The 13th Hour

trick.

The moon hung low and full, casting an eerie glow over the small town as three kids—Max, Lily, and Sam—wandered from house to house in their Halloween costumes. They were on a mission, bags already half-full of candy, but Lily swore there was a house down Pine Hollow Road that gave out full-sized chocolate bars. Max was skeptical. Everyone knew about the house on Pine Hollow, but no one actually went there. "It's probably abandoned," he muttered, shivering a little as they turned onto the shadowed road.

When they reached the end, they saw it. The house loomed against the darkened sky, towering over the twisted trees surrounding it. Broken windows stared out like empty eyes, and ivy clawed its way up the crumbling stone walls. But strangest of all, the porch lights were on, flickering a sickly yellow that almost seemed to pulse, beckoning them forward.

Lily hesitated. "Maybe we should just go back," she whispered, glancing nervously at the house.

But before any of them could make a decision, the front door creaked open, revealing a dim hallway lined with dusty, cobwebbed portraits. And somewhere in the dark depths of the house, a voice called out softly, "Come closer, little ones...there's candy inside..."

Against his better judgment, Sam took a step forward, and as he did, the door creaked wider, swallowing the light from outside.

They stood frozen on the porch, the words echoing from the dark hall. A strange, sweet scent wafted from the open door, like honeyed apples and freshly baked cookies. It seemed almost impossible to resist, especially with the promise of candy lying just out of reach. Max and Sam looked at each other, unsure, but Lily had already started inching forward.

"Lily, wait!" Max hissed, grabbing her sleeve, but she shook him off with a strange smile.

"Come on, don't be a baby," she said, her voice sounding distant, almost trance-like. Before he could say another word, she slipped through the door and vanished into the darkness.

Max and Sam hesitated, but the lure of the scent tugged at them, weakening their resolve. "She's already inside... we can't just leave her," Sam whispered, his voice trembling. Max nodded reluctantly, and together, they stepped over the threshold.

The door swung shut behind them with a sudden, echoing SLAM. Darkness swallowed the room, and the boys stood paralyzed, barely able to see their own hands in front of them. As their eyes adjusted, they noticed twisted shapes and shadows along the walls, like creatures watching them from every corner. The house seemed alive, the walls pulsing as though they were breathing.

A low chuckle echoed from somewhere deep within. "Welcome, little ones," the voice purred, dripping with malice. The boys gripped each other tightly, fear tightening in their chests. "I hope you're hungry... I have treats just for you."

The floorboards under their feet creaked as something slithered in the darkness.

Max and Sam's breaths came in short, panicked gasps as they pressed against each other, trying to peer into the depths of the house. A faint glimmer of light appeared at the end of the hallway, casting long, twisted shadows that seemed to shift and writhe. And then, just visible in the gloom, they saw Lily.

She was standing perfectly still, her back to them, her head tilted at an unnatural angle. Her costume, which had been bright and cheerful just moments before, now looked tattered and faded. "L-Lily?" Sam whispered, his voice barely audible.

She didn't respond. Instead, her head slowly turned toward them, her face eerily blank, eyes wide and pure white. Her mouth stretched into an impossibly wide grin, revealing rows of sharp, glistening teeth.

"She's with me now," the voice purred, echoing from the walls and floors as if the house itself was speaking. The light at the end of the hall flickered again, and in the brief flash, they caught a glimpse of something slithering around her, tendrils of shadow weaving into her hair, coiling around her arms and legs.