The Setup

I was stuck at home all by myself. It was Halloween night, but Mom had said that I was too old for trick-or-treating. She had left me home alone while she and dad had taken my little brother out trick-or-treating. She gave me a big bowl of candy, just in case and trick-or-treaters came by. I was watching a scary movie when the doorbell rang loudly. I was at a really suspenseful part of the movie, so I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard it. I got off of the couch and went to the door. There were a bunch of kids waiting with their baskets and bags full of candy. I gave them all candy and went back to sit down. My phone buzzed and I picked it up to see a text from my friend. I was actually supposed to be hanging out with them, but since my mom said I had to stay, I told them I couldn't go.

Brooklyn: It's really boring here without you.

Emily: I know I wish I could be there.

I sat back down to continue watching the movie when the doorbell rang again. I groaned and got back up, and walked to the door ready to greet the trick-or-treaters. This time when the I opened the door there was no one there to greet. I closed the door and started to walk to the couch, but it rang again. I ran to the door but there was still no one there. I left it open this time, but as soon as I started to walk over to the couch, it started ringing but this time it didn't stop. Every time it went off it seemed to have gotten louder and louder. I tried to make an attempt to close the door, but when I did a strong wind blew through the opening and blew me back. I scrambled up and ran to my room. While I was running down the hall, pictures kept falling down behind me. I got in my room and slammed the door behind me. I slid down the wall and hoped that this was just a bad dream. Suddenly I heard laughing coming from outside my room. I was too afraid to open my door to see where it was coming from. I moved away from the door and near my bed, but then I heard a scratching from inside my closet. "Scratch, scratch." I grabbed my bat from the corner and neared the closet. I was about to open it when the closet door flew open and out ran my cat. "Ugh, you scared me, Jerry!" I went to look out my window but when I did, red liquid ran down the window and on the grass outside. I backed away from the window and out of my bedroom. I ran down the hall and almost fell on the pictures strewed across the hall. I made my way around all of the broken glass, grabbed my phone and stuffed it in my pocket, and held my bat tightly. I ran out the front door and onto the street.

"BOO!" yelled all of my friends as they jumped out from behind a hedge. "That's what you get for not going to our Halloween party," yelled Brooklyn. I stood there dumbfounded while my friend Justin started laughing until he was rolling around on the ground holding his stomach. "You could have given me a heart attack!" I yelled back at all of them. "Oh come on, it wasn't even that scary," Justin said. "Yeah, thanks too you because you wouldn't stop laughing," said Brooklyn. I turned around to start walking back to my house when I saw my parents coming down the street. I ran to them and hugged them a tight as I could and begged them to never leave me home alone again. Suddenly my parents and even my little brother started laughing at me. I hit me like a punch to the gut that they were all in on it, it was all a setup.

The End