Excerpts from pupils' compo - BLACKOUT

(Johannah Wai):
Josiah was terrified as he was alone in the house. His heart skipped a beat and he began to sweat huge beads of cold perspiration. Hesistantly, he got up from the sofa and walked gingerly to the door.

(Jessica Lee):
The room was now in pitch darkness. Tom grew uneasy and shuddered in fear. His heart pounded unusually fast as he heard footsteps nearing him. The next moment, the door slammed with a loud bang. Tom jumped out of his skin at the noise. His hairs were now standing on ends. The silence in the room chilled his spine.

(Ashley Chiang):
The lamp flickered uncontrollably and the television screen buzzed ferociously. I grew uneasy and lurched back and forth, trembling. I was so horrified that I screamed out the fear in me. My dog's howls echoed through the air, making the whole situation all the more eerie.

(Luke Loo):
I took a deap breath, plucked up my courage and cautiously made my way to the door. When I opened the door, I was greeted by a loud 'Surprise!'
"Happy Halloween!" my neighbour screamed. At the same time, a hand tapped on my shoulder. I let out a shriek but regained my composure when I realised it was my father.

(Ashley Tham):
I opened the door inch by inch. I switched on the torch. Immediately, the powerful beam sliced through the darkness, cutting a path through the shadows. I saw a strongly built man with massive shoulders and wearing a blue helmet. There was something brutal about his face, with its small, squashed nose, thick lips and muddy brown eyes.

(Victoria Tan):
My jaws dropped open and I stood there, gaping at what had been standing outside. Instead of a monster, there stood my parents with boxes of furniture. "Mum? Dad?" I stammered, in utter disbelief.