“Howie! You can’t go in! Mom instructed us to avoid Mrs. Carrigan’s home at all times!” Howie’s elder brother, Archie, screamed at the kid who had entered the older woman’s yard after noticing her Halloween decorations. The tiny boy turned and scowled at his two older brothers. “But she put up decorations, and she wants us to come in,” Howie pointed out, pointing to the pumpkins in the yard and the trick-or-treat sign on the doorstep…

“Come out, Howie! Let’s go! I suppose Mom thinks she’s a… a witch,” his other big brother, Bobby, murmured the last bit. “What? Are you terrified of her?” Howie mocked, knowing his brothers would not appreciate that. He could see their scowls, yet his statements were sincere. They were terrified. No one in the area walked inside Mrs. Carrigan’s home or even came near. The old lady was odd. She wore just black and never brushed her hair.

People avoided her the few occasions she was spotted outdoors since she couldn’t walk straight and never smiled at anybody. But Howie was unfazed. He was about to knock. The worst that may happen is that you are ignored or ordered to leave. Despite his older brother’s warnings, he climbed the short stairs and rang the doorbell. “Howie! Howie! No!” his larger brothers cried from the sidewalk, and Howie turned and placed his finger to his lips, asking for them to stop talking.

But he saw their eyes widening and their faces becoming pale, even behind the Halloween makeup they were all wearing. Howie sensed something behind him and turned carefully, unsure what to expect. He felt the frigid air – which, in hindsight, he should’ve recognized as coming from the HVAC system in the woman’s home – but eventually decided that ringing the bell was not a smart idea.

The elderly lady was there, hunched and looked at him, puzzled. He noticed her unkempt hair and her always-black attire and realized why everyone believed she was a witch. She resembled the cartoon characters. Howie, on the other hand, straightened his shoulders, lifted his plastic pumpkin bucket, and sang, “Trick or Treat!”. For a few seconds, the older neighbor peered at him, and he saw her eyes expand slightly.

But she eventually smiled, and it wasn’t as weird as he had feared. “Oh, kid! Yes! I have trick-or-treaters for the first time!” she said as she reached beside her and produced a large bag of brand-name candy. “Here you go! Pick everything you want! I like your costume.” Howie grinned as he selected his favorites – Snickers, Mars bars, M&Ms, and so on. The elder lady saw his huge brothers as she peered behind him. “Do they not want any candy?” she inquired.

“Guys! Come here! There’s loads of candy!” Howie said, waving his hands at them. His older brothers exchanged puzzled looks, but they smiled and rushed to the doorway, snatching everything Mrs. Carrigan was providing. “Thank you!” said the three of them as the elderly lady waved them off. “Tell your buddies there’s still lots of candy!” They nodded and informed the rest of the neighborhood. Some of their pals were hesitant, but a few courageous souls rang her doorbell and followed Howie’s lead.

Mrs. Carrigan was overjoyed once again, and everyone received excellent sweets that night. Howie, Archie, and Bobby informed their mother, who scolded at them for defying her, but she went to thank Mrs. Carrigan for the candy, and other moms in the area quickly followed suit. They learned that when her husband died, Mrs. Carrigan exclusively wore black clothing and preferred to be alone. No one knew how the allegations or speculation about her being a witch began. That Halloween night, the negative rumors vanished, and Mrs. Carrigan became simply another kind neighbor in the little village outside of New York.