Moira set out a bowl of peeled grapes. Patrick brought over a pot of cooked spaghetti. This haunted house was going to be awesome.

Every year Moira and Patrick’s family hosted the best Halloween party on the block. Mom made a big fire in the fire pit. Dad made mummy dogs. They were hot dogs wrapped in dough to look like ancient mummies. They were yummy.             

For games they did apple bobbing and pumpkin painting. And of course they had a costume contest. This year Moira was dressing up as a spider. Patrick would be a pirate. Mom and Dad were Raggedy Ann and Andy.           

To make their party the best ever, Moira and Patrick had decided to create a haunted house in the garage. They saved up their birthday money to rent a smoke machine. That made it extra creepy. They built a dark maze of boxes to walk through and they played some scary music. For the gross factor, they set up a table of mysterious items to touch. They had just added the eyeballs and the brains.             

Now that it was all finished, they went out to check on Mom at the fire pit.           

“We’ve really done it this year,” said Moira.           

“Yeah,” said Patrick. We’re going to scare our friends for sure.”           

“You might already be scaring one,” said Mom. “I hear some rustling in the garage. I think the first guest has arrived.”          

Moira and Patrick tiptoed over to the garage to watch. They bet their friend would jump at the end when they felt the eyeballs. They could hear something inside the maze. But they waited and waited and no one came out.            

“I guess we’ll have to go in and get them,” said Moira. She and Patrick started into the dark tunnel of boxes. Smoke swirled around them. Scary music played.          

They went deeper into the boxes. There was still no sign of their guest. Moira reached for Patrick’s hand. He squeezed back.        

“I don’t like this,” said Patrick. He put his hand into the eyeballs and screamed. Moira felt the brains and jumped.         

“Aaah!” they both shouted. They ran out of the garage. Mom and Dad and their neighbor Zoe were waiting for them.              

“We thought you might like to be scared for a change,” Zoe said. Moira and Patrick looked at each other. Did they like being scared?               

“Yes!” said Moira.               

“Let’s do it again!” said Patrick. And they did.