I always thought science fairs at La Plata High School were dull, but that year, everything changed. My name is Caesar, and together with my best friend Gary and my girlfriend Shania, we embarked on a project that would turn our quiet town of La Plata, Maryland, into a scene straight out of a horror movie.

Our project was simple: create a harmless, color-changing bacteria. Gary, the brains of our trio, had found a way to genetically modify bacteria to change colors based on temperature. Shania, with her artistic flair, designed our project presentation. And me? I was the enthusiastic glue holding our team together.

We worked tirelessly in my garage, which we had converted into a makeshift lab. The night before the fair, our bacteria did something extraordinary – it started glowing in the dark. We were ecstatic, imagining the accolades and awards we would receive.

The day of the fair, our project was a hit. The glowing bacteria, displayed in a petri dish, captivated everyone. But as the day progressed, something strange happened. The bacteria began to grow rapidly, escaping the confines of the dish and spreading across our table.

Panic set in as the glowing mass started moving toward other projects, causing a chaotic evacuation of the gymnasium. Gary, Shania and I watched in horror as our creation seemed to take on a life of its own, consuming everything in its path.

We knew we had to act fast. Racing back to my garage, we scoured our notes for a solution. That’s when Gary found it – a simple compound that could neutralize the bacteria. We mixed the compound in a spray bottle, rushing back to the school.

The gym was now a glowing, eerie landscape of our making. We sprayed our solution onto the bacteria, which immediately began to recede, fizzling out like a doused fire.

Just when we thought it was over, the twist came. The bacteria, in its final act, released a gas that filled the gym. We braced for the worst, but to our surprise, the gas wasn’t harmful. It was laughing gas! The gym erupted in uncontrollable laughter, including the stern-faced Principal Thompson.

The incident became known as “The La Plata Laughing Night.” Our project was disqualified, but we learned a valuable lesson about responsibility. We also became local legends, with people often asking us about the night our science project turned the school into a comedy club.

In the end, Gary, Shania, and I were safe, a little wiser, and much more careful about our scientific endeavors. And every time we passed the gym, we couldn’t help but smile at the memory of our accidental comedy horror show.