Sigh.

Cara had forgotten to turn off the porch light. So of course on Halloween night, there was going to be at least one ring of the doorbell, even though there were scant few kids in the neighborhood. Thankfully, she had bought a bag of candy. She grabbed it and a large bowl from the counter as she headed to the door.

Late October had brought cooler weather, but not cold enough for her to put the heat on yet or remember to wear socks or slippers. Thus the tile floor of the foyer chilled her bare feet as she strode across it, making her sigh again as she reached for the doorknob.

Whoa.

A single person stood on her porch, and it was no child. The woman didn't just wear a witch's costume, she owned it. The perfect amount of professionally-looking makeup highlighted her already gorgeous face. And while her intricately layered black, green, and purple dress showed no skin, it accentuated her desirously feminine figure to make any Hollywood starlet envious.

"Trick and treat," the woman said with a gleeful smile.

"Isn't it trick or treat?" Cara asked.

"Usually, yes. But this time, it's a trick on you and a treat for me."

Cara frowned in puzzlement. She was about to say something when the woman pulled an item from an unseen pocket and held it up in front of her face.

It was a dark purple gem dangling from a thick, black chain. In one seamless motion of her wrist, the woman began twirling the gem and swinging the chain. The movement perfectly caught the porchlight, flashing it off the gem's many facets to reflect in Cara's eyes.

Oh.

"A trick on you and a treat for me. A trick on you and a treat for me. A trick on you and a treat for me..."

Somehow, the twirling, swinging, flashing gem synced with the cadence of the woman's repeated words. Cara's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She stared at the gem, seeing nothing else. She listened to the woman, hearing no other sounds.

Then the woman changed the words:

"So relaxed. So sleepy. Close your eyes and sleep. So relaxed. So sleepy. Close your eyes and sleep. So relaxed. So sleepy. Close your eyes and sleep..."

And somehow the twirling, swinging, flashing gem synced with the different cadence of the new words. Cara continued to stare. Cara continued to listen. A pleasant drowsiness enveloped her. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and drift off to sleep.

The last thing Cara saw before closing her eyes was the rhythmically flashing gem. But even as sleep overcame her, she could still hear the woman's words, which now changed again.

"As you sleep, you will hear and obey. As you sleep, you will hear and obey. As you sleep, you will hear and obey..."

Obey.

Cara heard and obeyed. When told to, she took the woman inside, closed the door, and turned off the porch light.

"You are my slave. You wll do whatever I say. You will please and pleasure me at my command. You are my slave. You wll do whatever I say. You will please and pleasure me at my command. You are my slave. You wll do whatever I say. You will please and pleasure me at my command..."

Yes, Mistress.

Having indeed been tricked, Cara was now the woman's barefoot, brainwashed treat. She would remain so for the rest of Halloween and for a long time after....