OHS Creative Writing Class Tells Spooky Stories

OHS Creative Writing Class Tells Spooky Stories

by Caylee Courtright

During October, Mrs. Hennessy’s creative writing class worked on writing scary stories to share with each other during Halloween. Right before Halloween, I had the opportunity to share my own story and hear a couple of other students share their own scary stories as well. While only a few scary stories were shared, they all proved to be incredibly creative and spooky. 

Mrs. Hennessy had us read in the dark auditorium with lanterns to provide the spooky ambiance for the storytelling. It was like scary story time at camp! Everyone had their own lanterns, and we were led down a darkened auditorium where two real journalists were there to listen to our stories. I shared my story first. My story takes place in the early 1900’s on a farm. The plot revolves around two little girls who decide to play hide and seek in the darkness of a corn field nearby. While playing, they discover something gruesome that symbolizes their mother’s love for them.

After my story, senior Toby Luque shared his story with us . Taking place in an apartment, Luque’s main character has a scary encounter with a ghost while investigating a murder. Toby was incredibly animated, using his lantern and the stage floor to create sound effects, keeping me and my fellow classmates on the edge of our seats. Since Toby has a background in theater, it made sense that he not only gave a reading but also provided a true performance! 

Since we had a little time after Toby’s reading for one more shorter story, Julia Dellamorte read hers telling the tale of a girl who’s perfect on the outside but may not be as together as she seems. The girl’s mind tricks her into having hallucinations, terrifying her and mirroring how she feels on the inside. It was truly a scary read!

After the readings, I had the opportunity to speak to Mrs. Hennessy about the class and about the scary story activity. “This is a great class. It’s great to have a variety of writers, ones like Toby and Cyla who have a knack for creating and those who have never written before,” Mrs. Hennessy said.

Mrs. Hennessy is also looking for more students to participate in Creative Writing next year! She said she wants to improve the scary storytelling for next year, so be sure to talk to Mrs. Hennessy in the English department to learn more! And if you like what Mrs. Hennessy has to say, ask your guidance counselor to schedule you for the Creative Writing elective when you make your schedule for next year!

Around OHS Features