Eli woke to the hum of his fan and the faint scent of pancakes drifting up the stairs. His little brother Noah was already awake, bouncing on his bed, shouting, “Candy day!”

It was October 31, Halloween — again — though Eli didn’t know that yet.

He’d turned fifteen just four days ago, and the world felt slightly different now: louder, sharper, more complicated. He liked order — the way his Minecraft worlds stayed where he left them, the way his Halloween candy could be sorted by color and texture.

Downstairs, Mom flipped pancakes while Dad poured syrup.

“What are your costumes tonight?” she asked. She looked at the two boys, Noah was excited, Eli was just not feeling it. Yet, she thought. She knew before the end of the day, Eli will be excited to go trick or treating. It was still July when he was talking about wearing a Minecraft costume.

“Pumpkin knight!” Noah puffed his chest. “I’m gonna be a pumpkin knight, with a sword!”

“Just a hoodie and mask for me. You think I’m kind of old for that, mom?” Eli shrugged, feeling not in the mood, tired, even though he just woke up.

“No dear, even adults dress up for Halloween, like superheroes,” his mom replied. She smiled at Eli, but he did not reciprocated it. She looked at dad.

“I used to dress up like Captain Planet,” dad said looking at Eli.

“Captain Planet?” Eli asked, looking puzzled.

“Yeah it’s from an old cartoon series about a guy who’s saving the planet,” dad explained.

“Ok. Can I skip school? I’m feeling tired,” Eli changed the topics.

“Are you sick, honey?” Mom asked, she walked close to Eli and touched his forehead. “You don’t have a fever, hon. Why won’t you go to school?”

“Is Fang still bothers you at school?” Dad asked.

“No. Nobody bothers me, I just feel tired,” Eli explained.

“Ok I will call the school. Stay here, but you still have to do your homework, okay?” Dad told Eli, “and you still have to go with Noah for Trick or Treating.”

“Fine,” Eli said and went back to his room. Noah followed while still holding a sandwich.

Outside, the wind carried the scent of autumn and fallen leaves scattered across the streets. There was something faintly electric in the air, like the moments before a storm. By midday, gray clouds had swallowed the sun, and faint flashes of lightning flickered in the distance. As the hours passed, the wind grew stronger, sending dry leaves spiraling along the sidewalks as though an unseen force were stirring the world awake.

Early evening arrived, and children began to fill the neighborhood streets, running from house to house and ringing doorbells. They were dressed in their favorite Halloween costumes—some as superheroes, others as funny cartoon characters, and a few in their everyday clothes.

Parents accompanied the younger children, smiling as they watched their little ones experience what might be their very first Halloween. Here and there, groups of friends stopped to take selfies, posing in front of their neighbors' elaborate Halloween decorations. Jack-o'-lanterns glowed on porches, and colorful lights illuminated the yards, filling the neighborhood with a festive spirit.

Trick-or-treating had begun!

Among the excited children was four-year-old Noah, who could hardly contain himself. Dressed as a pumpkin, but he called himself a Pumpkin Knight, complete with a stick as a sword, he darted from one house to another, his small plastic pumpkin basket swinging at his side.

"Eli! Look!" Noah squealed, pointing at a life-sized skeleton standing beside a front door. "He's waving at me!"

Eli glanced at the skeleton, whose bony hand was propped against the wall. "I think he's just trying to say hello."

Noah giggled. "Hello, Mr. Skeleton!"

"Come on, little monster." Eli chuckled, gently taking his brother's hand before he could wander off again. At fifteen, he would never admit it to his friends, but he didn't mind spending Halloween with Noah. In fact, seeing his little brother so happy made the evening more enjoyable than he had expected.

They approached another house, where a woman in a witch's hat dropped a handful of candy into Noah's pumpkin.

"Thank you!" Noah said enthusiastically.

"You're very welcome, sweetheart. And who's this handsome young pumpkin?"

"I'm Noah, the Pumpkin Knight!" he announced proudly, puffing out his little chest.

"Well, Noah, I hope you have a magical Halloween."

"We will!" Noah replied before tugging Eli toward the sidewalk.

Eli laughed and followed, shaking his head. "You know, you're supposed to let people finish talking before you run away."

"But there's more candy!"

"Of course there is. That's the whole point, isn't it?"

Noah nodded solemnly, as though his brother had finally understood something very important.

The brothers wandered through their neighborhood, their plastic buckets swinging at their sides as laughter echoed down the street. Eli counted the houses as they passed—a small habit that helped him feel calm and keep track of where they had been.

Neither of them realized how much time had passed. They had been trick-or-treating for nearly an hour, and the neighborhood was growing livelier with every passing minute.

The neighborhood was alive with music and laughter. Some homeowners had set up sound systems on their porches, filling the streets with upbeat songs that made a few children dance as they walked. Other houses played eerie Halloween sound effects—creaking doors, ghostly moans, and sudden, bloodcurdling screams that made the younger trick-or-treaters cling a little tighter to their parents.

Several homeowners had gone a step further, covering their front windows with white screens and projecting images onto them. On one house, a giant screen displayed a live broadcast of the baseball playoffs, drawing a small crowd of adults who paused to watch the game between handing out candy. Cheers erupted from the spectators whenever something exciting happened on the screen, blending with the spooky music and children's excited chatter.

It was Halloween at its liveliest, with every house offering something different and every street corner holding a little surprise.Along the main street, news crews moved among the crowds, their cameras capturing the Halloween festivities. Reporters stood in front of elaborately decorated houses, delivering live reports for the six o'clock news while cameramen filmed children in their colorful costumes. Every now and then, curious kids waved at the cameras, hoping to catch a glimpse of themselves on television that evening.

Noah, however, was far more interested in the candy than in the cameras. The moment someone dropped a treat into his bucket, he would rummage through it, pick out a favorite, and unwrap it before they even reached the next house. Chocolates, lollipops, mints, and bubble gum disappeared one after another. At one point, a particularly generous neighbor even gave him a can of Coca-Cola, which he proudly showed Eli as though it were the greatest treasure of the evening.

"You're going to eat all your candy before we get home," Eli teased.

Noah shook his head, his cheeks slightly puffed with chocolate. "No, I'm not!"

Eli raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe some of it," Noah admitted with a giggle.

Unlike his little brother, Eli had barely touched his own treats. His bucket was already nearly full, but he had no intention of eating any of them just yet. He preferred saving his Halloween candy for the following morning, when he could spread everything out and enjoy his collection at his own pace.

It was a little tradition he had kept since he was younger, and somehow, he liked the thought of waking up to a whole bucket of sweets waiting for him.

For now, though, he was content to walk beside Noah, listening to his endless chatter and occasionally reminding him to watch where he was going.

After all, someone had to make sure the little dinosaur didn't eat his way through the entire neighborhood.

For a while, the two continued down the street, surrounded by the cheerful noise of children, the rustling of dry leaves, and the occasional distant howl from a decorative speaker. The wind had grown stronger since the afternoon, sending leaves swirling around their feet, but Noah hardly noticed. His attention was fixed on the next brightly lit porch.

Eli, however, noticed the change in the weather. He glanced up at the darkening sky, where thick clouds had swallowed the last traces of daylight.

"Maybe we should head home soon," he said.

Noah looked up at him, his eyes wide beneath the dinosaur hood. "Just one more house?"

Eli tried to look stern, but Noah's hopeful expression defeated him almost immediately.

"One more," he agreed. "And then we're going home."

Noah cheered and squeezed his brother's hand.

Neither of them knew that, farther down the street, beyond the cheerful decorations and glowing porch lights, a house stood waiting in the gathering darkness.

A jack-o'-lantern sat on a small table beside the front door, its carved grin glowing with the soft, steady light of a battery-operated candle. Beside it stood a large bowl filled with colorful Halloween candy.

A handwritten note was propped against the bowl.

TAKE SOME!

WE'RE AT WORK.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Noah's eyes widened.

"Eli! Look! Free candy!" He exclaimed! He ran towards the basket full of candies.

"That's what the sign says, little man." Eli glanced toward the house. The porch was strangely quiet, with no music, no decorations beyond the glowing pumpkin, and no sign of anyone inside. "Just take a few, okay? We still have other houses to visit."

Noah reached into the bowl and grabbed a generous handful of chocolates and lollipops.

"That's enough, Noah."

"But they're free!"

"I know. You don't have to take all of them."

Noah giggled and carefully tucked the candy into his plastic bucket. Then he noticed the front door, which stood slightly ajar.

"Look, Eli. The door's open."

"So it is." Eli stepped closer and peered into the narrow gap. The hallway beyond was dark, and he couldn't make out anything inside. "Maybe someone forgot to close it."

"Can we go inside?"

"No, buddy. We don't go into strangers' houses without an invitation."

"But maybe there's more candy!"

Eli gave him a patient look. "You already have enough candy to last you a month."

Noah pouted, then took a curious step toward the doorway.

"Noah, don't—"

The door creaked open.

Eli froze. He was certain it hadn't moved that far a moment ago.

A faint chill brushed against his face, carrying a smell he couldn't quite identify—something old and damp, like a basement that hadn't been opened in years.

"Noah?" Eli reached for his brother's shoulder. "Come back here."

But Noah was already peeking inside.

"Hello?" the little boy called. "Is anybody home?"

There was no answer.

For a moment, everything around them seemed to grow quiet. The laughter from the street faded. The music and spooky sound effects became distant, as though someone had turned down the volume on the entire neighborhood.

Eli tightened his grip on Noah's hand.

"Come on. We're leaving."

Then something inside the house made a soft, inviting sound.

A sound like someone calling from another room.

Noah tilted his head.

"Did you hear that, Eli?"

"Hear what?"

"Someone's talking."

"No, they're not. Come on, Noah."

But Noah slipped his small hand from Eli's grasp and took one step over the threshold.

"Noah!"

Eli lunged forward.

The darkness inside seemed to deepen, swallowing the faint light from the porch. For one impossible instant, Eli felt as though the house had drawn a slow, deep breath.

And then—

Noah was gone.

The front door slammed shut.

TO BE CONTINUED.