Some say those creatures appear on October 31 , known as Halloween . For those who celebrate it , Halloween is the day to scare or be scared . One popular activity is to go to a haunted house . A “haunt ” means the spirit of a dead person – a ghost . Some people claim that their houses are haunted by people who used to live there . They say they hear mysterious footsteps on the stairs , or find objects in places where they did not leave them . On Halloween , some American towns also create haunted houses to frighten children and adults , alike . They are invited to enter a dark doorway , only to be terrified by people dressed as ghosts and vampires . This is considered entertaining . The word "haunt " also has a non-scary meaning . As a noun , “haunt ” is a place where you often go . This usage comes from an Old French word of the early 14th century (hanter ) meaning “place frequently visited .” Now , if something comes back to haunt you , it causes trouble for you as time passes . For example , skipping school often comes back to haunt students . Skipping school will cause problems for the student later on . You can also say a bad thing you did or a bad decision you made comes back to bite you . Both phrases mean basically the same thing . Feel free to use “come back to haunt you ” in any situation – either official or casual . However , save “come back to bite you ” for a more informal situation . Now , let's get back to being haunted . To use "haunt " in this way , the memory must be sad or upsetting . No one has ever been “haunted by " a happy memory . Let's hear these words in an everyday conversation . So , Magdalena , this restaurant is my favorite . I come here all the time . It's one of my haunts . If you like burgers , I would order the ... Are you okay ? Yes , I'm fine . It's just that my ex-boyfriend loved burgers . Oh , I'm sorry . Let me guess . He loved Caesar Salad too ? Ricardo , please forgive me . You see , that's why I moved to Seattle from Brooklyn . I needed the distance . I'm running away from his ghost . How did he die ? Well , he didn't actually die . I mean , our love died . He was the love of my life . But one night I made a bad decision . I kissed someone else – his best friend . Well , yeah , that was a really bad decision . Bad decisions like that one usually come back to haunt you . Did he find out ? Every time I looked at him I thought about it ! My guilt haunted me day and night . So I told him everything . I knew that he would forgive me . The thing I love most about him is that he is so forgiving . He broke up with you , didn't he ? I mean , he left and never looked back . But not me . I could not even live in the same city . Moving sure sounds like a good idea . You know what , forget about all the burgers and Caesar Salad . Let's order a big pizza ! He used to work in a pizza shop . Have you ever been haunted by a memory ? Tell us about it using these "haunt " expressions . Or practice writing a scary scene using “haunt .”