Halloween is a month and a half away, but the Hugo House on Capitol Hill is getting a head start on scary season by soliciting spooky stories for their Halloween reading event.

“Time”, “Space” and “Mind” are the three writing prompts from which aspiring award-winning authors can choose to base their short (under 5000 words) stories. The winner of the writing competition will receive a cash prize plus the opportunity to read his or her winning story at the Hugo House’s Halloween party on October 31 at 7 pm. For more details about the compeition or the party itself, visit their website.