Every Halloween, neighbor kids anxiously awaited daredevil Rick’s antics. An unruly teenager, Rick basked in his ominous reputation. As dusk veiled the town, whispers about Rick’s next Halloween prank permeated treats-filled air.
“The Haunted Mansion,” he declared once, pointing at the dilapidated house, abandoned for decades. Fear stirred the curiosity of folks. Embedded among twisted trees and thorny bushes, the gloomy manor sat patiently, a silent sentinel of countless tales.
Dressed as a ghost, Rick approached the mansion door. Holding a dimmed candle, he looked back at his audience, their eyes wide, their breath hitched. Swallowing hard, he pushed open the creaking door and vanished within, the door shutting behind with a chilling thud.
Minutes rolled into hours. No sign of Rick. Whispers faded into silence. The brave, audacious Rick was assumed gone, another victim to the mansion’s terrifying tale.
As they dispersed, a ghostly shadow moved behind a window. A laugh echoed and out stepped Rick smirking, a bucket filled with sweets in hand. “Trick or Treat, dear neighbors,” he chuckled. Turns out, the haunted mansion was actually an old candy factory!