"Trick or treat!" A group of zombies and princesses shouted when I opened the door, treats in hand. I dished out compliments and candy and watched them run away. Some of the younger ones shrieked, afraid of the lights and fog next door.

Halloween was always my favorite holiday growing up. I loved being scared, and the houses in my neighborhood always gave candy in large quantities. Some of the home owners would even hand out 'adult goodies' which I later found out to be jello-shots. Those were always my least favorite houses because my parents would stop to chat and indulge, causing me to miss out on valuable trick-or-treating.

As I got older and stopped going out to collect candy or to attend parties I was more than happy to settle down and be the person children love to see. I generally went all out for Halloween, with the lawn decorations and occasional haunted house. Every year I made sure I was stocked with plenty of candy for each child.

The doorbell rang again so I gathered my treats and answered the door. Instead of the traditional greeting, the thee boys in ghoulish costumes shouted and giggled hoping to scare me. I grabbed my chest in mock terror before giving each boy his treat. They retreated to their parents who waved to thank me. I returned to my living room and un-paused the movie I had been watching. Hocus Pocus was my favorite movie to watch on Halloween because it brought me back to my childhood. I was nearing the end where the sisters made their final attempt at eternal life in the graveyard when the doorbell rang again. It had been so long since the last batch that I forgot all about trick-or-treaters.

I jumped up and called out that I was on my way when the front door opened. I slowly approached but there was nobody to be found. I slipped outside toward the street and looked it up and down. The sun had set but there were still two women sitting on the stoop of the house at the end of the street and a mass of children coming from the opposite direction. I went back inside to await the children and found the credits rolling on my movie. I was debating if I wanted to rewind so I could see the ending for the hundredth time or not when the children arrived.

Bucket of candy in hand, I opened the door to see ten bloody children with chocolate around their mouths. I dropped the bucket of candy in shock and the children dashed to devour it at my feet. All of them but one that is. The last one stood in front of me chanting "Trick. Or. Treat.", taking a step closer with each repetition. When the other children had devoured all of the candy they joined the child backing me into a corner. As a whole they each drew weapons from their costumes and raised them toward me. They were closing in and I knew I had to get away before they blocked my path completely. I slammed into the smallest one, a girl of about seven, and ran for the door.

I was met by six more children on my front steps so I slammed the door and ran toward the kitchen but the back door was blocked as well. I rooted through the drawers for a knife and made a mad dash for the living room. I picked up the phone and dialed 9-1-1 but nobody responded to my pleas. I dropped the phone and lunged at the nearest child. It was eerily quiet as the slaughter ensued, but one by one the children dropped to the ground either dead or dying. The remaining children dropped their weapons and began to scream. The blood and chocolate that previously covered them was replaced with smeared face paint and disheveled costumes. I dropped my knife and fell to the ground. I couldn't wrap my mind around how the children could change so quickly when the police broke down my door, weapons drawn and pointed at me.

I was arrested for murdering four trick-or-treaters who came to my door unattended. Six of my neighbors heard the children screaming, but I was the only one to call 9-1-1. Everyone else attributed the screams to the holiday. The toxicology report conducted that night showed that some of the candy I had snacked on was laced with hallucinogenics. My conviction held though, and I was to serve a life sentence.

I killed four innocent children on one of the happiest days of the year and I can't live with that guilt. Their faces and costumes would haunt me forever, so I've traded my blanket with another inmate for some shoelace. The tiny spirits will haunt me no more for I am ready to eternally rot in Hell. My time has come. I am sorry for what has happened but I cannot change it now.

Goodbye.