It was delicious. Then he turned on his telly, but did not watch for long. It was showing a film in which an old man died on Halloween and could not rest in peace with all the evil spirits abroad. This character became a sad ghost and haunted his neighbourhood for ever.
By ten o’clock the very old gentleman felt tired and went up to his large bedroom. He undressed and put on his long white nightshirt and nightcap. He got into his four-poster bed. Then he noticed something very strange. There was a patch of really bright white light on the ceiling near the window. He wondered what it was. “Perhaps it was from my neighbour’s security light or a reflection from somewhere.” He got out of bed and looked out of the window and saw that his neighbour’s security light was not on. Try as he might, he could find nothing to cause this reflection. He switched on his bright bedroom lights assuming that they would outshine the mysterious reflection. But the mysterious reflection got even brighter and outshone his bedroom lights.
Something very strange was happening, and the cheerful old gentleman was becoming scared. He got back into his bed, which had become strangely very cold. The wind had got up and he could hear windows rattling all over the house. Floorboards were creaking more than ever before. The bright patch of light was still there, but there were now droplets of red within the white, which looked to him just like human blood. Then a skull appeared within the patch. His pulses were racing and he thought he was surely going to die. Thinking about that awful film, he said his prayers and asked for forgiveness for his sins. He lay awake and looked back on his long life. He was afraid that he was going to die on Halloween. Reluctant to go to sleep, he kept his eyes on the patch of light. At midnight he heard his old grandfather clock in the hall striking twelve.
He was still looking at the strange patch of light, which was still there, but the red colouring and the skull had gone. Then the light became even brighter. Suddenly an image of a cross appeared in the patch of light. It was now so bright that he had to avert his eyes. Then the whole thing disappeared. The old gentleman realised it was now the first day of November, All Saints Day. He thought that he must have a guardian saint, who had driven away the weird apparition which had been haunting his bedroom. His comfortable bed became warm again and he fell peacefully into a deep sleep.

Post Views : 136