Jack Baker, a notorious prankster, was the bane of Ravenwood Town. Every Halloween, he played tricks so wild that it left the townsfolk annoyed, yet begrudgingly impressed. Even Janice, the wise old woman who lived with her black cat in the rickety old house at the edge of town, had fallen victim to his hi-jinks.
One Halloween, Jack decided to scare Janice the Stereotypical Witch with a fake giant spider. He snuck it into her living room, suppressing giggles. Suddenly, the cat hissed and the room went cold. A unearthly voice whispered, “Not so quick, Jackie-boy.”
The next day, Ravenwood woke up curious to see what mischief Jack had been up to. But the day went on prank-free. Weeks turned into months and no one heard or saw Jack. His house sat empty and quiet; no more sounds of plans being concocted, no more mischievous giggles.
The following Halloween, children knocked on Janice’s door, only to be greeted by a giant fake spider, bobbing up and down, clad in Jack’s signature red hat. Sobbing with laughter, Janice rolled out a pumpkin-shaped candy basket. “Trick or Treat?” she asked, her eyes twinkling wickedly.
From then on, every Halloween in Ravenwood was exactly that, a choice between a Trick or a Treat, but nobody dared to choose the Spider.