Today is Halloween when witches, zombies and vampires walk the earth to strike terror into the hearts of mortals. But if you have been reading our great Halloween short story competition, you should be immune to fear by now. Last month we issued a challenge to would-be writers young and old to see if they could send a shiver down the spine or even raise a laugh with a tale about Halloween. We challenged people to choose one of two opening lines and use no more than 50 words to complete a short story for Halloween. There are prizes available in two sections one for 16-year-olds and under and one for adults with the winner in each taking £30 worth of National Book Tokens and two runners up in each section earning £10 each in tokens. And we were overwhelmed with the response. Hundreds of you put pen to paper to create some fantastic short stories that have kept readers entertained over the last two weeks. Children and adults alike, aged from six to 87, have sent in stories. We have read about witches, vampires, werewolves, zombies and demons. We have heard about ghosts appearing at doorsteps, vicars getting a soaking and mothers-in-law coming in for some very bad times indeed! Ann Evans, a childrens author and feature writer for the Evening Telegraph, had the tough job of judging the competition. Ann has written six mystery novels for children of the eight-12 age range which have been published by Scholastic Childrens Books. Her new novel, The Beast, to be published by Usborne Publishing will be out in time for Halloween next year. She said: I was thrilled at the number of entries we had for our Halloween short story competition. Day by day they came rolling in and it was fantastic to read them all. There are definitely some budding Stephen Kings out there. The variety of stories just from those two introductory lines was amazing, every story was different and each with its own chilling tale to tell or quirky humour. Its not easy to get atmosphere, a story line and some dialogue into just 50 words, and I could appreciate the amount of thought and work that must have gone into each story to whittle it down to those few words. Congratulations to everyone who entered. Selecting just three winners from each of the adults and childrens categories was very difficult, and there was a long shortlist before the final decisions had to be made. No doubt everyone will have their own personal favourite, but I hope you enjoy reading our top selection. Evening Telegraph editor Alan Kirby added: It has been a fantastic competition and we have been really impressed with the number of entries and the quality of the writing. I have really enjoyed reading all the stories and I know our readers have as well. I would just like to congratulate and thank everyone who took part and scared us or made us laugh with their work. A hilarious tale that put some fun into scary October 31 won the childrens section of our Halloween Short Story competition.
 Fourteen-year-old Chris Watkins, who is a pupil at Ernesford Grange School, in Princethorpe Way, Ernesford Grange, Coventry, wrote his story as a homework assignment. Chris, of Cardale Croft, Binley, said: I decided to do a funny story because I like jokes and dont like to be boring. I wrote a scary one as well, but I think this one is better. Chris cites his comedy influences as Peter Kaye, The Simpsons, and The Office. He takes the top prize of £30 in book tokens, with the runners-up prizes of £10 each going to Samuel Busch, 16, of Morton Gardens, Rugby, and Erika Shuttleworth, 13, of Boswell Drive, Walsgrave, Coventry. Chris Watkins, 14, Cardale Croft, Binley Trick or Treaters again, well this time Mick was ready for them.....
After years of torment he believed it was trick time!
At 8 oclock the door screamed knock, knock. This was Micks chance to get revenge.
He got a bucket of water, opened the door and covered his victim in water.
It must be embarrassing covering your Granny in cold water. Samuel Busch, 16, Morton Gardens, Rugby Bad idea taking a shortcut through the graveyard at night...
...especially at Halloween I thought as I rubbed the puncture wounds on my neck and reviewed my last memories.
There was someone dressed in a corny vampire costume that turned around, then darkness.
I suddenly noticed that I was hungry.
Oh well, Im sure I can find a quick bite. Erika Shuttleworth, 13, Boswell Driver, Walsgrave, Coventry Trick or treaters again! Well this time Mick was ready for them...
Trick or treat? rang the voices of the witch, the devil and the ghost.
Ill get you one day you little rebels! groaned Mick, the old man. Ill get.... Mick collapsed on the floor, clutching his chest. The kids ran away screaming. Mick got up.
Gotcha! A GRUESOME tale of gory garden gnomes has grabbed the adults prize for the Evening Telegraphs Halloween Short Story competition. Paul Townsends tale of revenge, decapitation and garden ornamentation caught the judges eye making him Coventrys master of the macabre. Paul, who is developing a retail website, took inspiration from Stanley Kubricks horror classic The Shining for his story. He said: I did sort of imagine it as a film so if Spielberg is reading Ill be happy to discuss a cast list! He also found a slightly less terrifying source of inspiration. I thought that you were bound to be looking for a funny one. Garden gnomes are the most ridiculous thing on the planet. I find them funny, some people are so obsessive about them!, he said. Paul, of Raglan Grove, Kenilworth, did the story on a whim while reading the Evening Telegraph, and has won £30 worth of book tokens for his work. He has written no other stories, but now hes developed a taste for it. He said: The only creative writing Ive ever done is to get out of paying parking tickets! Who knows, this short story might be the first of many. Runners up in the adult section, who each win £10 worth of book tokens, were Kevin Tutchener, 41, of Gibson Crescent, Bedworth, and Gail Whiteley, of Abbey Road, Whitley, Coventry.
 Paul Townsend, 45, Raglan Grove, Kenilworth Trick or treaters again! Well this time Mick was ready for them...
It was the same three who knocked the heads off his garden gnomes last year.
Grinning Mick picked up his axe. Hello boys! I have a treat for you this year.
There were no more callers that night.
The new heads on the garden gnomes seemed to scare them away Kevin Tutchener, 41, Gibson Crescent, Bedworth Bad idea taking a shortcut through the graveyard at night..
A gang of leather-clad youths beckoned her towards them. Hello darling, need an escort?
Hold your head up high, her mother had always told her, and so she did. The youths ran screaming in all directions.
Laughing she tucked her head under her arm and vanished into her grave. Gail Whiteley, Abbey Road, Whitley, Coventry Bad idea, taking a short cut through the graveyard at night...
...there were wicked souls on the loose.
Yet she had to come every year, to see the grave by the old holly bush.
There it was, and the single red rose was lying there, underneath her name. Her true love still remembered.
Satisfied, she slipped away, until next Halloween. | 
