As fall draws near and the leaves begin to change, thoughts turn to Halloween and stories filled with shadowy figures and ghastly ghosts. To ensure that everyone will be able to enjoy these wonderful stories, The Evening Sun is proud to announce the return of its “Ghastly Ghost Stories” competition.

The Evening Sun is looking for fictional stories about spirits, spooks and things that go bump in the night. This year’s competition will include categories for students in grades four through six, grades seven and eight, and two adult categories for those 25 and under and those over 25.

Stories should be 1,500 words or less and must be received by 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 8. Submissions can be mailed or dropped off to Jessica Lewis c/o The Evening Sun, 29 Lackawanna Ave., Norwich. Stories can also be submitted via e-mail to jlewis@evesun.com. E-mailed submissions should be saved as rich text format files. All submissions should include the name, category level, school district if applicable, and contact information for the writer.