KBR Short Story: The Scariest of Things on a Dark and Rainy Night

by Kristy Jaeckel

The wind was howling and the rain was pouring. Inside, the children were warm in their sleeping bags.

“Sleep time!” their camp leader called, but they couldn’t go to sleep. They heard a tap, tap, tapping from the window.

“What’s that?” they gasped.

“Maybe it’s a ghost?” said one.

“Maybe it’s a monster?” said another.

“Go to sleep. It’s just a tree branch!” said a third.

Just then, the window slowly opened and in slid a pink, furry arm with long, tickling fingers.

“Goobedy, goobedy, goo!” it warbled.

“That’s not scary!” said one.

“I’ve seen much scarier things than that!” said another. Everyone nodded.

“Go away! You’ll get us in trouble!” said a third, and pushed the long arm through the window.

Back into their sleeping bags, the children snuggled and just as they were starting to close their eyes … They heard a crack, crack, cracking from the window.

“What’s that?” they gasped.

“Maybe it’s the monster?” said one.

“Maybe it’s a witch?” said another.

“Go to sleep. It’s just the rain!” said a third.

At that moment, the window pane shattered and in flew a witch with frazzled hair and a wicked grin.

“Eeeeeeeeek!” she screeched.

“That’s not scary!” said one.

“I’ve seen much scarier things than that!” said another. Everyone nodded.

“Go away! You’re letting the rain in! And you’ll get us in trouble!” said a third and turned the witch out of the window.

The children put a sheet over the window and just as they were starting to drift off to sleep … They heard a whoosh, whoosh, whooshing from the window.

“What’s that?” they gasped.

“Maybe it’s the witch?” said one.

“Maybe it’s a dragon?” said another.

“Go to sleep. It’s just the wind!” said a third.

All of a sudden the sheet covering the window burst into flames! Through the smoke, a bulging red eye appeared.

“Roarrrrr!” it thundered.

“That’s not scary!” said one.

“I’ve seen much scarier things than that!” said another. Everyone nodded.

“Go away! You’re going to burn the room down! And you’ll get us in trouble!” said a third, and then poured a bucket of water on the smouldering window frame.

The children swept the ashes and wafted the smoke into the night. Just as they were getting back into their sleeping bags … They heard a knock, knock, knocking from the door.

“What’s that?” they gasped.

“Maybe it’s the monster?” said one.

“Maybe it’s the witch?” said another.

“Go to sleep. It’s probably just the dragon!” said a third.

Just then, in burst their fuming camp leader. The room still smelt of smoke, the rain was pouring in and all the children were out of their sleeping bags.

“What’s going on in here?” their leader boomed. “I’ll be phoning your parents at once!”

“That’s scary!” said one.

“The scariest thing I’ve ever heard!” said another. Everyone nodded.

“We didn’t do all this! You can’t call our parents!” said a third.

But she did.

And you could hear their howling in the wind, on that dark and rainy night.

Kristy Jaeckel is a mother who loves to write for her boys Dexter and Wesley, who always listen to her stories.

KBR Short Stories are a way to get your work ‘out there’—and to delight our KBR readers. Stories are set to a monthly theme and entries are due in the 25th of each month. Find out more here.