Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash The pumpkin was simple, yet unique. Not your average shade of tangerine orange. More of a rich honey color. Three faint kelly green stripes bled from the stem, reaching halfway down one side. The shape was mostly round, a small bulge the size of a fist near the top. Perfectly normal for carving a perfectly ordinary jack-o-lantern. Or so the Pattersons thought. This is their story. (Law and Order theme “dun, dun”) “Scary or funny?” Aubrey blew

“Do I have to take a bath?” Lydia clutched her stuffed teddy close to her chest. Her mother tested the feel of the bathwater and shut off the faucet. “Of course. Tomorrow’s a big day. You can’t be stinky.” She tweaked Lydia on her nose. Lydia refused to smile. “But Mommy, what about the drain? What if I fall in?” “You won’t.” Her mother ruffled her hair and walked to the door. “You’re a big girl. You’ll be just fine.” The door shut. Lydia stood in the middle of the chilled ro

No Trespassing. Mary Ann read the words allowed as she and her three friends stood on the sidewalk outside the abandoned, dilapidated Cape Cod. “So, the old witch finally died,” Sammy said. At thirteen, he was the oldest of the group. Sarah crossed her arms. “Oh posh, Sammy. She was just an old lady. Weirdly reclusive and totally mean to anyone who walked by, but still just an old lady.” “Yeah, but she’s been around forever. I mean, at least as long as we’ve all been alive.”

“That kid brags all the time. There’s no way he can do magic.” Tony kicked at a stone with his worn Converse, one shoe-lace untied. True. Ryan Jenkins did brag about everything, most of which were obvious lies. Still… My teeth dug tight into my lip as I fought to stay silent. Could I trust him? Tony had been my best friend since preschool – eight years. There wasn’t anything I hadn’t told him. Until now. I pulled my backpack a little higher on my shoulder. His he dragged behi