Seasonal Story

Leaves crunched under my feet as I trudged down the sidewalk, McDonald’s bucket in hand. The breeze blew through my costume, forcing me to tug my jacket tighter around my shoulders. I looked up to spot the next porch light beckoning me to approach a door covered in cobwebs and spiders.  

I had been trick-or-treating before, but tonight was different. It was my first time in this neighborhood, and my mom was running errands instead of driving alongside my brother and me. I had to protect my younger brother and myself this Halloween, but I relished the opportunity to be responsible.  

On my way towards the door, skeletons and witches leered at the kids along the path, making the younger ones scream. Ghosts popped out from behind bushes, and a black cauldron oozed glowing green liquid. After climbing the four steps to the front door, I pressed the doorbell and was rewarded with a haunting cackle.  

The big sister in me worried about my brother. Would this be the house that scarred him? Were the owners going to kidnap us? Would we receive the best candy here? Or would we be given cheap toys or toothpaste? 

The door slowly creaked open, revealing an adult-sized mummy with a large orange bowl in its hands. “Trick or treat!” I chorused with a handful of other kids hoping for a sweet treat. The mummy reached its hand into the bowl and pulled out a king-size chocolate bar for each dressed-up child. “Thank you!” we all chanted as we happily set the candy in our buckets. 

I could not wait to tell my mom about this house! It was so spooky, and the decorations were perfect. Someone put a lot of effort into making this house stand out. Plus, I got a king-size candy! Could Halloween get any better? 

Turns out, it could. This neighborhood was filled with large houses, and people were giving away the best things. When my brother and I emptied our buckets at the end of the night, we discovered that we had each gotten a can of root beer, five king-size chocolate bars, plenty of our favorite candies, a couple sticky hands, and $5 each. That Halloween made it in my record books as the best Halloween ever!

—Sara