Principal Haunt

Thirteen-year-olds Shea Roberts and her best friend, Lea Davison visited Eric, the principal's son after school on Friday.

"Hello, girls," said Mr. Williamsburg. "You're just in time to help Eric decorate the house."

"Dad, they came here for relaxation," said Eric.

"Halloween decorating is relaxing," he said.

"So is dancing," said Eric.

"The Halloween dance is back on. Your mom won two hundred dollars on a scratch ticket. Bye, kids."

He drove off with Mrs. Williamsburg in their luxury sedan.

"Cool," said Shea. "It'll be fun."

"I can't wait," said Lea.
 
"Yeah," said Eric. "They won't be back until after midnight. They're going to a Halloween-movie party."

Eric grabbed an orange, helium-filled balloon from the kitchen counter and tied it to the house mailbox.

"Why is that card on the ribbon?" asked Shea.

"That's a balloon weight," said Eric.

"It's not," said Lea and Eric untied it.
 
"It's a scratch ticket," he said.

A gust of wind blew the balloon out of his hand and it soared skyward.

"You lost the ticket!" said Lea, watching it disappear.

"And the two hundred dollars for the dance," said Shea.

"My dad's gonna kill me," said Eric.

"I know," said Shea."We'll set the house up for a Halloween haunt. Invite everyone from class and charge them five bucks at the door."

"Yeah," said Lea. "My mom bought some creepy stuff she didn't put out yet."

"You'll freak out," said Shea.

"Go get it," said Eric. "When do you want everyone here?"

"Eight," said Shea.

"Okay," said Eric.

Eric messaged everyone in class while Shea and Lea ran to Lea's house nextdoor.

Eric decorated the outside of the house with spiderwebs and ghosts while Shea and Lea decorated the inside.

At eight pm, four boys who sat in the back of the class came to the door. Lea collected twenty bucks.

Ghoulish music played softly and Shea guided them through the dim house saying "This way " in a haunting voice.

A motion-activated skeleton knocked on the glass inside a lighted clock in the hallway and cried for help with a sinister voice as the boys passed by.  They leaned away from it, mumbling to themselves.

A zombie, child doll rocked in a chair on the floor, singing to herself with glowing, red eyes.

A witch in a painting on the wall cursed them and laughed wickedly until they walked into the backyard.

Eric lunged at them, wearing a black cloak and a skull mask. The boys jumped back.

"We gotta go," said the tall boy. They hurried out of the yard.

Thirty-six more came and Shea, Lea and Eric made exactly two hundred dollars.

Eric's parents came home and Eric prayed no stragglers showed up late.

Eric changed quickly. Shea and Lea removed the interior decorations in time, but they forgot one.

"I'd be careful if I were you," said the knocking skeleton evilly.

"Eric," called Mr. Williamsburg nervously. "I meant 'Decorate the outside of the house'!"