The Halloween Contest.

The chosen winner is R. Smales.

The Story (written by me) conclusion:

Max knew his friend could be self serving and have a mean streak, but he never imagined this. He looked at Charles charging towards him with opaque eyes and blood dripping from his chin. With no time to think about the craziness, Max ran towards his bike.  Charles was too fast, almost in a flash he leaped through a hedge. Max sprinted but Charles was already within arm’s length.  In a panic he grabbed his bike and swung it around tossing it behind him, causing Charles to tumble. Max jumped onto Jims bike and peddled hard.

He hoped he had bought enough time to get going faster than Charles could run. Behind him he could hear Jim yelling for his bike. Jim’s sack was tied to the handle bars, something small and hard in it painfully bounced against Max’s shin. He almost tried to untie it but was riding too fast so he decided to let it be. His lungs burned with each breath of the cold dry night air.  It was a good seven blocks before he dared to slow and look behind him. The dimly lit street was quiet. There was no sign of anyone. All the porches were dark and most of the pumpkins seemed to be flickering the last gloomy hues of dying candle light.

He stopped to catch his breath under the comfort of a street light. As he continued to stare back down the street he had come from, a horrible thought entered his head: If they’re not headed this way maybe they’re headed back to my house, oh God Mom!

Max took a seat on the curb under the street light. He would do anything for his mother. But Charles scared him under normal circumstances; in his current condition he was truly terrifying. Max sat there trying to muster some courage. The ground was littered with dead leaves, their musty decomposing scent filled the cold night air. Max looked up at the bright full moon then heard a sound. It was a distant slapping on the pavement. Standing quick he looked and could just make out a shape coming his way. It disappeared and reappeared as it went between the dark and lit gaps of the street lights. It was Charles and he hadn’t slowed down much.

Max ripped Jim’s bag from his handle bars, spilling the contents out on the grass above the curb. He saw what had been hitting his leg, a thick glass vile, it was the zombie powder. He snatched it up and as he did the sound of screeching tires made him turn around. A black pickup going too fast had barely made it around the opposite corner. The deep hum of base rattled its passenger window pain as it passed Max. He looked too see Charles running into one of the dark gaps and the truck headed right for him. In a split second the knowledge of what was going to happen quelled his urge to flee.

The truck didn’t slow down a bit when it hit Charles sending him flying and then bouncing down the street like a tossed stone. The truck skidded to a stop just before Charles's mangled ramains. Max wasn’t completely sure Charles was down for good but he needed to make sure. He ran towards the truck and was able to see Jim sitting in the dark a ways up at a safe vantage point. The driver door opened as Max approached. A very large bald man stepped out and stumbled in a circle. His speech was slurred as he repeated to himself, “Oh no, no, no, what did I do!”

When Max got closer he saw Jim turn and start to ride away. He knew he wouldn’t have dared to do anything with a grown up around. The man saw Max and as he approached him.

“Oh God was that kid I hit your friend?”

Uncorking the vile in his hand Max flung its contents at the big man’s face.

The man stood hunched with those white eyes.

Pointing Max shouted, “See that kid on the bike? Run him down, anything just kill him!”

The man got back into his truck and sped towards Jim.

When Max got home and closed his front door his mom yelled, “You’re late, and grounded! I hope you got enough candy to make it worth it!”

Max looked into his empty sack and thought I’m home mom, that’s enough.