Once upon a time in a sleepy town, Pepperidgeville, lived Old Man Scranlin. Halloween was his time to shine. He reveled in the tales of his haunted haven, a rickety old mansion adorned with wild ivy and cobwebs.
No kid in town dared to trick or treat at Scranlin’s. All except for the brave or rather, headstrong, Toby. Determined to debunk the rumors, Toby trudged up the creaky steps on Halloween night.
A chill rushed through his spine as the door creaked open. An eerie silence filled the mansion. Toby dropped a solitary candy bar on the dusty floor and ran back, his ‘trick or treat’ audibly a nervous squeak.
The next morning, Toby found a note tucked amidst the candies in his Halloween sack. “Snickers? Really Toby?” it read, “I prefer Milky Way minis. Better luck next time. – Old Man Scranlin.”
The whole of Pepperidgeville never saw Scranlin again. They say he moved away, but Toby knew better. Each Halloween, he laughs, remembering the peculiar old man, still dropping that Milky Way mini at the haunting mansion’s doorstep.
And in return? Yes, you’ve guessed it. He kept receiving critiques on the lousy candies he left behind.