Candy Everywhere
His eyes followed their little hands as they dug into the bowl. Candy glistened in their little hands. Their hands were full. Chocolate and candy pieces shattered on the ground.
A leader who looks like an adult encouraged them to take everything. A little boy ran away with a wild howl. The porch was a tangle of chaos left behind by another one seated on an opened Mars bar.
An Angry Man
In an Ohio suburb, Arthur Kingsley lived in a quaint house at the end of Elm Street. In the field, he had worn down both his body and his mind over the years.
Shadows were cast across the worn wooden fence that surrounded his property by the other houses in the neighborhood, shying away from him. The children were always scared of him because he was always angry.
Grumpy Kingsley
His wife Bertha, who passed away 10 years ago, was remembered by a few older people in the area. Known as "Grumpy Kingsley," he rarely exchanged pleasantries with his neighbors and was generally spoken of in hushed tones.
One night, however, the atmosphere surrounding his house changed—and his mischievous glint emerged. This was well-known to everyone.
A Solitary Life
The 80-year-old war veteran spent most of his time alone, enjoying the echoes of his past and the solitude of his present. As a result of his unfriendly behavior, he earned a reputation as a grumpy old man in the neighborhood.
His eyes glowed with mischief every Halloween, however. The night was the one night a year when he socialized with his neighbors.
Breaking The Silence
Having reached Halloween, Arthur decided to break his solitude in the interest of tradition. Under the flickering glow of a dim lantern, he strategically placed a bowl of candy on his porch.
The celebrations would be enjoyed without the intrusion of constant doorbell ringing this year. He sat in a dimly lit room, waiting for the sun to dip beneath the horizon. When will trick-or-treating begin?
Excitement
A chilly autumn air echoed with the laughter of the first trick-or-treaters that approached the porch. Little witches on broomsticks tiptoed toward the candy bowl, their eyes wide with excitement.
As Arthur watched from the shadows, he silently admired the innocence on the faces of the children. A small witch exclaimed, "Thank you, mister!" Arthur grunted in response.
Things Were Different
More children flocked to his porch throughout the night, each of whom was greeted with a cold smile. The atmosphere, however, was quite different from the norm.
He never opened his door. His window provided a good view of the children. Suddenly, an eerie tension gripped the air, making the children glance warily over their shoulders. Could the young night be holding any strange antics?
A Quiet Night
It grew quieter as the night went on. It was an owl that hooted occasionally as Arthur hid in the shadows, listening to the distant rustle of leaves.
His thoughts were interrupted when a group of older kids approached, echoing across the deserted street. Was this the Halloween celebration he had been looking forward to?
Watching Them
The figure was dressed as a ghoul and reached for the candy bowl. Observing them, Arthur felt foreboding as his heart quickened.
A mischievous smirk could be seen beneath the mask of the ghoul as he turned toward the door. He knew someone was watching him, but did he know who it was? Was he feeling guilty about taking so many chocolate bars?
Taking Notice
Through the peephole, Arthur watched. With a voice dripping with arrogance, the ghoul said, "Nice candy setup you got here!". In spite of Arthur's narrowed eyes, he did not speak. Each member of the group exchanged glances, daring the other to push the limits.
Arthur's window was pointed at by one of them, a boy with a devilish smile. A few of them giggled in agreement as he whispered, "Let's see if he's watching."
Prying Eyes
The tension in the air thickened as the ghoul approached the window, peering inside. Arthur held his breath, his eyes locked with the intruders. “Boo!” he said softly.
The boy's face turned pale, and he stumbled backward, muttering something about the old man's eyes. Arthur had more than scared them off. He scarred them, as they ran off screaming into the night.
The First Prank
There wasn’t much time for him to catch his breath before the next group of daring devils came along. The group hastily grabbed handfuls of candy and fled into the night, leaving Arthur alone with his silent victory. He chuckled to himself, savoring the thrill of the prank.
As he gazed at the now-empty candy bowl, a sense of satisfaction washed over him. Halloween was almost over but he wasn’t. He had another trick up his sleeve.
Feeling Young Again
The night had brought an unexpected camaraderie, even if only through shared glances and unspoken agreements. Arthur Kingsley, the grumpy old man, found solace in the simple joy of Halloween pranks.
The old man refilled his outside candy bowl with various kinds of special sweets. With a satisfied grin, he settled back into his armchair, content to watch the echoes of laughter fade into the night as the neighborhood returned to its slumber.
A Warning Sign
As Halloween went on, Arthur's stoic demeanor cracked a smile as he reveled in his annual Halloween prank. This year, he decided to place a large bowl of candy on his porch.
He preferred the trick-or-treaters to help themselves, avoiding the annoyance of a continuous doorbell ring. The sign posted clearly stated, "Please only one piece of candy per CHILD."
The People Of The Area
As the night fell, shadows danced across Arthur's porch. He peered through the curtains, observing the polite children and their creative costumes.
Some even greeted him with cheerful voices through the door. But then, he noticed a disturbance – a large group approaching, a mix of children and adults, of all ages and sizes. It looked like a joined family.
More Hungry Mouths
The sign seemed invisible to this unruly bunch. They stormed onto the porch, ignoring the implied limit of one candy per child. Arthur noticed that they were not speaking English.
Arthur couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking that these people were about to experience a Halloween trick they would never forget. What did Arthur do to the candy bars?
Greedy Goblins
The group, oblivious to the impending surprise, ransacked the bowl, each hand greedily grabbing handfuls of sweets. “Take it all,” one boy said as he stuffed his mouth while he filled his loot bag.
Laughter and excited chatter filled the air as they snatched the entire bowl along with them. Arthur's amusement grew as he anticipated the shock that awaited them. They wouldn’t know what hit them.
The Second Prank
Inside, he watched from the safety of his living room as the thieving group triumphantly paraded down the street. However, their mirthful celebration was short-lived.
Unbeknownst to them, Arthur had rigged the candy bowl with a harmless yet startling surprise. Were the trick-or-treaters in danger? What was going to happen to them next?
Spooky Hands
Suddenly, a cacophony of laughter erupted from the group as they realized their hands were covered in a harmless but perplexing substance – glow-in-the-dark paint. The once jubilant atmosphere turned into a chaotic mix of confusion and amusement.
The glow-in-the-dark hands created an unintentional Halloween spectacle, drawing attention from neighbors and passersby. They screamed as they ran down the street as though they were hired to perform a special spooky act.
Gotcha
Arthur, hidden in the shadows, couldn't contain his laughter. He felt a sense of satisfaction as the group dispersed, their glow-in-the-dark hands waving frantically.
A few members of the group glanced back at Arthur's house with a mix of embarrassment and amusement. Arthur quickly closed his curtain and let out a humongous guffaw, he hadn’t laughed like that in years.
Well Done Old Man
One particularly bold teenager approached Arthur's porch, wiping the glow-in-the-dark paint from his hands onto his costume. "Nice one, old man!" he called out, a smirk on his face.
Surprisingly, Arthur found himself nodding in acknowledgment, a subtle grin breaking through his gruff exterior. But he remained silent, he didn’t want to spoil the element of surprise.
Halloween Hacks
As Halloween night settled back into silence, Arthur felt a warmth in his chest. Perhaps, in the midst of his reclusive habits, he had found a way to connect with the community, even if it was through mischievous pranks.
He had a feeling that the children could tell that he wasn’t a mean old man at heart, he had a sense of humor. It just took some digging to get it out of him.
Making The Best Of It
Arthur spent his days in solitude at his home on Elm Street. He wasn't known for being friendly with the neighbors, and most considered him a grumpy old man.
Despite his prickly exterior, Arthur had a soft spot for one particular night – Halloween. It was the only time of the year when he allowed his mischievous side to surface. “Who knows if I’ll be here next year,” he said as he restocked his candy bowl with his special homemade sweets.
For The Thrill Of It
This Halloween, Arthur decided to embrace the spirit of the holiday by participating in the tradition of handing out candy. However, true to his nature, he wasn't keen on entertaining the constant doorbell ringing.
Instead, he strategically placed a bowl of candy on his porch, inviting the trick-or-treaters to help themselves. But he had laced the chocolate bars with something inedible.
The Line Never Ends
As the night unfolded, Arthur observed the steady stream of polite trick-or-treaters from the comfort of his living room. Children in various costumes giggled and expressed their gratitude through the door, creating a festive atmosphere that Arthur secretly enjoyed.
Yet, his night took an unexpected turn when he noticed a large group approaching his porch, a mix of children and adults. They were going to be the ones who experienced the wrath of his Halloween pranks.
They Didn’t Read The Sign
Ignoring the sign explicitly stating, "Please only one piece of candy per CHILD," the unruly family seized the entire bowl, greedily snatching every piece of candy in sight.
Arthur chuckled to himself, for he had prepared a trick that would teach these candy bandits a lesson. They were about to get more than a chocolatey mouthful when they took their first bite.
A Secret Weapon
Arthur was a trained military soldier. Having honed his skills in the art of deception during his military days, Arthur had inserted a few fake chocolate bars into the mix.
These deceptive treats contained hidden surprises – pieces of tin foil that mimicked the texture of chocolate. He knew that only those with a keen eye or a bit of bad luck would discover the prank. After a bit of chewing and a tired jaw, the person would realize that they were eating foil.
Playing Pranks
That night, Arthur went to bed with a satisfied grin, envisioning the shock and surprise on the faces of the candy thieves.
The next morning, however, he discovered that his house had been TP-ed by the disgruntled family seeking revenge. Unfazed, Arthur chuckled at the sight, knowing that his security cameras had captured the entire act. Would he find out who they were?
A Community Noticed
The next morning, he discovered a small thank-you note and a fresh bowl of candy on his doorstep, a sign that his grumpy old heart might have softened just a bit.
With a sense of triumph, he reviewed the footage, watching as the mischievous culprits unknowingly implicated themselves. Arthur, the master of pranks, had turned the tables, leaving the vandals with more than a few tricks up their sleeves.
Now They Know Who I Am
As he cleaned up the toilet paper strewn across his lawn, Arthur couldn't help but marvel at the poetic justice he had served. He had made friends through the spirit of Halloween.
His Halloween had been an unexpected adventure, filled with laughs, surprises, and a lesson for those who dared to cross the grumpy old veteran on Elm Street. What would the next holiday hold?