Pumpkins with jagged smiles lined the sidewalks, plastic skeletons dangled from trees, and cottony cobwebs clung to porches.

The air smelled of dry leaves and candy, and eleven-year-old Kevin breathed it all in, his heart pounding with excitement.

Halloween was his favorite day of the year—a day when you could be anyone you wanted, and Kevin loved how the whole world seemed to transform for one magical night.

As he strolled down the sidewalk, his eyes darted from one house to the next, each one decked out with glowing jack-o’-lanterns or eerie ghosts. Kevin couldn’t help but smile.

But as he walked farther down the street, something caught his eye—something that didn’t fit.

One house stood dark and empty, the complete opposite of the festive homes around it. No pumpkins. No cobwebs. No skeletons.

Not even a tiny decoration. Kevin frowned as he realized whose house it was—Mrs. Kimbly’s.

Kevin had helped her before, mowing her lawn in the summer and shoveling snow in the winter. She never said much, just paid him before shuffling back inside.

But today, her house seemed out of place, as if it didn’t belong to the same cheerful neighborhood.

Why hadn’t Mrs. Kimbly decorated for Halloween? Everyone else had. Kevin couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.

Halloween was a time for fun, after all, and it didn’t seem fair for anyone to miss out—especially someone who lived all alone like Mrs. Kimbly.

Determined, Kevin turned and dashed across the street toward her house. The leaves crunched under his sneakers as he climbed the steps to her front door.

He hesitated for a moment, then knocked. The sound echoed in the quiet, and Kevin shifted nervously. After what felt like forever, the door creaked open.

There stood Mrs. Kimbly, her face set in a deep frown, her eyes narrowed behind thick glasses.

“What do you want, Kevin?” she asked sharply, her voice low and gruff.

Kevin swallowed hard.

“Hi, Mrs. Kimbly. I just noticed… well, your house doesn’t have any Halloween decorations, and I thought maybe you forgot. I could help you put some up, if you’d like.”

Mrs. Kimbly’s eyes narrowed even more if that was possible.

“I didn’t forget,” she snapped. “I don’t need any decorations, and I don’t need help. Now, go away.” She moved to close the door.

“You wouldn’t even have to lift a finger.”

Mrs. Kimbly scowled. “No!” she barked before slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

Kevin couldn’t believe it. How could someone hate Halloween so much?

He knew if her house stayed undecorated, the other kids might target it for pranks, like throwing toilet paper all over her yard.

Kevin sighed and turned to leave, but as he walked away, a plan began to form in his mind.

His mind was still buzzing with thoughts about Mrs. Kimbly’s dark, undecorated house.

“Mom, something weird happened,” Kevin said, sitting at the kitchen table. Sarah turned toward him, wiping her hands on a towel.

“What is it, sweetheart?” she asked, giving him her full attention.

Kevin quickly explained how Mrs. Kimbly’s house was the only one on the street without Halloween decorations, and how she had slammed the door in his face when he offered to help.

“Maybe it’s best to leave her alone,” Sarah suggested gently.

“She’s probably going through something we don’t understand. People can have reasons for doing things we might not know about.”

Kevin frowned, shaking his head.

“But, Mom, she needs help. I don’t think she’s really mad… I think she’s just sad. Halloween is supposed to be fun. She shouldn’t have to spend it feeling bad.”

“You have a good heart, Kevin. Just be careful, okay? Sometimes people aren’t ready for help, even when they need it.”

Her words lingered in Kevin’s mind as he headed upstairs to his room. But he couldn’t shake the thought that Mrs. Kimbly didn’t hate Halloween—she was just lonely.

With newfound determination, Kevin gathered all the Halloween decorations he could find—colorful lights, plastic spiders, some of his toys, and even his favorite pumpkin, the one he had spent hours carving.

Kevin loaded everything into a small wagon and hurried back to Mrs. Kimbly’s house.

The house started to transform, just like the others on the street. But as Kevin was placing the final touches, the front door creaked open.

Mrs. Kimbly stormed out, her face twisted in anger.

“I told you not to decorate my house!” Mrs. Kimbly’s voice echoed across the porch, sharp and angry, making Kevin jump.

“What have you done?!” she continued, her eyes wild with anger.

Kevin swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper. “I just wanted to help,” he said, trying to explain. “It’s Halloween…”

But before he could finish, Mrs. Kimbly cut him off.

“I hate Halloween!” she shouted, her voice trembling with frustration.

Kevin’s eyes widened as she stepped forward, her hand reaching for the nearest pumpkin—the one he had carved himself. The one he had spent hours perfecting, carefully giving it a toothy grin.

Kevin watched in shock as the pumpkin split into pieces, orange chunks scattering across the porch. His stomach twisted as he stared at the ruins of his favorite pumpkin.

She was standing there, breathing heavily, her face still filled with anger, but there was something else—something deeper—hiding behind her furious expression.

“I’m sorry,” Kevin whispered, his voice barely audible.

He turned and ran before Mrs. Kimbly could say anything else, his feet pounding the pavement as he headed home.

That evening, Kevin put on his vampire costume, but he couldn’t get into the Halloween spirit.

As he wandered from house to house with his friends, collecting candy, his mind kept drifting back to Mrs. Kimbly’s dark, undecorated house. He knew what was coming.

The other kids wouldn’t understand. Without candy or decorations, they’d target her house, throwing toilet paper or worse, and Kevin couldn’t stop worrying about it.

Determined not to let anyone ruin Mrs. Kimbly’s night, Kevin walked back toward her house, his vampire cape fluttering behind him.

But Kevin wasn’t interested in trick-or-treating anymore. All he could think about was Mrs. Kimbly sitting alone in her dark house, with no decorations and no candy to give out.

When he arrived, he sat down on her front porch steps, clutching the half-full bag of candy he had collected so far.

The pumpkins he had set out earlier were still glowing faintly in the twilight, but the festive scene didn’t feel right without her participating.

Whenever a group of kids wandered up the path, excitedly hoping for candy, Kevin stood up and handed them pieces from his own bag.

Some kids looked confused, others just shrugged and happily took the candy. Kevin didn’t mind. He knew it was better than having them mess with the house.

Startled, he turned to see Mrs. Kimbly standing there, her face no longer twisted in anger. She looked down at him, her expression softer, her shoulders less tense.

Kevin shifted nervously. “I didn’t want anyone to mess with your house,” he said simply, looking up at her.

“I know you don’t like Halloween, but I thought maybe I could help.”

Mrs. Kimbly hesitated, then sighed deeply and sat down beside him on the steps.

She was quiet for a moment, staring out at the street, watching the kids run from house to house.

Her usual stern expression softened even more, and when she finally spoke, her voice had a hint of sadness in it.

Kevin’s heart sank. He had never thought of it that way before. “But you don’t have to be alone,” he said, turning to face her.

“You can still enjoy it with the rest of us. We’d be happy to have you join in.”

Mrs. Kimbly gave a small, sad smile, her eyes glistening with emotion.

“You’re right, Kevin. I’ve let my loneliness get the best of me for too long.” She reached over and gently patted his hand, a rare gesture of kindness from her.

Kevin smiled, his heart warming at her words. “It’s okay,” he said. “I have another one at home. I’ll bring it over, and we can carve it together.”

Mrs. Kimbly chuckled softly, something Kevin hadn’t heard before. As she watched him dash off to get the pumpkin, for the first time in years, she felt the warmth of Halloween again, all thanks to the kindness of one determined boy.

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