John Price, a retired SAS captain, had to leave the army after a pretty serious leg injury that made it impossible to keep up with the physical demands of the job. Now, he was trying to settle into a quieter life, far away from the action of battlefields and military missions.

Every day, he would go to the gym, working out as much as he could. It wasn’t like he had much else to do anyway. It was a way to burn off the excess energy that he didn’t know what to do with anymore. Plus, it felt good to be in motion, especially after years of being in command of a group of soldiers and always being on the move.

With Halloween around the corner, John had thought about maybe going out to a bar for a drink or catching up with a few of his old mates from the military who were still serving.

But when the time came, things didn’t go as planned. The people he’d planned to meet up with couldn’t make it and they didn’t exactly explain why. Something about "business" they weren’t allowed to discuss.

So, he figured he’d just let it go and stay home. No big deal. He could always pick up a few beers from the shop, order a takeaway and just watch a movie. That sounded much easier than trying to make small talk at a bar anyway.

John wasn’t really in the Halloween spirit. He didn’t bother with decorations or costumes or anything like that. The street he lived on wasn’t exactly filled with kids.

In fact, there weren’t many families around and he was pretty sure that if any kids were out trick or treating, they’d go to the houses that were covered in cobwebs, spiders and lights. He definitely wasn’t one of those houses and he had no intention of turning his place into one just for a few trick or treaters.

So, when his food arrived and he sat down to enjoy his quiet night, the last thing he expected was a knock on his door.

Three knocks.

For a second, he thought maybe the delivery driver had forgotten something, like extra sauce or a drink or whatever. But when he opened the door, it wasn’t the delivery guy at all.

It was a kid.

A teenager, standing there awkwardly in what looked like a half hearted Halloween costume, a t-shirt with some fake blood splatters and a cheap mask. In their hand, they held a small bucket, the kind kids use when they go door to door for sweets.

“Trick or treat,” the kid said, looking up at him, their voice a mixture of hope and nervousness.

John stared for a moment, not sure what to say. He hadn’t expected this at all. Halloween wasn’t even on his to do list. He didn’t have no sweets neither chocolates to offer.

He could just tell the kid to go somewhere else, but something about his expression made John hesitate.

“I don’t…” John started but he didn’t know how to finish the sentence. He could see the kid standing there, shifting their weight from one foot to the other, obviously unsure whether to leave or wait for an answer.

The awkward silence between them grew.

John sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll… I’ll go see if I have anything. You stay here.”

The teen’s eyes brightened a little and they nodded.

John quickly closed the door and turned toward the kitchen. He didn’t know what he was going to find but he sure wasn’t going to turn the kid away empty handed.