Dez wanted to be the scariest ghost on Linden Street. In the costume shop, Dad held up a pumpkin with legs. “Too smiley,” said Dez. He chose a plain white sheet with two black eyeholes. “Everybody will jump.”

At home, Dez crept up on Pudding. “BOO!” Pudding opened one eye. Pudding closed it again. Nobody jumped.

Dez tried a bigger boo on Dad. He crept into the kitchen with his arms out. “BOOOOOO!” Dad didn’t even turn round. “Morning, ghost. Toast?” Nobody jumped.

So Dez tried Rae. He leaned right over her high chair. “BOO!” Rae laughed so hard her spoon flew across the kitchen. “Again!” said Rae. Nobody jumped. Except the spoon.

Dez sat on the stairs with the sheet in a heap. “It doesn’t work,” he said. “I’m not scary.” Dad sat down next to him. “Ghosts don’t come out in the morning,” said Dad. “They wait until it’s dark.” Dez looked down the hall.

That night, the hall light was off. Dez pulled the sheet over his head and crept down the hall. “Boo,” he whispered, just to practise. At the far end, something white was waiting.

“AAAAAAAAH!” Dez jumped. The other ghost jumped too. Pudding shot down the hall with his tail like a brush. Click! Dad switched on the light.

There was the mirror. There was Dez, with his heart going boom, boom, boom. “Was that you?” said Dad. Dez pulled off the sheet. He began to grin. “I scared me,” he said. Somebody jumped!

On Halloween night, Rae wanted to be a ghost too. Dad cut a hole in a pillowcase. Now there were two ghosts. At the last house, Dez crept up the path …

He took his biggest breath. Then, right behind him, a small voice said, “Boo.” Dez jumped. The scariest ghost on Linden Street was one year old.

The End

Dez, dressed as a ghost in a white sheet, raises his arms on a street of houses at dusk while a fat ginger cat yawns beside him.

The Scariest Ghost on Linden Street

Dez has the perfect costume. Nobody is scared of it. Yet.