People were gawking at Jenny Ballard as she drifted up the sidewalks of Main Street.

They weren’t used to seeing anyone walking around North Chester in a hooded cape. She passed two young boys, maybe ten or twelve years old, sipping soft drinks and straddling their bikes.

“Hey, witch lady,” said the chubby one. “Aren’t you a little early? Halloween isn’t until Monday!”

Jenny turned to glare at the boys. Smiling devilishly, she wondered what the chubby one might look like as a honey-baked ham or, perhaps, a donkey.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t learned those spells yet.

Besides, she had work to do. For the voice!

She continued up Main Street, past the town clock tower, past the Hedge Pig Emporium (a shop that sold herbs and extracts to crunchy granola–type people), past the North Chester Book Nook and Yankee Doodle Dry Cleaners.

All the stores had posters in their windows for something called Nightmare on Main Street—a Halloween Fun Fest. Sounded pretty lame to Jenny.

When she reached the Ickes & Son Hardware store, she suddenly stopped.

“Bring him to us on All Hallows’ Eve!” whispered the strange crow’s voice in her head.

She glanced through the plate-glass window.

Saw a nerdy guy in an ugly tie cleaning up a mess on the floor.

“Bring him to us!”

“Him?” Jenny said out loud.

“Him!”

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