Walking into a gloomy lit room, people arrive to showcase different Halloween costumes that are similar yet scary in their own way.

They came out to show their enthusiasm for Halloween and the spirit of scare.

Scout Lynch, junior and emcee for the evening, opened up the annual Coffee House Night of Terrors at the Panther’s Den with a warm smile and a red dress that just touched the tops of their boots.

Lynch encouraged people to add their name to the list for the evening, and with that, the night began.

Tales of horror ensued with each person that started up onto the stage.

Spooky words haunted the room as each author read aloud their stories of terror and schemes in the darkness.

The winners of the short stories were Quinn Parks, sophomore, and Lynch.

Following that were poems read aloud by their authors.

Each held a story within the words. Describing tales of family members, Mackenzie Akers, senior read her poem, “A Flicker of Hope”.

“My inspiration for my piece was my grandmother and the abuse she endured at the hands of my grandfather,” Akers said.

This piece held the audience’s attention until the last word. Each eye was on her as she shyly walked off stage, her soft voice leaving only a memory.

The crowd suddenly awoke with the announcement of the costume contest awards.

Each contestant proudly stood up to take their places.

Lynch instructed the crowd to clap for their favorite costume.

The audience erupted with applause as each contestant’s head was passed over. The crowd went silent with the determination of the contest.

The winners were Hannah Williams, sophomore, (Gru); Alyssa Lagomarsino, sophomore, (Napoleon Dynamite and overall winner of Costume Contest); and Makenzie Williams, junior, (Inflatable Car Dude).

Lagomarsino gave a run-down on her costume.

“Honestly, we just went to Spirit  Halloween and put the most fun into our outfits,” she said.

With the night coming to a close, cookies and coffee passed through the room as Lynch and the English Department bid their farewells.