Halloween night had always been my favorite ever since I was a kid there was something magical about it the decorations the costumes the way the world felt just a little different under the soft glow of porch lights and Jacko lanterns now that I was older I had a new tradition handing out candy seeing all the kids dressed up in their costumes brought back memories of my own childhood this Halloween had been no different my house was all decked out in orange and black lights a plastic skeleton hung on the front door and I'd carved a
particularly gruesome Jacko lantern that sat on the porch flickering away with a tealight inside it had been a busy night with a steady stream of trick-or-treaters coming by Pirates superheroes witches and princesses all filled the neighborhood by the time 9:00 p.m. rolled around things were winding down the kids were heading home and the streets were starting to empty out I was about to turn off the porch light and call it a night when there was a knock on the door strange most of the younger kids had long since stopped coming and the older ones usually
just rang the doorbell the knock was soft almost hesitant like whoever was out there wasn't entirely sure they should be I grabbed the bowl of leftover candy figuring it was one last trick-or-treater squeezing in before the night officially ended when I opened the door there was a boy standing on the porch he couldn't have been more than seven or eight with Messy brown hair sticking out from under a black hood his costume was simple just a plain black cloak with a mask that covered his whole face the mask was cheap looking one of those generic
ones you could pick up at the dollar store but it had a strange design a blank white face with Hollow eyes and a thin painted smile trick or treat he said his voice soft and muffled through the mask I smiled and held out the candy Bowl you're out pretty late I said looking around to see if there were any other kids nearby the street was empty though no parents waiting by the sidewalk no groups of kids walking up and down the block just the boy standing alone on my porch go ahead take a few I
said gesturing to the Bowl he reached out a small gloved hand and grabbed a couple of pieces I wait waited for him to say thank you or maybe turn and run off like the rest of the kids had done but he just stood there staring up at me through the mask something about it felt off but I couldn't quite put my finger on why maybe it was the way he was standing staring at me or the fact that I couldn't see his eyes behind the mask or maybe it was just the time he was the
last trick-or-treater of the night and something about that always felt a little Eerie do you need help getting home I asked asked trying to shake off the unease your parents around the boy didn't answer he just stood there for a moment longer then slowly turned and walked down the steps disappearing into the darkness at the end of the street I closed the door shaking my head probably just a shy kid I thought I went back inside set the candy Bowl down on the table and turned off the porch light the house was quiet now and
I was ready to relax maybe watch a scary movie before bed but as I settled onto the couch there was another knock on the door that was weird the porch light was off and it was well past the time for trick-or-treaters maybe it was a neighbor or someone who had forgotten something I got up and headed back to the door thinking I'd see that same boy standing there again but when I opened it the porch was empty the street was silent I stepped outside looking around nothing no kids no cars no parents waiting by the
curb just the wind rust through the trees and the distant hum of traffic from the main road I closed the door locking it this time and tried to brush off the weirdness I was about to head back to the couch when I noticed something the candy Bowl on the table it was empty I was sure I had some candy left when I put the bowl down but now it was completely empty not a single piece left had I really given out that much I couldn't remember another knock louder this time I froze staring at the
door there was no way it was another trick-or-treater not this late not with the porch light off I moved slowly creeping toward the door trying to be as quiet as possible I pressed my ear against the wood listening nothing no voices no shuffling footsteps just silence I waited heart thuing in my chest wondering if I should just ignore it but then the knock came again hello I called out my voice a little shaky is someone there no answer I stood there for a few moments then reached for the door knob slowly turning it I opened
the door just a crack peering out through the Gap there standing at the edge of the porch was the boy in the black cloak my stomach tightened he was just there standing in the exact same spot as before his mask with its Hollow eyes and thin smile seemed to Glow faintly in the dim light from the Street Lamp hey buddy I said forcing a smile it's late do you need help getting home again he didn't answer he just stood there staring at me through the mask I couldn't see his eyes couldn't tell what he was
thinking or feeling for a moment I considered calling the police just to make sure he was okay but something made me hesitate do you want more candy I asked trying to lighten the mood he didn't respond instead he tilted his head slightly like he was considering something and then he took a step closer I backed up instinctively okay I said my voice shaky I think you should go home now the boy took another step and then another moving slowly toward the door I slammed it shut locking it with Trembling Hands my heart was racing now
and I didn't know why it was just a kid I told myself just a weird quiet kid but something about him something about the way he moved the way he watched me felt wrong I stood there for a few moments listening waiting for the sound of him walking away but there was nothing no footsteps just silence I peaked through the window but the porch was empty the boy was gone I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and tried to shake off the lingering unease that's when I noticed something odd the candy
Bowl the one I'd placed on the table inside was now sitting on the porch right where the boy had been standing it was empty just like before I frowned trying to figure out how it had gotten outside had I left the door unlocked I opened the door grabbed the bowl and quickly shut it again something wasn't sitting right with me I looked through the front window scanning the street but the boy had disappeared no sign of him anywhere I was about to shrug it off as a weird prank when I heard something else a faint
noise not from the front but from the back of the house it was the back door a quiet barely noticeable Creek my stomach flipped the kid out front he wasn't the real problem he had been distracting me I tiptoed toward the kitchen every muscle tense the closer I got the clearer it became someone was fiddling with the back door I reached the kitchen just as the knob turned slightly my pulse spiked I grabbed the nearest thing a heavy candle holder from the counter and waited ripping it tightly the door inched open just an inch and
I caught the faint outline of a hand wrapped around the edge of the door without thinking I slammed the candle holder into the door forcing it shut with a loud bang There was a dull thud followed by hurried footsteps they weren't expecting that I ran to the back window and saw two figures sprinting away into the dark one larger and the other about the size of the boy from earlier my heart pounded with adrenaline anger quickly replacing my fear the kid had been keeping me distracted while his accomplices tried to break in I locked the
back door and RAC through the house checking every window making sure everything was Secure I grabbed my phone and dialed the police this wasn't some Halloween prank it was a setup the knocking the kid it had all been part of the plan to get me to the front of the house while someone else slipped in the back when the officers arrived I told them everything but by the time they got there the Figures were long gone they took my statement and said they'd Patrol the area but I knew those people weren't coming back tonight after
the cops left I sat in the living room my mind mind was full of questions how long had they been watching the house and what would have happened if I hadn't noticed the back door in time I didn't sleep at all that night it was the Halloween of my senior year and I had almost decided to skip trick-or-treating that night most of my friends were over the whole dressing up thing saying it was for kids but not me Halloween had always been my favorite time of year the costumes the candy the whole spooky atmosphere just
clicked with me my friends thought it was lame but I didn't care there was something about walking around in the dark with Jacko lanterns lighting up doorways and the excitement of filling up a candy bag that I just couldn't resist that year I decided to go as a witch not exactly original I know but it was easy plus I found this cool oversized vintage witch's hat at a thrift store and I paired it with a black dress and some makeup not too over the top but enough to feel like I was still participating in the
holiday I wasn't planning on going door to-door for too long just long enough to get a decent haul my neighborhood was pretty Lively on Halloween with families walking around houses decked out in spooky decorations and kids running from house to house with their pillowcases full of candy my friend Sarah was supposed to join me but she bailed last minute saying she had to babysit that left me alone which I didn't mind at first I'd walked the neighborhood by myself before and I figured I could make it quick so with my pillowcase in hand I set
out figuring I'd hit up a few houses get some candy and head back home in time to catch a scary movie the night was pretty uneventful for the most part I walked the usual streets recognizing some of the families that always went all out for Halloween one house had this huge spider that made noise every time someone walked by another house had turned their yard into a graveyard with fog machines and creepy music playing it was all pretty standard stuff and nothing out of the ordinary happened until I got to this one house on the
corner of Elm Street it was an older house one that had probably been around since the 50s or something I'd been trick-or-treating in this neighborhood for years but I didn't remember ever stopping at this particular house before it wasn't decorated or anything no pumpkins no lights no Halloween decorations at all honestly it looked like the kind of house where no one would bother to give out candy but the porch light was on and that's usually the universal sign for we've got candy I hesitated for a second but then figured why not I climbed up the
creaky wooden steps to the porch and knocked on the door it took a minute but eventually the door creaked open and this older woman appeared she must have been in her late 60s or 70s wearing a faded Floral House coat and her hair was all gray and thin she didn't say much just kind of nodded when she saw me standing there with my pillowcase trick or treat I said offering a smile the woman didn't respond she just reached into a bowl by the door and handed me a piece of candy a small wrapped chocolate bar
it looked pretty normal so I thanked her and turned to leave that's when I noticed something strange tucked into the wrapper of the candy bar was a little piece of folded paper at first I thought maybe it was some kind of coupon or a Halloween themed joke you know the kind of stuff people sometimes do on Halloween to be creative so I tucked it into my pocket figuring I'd check it out later when I was sorting through my candy Hall I didn't think much of it at the time I hid a few more houses after
that but by then the streets were starting to thin out most of the younger kids were heading home and the decorations were starting to look less festive and more Eerie in the quiet of the night after about 30 more minutes I decided to call it a night when I got home I dumped my candy on the kitchen table ready to dig in my parents were in the living room watching TV and I could hear the distant sound of a horror movie playing I sat down at the table and started sorting through the candy pulling out
my favorites Reese's twixs Snickers when I remembered the note I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small piece of paper as I unfolded it my first thought was that it was going to be something silly like happy Halloween or a joke about witches but it wasn't that at all in fact it wasn't anything remotely funny the note had my name on it it was handwritten I like your costume I'll see you soon I stared at the note in disbelief my name how did this person know my name and The Way It Was Written
it wasn't playful or light-hearted there was something unsettling about the message I looked around expecting to see someone in the room with me but it was just me sitting alone at the kitchen table with a pile of candy in front of me my parents were still in the living room completely unaware of what I just found I tried to brush it off as some kind of prank maybe it was one of my friends who'd slipped the note into my bag as a joke but then I remembered I hadn't been with anyone that night Sarah had
bailed and I'd been trick-or-treating by myself and the house I'd gotten the note from I didn't know the old woman who lived there so how could she know my name I shoved the note back into my pocket trying to shake off the weirdness maybe I was overthinking it maybe it was just some random coincidence still I couldn't shake the unease that settled over me like a dark cloud hanging just Out Of Reach I went to bed that night but sleep didn't come easily I kept thinking about the note replaying the moment I'd gotten it in
my mind every every time I closed my eyes I pictured that house on Elm Street the old woman handing me the candy with that silent unsettling stare the next day I tried to forget about it Halloween was over and I figured the best thing to do was move on and not dwell on it but that evening something else happened that made it impossible to ignore I was sitting in my room doing homework when there was a soft knock at my window at first I thought I was imagining it my room was on the second floor
and there was there was no way anyone could uh knock on my window without a ladder or something but then the knock came again three slow Taps on the glass I stared at the window the curtains were drawn so I couldn't see outside but I knew someone was there the tapping continued steady and patient like whoever it was knew I was inside knew I could hear them I got up slowly my heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest I crept over to the window I didn't want a look every
part of me screamed not to pull back the curtain but I had to know I had to see who was out there I grabbed the edge of the curtain and yanked it open there standing in the yard below was a figure in a dark hoodie they were standing there staring up at my window I couldn't see their face but I knew they were watching me I stumbled back my mind racing I grabbed my phone and called Sarah someone's outside my house I whispered into the phone with with my voice shaking I don't know who it
is but they're just standing there staring Sarah's voice was filled with concern are you serious did you call your parents my parents were still downstairs watching TV no they'll freak out maybe you should Sarah insisted this isn't normal I was about to agree when I heard the knocking again this time it wasn't at my window it was coming from the front door I hung up the phone and bolted downstairs my heart racing I looked through the peephole expecting to see the figure from the yard but there was no one there just the empty porch and
the street Beyond I opened the door cautiously looking around for any sign of the person I'd seen but there was nothing just as I was about to close the door I noticed something lying on the porch a single piece of candy wrapped in shiny orange foil I bent down and picked it up my hands trembling tucked beneath the candy was another note I unfolded it slowly my breath catching in my throat as I read the the words I told you I'd see you soon my blood ran cold whoever this was they were getting closer when
I finally managed to calm down enough I told my parents everything I described the house where I found the first note the man standing in the yard and the final note left by the door at first they looked confused maybe thinking it was just some elaborate Halloween prank but when I showed them the notes they freaked out my dad paced around the living room looking at the front door as if expecting someone to knock at any second my mom immediately picked up the phone and called the cops she kept her voice low but urgent and
I could hear her trying to explain the situation the police arrived not long after taking the notes and listening to my story with a seriousness that made everything feel even more real they checked around the yard looked for any signs of someone lurking but found nothing they said they'd Patrol the neighborhood for a few days just to be sure but that didn't make me feel any safer and what terrified me the most was that even the police didn't find anything Halloween the one night of the year where anything spooky feels normal I had never really
been into it probably because I wasn't the type to dress up and go doorto door collecting candy but this year things were different my parents were out for some fancy Halloween event downtown and since I was the responsible one I had to take Dylan my 8-year-old brother trick-or-treating he was beyond excited running around the house in his pirate costume waving a plastic sword like he was ready to take over the world I on the otherand wasn't exactly thrilled 17-year-olds don't typically enjoy walking around the neighborhood with a hyper little kid while everyone else is at
parties but someone had to do it and since it was just one night I told myself I'd survive after all Halloween in our neighborhood was a big deal almost every house was decorated and kids were all over the place giggling and screaming in the good-natured way that only Halloween could bring out come on let's go Dylan whined already halfway out the door his small hands clutched his candy bag like it was his Treasure Chest all right all right hold on I grabbed my jacket tucked my phone into my pocket and followed him out into the
Cool October air the sun was setting but I knew that soon it would be dark the kind of dark that transforms normal streets into Eerie shadows and creepy shapes we set off and Dylan immediately ran to the first house barely getting out his trick or treat before stuffing more candy into his bag he was buzzing with energy darting from house to house leaving me in the middle of the sidewalk nodding at the parents we passed it wasn't long before the neighborhood started to get crowded with kids of all ages parents trailed behind in clusters chatting
while teens wandered in groups some wearing costumes others just laughing and goofing off everything seemed normal until it didn't it started at one of the houses near the end of our street we were halfway through the night and Dylan was running up to yet another door when I noticed something or rather someone standing near the curb across the street I almost missed him at first because he was so still he was wearing a mask but not the fun kind with pumpkins or superheroes or something kid-friendly no this was a plain white mask like the kind
you'd find in one of those old timey movies blank and featureless except for small slits where the eyes should be at first I thought it was just someone trying to scare the trick-or-treaters it made sense right Halloween spooky Vibes someone in a creepy mask it wasn't exactly unheard of but the more I looked the more unsettling it became he wasn't moving he wasn't walking from house to house like everyone else he was just standing there perfectly still I looked away for a moment trying to shake off the unease creeping up my spine when I looked
back the man in the mask was gone I scanned the street expecting to see him further down the sidewalk but there was no sign of him weird come on letun go to the next one Dylan called snapping me out of it we moved on and I tried to forget about the man in The Mask it was just Halloween right people do weird stuff to scare others it's part of the fun the next time I saw him we were on a different block Dylan had just finished ringing the doorbell at a house with a giant inflatable
spider on the lawn when I looked down the street and there he was the man in The Mask this time he was standing at the end of someone's driveway partially hidden behind a bush I wasn't imagining it he was watching us hey Dylan let's head back all right I suggested trying to keep my voice voice calm I didn't want to freak him out he was too busy comparing his candy with the other kids at the door to notice but I couldn't stop myself from looking back the man hadn't moved he was just standing there still
as a statue I pulled out my phone scrolling through my messages to distract myself but when I looked up again the man was gone I don't know why but my stomach Twisted into knots I hurried Dylan along to the next house trying to get back into the routine of Halloween fun but no matter how hard I tried to ignore it I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right we kept moving and after a while I started to relax maybe the guy was just some prankster trying to scare people I mean it was Halloween after
all people were supposed to do weird creepy things that's what the holiday was about but then as we made our way toward the edge of the neighborhood things got eerier the houses here were spaced further apart and the kids had started to thin out it was quieter darker the kind of place where Shadows stretch long and the street lights flicker just a little too much and that's when I saw him again this time he was closer standing at the edge of a driveway I stopped in my tracks hey Dylan stay close to me okay I
said trying not to let the unease creep into my voice he gave me a puzzled look but didn't argue why what's wrong just stay close we kept walking but my eyes kept darting back to the man he hadn't moved he just stood there staring right at us we made our way down the street moving faster now I wanted to get home but I didn't want to panic Dylan I needed to stay calm I kept looking over my shoulder and each time I did the man was still there not following us exactly but keeping Pace I
don't know how to describe it he wasn't chasing us but he wasn't just standing still either it was like he knew exactly where we were going and was making sure he didn't fall too far behind we finally reached our street and I felt relieved when I saw our house just a few doors down I picked up the pace practically dragging Dylan along with me I looked back one more time and there he was closer than before he had crossed the street and was now walking directly toward us run Dylan I said we bolted toward our
house the footsteps behind us quickened and I knew the man was following us my heart raced as I fumbled with the ke trying to unlock the door come on I muttered under my breath my fingers trembling finally I managed to open the door and we both rushed inside I slammed it shut and locked it when I peered through the window the man was standing at the end of our driveway now still watching the house I pulled the blinds closed and stepped back trying to calm my racing thoughts Dylan thankfully hadn't fully grasped what had just
happened he was too busy sorting through his candy oblivious to the to figure outside I stayed near the window for the next hour peeking through the blinds every few minutes but eventually when I checked again he was gone I didn't see him again after that night but Halloween has never felt the same because whoever that man was he wasn't just playing a prank he was following us and part of me can't shake the feeling that one day he'll be back after that night I started avoiding Halloween altogether I didn't mention the man in The Mask
to anyone not even to my parents what would I say that some random guy in a creepy mask had followed us through the neighborhood on Halloween when almost everyone is wearing masks and walking from house to house it would sound ridiculous but it wasn't I knew it wasn't for weeks after Halloween I found myself looking out the window at night checking the street for any sign of the man but he never came back life went on and eventually the memory of that night started to fade at least for everyone else Dylan of course forgot about
it almost immediately he was already talking about his plans for next year's costume completely unaware of how close we might have come to something far worse but me I still think about him the way he stayed just far enough behind us to seem like he wasn't following but he was I'll never forget the way his blank mask caught the light just enough to make me feel like I was being hunted and every now and then when I'm out late at night walking down a quiet street or coming home from a friend's house I can't help
but look over my shoulder just in case because part of me knows that whoever he was whatever he wanted that night he's still out there I was 11 years old the Halloween night at happened and I remember being so excited about going trick-or-treating with my best friends David and Owen Halloween was our favorite night of the year not just because of the candy but because it was one of the few times we were allowed to stay out later than usual we had our route planned hitting all the best houses that gave out full-size candy bars
first before heading to the smaller houses that handed out homemade treats and Tiny bags of candy corn that year I was dressed as a zombie football player David was some kind of weird vampire werewolf hybrid don't ask he came up with it and Owen was a classic ghost with a sheet over his head and two holes for eyes we had our pillowcases ready and by the time we reached the end of our street they were already halfway full everything was going great just the usual fun of running up to houses shouting trick-or treat and seeing
how much loot we could collect in one night people went all out in our neighborhood decorating their lawns with fake tombstones cobwebs and glowing skeletons it always gave Halloween this exciting Vibe like the whole town was in on the fun at some point we ended up at this house that sat on the edge of the block a little farther from the others the house itself wasn't particularly creepy but it had this large oak tree out front with branches that stretched across the yard like bony fingers they had a few cheap decorations plastic bats hanging from
the tree a pumpkin on the porch nothing too fancy there was an old lady sitting on the porch handing out candy she had this huge bowl of assorted chocolate bars and we were all pretty excited we ran up set our usual trick-or treat and held out our bags she smiled at us dropped a handful of candy into each of our bags and waved us on thanks ma'am David yelled as we ran back toward the street we laughed and joked as we moved on to the next house not thinking anything of it it was probably around
9900 p.m. when we finally made our way back home our parents had given us a hard deadline to be back by 9:30 so we figured we'd stop running house to house and just head to my place to sort through the candy when we got to my room we dumped our bags onto the floor creating this massive pile of candy between the three of us it was a tradition at this point we'd sit in a circle swapping and trading candy like it was the stock market David was already digging into his pile searching for all the
peanut butter cups he could get his hands on while Owen was going for the hard candies I sat back watching them argue over a bag of Gummy Worms when something caught my eye I reached into my bag to grab a handful of chocolate but what I pulled out wasn't candy it was weird like really weird what the heck is this I muttered holding up what looked like an old tarnished coin it wasn't like the fake gold pirate coins kids sometimes got on Halloween this thing was dirty heavy and looked ancient Owen looked over what who
gives out money on Halloween I don't think it's money I said there was some sort of symbol on it that I didn't recognize I tossed it to the side figuring maybe someone had mixed it in with the Candy by accident but that wasn't the end of it I reached back into my bag and instead of candy I pulled out more weird stuff a small lock of hair tied together with a piece of red string a dried out flower a photograph this one made me pause a faded picture of a little boy probably my age staring
blankly into the camera he was standing in front of a house that looked looked eerily familiar but I couldn't place it dude what kind of candy bag did you get David asked leaning over to see what I'd pulled out I don't know I said feeling the unease start to creep in this wasn't mine this stuff wasn't in my bag earlier Owen looked up from his pile of candy you sure you didn't just grab the wrong bag I stared at the pile of strange items in front of me feeling my skin prickle the more I thought
about it the more I realized I didn't recognize the bag itself either it was the same color and size as the one I had brought with me but the stitching on the side was slightly different and the fabric felt heavier rougher I think I must have switched bags with someone else David always The Logical one snorted well just look through the bag maybe the rest of the candy is still in there and this is some kind of prank I dumped the rest of the bag onto the floor hoping to see chocolate bars lollipops anything that
looked remote normal instead more unsettling objects fell out old marbles Rusty Nails a crumpled piece of paper that had faded so much the writing was barely legible I picked up the paper trying to make out the words but all I could see were faint scratches as if someone had written it in a hurry and then tried to erase it okay that's freaky Owen said backing away from the pile I think you got some psycho stuff David was staring at the photograph of the little boy this is seriously messed up we should tell someone I nodded
feeling a knot form in my stomach but before I could say anything there was a knock at the front door all three of us froze Halloween night late hour it wasn't the time for casual visitors who Could That Be I whispered no one's supposed to come to my house this late for candy right maybe it's my parents David said maybe they forgot something but we we all knew that didn't make sense his parents had already called to check in on us no one was supposed to be coming over I grabbed a flashlight from my desk
and the three of us slowly made our way downstairs I reached the door and took a deep breath signaling to the guys to stay behind me I flicked on the porch light and looked through the peephole no one was there I opened the door just to crack the porch was empty the street Beyond was quiet I was about to close the door when something caught my eye sitting on the doorstep was a small cloth bag my bag the one I'd been carrying all night it looked exactly the same as when I'd left the house earlier
that evening my heart raced as I stepped outside grabbing the bag and looking around there was no sign of anyone just empty streets and houses lit up with Halloween decorations I stepped back inside locking the door behind me and showed the guys the bag that's your bag Owen said his voice low how did it get get back here I don't know but look at this tucked inside the bag was a small piece of paper I unfolded it slowly my hands shaking slightly the note was written in a thin spidery handwriting you took something that wasn't
yours I stared at the note what the hell David and Owen leaned in reading the note over my shoulder we need to get rid of this stuff David said like this is seriously messed up I grabbed the pile of strange objects and shoved them into the wrong bag I didn't want any of it in my my house not the photo not the hair not the old coins nothing we'll leave it at the end of the street it's not mine I don't want anything to do with it the three of us walked outside carrying the bag
like it was something toxic we dropped it at the corner far away from my house and then sprinted back inside we just sat in my room nervously eating candy and trying to distract ourselves with video games but the night felt heavier somehow darker the note lingered in my mind like a warning you took something that wasn't yours the next morning I woke up feeling uneasy I couldn't shake the feeling that whoever had sent that note knew exactly what they were doing I feel lucky that nothing worse happened that night if these stories gave you chills
don't forget to hit that like button and share the scare with your friends which one of these terrifying trick-or treating Tales scared you the most drop it in the comments and let me know make sure you subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss the next scare stay safe out there and remember not every knock on the door is a friendly one thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next nightmare
