The gravel crunched under their pumpkin buckets as Maya, Sam, and Leo reached the end of Willow Creek Lane. Tonight, where woods should have been, stood a tall, narrow house lit by a single jack-o'-lantern.
"It's not on the map," Maya whispered.
"More candy," Sam shrugged, already on the creaking steps.
The door swung open before he knocked. An old woman, smelling of dust and cinnamon, held out a wooden bowl of glistening, unwrapped candy apples. "Just one each," she rasped.
Maya and Sam took one. Leo, lagging behind, quickly grabbed one and slipped a second into his pocket.
"Thank you!" they chorused.
"Wait until you're home to eat them," she called, her voice thin as paper.
They hurried away. When they looked back from the main road, the house was gone. Just dark woods.
Back home, Maya and Sam bit into their apples. They were crisp and sweet.
In his room, Leo dumped his candy haul, admiring his prize. Two apples. He ate the first. Delicious.
He picked up the second one. It felt colder. He took a huge bite.
It wasn't an apple core inside. It was a small, wooden doll, carved to look exactly like him, right down to the chocolate smear on his cheek.
The doll's eyes were two small, black, polished buttons.
Leo tried to scream, but no sound came out. A cold, sharp pain bloomed in his chest, as if a thick needle and thread had just been tugged through his heart. He felt a pull, an irresistible yank, dragging him off his bed and toward the window, back toward the empty, waiting woods.
Stake ID - MithunGowdaSJ