By Catherine Catcho (200 WORDS)
The pumpkin patch loved when the ghosts came out to play.
They lifted their leaves to get tickled.
They hid them inside their orange shells.
And-
BOO!
“Such fun,” they thought. “We want to boo, too!”
It was time, the farmer agreed.
They cut their stems.
They washed off the dirt.
But –
“BMMMmMMmM!” [llus: Pumpkins shake, but wildlife ignores them.]
Oh, no. That wasn’t a BOO!
Along came two furry trolls who sensed their wish. [llus: dogs]
They were picked!
They were ready to go!
But –
BUMP! Thunk! [llus: in car with dogs.]
Oof. That wasn’t a BOO!
Finally! This coven of witches looked like they knew what to do. [llus: carving party]
They split open.
They spilled out their guts.
But –
“BLEH!”
Ew. That wasn’t a BOO!
[Illus: Ifrit = candle] An ifrit appeared and promised their boos would soon shine bright!
They lit up with joy.
They felt warm and toasty.
AND
B-O-O! [Illus: Pumpkins spell Boo!]
BAH! Nobody heard them! Or even looked scared!
Days later, the ghosts drew near them again.
They deflated in embarrassment.
They stank with despair.
But –
AHHH! [Illus: Rotten pumpkins scare the ghosts]
Ha-ha! Oh, yes! They found something better than a boo!

Many thanks to Kaitlyn, Alyssa and Lydia for the excuse to take a break from our wordy projects for a seasonal brainstorm – RE: Fall Writing Frenzy.
Why, oh why, do we always want what we don’t have? Even pumpkins have carvings…uh, I mean cravings! Who knew? Good luck to you in this most fantastic contest of the year.
@mowrex (Twitter)
Many thanks! You too! 🙂