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Our first place High School winning entry is by Kailyn Robl, a homeschooled student from Mesa, Arizona. Ms. Robl writes:
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Marcus Fletcher, an energetic 10-year old boy, was just adding the finishing touches to his Halloween costume when the doorbell rang. He jumped up and ran downstairs to open the door.
“Hey, Devon!” Marcus greeted his friend excitedly. “Are you ready for tonight?”
“You bet I am!” Devon replied. “Are you done with your costume?”
“Almost, I just have to add a little bit of blood to my fangs.” Marcus was dressed as a vampire and was very proud of his costume. His mom had done his hair and makeup, but he did the rest himself. His dark hair was slicked back and a bit of makeup made his round face pale. He wore a white shirt tucked into black pants under a flowing black cape, made from a towel. And of course he had plastic fangs in his mouth, though he thought that they looked quite convincing.
Devon wore a classic ghost costume. He had a white sheet draped over himself and there was holes for his eyes and mouth. Fake shackles encircled his wrists for an added touch, and he carried a large pillowcase in anticipation of all the candy he was sure to receive.
“Come on in.” Marcus motioned for Devon to enter the house then shut the door behind him. Devon looked around, observing the numerous decorations. The stairs descending along the wall to Devon’s right were adorned with cobwebs and paper spiders. An end table against the wall under the stairs held a grinning plastic skull and a small tombstone with the letters ‘R.I.P' sitting on a spider-embroidered table runner. At the top of the stairs, a skeleton perched on the banister overlooking the entryway.
“Your mom did a great job with the decorations,” Devon commented.
“Yeah, she really likes Halloween,” Marcus replied, “She and dad are going to a party tonight with a few of their friends. It’s supposed to be really creepy. I wanted to go, but mom said there wouldn’t be any kids there. I’m glad we could go trick-or-treating together, though. Come on, I have to put some blood on my fangs and grab my pillowcase and then we can go.”
Marcus led Devon into the kitchen where Mrs. Fletcher was pouring assorted candy into a large bowl.
“Hey, Devon!” she greeted her son’s friend energetically. Aurora Fletcher was a slim, attractive woman. She was dressed as a witch. Her lacy black dress reached her knees and had a purple hem that stood out over her black tights. Her face was done perfectly, with glittery purple eyeshadow and deep red lipstick standing out against her paled features. The woman’s fingernails were painted with dark purple polish, shimmering as she handled the bowl of candy. To top it all off, a black witch’s hat perched atop her head and a purple satin ribbon wrapped around its base.
“I love your costume, Mrs. Fletcher,” Devon complimented his friend’s mother.
“Thank you! Yours looks very nice too. Are you boys ready for trick-or-treating?”
“Yep!” Marcus replied, grabbing his pillowcase off the counter, his fangs dripping with fake, strawberry-flavored blood.
“All right. Now, stay together, don’t leave the neighborhood, and I want you home by 9:30. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the boys chorused.
“Marcus, your father and I should be home by 10:00. I want you boys in bed when we get home. And don’t answer the door. Have fun!”
“Bye, mom!” Marcus called as the pair headed for the door.
“I can’t believe we get to go trick-or-treating all by ourselves,” Devon said excitedly as they walked down the front step, which was adorned with jack-o-lanterns that flickered eerily in the twilight.
“I know, right? I’m so excited,” Marcus said with enthusiasm. “Which way should we go?” The boys stood at the end of the driveway, considering both ways.
“If we go left, we could make our way around the corner to the edge of the neighborhood and then circle back around, that way we hit all the houses,” Marcus suggested.
Devon agreed and the boys set off eagerly, going up to each house with a cheerful, “trick-or-treat!” The sun was just setting and the streetlights began to flicker on. The sidewalks and driveways filled quickly with people dressed in all sorts of costumes ranging from zombies to princesses. Parents pulled smaller children in wagons and strollers, chatting with their neighbors. The boys’ pillowcases began to fill with candy.
As Marcus and Devon were walking down a street on the other side of the neighborhood perpendicular to the main road, Devon suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“What is it?” Marcus asked, concerned.
“I don’t feel so good,” Devon said, holding his stomach. He had consumed more candy than was probably good for him, so Marcus wasn’t surprised.
“Do you have to throw up?” he asked nervously.
“I don’t know.” Devon’s face was pale and he looked miserable. “I think I’m going to ask the people in that house if I can use their bathroom.” Without another word, he ran up to the door and after a brief exchange, disappeared inside. Marcus sighed and sat down on the curb to wait for his friend.
After a few minutes, Marcus was getting impatient. He stood up and started pacing. He ate a few pieces of candy out of his pillowcase. It was getting late and this part of the street was almost deserted. All of a sudden, a bag was shoved over Marcus’ head and he was grabbed from behind! Marcus struggled frantically, but he could do nothing against the strong arms of his captor. He was being carried! In the skirmish, he dropped his pillowcase of candy.
Marcus couldn’t tell where he was. It was starting to get hard to breathe inside the bag on his head, but his arms were trapped against his body. Just when his legs were starting to fall asleep from dangling for so long, Marcus was thrown onto the ground. He heard a door slam and lock. The nervous boy quickly yanked the bag off of his head and looked around. The small room was dim, but his eyes adjusted quickly. The space was mostly empty; there was a lamp in the corner and a desk and stool against the wall. Marcus was sitting on the carpet against a wall with a shaded window above him. He got up, his legs a little shaky after dangling in the air. The curtain was nailed to the wall, but he was able to pull away enough of it to see outside. Marcus didn’t recognize the street at first, but soon got his bearings. He had only been in this part of the neighborhood a few times when his family had to take a detour when the other road was closed. It was a few streets away from his house.
After he figured out where he was, Marcus started to process what had happened to him. Someone had carried him all the way here! Whoever did it had to be strong, that’s for sure. Marcus was confused. Why would someone bring him here? What did they want from him? He had dropped his bag of candy, so it couldn’t be that. Marcus really had no idea why anyone would take him, but it was exciting nonetheless. He was like a character from a TV show! He had gotten kidnapped and now he needed to find a way to escape. Maybe he could climb through the vent. Marcus looked around and saw a grate on the ceiling. He climbed on the desk to try and reach it, but his plans were crushed when he realized the vent was screwed shut and there was no way he could fit through it. Escaping through the vent would have been really cool! Oh, well. Marcus tried another option. The door. He rattled the door handle, not really expecting anything to happen, then tried to kick it down. After a few tries, the door wasn’t moving and Marcus’ leg hurt. He ripped down the curtain and tried the window, but it wouldn’t open. Marcus flopped down on the floor, frustrated. Suddenly, he heard rattling. It was coming from outside the door. Marcus’ eyes widened. Was someone coming in? He stood up against the wall, staring at the door and quickly formulating a plan. After a few moments, the doorknob slowly turned and the door opened.
Marcus ran at the door, yelling loudly and waving his arms. Before he could reach it, the door slammed shut! Marcus was unable to stop his momentum and slammed into the door. He groaned, rubbing his shoulder. Well, that plan had failed. Marcus didn’t know what to do. He laid on the ground and sighed. Then he sat up quickly. The doorknob was turning again. Marcus scooted back against the wall next to the desk and grabbed the stool, holding it out in front of him for defense. The door opened.
Standing in the doorway was a short but muscular figure. Marcus squinted. The figure almost looked… wolflike. He stepped toward Marcus menacingly. Suddenly, he put a finger to his lips and beckoned for Marcus to follow him. Confused, but cautious, the boy did as he was told. He quietly followed the man, who crept along quietly, looking around every corner of the house before they reached the front door. He slowly opened it and motioned for Marcus to follow before disappearing through the doorway. Marcus hurried to catch up, looking behind him nervously and made it outside, closing the door behind him.
Marcus followed the man down the street until they were a safe distance away from the house. Finally, he asked cautiously, “Who are you?”
The figure turned toward his companion and Marcus could now see is face in the dim streetlight. He gasped and took a step backward. The man standing in front of him was no man; he was a werewolf!
The werewolf looked down, seeming almost… sad. Marcus’ face softened and he stepped toward the werewolf. “It’s okay, I’m sorry. I was just startled, that’s all,” Marcus said kindly. “What’s your name?”
The werewolf slowly looked up at Marcus. There was hope in his black eyes. “My name is Borris,” he said shyly. His voice was deep and a bit gravelly, yet soft and kind. Borris was short, but he looked like he could wrestle a lion and win. His hairy arms were large and muscular, and his chest was broad. Dark hair covered his entire body and all he wore was a pair of tattered shorts. Though his face had wolfish features, his black eyes were kind.
“You saved me,” Marcus said, “Thank you…, but why? And how?”
“I saw that man grab you, so I followed him.” Borris explained in his soft voice, “Whoever kidnapped you left the house, so I was able to get in and get you out.”
“But why would you help me?” Marcus wondered, “You don’t even know me.”
“I was the only one who saw what happened. I couldn’t let something terrible happen to a helpless child.”
“I’m ten, and I’m not helpless,” Marcus said defensively, hands on his hips.
“My apologies, young man. But you wouldn’t have been able to escape on your own and who knows what they would have done to you.”
Marcus sighed and reluctantly agreed. The pair was silent for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts until Borris perked up. “Do you want to come trick-or-treating with me?” he asked hopefully.
“Sure, that sounds fun!” Marcus agreed. “But I dropped my pillowcase of candy when that guy grabbed me.”
“Oh,” Borris looked thoughtful for a moment, then his face lit up. “We could go back and see if it’s still there!”
“There’s no way it would still be there. Either a random kid would have grabbed it for free candy or my friend Devon would have picked it up for me when he couldn’t find me.” Marcus thought for a moment. “But, we could knock on someone’s door and ask them or a couple of plastic bags for candy!”
“Yes! That’s a good idea!” Borris agreed energetically.
Once they had gotten bags, Marcus and Borris walked around the neighborhood gathering candy and getting to know each other. Borris explained that he lived in a cabin the forest and the only time he could come into town was at Halloween. Marcus promised that he would come to visit Borris when he could.
As they were walking down the driveway of a house, Marcus heard someone shout his name. He turned to see who it was and he saw Devon running toward him!
“Devon!” Marcus exclaimed.
“Marcus! I found you!” Devon embraced his friend excitedly at first, then turned serious. “Where did you go?” he asked, “I looked all over the neighborhood for you! And you left your candy bag! Someone could have stolen it!” Devon held up Marcus’ pillowcase full of candy.
“Oh, thank you!” Marcus took his bag gratefully. “I’m sorry, Devon, but it wasn’t my fault.” Marcus explained the whole story to his friend. It took a little convincing, but Devon finally accepted what had happened. He was excited to meet a real werewolf and he and Borris became fast friends. They all went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood together, enjoying each other’s company. They were having fun until Marcus realized that it was getting quite late.
“Oh, no! What time is it?” he asked, panicking, “Does anyone have a watch?”
“I do,” Devon volunteered. “It’s 9:54.” He looked up, realization and panic on his face. “Your mom said we need to be home by 9:30. We’re gonna be in so much trouble! Come on, run!” The trio took off running, their full candy bags banging against their legs. Borris was clearly much faster than the boys, but he stayed behind them because he didn’t know where Marcus’ house was. When they reached the correct street, Devon and Marcus were panting hard. They jogged the rest of the way until they were at the front door.
“Well, here goes,” Marcus said nervously. He reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door.
“Marcus?!” a panicked voice came from the living room, and then his mom appeared. “Marcus! Are you all right?! What happened?”
“Mom, I’m fine. I’ll tell you in a minute. First, I want you to meet…” Marcus’ voice trailed off as he realized that Borris wasn’t behind him. He ran onto the front porch and looked around. “He’s gone. Devon, did you see where Borris went?” Devon shook his head sadly.
“Well, I don’t know who this Borris person is, but I want an explanation out of both of you, right now,” Mrs. Fletcher scolded. “Get inside the house and go sit on the couch. You are going to tell me exactly why you’re late, and then Marcus, there will be consequences for you, and Devon, your parents are going to hear about this.” Mrs. Fletcher closed the front door behind the boys and locked it. Marcus and Devon looked at each other nervously as they hurried to do as they were told. When they were all sitting on the couch, Marcus told the whole story to his parents from Devon getting sick, to meeting Borris, to sprinting home. Mrs. Fletcher raised her eyebrows at her husband, who cleared his throat and said, “I don’t believe any of this nonsense about getting kidnapped and meeting a werewolf. I think you just lost track of time when you were trick-or-treating.”
“No, Dad, we’re telling the truth!” Marcus pleaded desperately. “Sure, we did lose track of time, but that was after everything happened. I can show you the house that the kidnappers brought me to!”
Mr. Fletcher raised his eyebrows skeptically. Mrs. Fletcher sighed, exasperated and tired after a long night. “We’ll talk about it in the morning. Right now, we all need to get some sleep. Devon, I set up an air mattress for you in Marcus’ room. You boys get cleaned up and go right to bed, no staying up late and no candy.” To prove her point, she took the pillowcases of candy and shoved them in a cupboard. The boys knew better than to complain, and they hurried upstairs without a word. They quickly got cleaned up and put on their pajamas, but once they were in bed they discussed their adventures in hushed voices.
“I wonder where Borris went,” Marcus whispered.
“Yeah, me too. I can’t believe he just left us!” Devon replied.
“I’m going to go and look for him tomorrow. He told me he lived in a cabin in the forest. I bet I can find him.”
The boys talked for a few more minutes, but they soon fell asleep. It had been a long night. The next morning, Devon’s parents came to pick him up. Like Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher, they didn’t believe their son’s account of the night before. They planned on punishing him for lying and not being responsible. Marcus and Devon exchanged somber goodbyes and Devon left. After he was gone, Mrs. Fletcher instructed Marcus to go take a nap. Exhausted from their party the night before, Marcus’ parents fell asleep on the couch.
As soon as his parents were asleep, Marcus snuck downstairs. He grabbed a few chocolate bars from his candy bag and headed out the door. He hurried down the sidewalk, heading toward the woods behind his neighborhood. Once he reached the edge of the trees, he took a deep breath and entered the forest.
Marcus weaved his way around the tall trees. The forest floor was rough and uneven, covered in branches, dead leaves, and rocks. Sunshine shone through the foliage, casting shimmering rays onto the ground. Marcus had no idea where Borris’ cabin was, so he just wandered. After a while, he began to get hungry. Marcus took out one of his candy bars and bit into it. He chewed slowly, savoring the bite. When he was done, he stuffed the wrapper in his pocket and took out his compass. South. He would just keep going straight.
“Borris!” Marcus called. “Borris, where are you?!”
Marcus kept walking, occasionally calling for his friend. He was beginning to get tired. He scanned the woods around him. Nothing but trees. Marcus sighed and sat down for a break. After a few minutes, he got up and started walking again. His mouth was dry and he wished he had brought water. Another cry of “Borris!” brought no answer. Marcus was beginning to get frustrated. He looked around again, his eyes searching through the trees carefully. Suddenly, he stopped. There! Something that wasn’t a tree! He headed toward it, invigorated and hopeful.
As Marcus neared what he had seen, he realized that it was a cabin! He ran toward it, excited and hopeful. “Borris!” he called. There was no answer. The cabin was small, and made of logs. There was a small front porch with a rocking chair sitting on it. Marcus climbed the steps of the porch and knocked on the front door.
“Borris! Are you in there? It’s me, Marcus!” Marcus waited and was about to knock again when the door opened.
Standing in the doorframe was Borris! The werewolf looked exhausted. He was slumped over and his eyes were sleepy and sagging. He looked about half awake. “Marcus?” Borris asked, disoriented.
“Borris! I found you!” Marcus cried, throwing his arms around his friend. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”
“It’s no problem,” Borris waved away the question, looking a little more awake. “How did you find me?”
“I just wandered around the woods until I saw a cabin,” Marcus said cheerfully. Borris’ eyes widened. “You did? Marcus, don’t ever do that again. It’s not safe and I wouldn’t want you to get hurt because you were looking for me.”
Marcus looked down, disappointed. “I just wanted to find you. Besides, I promised that I would visit you. Why did you leave without saying goodbye last night?”
“I figured it was best if your parents didn’t see me.”
“Oh.” The two stood together awkwardly for a moment before Marcus broke the silence. “Can I see your house?”
“I don’t know. I think it would be better if you didn’t…”
“Please? I would love to see inside.”
Borris sighed reluctantly. “Alright,” he said and opened the door wider so that Marcus could enter.
It was a small cabin, just one room. Borris’ bed sat in the back corner of the room and the sheets were twisted and wrinkled, probably because he had just gotten out of it. Next to the bed sat a large wooden chest. There was a stone fireplace in the middle of the back wall, wood stacked up neatly beside it. Several assorted knickknacks sat on the mantle above the fireplace. Gray curtains covered the windows, darkening the room. In front of the fireplace was a couch and small table, both sitting on a worn rug. To his right, Marcus saw a large dining table with one chair at the head. A cabinet, probably for food, sat behind it. The corner to his left was bare, except for a fishing pole leaning against the wall and a tackle box.
“I love it!” Marcus exclaimed. “I didn’t know it would be so… cozy.”
“Thanks,” Borris accepted the compliment shyly. “It’s not much, but it’s all I need.”
Marcus walked over to the mantle and picked up a photograph. “Who are these people?”
“That was my family, my wife and son,” Borris replied, a tinge of sadness in his voice.
“Where are they now?” Marcus asked softly.
“Gone. They all died in a fire.”
“I’m so sorry. They look like very nice people,” Marcus said sympathetically, replacing the picture on the mantle.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” Borris asked, changing the subject. “I doubt you drink coffee, but I have water.”
“Water would be great, thank you,” Marcus said, having forgotten about his thirst until then. Borris poured his friend a glass of water from a pitcher on the table and handed it to him.
“Do you parents know you’re here?” Borris inquired. Marcus looked down, ashamed. “No. I snuck out while they were sleeping.” His friend raised an eyebrow.
“I should go. I don’t want them to find out I left. I’m already getting punished for staying out too late last night and lying about what I was doing.”
Borris looked confused. “But you didn’t lie, did you?”
“No, I didn’t, but my parents don’t believe me.”
Borris gave his friend a sympathetic look. “Well, thank you for coming. You’re a good friend.”
“Of course, Borris. It was good to see you. Maybe you can come visit me sometime.” Marcus hinted hopefully. Borris laughed.
“We’ll see.”
When Marcus arrived back at home, luckily his parents were still sleeping. He quickly cleaned up and went to bed like he was supposed to. Later, his parents woke him up and told him to come downstairs so they could talk to him. Marcus was nervous. He assumed that they wanted to discuss his punishment for the night before.
When he got downstairs, his parents were sitting on the couch waiting for him. He sat across from them, nervous.
“Marcus,” his father began, then looked at his wife expectantly. She rolled her eyes and continued, “Marcus, you know that what you did last night was wrong. You disobeyed me by staying out past 9:30 and you lied about what you were doing.”
“No, I didn’t!” Marcus protested.
“I’m speaking. Please do not interrupt me. If you tell us the truth about where you were last night, maybe we can lessen your punishment. Now, what were you doing that made you late?”
Marcus retold his story, exactly the same as he had before. His parents faces grew annoyed and then angry as he went on. “Marcus, you had better tell us the truth right now, or you’re going to face the consequences,” Mr. Fletcher warned.
“I am telling you the truth, please believe me!” Marcus begged desperately, “I can show you the house that the kidnappers took me too. Please, let me prove it to you!” His parents looked at each other skeptically, but finally Mrs. Fletcher relented.
“Fine. Take us there. But don’t expect us to believe your story just because you’re showing us a house.”
Marcus and his parents walked along the sidewalk, Marcus leading the way. It only took a few minutes to get to the house. It was one-story and had a two-car garage. There was a window on the front of the house behind the porch, the shades drawn.
“This is the house.”
“Well, I suppose we should knock on the door,” Mrs. Fletcher suggested, clearly believing that this was a waste of time. The family walked up to the door, Marcus trailing behind.
“Wait a second, what is that?” Mr. Fletcher asked. “I hear something.” They paused, listening. There was a faint calling coming from behind the window. It sounded almost like… “Help! It sounds like someone is saying help,” Mrs. Fletcher exclaimed. She looked at her husband, nervous. “I think we should call the police. If Marcus is actually telling the truth… they could have kidnapped another child after he escaped. Come on, let’s get off the front porch.”
Mrs. Fletcher had her phone out and was dialing 911. She spoke to the person on the other end of the phone for a few minutes, then hung up. “The police are on their way. Come on, let’s go home. They can handle it from here.” Marcus protested, but his mother was insistent.
After the family had been at home for about an hour, the phone rang. Mrs. Fletcher answered it. Marcus tried to listen to the conversation, but he couldn’t hear the other end. His mother said all right and oh my goodness a few times, then hung up. Marcus looked at her expectantly.
“You were right, Marcus. The police arrested the kidnappers and the child was returned to his parents. I’m sorry we didn’t believe you.”
“That’s all right, mom,” Marcus smiled and hugged his mother.
After Halloween, everything quieted down at the Fletcher house. Marcus’ mother still punished her son for not staying with Devon the whole time. She took away all of his Halloween candy, but gave it back a week later as a reward for Marcus’ good behavior. Marcus’ parents did question how he had escaped from his kidnappers, but Marcus told them that a man dressed up as a werewolf had rescued him. Borris and Marcus continued to trick-or-treat together in the years after until the pair started to receive scrutinizing looks from the neighbors, likely due to their age. As Halloween was one of the few times that Marcus and Borris could be together, they were quite discouraged, rightfully so. Marcus was diligent in planning time to visit his best friend, but it grew more difficult as he began to have more responsibilities. Though the two eventually grew apart, Marcus never forgot the friend he had made on that Halloween night so long ago.
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