Hallo-weird

Chapter 1

Leaves crunched underneath the Kids' feet as they walked along a dimly lit path toward the large houses in the distance. The Kids each held large pillowcases, ready to be stuffed with candy. The wind howled and the skies were crowded with dark clouds, but the Sour Patch Kids didn't care. They had pranks to pull and candy to collect. On a regular night, the Kids would stick out with their colorful look. But on Halloween, they blended right in.

They wobbled down the dirt path looking for tricks to play. This path was a shortcut, running alongside an aqueduct that ran through town, which led to a neighborhood infamous for its Halloween candy. In this neighborhood, houses gave out king-size chocolate bars, home-baked cupcakes, and big bags of Sour Patch Kids. There was even an urban legend that one house gave away smartphones. This neighborhood, of course, sat right on top of the Kids' must-do list every Halloween.

As they walked toward the houses, the windows shining with reading lights and TV flickers, the Kids heard a group of other trick-or-treaters approaching. They gave each other mischievous glances as they hid behind a large tree trunk. As the trick-or-treaters approached, the Kids jumped out from behind the tree. Both trick-or-treaters screamed and ran away, heading toward the big houses with fancy doorknockers shaped like lions and doorbells that played entire songs when they were rung. The Kids smiled at one another, knowing that those two trick-or-treaters would get their first pick of the fancy candy. They would be thanking the Kids later.

The Kids continued their walk down the path, talking about the perfect Halloween, the ultimate Halloween. There were witches popping out of hidden corners with candy in their hands, mysteries where clues led to treasure chests filled with pizza and milkshakes, windows to be climbed out of, costumes to plan, costumes to destroy, houses to teepee. The treats were not enough for The Kids. They needed some tricks, too. They wanted something spooky, something mysterious.

The Kids heard another group of trick-or-treaters coming from behind them. Instead of tricking them like the last two, they decided to keep moving. They wanted to be sure that they were able to fill their pillowcases. Their stash from last year was running low.

Eventually, the trick-or-treaters caught up to them.

"Look how cute they are," the girl said. Wearing a brown dress with green dye in her hair, she looked the Kids over before turning to the boy. His face bore a black stripe across the eyes and a bushy tail dangled from his waist.

"I'm Amymarie Gaertner, and this is Kenny Holland," she said right as she tripped. She looked down at her sneakers. The laces lied intertwined; someone had tied them together. She pushed herself up, the colorful leaves, brown, red, orange, yellow, stuck between her fingers.

"Goes well with your tree costume," Kenny said.

"Yeah, I guess it does," she brushed the dirt off her knees, and stuck the leaves into the seams of her brown dress. "Thanks guys."

Amymarie looked down at the Kids. But something was different.

"Hey wait, weren't there five of you before?"

The Kids looked around. Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Re—

"Yeah, you had a red friend with you, didn't you?" Kenny said.

The Kids scrambled around the path, kicking dust up as they frantically pushed over rocks, looked inside tree trunks, brushed through piles of dead leaves.

"REEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDDD," the Kids screamed in terror. They were trembling. Lightning split the sky.

"Calm down!" Amymarie said, "I know this is spooky, but your red friend was just here. We will help you look."