screaming season

yellow pumpkin bucket

The murders started a week before Halloween,it was always a little kid and there was a yellow pumpkin bucket placed next to their lifeless body. The mayor eventually issued a citywide curfew but kids are natural born rule breakers and the murders continued because no kid thinks they're gonna be the next victim. Rumors were passed around the school but the police didn't have enough evidence to catch the guy, they didn't even have any leads yet. On the night before Halloween I was walking home from school when I realized I had forgotten that it was my job to pick up my little sister from elementary school today, I quickly ran all the way to the school hoping that I wasn't too late but by the time i got there she had already been picked up by a friend's mom. I slowly walked home awaiting the unavoidable lecture from mom. As soon as I walked in the door my mom started yelling about responsibility and making promises and looking after the  family. I tried to tune most of it out,it was nothing I hadn't heard before. My mom told me I was grounded for the night, which was fine, I was hoping to go out tonight but i needed a night in anyway. I went up to my room and began to start on my homework but I was tired and opted for a nap instead. I woke up to my mom knocking on my door, she slowly opened the door and it looked like she was dressed to go out. She told me she was going out for a couple hours and needed me to watch Rachel. I got out of bed and started on my homework again, I finished most of it before stopping for the night,I had all weekend to finish it, I was going to watch a scary movie in my room but before I could get it cued up Rachel knocked on my door, she had her favorite jack o lanterns pyjamas on but she had a frightened look on her face. "I heard something outside" She told me in a slightly worried voice. Rachel was probably one of the only kids in town who were actually worried about the yellow pumpkin killer. I led her downstairs to show her there was nothing out there. I grabbed a flashlight and shined it out into the yard, there was no one there. I took Rachel back inside and made her a cup of hot apple cider. "Do you wanna make pumpkin cookies?" I asked hoping to calm her down. Rachel nodded and I began to search the cupboards and fridge for the ingredients. Rachel helped me mix the dough and shape the cookies she was giggling and smiling all the way through the baking process and I smiled with her as we put the cookies into the oven. I put the timer on and asked Rachel if she wanted to watch Halloweentown. She beamed and began to make her way to the living room to put the movie on, I put some popcorn on the stove but as I heard the kernels begin to pop I thought I saw something outside. I threw open the door and ran outside hoping to catch whoever was trying to scare us. There was a girl hiding behind the bushes, she had a garbage bag over her body and he wore a creepy pumpkin mask, I couldn't tell who it was,it might have been someone from school. I couldn't get as good a look as I would have wanted because the moment she noticed me looking she took off, I shined my flashlight on the retreating figure but the girl was quick, she might have been on the track team. When I got back inside Rachel was waiting to start the movie, she asked what i was doing outside and I told her I just wanted to double check that the trash cans were out on the curb. Rachel and I spent the night watching Disney channel Halloween episodes before she fell asleep next to me on the couch, I turned the TV off and carried her to bed. In the morning I found out about another child murder. I knew it had to have something to do with the girl in my backyard last night.  I had a copycat, that would not be acceptable. I took out my yearbook from under my bed and looked at the track team members, one of them was the girl with the pumpkin mask I just know it. I made sure my door was locked before checking my closet, everything was still there, the garbage bags, the pumpkin mask, and of course the yellow pumpkin buckets. I would have to do some more investigating but that was no problem, anything to find out my copycat, after all, there can only be one pumpkin bucket killer