2025 Spooky Story Competition

The air suddenly felt as if it had dropped 10 degrees and I could see my breath in a cloudy puff before me. The trees and bushes now formed a tunnel over our heads, giving the narrow path quite a claustrophobic feel. Nellie was walking right by my ankles – almost clinging and leaning on me. This was quite unusual of her but I assumed she was tired. A mist was starting to form, seeping out of the trees to the left and right of me. I felt like I was walking on for ages there, trapped with nowhere to go but onward, and all the time the light slowly draining, getting darker and darker. By this time, the mist was forming around my ankles. I was walking through a river of ghosts. Then I saw him. Dressed all in black, the figure looked like it had just been birthed from the shadows. Its back was facing me. I didn’t know how I knew it was a man or even a human. But the fact that I knew he was a real creature so similar to me made it even scarier. My heart was thumping so loudly and my breath felt short and trapped. But I couldn’t stop walking forwards towards him. Desperately, my hand went down to read for Nellie – but she wasn’t there. My eyes reeled, and my head span. Twisted fears and fantasy entangled in my mind. Throat rising – I couldn’t breathe – I couldn’t look anywhere but at the figure, getting slowly closer to me. Suddenly, I heard a scream. I was on the floor. My hands covered in mud. Nellie was kneeling over panting on my face, quick, short breaths almost as if she had been running. Who was it that screamed? Was it me? My thoughts were so entangled, I couldn’t think straight. Wilfully, I sat up, gripping Nellie for support. BY ELIZABETH ELLIOT