Most teenagers opt for a classic, glamorous gown or suit for their end-of-school prom, but 16-year-old Abi Ricketts had other ideas to stand out from the crowd.
The vampire superfan spent one year planning a show-stopping stunt to surprise her fellow classmates - that involved a real-life wooden casket and 'funeral staff'.
Abi dressed herself in a black lace corset dress, lace tights and black boots, and rolled up in a 6ft-long coffin with her eyes shut and arms crossed.
After propping the coffin up on the red carpet, the self-professed goth metal head dramatically opened her eyes and 'rose from the dead' in front of a cheering crowd.
Abi, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, said: "Everyone was cheering and screaming and clapping. They were all gobsmacked.
"My teachers said that it was amazing, they had never seen anything like it and it would go down in history."
Abi roped in her dad Alan, 54, and 18-year-old brother, John, to dress up in all-black outfits and sunglasses as 'funeral staff'.
She shocked staff and pupils at Trinity Academy in Thorne when she arrived in a black Volvo XC90 to the song 'Year Zero' by Ghost.
John then solemnly opened the boot and rolled her out of the back of the car, to dramatically 'come back to life' in front of everyone.
Abi had discussed her kooky arrival with her 76-year-old grandmother, Margaret Ricketts, who sadly she passed away earlier this year.
"I've been into goth metal head stuff since I was four and it was an idea that I first spoke to my nan about," Abi said.
"She was so on board with it but she ended up passing away about four months ago.
"I knew I had to do it to honour her. We're a family of goth metal heads so my family thought it was great too."
Abi took two hours to get ready for her spooky entrance, and said she was thrilled it turned into a family affair.
"It felt amazing that my dad and brother were involved. We originally wanted to do a hearse but no one would let us hire one," she explained.
"My dad was the one that planned how I was going to get out the car and he wanted to make sure I had the prom I always wanted.
"It felt amazing that they were doing it for me. Me and my dad are really big fans of Ghost.
"My dad played this song in the car and we both looked at each other and knew this was the song I needed to come out of the car too.
"It was a song that gave church music vibes so we thought it would fit."
Just a week before the year 11 prom, Abi managed to track down a £50 plywood casket being flogged on Facebook that she painted and lined with a bedsheet before clambering in.
"I've never wanted to fit in. I've always wanted to be outside of the box and outside of the norm," Abi said.
"I've always wanted to stand out from everyone else and never wanted to follow the crowd.
"I had a lot of people come up to me at prom and tell me it was amazing. Someone said if there was an award for best entrance I would have won.
"The people that came up to me at the start of prom wanted photos with me."
Abi's father Alan said he was incredibly proud of his daughter and was over the moon to be a part of making her prom so memorable.
"I thought she looked amazing, what a transformation," the dad-of-two said.
"I put it on metal rollers so we could get it out smoothly so she could walk out when it reached the ground.
"It went so fluid and looked so graceful when she came out at the end it sent the crowd wild.
"As I opened the boot and started pulling the coffin out people were gobsmacked. Their jaws hit the flaw.
"There was silence until she stepped out of the coffin and then the whole place erupted.
"I was so proud to do it for her and it was an amazing thing to be part of. We didn't think we would get that reaction at all on social media."
Since going to prom, Abi has shared photos of her entrance on TikTok and the post has gone viral, racking up 1.6 million views.
"Rocked it. Such a cool idea. You look so good," one user commented, while another said: "Stop this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen."
A third added: "You are too cool. I love how everyone is just watching. You ate queen", and a fifth put: "Love a supportive family."
Do you have an unusual prom story to share? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
