It was one of those nights — crisp air, rustling leaves, and pumpkins grinning like they knew something I didn’t. The porch light flickered once, twice, then steadied. Billie was watching from her favorite corner, eyes half-open but ears twitching. Oreo sat proudly beside the candy bowl like a security guard with a sweet tooth. Samy, of course, was snoring in rhythm with the wind. I adjusted my fedora and squinted into the yard. Something moved. Slow. Slippery. Sneaky. A shad