Entry for Susanna Leonard Hill’s 12th annual 2022 Halloweensie Writing Contest.
Rules: Write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children using the words slither, treat, and scare.
HALLOWEEN NIGHT LIGHT
By Daniella Kaufman
Word Count: 91
A candle in a pumpkin sees
the sun set out of sight.
Then tilts its flame near windows cut
to free the candle’s light.
Its glow will guide the ghouls and ghosts—
some scary, others sweet—
by casting beams upon a path
for all to trick-or-treat.
“Stay bright tonight!” The candle chants
behind its pumpkin’s face,
while waxy droplets slither down
and puddle at its base.
It droops. It stoops. But still, it shines
‘til night has come and gone.
Then sighs triumphant threads of smoke
into the light of dawn.
Daniella Kaufman 