October 31, 2021
The second 12 months of the Library’s Youth Ghost Story Contest introduced out Kansas Metropolis’s spookiest tales of ghosts, ghouls, and witches! In September, over 100 youngsters within the metro space submitted their unique tales. These are the first-place winners and honorable point out choices within the 10-13 and 14-18 age classes. We thank all of the caring adults who helped youth with the submission course of. We take pleasure in seeing our younger individuals construct their creativity and writing expertise and may’t wait so that you can learn these wickedly scary tales. Comfortable Halloween!
The thirteenth Ground by Reagan, age 11
The Cuckoo Clock by Finnegan, age 12
When spring cleansing began for David’s household, the very last thing they’d look forward to finding was an vintage cuckoo clock. David discovered it odd that he, nor his dad and mom, had seen it earlier than. Once they had completed for the day, his father went right down to the basement and returned to the lobby with a field of nails and a hammer. David’s father held the nail up in opposition to the wall. KA-THUNK, KA-THUNK, KA-THUNK, the hammer pounded. David flinched at every strike of the hammer.
As quickly as David’s father had the cuckoo clock arrange, David walked as much as the clock to take a better look. The darkish brown had a pink tint, and gave the impression to be crumbling across the edges, as if somebody had held a match up in opposition to it. The numbers appeared smudged, and the palms rusted. He heard gears grinding, and a small blue hen popped out from the door on the entrance, a distorted melody coming from the mechanism.
The clock appeared fascinating at first to David, who puzzled how such an outdated piece of kit produced sound. It shortly grew to become annoying although, as he may hear it clicking from anyplace in the home. And, most annoying of all, that little melody. The one ones who did not appear bothered by the clock had been David’s dad and mom. They stated he was exaggerating, making stuff up as a result of he did not prefer it. David all the time considered denying it, however what they stated was half true. David did certainly hate the little clock.
Then, the difficulty round the home began. At first it was minor issues, like somebody dropping a glass, or David being unable to sleep. Then issues grew to become extra dire, like David dozing off in school, or that he saved feeling a prickling sensation, as if somebody was watching him. Probably the most disturbing factor, although, was that he saved listening to the click off the clock. TICK. TOCK. TICK. TOCK. David heard it in all places. At college, within the bathe, on walks within the park, the click even labored its means into his desires. David felt like there was one thing terribly flawed with the clock, so someday, whereas each of his dad and mom had been out of the home, he determined to take the clock aside.
He unhooked the clock from the nail and took out the screws. He rigorously lifted the quilt up and set it down on the espresso desk. David peered inside and gasped. The one items that had been in there have been the axle that held the clock palms and a small wood field that was nailed collectively. David puzzled how this was doable, however put the quilt again on. He thought of telling his dad and mom, however they’d in all probability scold him for taking it aside with out permission.
Within the weeks that adopted, David grew to become sleep disadvantaged and paranoid. He would flinch any time he heard the melody play. His grades dropped from A’s and B’s to C’s and D’s. The phrases “time,” “clock,” and “hen” made David clench his fist and grit his tooth. He had talked to the varsity counselor, however she had given him a glance of suspicion that stated, “What are you, loopy?” When David may sleep, it was far worse than his waking hours.
In his nightmares, David would dream of an outdated man who labored a wood cuckoo clock, utilizing his pet hen as a mannequin. David would all the time awaken in a chilly sweat, coronary heart pounding. On a couple of event, David would hear raspy respiratory that appeared to return from nowhere and in all places without delay. The final giant improvement would occur two months later, unbeknownst to everybody who knew David.
On June twentieth, after an exhausting day of faculty and one other unhealthy grade on a check, David stepped into his room to start out doing his homework. On the wall subsequent to his mattress, gouged into the plaster had been the phrases: TIME’S UP. David circled to face a creature that was not fairly a hen, however resembled a feathered robin chick, and the identical outdated man from his desires. As David stared on the monster earlier than him, he may see that the ticking was coming from the creature itself, whose neck vertebrae rotated because it stared David down, and elevating each entrance clubbed legs, introduced them down into David’s coronary heart.
EPILOGUE
The ghost of the outdated man from David’s dream stared down on the nonetheless physique of what was as soon as a center faculty boy. He shook his head sadly and light away. The creature that had prompted the demise took one final have a look at David and it, too, light from visibility. David’s physique was dragged into the closet, by no means to be seen once more.
The Locket Sisters by Emma, age 11
I used to be strolling and noticed a woman in shaggy garments. She seemed about my age. Her hair was lengthy, blond, and seemed as if it had not been cared for in months. I searched in my pocket for some change. I discovered nothing. She was shivering, and I felt so very unhappy for her. I took off my coat and gave it to her. She checked out me. Then she took it and ran away.
A big cloud of fog fell over me. A floating form emerged from the fog. Inside half of a minute, I may clearly see the form was a woman. And she or he was carrying my coat over her torn up garments. Her hair seemed like a rat’s nest, nevertheless it was glowing pale white. She began to return in direction of me. I did not know what to do. I ran. Oh, I ran. I ran quicker than I ever ran earlier than. I seemed again and he or she was not there. I circled and there she was, standing in entrance of me!
I solely noticed her and our breath clouds within the chilly air. She floated ahead. I stepped again. She began to return nearer, increasingly. With out pondering, I ran to an outdated shed. It was falling aside, and there have been no lights inside. I used to be determined.
So, I went in.
The door closed behind me, however I believed it was simply the wind. I walked via the small shed and was amazed at how outdated it was. I seemed round and noticed one other door that was 1 / 4 open.
This press launch was produced by the Kansas City Public Library. The views expressed listed below are the creator’s personal.
