This October, the Jim Dan Hill Library invited students to share their original spooky stories to celebrate the season, with a chance to be featured on our blog. Turn down the lights, grab a blanket, and enjoy this eerie submission from one of our talented Yellowjackets, Hannah Hutton, …
It’s a dark and stormy night...
Perfect for the first day at the new school.
Hauntling High, an elitist school that only accepts the best.
Oh, and did I mention that it’s a monster school?
The bell tolls.
Our character groans and grunts as he rises out of his gravestone bed. His bones rattled; his eye opens. His other is an empty socket.
His name is Jason Flametooth. A skeleton. Or partly a skeleton. He still has flesh, his right torso is mostly flesh, though his arm is nothing but bones under his elbow. His feet are nothing but bones, and his legs have sections of exposed bone. His head is flesh except for his right eye and jaw. His jaw can detach.
His bones feel cold against the cement. He’s stiff. They grind together.
His door opens. Candle light pours in, and a looming shadow stretches along the floor. The shadow was tall, round, and triangularly juts out symmetrically on the sides. Wings. Wings too small to fly.
Jason yawns:
“Morning mom,”
His mom, four feet tall, steps inside. She has grey stoney skin, always cold to the touch. Sharp features. A long mouth full of sharp fangs, a large, centered nose. Short horns and animal-like ears top her head. A gargoyle.
His mom hisses. Whipping her snake like tongue at her sleepy son:
“Hurry up, you’re late for your first day of school!”
The bell tolls.
Jason scrambles to get dressed. Limps his way to the bathroom. Stiff. He is always stiff in the morning. His bones grind.
His bones were finally loose. Allow him to walk normally. The grinding gone.
He runs towards Hauntling High.
At Hauntling High. Jason walks into class. Ava, a vampire and Rebecca, a werewolf are there. He’s watched as he takes his seat. Eyes on him. Class goes well. Ava and Rebecca, as intimidating as they are, scare the rest of the class. No one mentioned his tardiness. With words. Their looks were enough.
Second class. Owen and Levi, twin mummies, are there. Potions. The last potion he tried failed charred his hair off. That was three years ago.
Levi laughs:
“Remember when you charred your hair off?”
Jason shoots him his best be quiet look. He speaks with contempt:
“I remember.”
They both laugh. He’s happy when they stop. Being mummies, their laughter is dry. Probably not good for their throats.
Owen gasps:
“No don’t add that in!”
Too late. Jason pours the liquid in. Boom! Flames burst from the cauldron. His clothes ignite. Burn. They burn his clothes to his underwear.
The class laughs. Monphones are out. Fingers pointing. Laughter. Owen, Levi, everyone. Everyone.
The bell tolls.
Jason shoots upright. Gasping as if he’s rising from the dead. He’s in his gravestone bed.
It was a nightmare.
Jason groans and grunts as he rises. His bones rattle.
He checks the clock.
His jaw clatters against the floor.
He’s late!
Come to the Ghost Story Open Mic Night to hear more spooky stories!