Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Halloween!

The streetlights are on, but the night is dark. Obscured by the clouds, the moon offers little light. Your character has gone out to meet his friend for trick or treating. He only had to go a short way, but somehow he finds himself lost and confused by the darkness. Describe the setting. Is he in a city or a suburb? Are other people around, or is he the only one in sight? What sounds does he hear?

Now decide what you want your character to do. Will he press onward, looking for his destination, or will he try to turn back? Whatever he chooses, does he find something along the way? Does his discovery open up a whole new plotline for your story? Is it a projection of his own fear or is it really there? What is his physical reaction to the situation? What is he going to do? How is the tension complicated by the fact that it is Halloween night?

If your character is an adult, have him think back on a time when this happened. What emotions does it bring to mind now? Did it ruin his view of the holiday, or leave him always wondering about that place? Perhaps have him return to the scene, or encounter a reminder that begins a new journey.