The clock struck 7 p.m. and the streets flooded with children who were eager to run out and start collecting all the goodies that they could get. Melanie Blake had turned eleven years old on this morning of October 31st, 2013, and was excited to finally go trick-or-treating on her own for the first time. Pulling on her butterfly wings, she grabbed her plastic pumpkin bucket and ran down stairs, eager to get going.

“Wait just one minute, young lady!” Her father called, causing her to turn and look up at him with confusion.

“What is it Daddy?” She asked, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot impatiently. “If I don’t go soon, all the good candy will be gone!” Her father rolled his eyes and held a pink flashlight out to her.

“Here, Mel. If you get scared or see any monsters, just shine that light on them and they will go away.” Her father told her. Melanie took it and nodded her head slowly, a small smile forming on her lips.

“Okay, cool! Thanks Daddy!” She exclaimed, and in the blink of an eye, she was out the door…


By nine-thirty, it was pitch dark out and the streets were almost empty, all the children having gotten what they wanted and gone home to indulge in their candy, to their parents dismay. Melanie was about four blocks from her house, just leaving Mrs. Fredrick’s house with a full bucket that probably weighed more than she did!

Grinning, she began to head home, excited to show her parents how much she had gotten tonight. The streets were quiet and dark with only scattered streetlights to guide her path home. She hated to admit it, but Melanie was scared. She’d never been out this late on her own, or this far away from home. Clutching tightly to her flash light, she slowed down and peeked over her shoulder to see if anyone was following her. Though she couldn’t explain why, she felt that she was being watched.

Turning back around, Melanie quickened her pace, wanting to get home as fast as possible. A flash a black fur darted into her path, and then out into the street, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. When she saw that it was a cat, she smiled and started laughing. “Just a kitty…” She mumbled to herself.

She began walking again, but after only going a couple yards, she heard something behind her that sounded like the rustling of a bush. Turing, she noticed a figure trying to hide behind a large hedge. Nervously, she lifted her flashlight. “I see you!” She called, hoping that whatever it was would go away. Slowly, the figured emerged. It was a flurry of red, with horns on its head, and it began to walk towards Melanie. She let out of scream and dropped her candy bucked and flash light, turning and running as fast as she could until she got home. Her father looked up at her with confusion when she arrived inside.

“What happened, Honey?” He asked, placing the paper down. The little girl ran to him and crawled into his lap, hugging him tightly.

“I saw a monster, Daddy!” She exclaimed. Her father merely chuckled and hugged her back. A few moments later, a boy walked into the house, clad in red, with devil horns and a devils tail. He was carrying a plastic pumpkin bucket.

“Tommy, where’ve you been?” Melanie asked, looking up at her older brother.

“Nowhere.” He grumbled. “I found your candy and flash light laying in the middle of the street.” He told her, setting it down. He then headed up stairs without another word.


Melanie, now happy, retrieved her candy and went to sit with her father, unaware that lurking right outside the living room window was the red flurry…