I’d like to tell you a story:

Once upon a Halloween night, a tiny, gloved hand reached into a cauldron full of treats. The hand swished left and the hand swished right, sending Bubble Yum and Jolly Ranchers tumbling out of its way. When it finally withdrew, it had in its grasp, the thin, white stick of a Tootsie Pop.

A quick gulp of air was all the Pop had time to grab before he was dropped unceremoniously into the dark, cottony chasm of a pillow case.

But he hadn’t come alone.

Stuck to the Tootsie Pop’s wrapper was a rogue Candy Corn–a treat who had already broken free of one plastic bag in an attempt to escape her Halloween fate.

You see, every Candy Corn hears the tale; they know what happens on Halloween night. But this slightly lopsided triangle of sugar had other ideas. She knew she was destined for more, but she couldn’t do it alone. She needed the Tootsie Pop’s help to reach her happily ever after.

Your mission, teen writers, should you choose to accept it, is to write me an escape scene:

How does the ambitous Candy Corn and her reluctant Tootsie Pop sidekick escape the bite of their Halloween fate?

Leave your answers here in the comment section and be sure to come back through the weekend to cheer your friends on and to see what they’ve come up with. I can’t wait to read your replies!

Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.

Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.

It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.

To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.

For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her websiteInstagramFacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.