2025 Spooky Story Competition

The Hooded Shadow

These were the darkest woods they had ever seen. Sinister silhouettes of the towering trees loomed over them as the sky faded darker. The suffocating canopy of trees cast long imposing shadows that stretched out in front of them. Blood-red leaves fell all around, creating a jarring haze blocking their vision and making them squint to see a foot ahead. The leaves were jagged, decaying, and had a horrid slimy texture that stuck to their skin. The crunchy foliage along with the unnervingly soft and swampy marshland meant that every step they took was accompanied with a cracking noise followed by a squelch. The skeletal hands of the reeds sucked and pulled at their trainers leaving them fighting to stay above the earth with every step. The two of them were following Lily very closely, anxious not to lose sight of her; so, when she suddenly stopped, they fell to the ground. Joseph and Liam knew immediately that something was wrong. Something was very wrong indeed. Lily was bone white. Hands shaking and having violent tremors. Joseph called her name, but she was so frozen with fear all she could do was point. That was when they saw it. A hooded figure standing beside a tree was swaying ominously in the wind. All they could see was its eyes. Bloodshot and wild with rage.

It stopped swaying.

It blinked.

With a flash and a crack, a sickening wave of heat forced them to the floor in agony.

BY ROMILEY WEBB