“No! You can’t come with us! Just look at your costume! It’s hideous!” a girl sneered at Madison, who immediately glanced down, feeling her cheeks grow warm with embarrassment. She’d been so thrilled about the witch costume her father had managed to find at the last minute, and now her excitement was fading.
“Yeah! So ugly!” the others chimed in, pointing and giggling.
“But it’s a witch costume,” Madison tried to say, giving a little twirl to show it off. The group burst into louder laughter, their taunts cutting deeper.
“No way! It’s just an old, raggedy lady costume! I’m the witch here!” said Anna, stepping forward in her pristine, custom-made costume that glittered under the streetlights. She spun around proudly, and the others nodded in agreement, smirking as Madison’s confidence crumbled.
Technically, they were right; Anna’s costume looked brand new, crafted with care.
Anna’s costume sparkled under the streetlights, practically glowing with every step. It looked expensive, the kind of costume only a few kids could get. Anna always had the nicest clothes because her parents could afford to give her anything she wanted.
Madison had seen Anna’s costume days earlier and couldn’t help but ask her dad if she might get one like it. Her father, Ashton, had knelt down, looking at her with that sad, gentle smile of his. “Not this time, sweetheart,” he said softly, ruffling her hair. “But soon. I promise, one day, you’ll have the best costume ever.”
Then, just a few days before Halloween, he surprised her with a little bundle—a secondhand witch costume. Madison’s face lit up the moment she saw it. “Thank you, Daddy! Everyone’s going to love my witch dress!” she exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over.
Ashton’s heart swelled with pride and a bit of regret. He knew his daughter rarely asked for much, and he wished he could give her more. But as she twirled happily in her costume, he could only hope she’d have the magical night she deserved, surrounded by friends and laughter.
But things didn’t go as Madison had hoped. The moment she approached Anna and her friends, they snickered and sneered.
“You can’t come with us!” Anna said with a smirk. “First, I’m the only witch here, and second, ew! We’d never hang out with you. Go away!”
The other kids joined in, laughing and nodding. Then they turned away, huddling together as they hurried off to start collecting candy, leaving Madison standing alone in the street, her heart sinking.
For a moment, she thought about going home and asking her dad to take her trick-or-treating instead. She knew how much it had meant to him to find her that costume, and she didn’t want him to know how the other kids felt about it. So, taking a deep breath, she decided she would go on her own.
After all, she knew most of the neighbors well. She was always helping carry groceries or lending a hand in their gardens, and people in the neighborhood knew and liked her. She didn’t need Anna and her friends. She could have a great Halloween night by herself—visiting familiar faces, sharing a smile, and filling her own little candy bag with treats.
“They don’t matter,” Madison whispered to herself, lifting her chin and setting off on her own. She could have a good night without them.
As she walked, she spotted Anna’s group at Mrs. Vaughan’s door, grabbing handfuls of candy. Madison waited until they were gone, then approached and rang the doorbell.
“Trick or treat!” she sang out, a hopeful smile lighting her face.
Mrs. Vaughan’s face broke into a warm grin. “Oh, Madison! I’m so happy to see you! I love your costume—you’re the prettiest little witch I’ve seen tonight!”
The older woman reached into her candy bowl, filling Madison’s bag with a generous scoop of treats. Madison’s heart swelled with happiness as she thanked her, delighted by the kindness.
House by house, Madison made her way through the neighborhood, each time waiting for the bullies to leave before she went up to the door. At every stop, she was greeted with smiles, compliments, and extra candy. With every kind word, her confidence grew, and the sting of Anna’s words faded.
Unbeknownst to her, Anna’s group had noticed her trick-or-treating alone, receiving compliments and extra candy from all the neighbors. And as Madison’s spirits soared, a few of those kids began to wonder if they might have been wrong about her all along.
As Madison approached Mr. Ferguson’s door, Anna and her friends suddenly crowded around, their faces set in smug annoyance.
“Mr. Ferguson! Why are you giving her more candy than us?” Anna demanded, her voice sharp and whiny. “It’s not fair! We should get more too!”
Mr. Ferguson sighed, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the group. “Why? Because Madison is one of the kindest kids on this block,” he replied firmly. “She’s helpful, polite, and always shows respect to everyone. Unlike some of you, she doesn’t demand things. And her family is going through a hard time. Her mom’s been in the hospital, and her dad’s working day and night to keep everything together. If you’re smart, you’d see that having a friend like her would teach you a lot about real life.”
He then gave Madison a warm smile, handed her one last piece of candy, and waved her off with a kind goodbye as he closed the door.
Madison turned to face the group, shrugged, and started walking away. But this time, Anna’s face softened, her brow furrowing.
“Is your mom really sick?” she asked quietly, genuine concern breaking through her usual confidence.
Madison nodded. “Yeah,” she replied softly.
Another child, eyes wide, piped up, “Do you think she’s going to be okay?”
Madison looked at them for a moment, feeling the shift in their voices and expressions. “I hope so. My dad says she’s strong,” she said, a little stronger, finding comfort in her own words.
The group fell silent, each of them shifting uncomfortably. One of the kids finally mumbled, “Hey, do you… do you want to come with us? We could go to a few more houses together.”
“I don’t know,” Madison said, shaking her head hesitantly.
“Do you want to walk with us?” Anna offered, a half-smile creeping onto her face. Madison hesitated for a moment. Part of her thought they might just be trying to get more candy, but there was something genuine in their expressions that gave her pause.
After a brief moment, she nodded. It was only later that she would learn about Anna’s own struggles—how she had lost her grandmother not long ago. The news of Madison’s mom being sick struck a chord with her. Understanding that pain, Anna and the others decided to make up for their earlier behavior by inviting Madison to join them.
Though they had acted like bullies, Madison soon realized they weren’t bad kids at heart—just a bit spoiled and unaware of the challenges she faced. Once they understood her situation, they changed.
From that day on, they treated Madison like a friend, and surprisingly, they became friendlier toward the rest of the neighborhood, following her lead and spreading kindness wherever they went.
In time, Madison’s mother’s health improved, and the financial strain on their family eased enough for her to return to work. Through it all, Madison continued to wear that same inexpensive witch costume, refusing to part with it until it no longer fit her. Eventually, she carefully set it aside, planning to pass it down to her daughter many years later. In Madison’s eyes, it was the best costume ever made, not because of its appearance, but for the memories and lessons it carried with it.