Mother woke before sunrise with the weight of the house pulling at her bones and moved against the cold floor, the chill biting at her ankles. In the corner hung the gutted rabbit, its blood pooling on the floor. Her fingers trembled, as she bathed herself in it, coating her skin red.

Raise no alarm, if on a night dimly lit,

That night, the wind howled like the wolves as Shyam and Alameen rowed silently, their boat traversing through the misty air and the water rippling gently beneath them.

Each submission, whether poem or prose, was limited to 250 words, and the first team to complete all the prompts would be crowned the winning house.

'1 new message' is the top winner of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween writing contest Spook-off in the two-sentence fiction category.

'New home' is the top winner of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween writing contest Spook-off in the 100 word fiction category.

'The car' is one of the winning entries of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween themed writing contest "Spook-Off". One winning 100-word flash fiction or a two-line horror story will be published each day of the week all the way till Halloween.

'Last visit' is one of the winning entries of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween themed writing contest "Spook-Off". One winning 100-word flash fiction or a two-line horror story will be published each day of the week all the way till Halloween.

'Midnight visitor' is one of the winning entries of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween themed writing contest "Spook-Off". One winning 100-word flash fiction or a two-line horror story will be published each day of the week all the way till Halloween.

An uncomfortable stillness emanated in the air around Rajpath road. I stood there with my suitcase in my hand, the hair on the back of my neck standing on edge. Glancing left then right, I crossed the road and entered the premises of Hotel Kaalipara.

It was another early sunset on a rainy day in Dhaka. Alamin was walking with a polythene bag of groceries back to his small, rented apartment.

As she looked up, Rukhsana noticed her eyeballs missing.

I think it was closer tonight. I really did not want it inside the lift.

Horror master Edgar Allan Poe believed a really good scary story should be read in one sitting.

For a wistful moment, he was born to me. Eyes closed and never to open.