Mark hefted two medium-sized pumpkins into his arms for another trip into the house. Inhaling, he savored the crisp Autumn air as he filled his lungs a few times. The vivid orange, red, and yellow hues of the neighborhood trees brought a smile to his face. The beauty and creativity of this season amped up his energy every year.

He bumped the car door closed with his hip, and walked into the open front door to his home. Kicking the door shut behind him, he retraced his steps to the kitchen counter where he'd deposited pumpkins from three previous trips. Setting his current burden down, he shook out the mild strain in his arm muscles and surveyed the collection before him.

"There we go," he said to himself. "That ought to be enough to keep us busy for an entire shoot."

Tyler and Ethan were coming over later for a Pumpkin Challenge video, and he wanted to make sure they had everything they'd need. He went through a mental list, bringing out a large folding table from the garage. Next, he grabbed a plastic white table cloth from the linen closet, and spread it over the table. He secured the edges with duct tape so the cloth wouldn't move while they worked.

His Golden Retriever, Chica, came over to investigate the proceedings as she'd done when he'd first arrived home. Curiosity shone in her expressive brown eyes, perhaps wondering what her beloved human was doing. Mark knelt down with a grin, ruffling the fur around her neck.

"There she is!" He said. "There's my sweet puppy. How ya doin"? Sorry I was gone a while."

Wagging her tail with vigorous enthusiasm, she woofed at him.

He laughed and stood up, glancing at the sliding glass door across the living room. "You want to go outside?"

With another excited bark, the dog pranced over to the door, tongue lolling out, panting. He slid the door open, and Chica bounded out into the yard.

Mark glanced at the darkening sky, realizing how fast evening was approaching. He decided to give his dog a few minutes of outdoor time while he finished setting up a few more things for the video. She could get some fresh air, and at the same time, not be underfoot while he worked. Closing the sliding glass door, he turned on the back porch light, and returned to the kitchen.

This time of year, the afternoon light faded quickly. The atmosphere in the house had dimmed, and he made another mental note to bring in some extra lighting before starting the shoot. Shadows draped the kitchen, making it difficult to see. He reached out for the light switch.

What was that? Footsteps?

He remained still, listening for the sound again.

Maybe that's Tyler and Ethan?

He walked to the front door and opened it, flipping on the outside light. Looking around, he didn't see anyone. The porch and street beyond were empty.

Strange, he thought. I could've sworn I heard someone.

Shaking his head, he closed the door and made his way back to the kitchen. He flicked on the light switch, and turned toward the pumpkins, intending to move them over to the table he'd set up earlier.

His gaze locked on the first pumpkin, a chill swirling around in his gut. Carved with rough strokes into the orange rind were the words,

It Began With You!