Year 8.4 English – Horror Settings

Year 8 has been exploring the genre, Horror, this term. Students have created opening paragraphs depicting suitably scary horror settings. Here are a few from 8.4:

The wind howled as it whipped through the trees, bringing an icy chill. Branches creaked and swayed, animals ran and hid and the house on the hill stood there, impervious to it all. Up on the hill, the manor loomed in the distance, shadowing the already dark yard. I walked up the old rock path. It was barely rock anymore - so worn down from years of footsteps and covered in dirt from years of neglect. When I reached the old wooden steps going up to the front porch, I stepped onto the first and it cracked beneath my foot. I fell forward and stumbled onto the other three steps and I scrambled up as they all collapsed.

When I stood and looked up at the house I thought, why am I doing this? But of course, I can’t back out now, all my friends will think I'm a wuss if I don't go through with this stupid dare. I glance back and see them standing in the distance, all recording, waiting for me to go in. So, I take a deep breath, swallow my fear, and walk into the darkness of the house.

She was never seen alive again.

Abby Foster

The Streets at Night

The light flickers as I pace down the sidewalk in the middle of the street. The cars rush by causing small puddles of water to splash up alongside me.

It's cold and the air seems crisp and sharp. Warm air escapes my mouth in a cloud as I breathe out heavily. My steps are small and somewhat fragile, and I can feel the gravel beneath my feet. The sound of music in the distance and the laughing of families fill the dark night.

The thought of someone watching me rushed into my head and I searched around the plain fields with my eyes. Nothing but darkness. Nothing but small village houses. I picked up my pace as I was nearing home. I had that dark feeling. You know the feeling of someone creeping up on you at any moment or when your heart is about to drop?

My instinct was telling me to call someone or do something, but it all felt like a haze. A buzzing feeling was going through my head. That's what I thought it was anyway - delusions maybe.

I turn back for one final gaze as I arrive at the gate on my front porch. In the corner of my eye a black figure seems to be stepping closer to me. I can barely see a thing and my head goes dizzy. All I can feel from there is someone carrying me, yet my body feels so weak I can't do anything.

The last thing I remember is I'm stuck in a dark room with only a small window as my light source …

Sophee McFadyen

The Streets at Night

Every single night I walk home from work. My shift always ends at night. I hate it. The feeling of constantly being stalked, sending sharp, cold shivers down my back. It’s like a thousand eyes haunting me from the darkness, watching my every single move, stalking and learning.

I can't help but go into fight or flight at every unexpected flicker of a streetlight. It drives me insane. Sometimes my eyes seem to play tricks on me, a shadow in the corner of my eye, watching and waiting. A silhouette against the painted night. A lone figure under moonlight. But it’s never really there, always just tricks.

As the night goes on, it seems to happen more. Maybe it’s just the wind rattling the trees, or the way the crickets occasionally stop singing, but my heart rate always seems to speed up, my breaths becoming shallow and quick. Something just seems wrong, I feel like I'm choking, gasping for air. But then it hits me.

Up ahead, illuminated by streetlight, stands a figure. I blink … it doesn't disappear. It doesn't move, it just stands lonely under the strobe of the large round bulb. I stop in my tracks and stare.

Every single night I used to walk home from work. 

Lukas Muir