Thank you to everyone who participated and congratulations to these wonderful runner-ups!

Since this year’s 2023 Halloween writing contest was filled with a myriad of amazing entries, it was hard to pick the most funny, amazing, or creepy submissions. Here are the seven runner up entries (in no particular order) that made the Bulldog Times’ staff awestruck.

Your Spooky Scary Story Runner-Ups

“The grandfather clock, broken for years, chimed at midnight. She froze. Trees scratched her window, though there was no wind. From the hallway, her voice called, “Is anyone there?” But she hadn’t spoken. Behind her, a cold breath. She wasn’t alone.” – Kevin Amaransaa (11)

“Opening the door, I feel the coldness of the handle. An unusual breeze encompasses me as I step into the car. Sitting down in my seat, my gut tells me something is off. Maybe it was the piercing of my organ from the knife of the guy in the backseat.” – Austin Elder (11)

“Her reflection whispered horrors in the mirror, / Urging her to cross into the other side. / As she reached out, / Her hand met icy fingers / that pulled her into a world. / The world of the dead. / The realm of endless torment.” – Tristan Andres (12)

“Here I am / Floating above everyone on Halloween night. / Nobody can see me, but I can see them / My loved ones look happy, which I’m glad they are / That’s all I hoped for when I die, / That they stay smiling for me sake. / Well, I’ll come back next Halloween.” – Valentina Rodriguez (11)

“On Halloween night, a group of students had been vandalizing the school. As the full moon was revealed, so was the bulldog statue with its red eyes glowing bright. The students heard the main gates collapse, and the bulldog emerged from the shadows and started devouring the students.” – Kevin Campos Zavala (12)

“I woke up light headed. I walked to the restroom, floorboard creaking. I looked in the mirror; I tried to touch my face but it was like I was invisible. My eyes shot to the bedroom then I noticed my dead body on the bed slumped over.” – Jaceli Jimenez (11)

“In the Halloween party, a chilling haze enters into the room, obscuring everything. The teacher’s sinister laughter echoes as she marks essays with her red scythe of a marker, marking 0/6 and ? marks. And then you hear the scariest sound ever: ‘There will be no curve, you’re AP students’”. – Daniel Choi (12)

Congratulations to these seven runner-ups and their amazing entries! You can check out the winners to the contest here. Continue checking the Open Canvas tab for any upcoming competitions!