The air of Halloween morning was still, all was eerily quiet.

The sudden sound of a knock at the door shocked the family awake into a nightmare they never saw coming.

Sophomore Ella Streeter was caught in a daze as her parents and police rushed her and her brother out of the house due to an intruder early Halloween morning of 2023.

“It was around four or five [in the morning],“ Streeter said. “The first thing I hear when I wake up is, ’Get up, bad guy in the house.’“

She scrambled out of bed, still half asleep as reality set in. There was no time for anything. Streeter tried to struggle on some decent clothes, still in her pajamas, though was stopped by her mom frantically repeating “Just get out.“

“Honestly, I was scared,“ Streeter said. “We [were] on the street. It was cold, it was wet.“

The family stayed in the street, now fully awake with jittery confusion. They watched on as police surrounded their house with “a barrier of shields.“

Eventually her neighbors across the street saw and invited them in while her dad stayed with the police. Yet, she couldn’t shut her eyes, constantly keeping tabs.

“I [kept] asking my mom ‘Can you call Dad and [ask] what’s going on?’“ Streeter said.

Muffled shouting could be heard from the police as they “shot pepper bombs into the attic.“

After 30 minutes, the police escorted the trespasser out of the house, eyes red and burning.

With barely any sleep, Streeter was still processing everything that happened, the sirens slowly fading into the distance.

Hours after the incident, Streeter received a text from her close friend, sophomore Suriyah Anthony, wondering why she hadn’t been at school that day.

Anthony was “shaken“ by the reply.

“I’m coming in late because my house got broken into,“ Streeter wrote.

“I didn’t know how severe everything was,“ Anthony said. “Or if anyone in her family was harmed.“

“I was shocked,” Streeter’s friend and neighbor, sophomore Isabella Minetos said. “This was the last thing that I [thought] would happen on my Halloween morning.”

According to Anthony, the break-in had a “noticeable effect“ on Streeter.

“I knew she was okay, but she’s not okay [mentally],” Anthony said. “I noticed that she would be more jumpy and anxious to be home alone.”

Halloween was “overwhelming” for Streeter. The event lingered on her mind no matter how much she told herself that “it [was] implausible that it’ll happen again.”

“I remember the Halloween after that, me and my brother were so scared,” Streeter said. “We woke up early just to make sure everything was okay.“

Despite all of this, she made a discovery. Being with her loved ones eased the anxiety and paranoia she felt. It made her feel safe again, and free to have fun and think about candy with her friends all night.

“Being with my friends [was] kind of a moment to calm down [and know that I´m] safe,” Streeter said. “[They took] my mind off of [the break-in].”

I saw my little cousins [as well], which always helps me. Seeing [my] family [in general] helps, Streeter says.

Now when she is plagued by memories of her terrifying Halloween, Streeter embraces her experience as a cool story to tell friends.

Even though Streeter can “laugh about it” now, she encourages students to “be really careful” during Halloween.

“No one thinks that anything bad will actually happen to them on Halloween, like in movies,” Streeter said. “But it’s not unavoidable.”

According to Streeter, Halloween is not a night to be afraid of ghosts and monsters, but to be aware of potential dangers.

Most people are out of their houses and instead crowding the streets, which makes Halloween a “magnet [for crime].”

During Halloween, “a lot of students have parties,” Streeter says. “They’re not really worried about other things. [That] could be bad because you’re less on your guard, so be careful. Stay on guard.”

“Halloween is a prime time to really attack someone,” Anthony said. “Just be aware of your surroundings.”

“Stick with your group and your friends if you are out,” Minetos said.

“Everyone [can have] fun, just be careful, “Streeter said. ¨It can happen [to] anyone.“