Harvest Festival

It was the day of the annual fall festival, and each class was responsible for having a booth. There was a competition to see which booth brought in the most money for the fundraiser. The winner got a classroom pizza party.

Our fifth grade class had worked for weeks to plan our booth. Everyone pitched in, even Evan, the class clown.

We had voted to design a haunted house, not too scary, but not too babyish. All the kids had brought things from home, and some parents had even come on Friday night to help us set up after school.

I was the president of operations. It was my job to give the final okay before we opened for business.

As I surveyed our work, a smile crept over my face. Creepy black streamers, skeletons, and black lights hung from the ceiling. Large sheets of black plastic covered the floor, forming a path to walk through the maze. Dried leaves made crackly sounds as you walked down the path. Several students were hiding behind large, dark-colored objects to reach out and grab unsuspecting guests. A large, haunted house was hung on the wall. Soft lights shone through its windows, casting an eerie glow on the path.

Yes, we were ready for the carnival to begin. I gave my final approval to Melissa, my assistant. She flipped the switch, and the scary music began. The tour guides pulled up their Dracula hoods, and Alexis, the ticket taker, took her seat outside the door. The fun was about to begin.