THE RETURN OF THE HALLOWEEN MONSTERS

'Ain't nobody here but us monsters!' I shouted out in desperation.

'Monsters? There are no monsters here!' came the reply out of the darkness, 'These are my children! My babies!!'

And with that the footsteps shuffled closer... closer. I could hear the shadowy figure breathing heavily. I could see the silhouette of his hunched figure lurching slowly towards the corner where I was crouching on the cold, sludgy floor. 'It's now or never' I told myself, and with that I leapt up and made a dash for the open door.

All of a sudden the monsters in their cages began to howl and wail like death itself. The hairless, one-eyed monkey jumped and spat. The gorilla with twisted limbs began to thrash and tear at the iron bars that restrained him. The grotesque human head with the body of a dog let out a piercing, blood curdling scream, and its eyes bulged out of madness. But I had no time to be horrified, no time to be scared, and no time to stop and stare. I had to get outta there - and fast.

I moved quickly, but my feet struggled for grip on the slimy stone flagstones, which was covered everywhere in gooey blood and thick gunge. I slid and bounced haphazardly from cage to cage, hairy arms protruding and grabbing, gnashing teeth snapping and snarling, until I finally reached the dark, open doorway at the far end of the room.

Turning my head back I yelled at the shadowy figure I'd left behind, 'It's witchcraft, you crack-brained crazy! You psychowhacko schizoid scumfreak!'