We asked area students to concoct a Halloween story of 700 words or less that started with this spooky introduction: “When I went to Room 101 for after-school detention, I didn’t recognize the teacher who was there waiting for me …” We received nearly 200 entries from participants that were divided into three divisions: elementary, junior high and high school. Read more of the winning entries.

Here is the Elementary Division winner:

When I went to Room 101 for after school detention, I didn’t recognize the teacher who was there waiting for me. I entered the room. I closed the door securely behind me (Room 101 is a room that I have become very familiar with in these last few years and the door has trouble shutting).

The teacher, as I realized after a thorough look, was short with one of those mustaches that require lots of gel to get it to go into a little devil horn at the end. Unfortunately, he didn’t know these stashes only worked with a goatee. He wore a T-shirt, a tie and shorts with long gray socks and sandals. Talk about a fashion crisis! I almost smartly remarked that he should go on “What Not to Wear,” when I was silenced by his glare.

Something about his eyes stopped me. If you have ever seen a cat just before it pounces on a harmless mouse, you know why I stopped talking. “Sit” he said. I sat.

At my school, Silverstein Junior High, you give the teacher a slip signed by your teacher stating what you did and what the consequence was to be carried out. Well, I handed him my slip and he pointed to the chalk board.

I was to write, “I will not put a tack on my teacher’s chair; I will not put a tack on my teacher’s chair …”

At around number 10, on my way to 500, the room seemed to swirl. I saw the weird teacher’s head among the green swirls and purple background. “Thy doom is upon thy,” he cackled. “Join me or join the dark side.” I have always had trouble with my daydreams, so I told myself to remain calm. The room should come into focus in a minute. It did. But, the teacher was the same. He giggled and I backed up. What a freak, I thought. He should go to an asylum or something.

“Join me!” He giggled. His eyes shone in the lights, and when I looked at them for a brief second all I saw was darkness. It seemed to keep going to the depths of the abyss. “No thanks, I’m already an active member of the chess club and I don’t wish to join your dumb clique!” This was a sad comeback, but I was on the spot and you know some people aren’t good under pressure.

I ran to the door. Sad day … locked. The one I shut correctly, too! Just my luck. Then I remembered my pocket knife. I made a dash for my backpack, but the teacher beat me. “You want your backpack,” he grinned. “Join the dark side! We have cookies,” he said.

“What?” I thought. “This dumbo is gone off the deep end.” No matter, thanks to my yellow belt karate skills, I kicked Mr. Ugly’s hand away and grabbed my backpack. I tore open the front zipper, grabbed the knife and returned to the door.

Before I go on, I must say children do not do this at home or school for that matter – and don’t carry knives. I hurriedly picked the lock. I want to be a locksmith some day and have been working with my brother’s door. “I got it,” I said with glee when the door opened. I ran out to the principal (who by the way I know very well). “The detention dude is a monster in long stockings and sandals,” I screamed.

“I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for this outburst,” he said in a bored tone. “Let’s go see the damage, shall we?”

Then we walked slowly down the hall. “Hurry,” I kept yelling. “Hurry!”

When we got to classroom 101, Mr. Ugly was gone, and the normal teacher, Mrs. Landrafrank, sat at her desk.

“What?” I screamed.

“You’re late,” she commented. The principal left the room and left the door open. I didn’t close it. I went and sat down and looked at the shiny desk. Was it my imagination or was that the shadow of a particular someone with the devil horn mustache?

– Kyra Haas is a sixth-grader at Veritas Christian School.