The youth of Kenosha sent us their scariest stories, and we had a great time reading them!  Our winner for grades 6-7 is Lupito G., a sixth-grader at St Joseph Catholic Academy.  Judges praised the story’s descriptions, its ending, and its balance of sci-fi elements and realism.  “And I mean,” said one judge, “staring into the void is super terrifying.”

Want to read more scary stories?  Check these out:

• Audrey P.’s “Scary Spaceships,” our winner for grades PreK-2.
• Madeleine B,’s “Alien Invasion,” our winner for grades 3-5
• Nina P.’s “The Whistle,” our winner for grades 8-12

The Whispering Void

In a small, quiet town surrounded by tall mountains, the nights were darker than anywhere else. The people in the tow often whispered about strange things happening in the forest. They said that if you went deep enough, you could hear the whispers of the stars. Most people thought it was just a silly story, but something about the place felt off, heavy with an unshakable dread.

One chilly night, a group of friends Sam, Santi, Alexa, and Yair decided to explore the forest. They had heard tales of an old town at the top of the mountain, long abandoned and rumored to hold secrets of the universe. With flashlights in hand and excitement in their hearts, they set off into the woods.

As they hiked, the trees grew thicker, blocking out the moonlight and creating shadows that seemed to dance around them. The deeper they went, the quieter it became, as if the forest itself was holding its breath. After a long climb, they finally arrived at the town. It stood tall and eerie against the night sky, its walls crumbling and covered in vines. The air was thick with dust and a strange smell of fungus.

Inside, the large room was filled with old equipment, but the centerpiece was the giant telescope, its lens cloudy and dirty but still pointing toward the stars. The friends gathered around, their curiosity piqued. Santi, feeling brave, looked through the telescope first.

“What do you see?” Sam asked, peering over his shoulder. Santis’s face turned pale as he stared through the lens. He saw a swirling mass of darkness, dotted with distant stars that flickered and dimmed, as if something was swallowing them whole.

“Guys, come look at this!” he called, his voice shaky. The others took turns looking through the telescope, their excitement quickly turning to horror. Instead of a clear view of the stars, they saw a twisted face made of shadows, its mouth moving as if trying to speak to them.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, and the walls of the observatory creaked ominously. The whispers, once faint, grew louder, wrapping around them like a dark cloud. Panic surged through the group as they tried to flee, but when they turned to the entrance, they found it had vanished. The walls seemed to pulse, closing in on them.

In desperation, they rushed back to the telescope, hoping it could help them escape. Santi looked through again, but the shadowy face was now much closer, its eyes empty voids filled with despair. It spoke in a chorus of strange voices, “You have disturbed the balance. Now, you will join us.”

Screams filled the room as one by one, the friends began to fade, their bodies dissolving into the shadows like smoke. Alexa fought against the fear gripping him. He turned to the telescope and, with a surge of defiance, shouted, “I will not be yours!” He picked up a rock and smashed the lens, hoping to break the connection.

The moment the glass shattered, the room shook violently. Light burst through the cracks in the walls, blinding him for a moment. When the light faded, Yair found himself standing outside, the forest silent and still. The observatory had disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

As he caught his breath, relief washed over him, but a chilling sensation crept down his spine. The whispers hadn’t stopped they echoed in his mind, relentless. When he looked up at the sky, he noticed a dark shape lingering among the stars, pulsing softly, as if it were alive and watching him.

Santi realized then that the balance had been disturbed, and somewhere in the cosmos, the void was waiting for its chance to pull him back into its cold embrace. From that day forward, the town never felt quite the same. A sense of uncomfortable settled over it, as if the darkness was always lurking just beyond the stars, waiting for another opportunity to reach out and claim those who dared to disturb its peaceful sleep.