Once upon a chilly October night, a little boy named Sam stepped out onto the street, his heart thumping with excitement. Sam was dressed as a ghost, draped in a soft white sheet that fluttered with every gust of wind. A wide-brimmed, wobbly hat sat crooked on his head, giving him a mischievous, lovable look. With a large bag in his hand, he set out into the crisp, autumn air filled with the scent of dry leaves and pumpkin spice. The neighborhood was alive with Halloween magic. Spooky decorations peeked out from every corner—glowing jack-o'-lanterns with toothy grins, fake cobwebs clinging to trees, and plastic skeletons that rattled in the breeze. Children ran by in all sorts of costumes: witches with pointy hats, superheroes in shiny capes, and fairies that left trails of glitter in the moonlight. House after house, Sam knocked on doors, each time saying in his loudest, friendliest voice, “Trick or treat!” But every time, he heard the same response, “Oh dear, we’re out of candy.”...