Chapter 1
Halloween andsomeone’sstealing theIt’skid’s candy!
This means war
Written by: Mankirat. Kaur
For all the people who supported me in life(my mom, dad, sister, and my bestfriends)
-Mrs Kuitert
-Constancia
-Marley
Contents
1Someone’s Stealing Candy!
2Plot Twist
3The Great Candy War
4The Chase Begins
5A Spooky Surprise
6The Secret Candy Maze
7The candy room
8Into the hidden lair
9 The new person
10The candy master’s secret
11What have we done?
12The trickster’s plan
13The betrayal
14TheFinal Showdown
Chapter One
Someone’s Stealing Our Candy!
“Someone’s stealing our candy and I’m not letting them get away with it,” Ava whispered as the light above them started to flicker. In a blink of an eye, a black shadow zipped pastthem,and Lila’s candy was gone.
Lila stared at her empty hand. Gone. Just like that.
Alex scratched his head and said, “Umm, I think he just stole your candy.”
Lila turned to him, mouth hanging open. “You think?! Alex, my candy is GONE!”
Ava crossed her arms and looked through the empty street. The light flickered again, and this time there was some rustling in the bushes.
“Stay close,” she whispered. “If this shadow wants a candy fight, he picked the wrong kids.”
The bushes shook again, louder this time. Alex tightened his grip on his flashlight. “Maybe we should split up to catch him,” he said.
“Are you an idiot or something?You’resupposed to be the smart one!” Lila exclaimed, crossing her arms.
“Hey! I am the smartonethat iswhyI amnot going near those creepy bushes alone!” Alex shot back.
Ava stepped between them. “Enough!We’rewasting time.Let’sfocus. This means war.”
“THIS MEANS WAR!” they all shouted together, their voices echoing down the empty street.
Suddenly, a rustle in the dark made them freeze. Something wasmoving closerthan before.Suddenly, the bushes shook louder, and a low, eerie growl drifted through the night air. Ava’s heart pounded. “Stay close,” she whispered again.
Lila swallowed hard. “Do you think it’s... the candy thief?”
Before anyone could answer, a small, quick shape darted out from the bushes and zipped down the street faster than any kid could run.
“After him!” Ava shouted, taking offlike flash.
Alex and Lila sprinted after her, their shoes pounding on the pavement. The streetlights flickered wildly above them, casting strange shadows that danced like ghosts.
The shadow stopped suddenly by an old, creaky fence. Ava sloweddown, careful not to lose sight.
“Wait,” Alex gasped, pointing. “Look at those footprints they’re small, but different.”
Lilakneltand started inspecting the ground, “These wrappers, they look familiar?”
“Maybe because there from your candy!” Alex nervouslysaid.
“Guys should we go and investigate, “Ava replied.
“I think we should! “Lila said as she agreed.
“It’s way too risky; we could be put in jail for this is trespassing.” Alex shakily continued.
“Who cares at least we will be in there together!” Lila said excitedly.They all walked up to the gate, and it swinged open.
“This is so exciting!” Lila exclaimed nervously. We could all see Lila was nervous and if shewasnervous,we knew something was going to happen.
“Sorry nope I cannot do it, Byebye.” Alex left.Now the brainsof the groupleft,it was only thewild one and the leader.
“Wanna go in?” Avaasked
“Right behind you,” Lila whispered.
Inside the yard, the grass was tall and wild. Old toys and candy wrappers were scattered everywhere like someone had been here before them.
A faint crunch of leaves made them freeze. Somewhere in the shadows, something was moving.
“Did you hear that?” Lila whispered, clutching Ava’s arm tighter.
Ava nodded, shining her flashlight toward a rusty swing set swaying in the breeze but no one was there.
“Stay close,” Ava said. “We’re not alone.”
Ava glanced at the old, broken windows. “No one’s lived here for years…he’s using it as his hideout.”
They peeked through the crack in the door and both gasped. Inside the shed was a huge pile of stolen candy. Wrappers covered the floor.
Suddenly, a pair of glowing eyes blinked at them from the shadows.
Ava froze. “Did you see that?”
Lila nodded, heart pounding.
The eyes disappeared as quickly as they came, leaving only darkness behind.
When they got out, they saw Alex...
“Didn’t you leave a while ago?” Lila questioned.
“No, I came back to get my dog.” Alex responded.
“Ithasgreen eyes, right?” asked Ava.
“Yep, he does! Why?”
“Oh my god! It was your dog,”Lilastartedto argue.
“That’s such arelief!” Ava sighed.
“We saw him in the shed; you’ll find him there,”Lila continued.
“Thanks, he ran away!” Alex said.
“Wait, itseems like you’re distracting us?” Lila questioned.
“Yeah,” Ava said slowly. “Why?”
Alex just smiled butdidn’tanswer.
Lila crossed her arms, staring him down. “Well? Are yougonnasay something, or just look weird?”
Alex shuffled his feet. “I toldyou itwas my dog.Let’sjust go home, okay?”
Ava looked back at the creepy yard. The broken windows seemed darker now, and the bushes rustled one last time in the wind.
“Fine,” she said slowly. “But tomorrow… wearecoming back. And this time,we’llbe ready.”Lila nodded, her eyes shining with determination. “No more surprises. No more shadows.”
Alex looked atboth of them, suddenly serious. “We’llneed a plan. Andmaybe somebackup.”
Ava smiled, a little smirk playing on her lips. “Good. Because the Candy Warisn’toveryetit’sjust getting started.”
They turned to leave the spooky yard, but the wind picked up, swirling fallen leaves around their feet like ghostly dancers.
A cold chill ran down Ava’s spine as a soft whisper seemed to echo from the shadows:
“See you tomorrow, Candy Squad...”
The three friends exchanged nervous glances, then raced back down the street, heartspounding readyfor whatever came next.
