Arnie Lightning - Halloween Stories: Spooky Short Stories for Kids

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Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2015 by Hey Sup Bye Publishing

All rights reserved. Graphics used in this book arelicensed and Dollar Photo Club. This book is a work of fiction.No part of this book or this book as a whole may be used,reproduced, or transmitted in any form or means without writtenpermission from the publisher.

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Mason and his friends were carving pumpkinsat Masons house the night before Halloween. Kelly, the artist ofthe group, was carving a howling wolf onto her pumpkin. Jared, wholoved monster movies, was making his jack-o-lantern look like avampires face. And Marissa, the dancer, was cutting out a perfectballet-slipper-shaped design on her pumpkin.

Mason glanced at his own jack-o-lantern andsighed. It had two boring circles for eyes, a boring triangle for anose, and a boring, jagged mouth.

You guys all have such awesome-lookingjack-o-lanterns, he said to the other kids. Mine looks just likeevery other jack-o-lantern anyone has ever carved. He wrinkled hisnose. Except worse! The circles are lumpy-looking, and thetriangle is crooked, and the mouth looks like a few small circlesthat are not even connected instead of a mouth.

Your jack-o-lantern is fine! Kelly assuredhim This isnt a contest, Mason. Were all just having fun.

Easy for her to say, thought Mason.

Besides, Jared added seriously, youshouldnt make fun of your jack-o-lantern.

Mason almost spit out the candy he waseating. That was the silliest thing hed ever heard! Why not?

Because, said Marissa in a deep, scaryvoice, the jack-o-lantern might get his revenge!

Realizing that his friends were teasing,Mason laughed along with them. Dumb, dumb jack-o-lantern, he saidthen. You really are ugly and boring! He studied his work, andthen craved some warts on the jack-o-lantern to make itextra-hideous. Finally, he added some crazy-looking eye-brows.

Oooh! cried Kelly. Hes super-uglynow!

Hes the ugliest jack-o-lantern ever! Masondeclared.

When the friends were finished, they watchedsome Halloween specials and ate the pumpkin-flavored cookiesMasons mom had made. By the time he said goodbye to everyone latethat night, Mason had forgotten all about his uglyjack-o-lantern.

But the ugly jack-o-lantern had not forgottenabout Mason.

Mason woke up very early on Halloween morningto see an eerie orange glow shining under his bedroom door.Strange, he thought. I wonder who turned on a light out there.

He crossed the carpet, opened the doorandgasped out loud! His ugly jack-o-lantern had grown five times itsoriginal size! It was sitting right outside Masons room, lit upwith the dancing flames of candles, even though Masons parents hadmade sure all the jack-o-lanterns were out before they went tobed.

Worst of all, the jack-o-lantern was grinningand leering and laughing at Mason!

Mason took a step backward, horrified.Who-who are you? he stammered.

I am Jack! said the jack-o-lantern in aloud, frightening growl.

Im getting my parents! declared Mason. ButJack blocked him from leaving the room.

Mason trembled from head to toe. How-how canyou move? he asked. And speak? And how did you grow?

Its Halloween now, and anything canhappen, snarled Jack. Now, are you going to tell me youresorry?

S-sorry? Mason spluttered. For what?

For calling me ugly! Jack roared. Mason wassurprised his parents werent waking up, what with all thenoise.

Oh! said Mason. Im sorry, Jack! Really Iam! Ill never call youor anybody elseugly as long as Ilive!

The next thing Mason knew, he was waking upin his bed on a bright, sunshiny Halloween morning. Phew! hethought. All that jack-o-lantern stuff was just a crazynightmare!

But when he opened his bedroom door, hisjack-o-lantern was sitting there in the hallway, normal-sized andnot lit up or moving or laughing. It was as lifeless as it had beenthe night before.

Even so, Jack felt his knees buckle. Somehow,he had the feeling that he may not have had a nightmare, afterall!

Make a jack-o-lantern that will last allyear!

You will need:

An empty, clean milk carton

Scissors or knife (to be used by adults only)

Battery operated candle

Orange paint

Black construction paper

Glue

Green ribbon or green pipe cleaners

Have an adult cut a small hole in the back ofan empty, clean milk carton, large enough for a small,battery-operated candle to be squeezed inside.

Paint a thin coat of orange paint over theentire milk carton. (You may need to paint two coats in order forthe orange to show up.)

Cut out jack-o-lantern eyes, nose and mouthfrom black construction paper.

When the paint has dried, glue them on thefront of the milk carton.

Wrap green ribbon or pipe cleaner around themilk carton lid for a pumpkin vine. You can even add an artificialleaf or two!

Turn on your battery-operated candle and putit inside the milk carton.

Now you have a jack-o-lantern friend thatwill never rot or come to life!

Class, Principal Englewood announced fromthe front of the room, Im sorry to say this, but Mrs. Tucker camedown with a terrible case of food poisoning over the weekend, soyou will have a substitute teacher for the week. Her name is MissBlackthorn, and I am trusting you will all treat her withrespect.

Savannah and her classmates groaned. Theyloved Mrs. Tucker, and having substitutes was no fun!

Class, began the principal disapprovingly,that But, before she could finish her sentence, a dark shadowfell across the room.

A tall, thin woman dressed all in purple andblack stepped into the classroom. She had long, ratty gray hair, alarge wart on her nose, and big, bulgy eyes. When she opened hermouth to speak, all the kids in the room could see that her teethwere as crooked as a broken-down fence!

That is enough! she commanded in a loud,pinched voice that sent shivers down Savannahs spine. There willbe no groaning, no complaining, and no backtalk in this classroom.She turned to the principal and nodded. Thank you. Ill take itfrom here.

Savannah glanced desperately after PrincipalEnglewood. She didnt want her to leave! She didnt want to be allalone with the creepy new substitute teacher.

But not all of her classmates seemed to feelthe same way. Carson, the class clown, immediately hopped up on hisdesk and began putting on a stand-up comedy show. He loved to messwith substitute teachers.

So a teacher walks into a classroom, Carsonstarted boldly. She Suddenly, Carson fell backwards into hischair!

Miss Blackthorn was glaring at him. You arefinished, young man. Her voice sounded icier than ever.