Trick-AND-Treat: A Halloween Goodie Bag Guide

     What’s that? Did I hear something… or someone? Who dares interrupt a witch and her brew?! Oh! It’s just you, my dear Neopian Times reader. Welcome to my humble abode! Do excuse the mess. I’ve been brewing a potion for… um… reasons best left unspoken.

     But I’m sure you’ve come here because you know what time of the year it is, Spooky Season! All month long, Neopians are gearing up for some frightfully fun festivities. Trips to the pumpkin patch, haunted house adventures, apple bobbing games—the list goes on!

     Oh, I certainly haven’t forgotten the most popular Halloween pastime (my personal favourite), trick-or-treating! Whether you’re planning to hand out treats from your NeoHome or your shop, the goodies you offer could be the difference between happy visitors or befalling a mischievous prank!

     Luckily for you, I, Xenia, prankster extraordinaire, full-time witch, and, lately, part-time Neopian Times contributor, have whipped up the ultimate guide for creating the perfect ‘Trick-and-Treat’ goodie bags. Yes, you heard that right. ‘Trick-AND-Treat.’ Why settle for a trick or a treat when you can have both? From tricky trinkets to spooky sweets, each of these goodie bags will leave your guests startled and satisfied this Halloween season. *cackles* So, are you ready to dive into the spooky madness?

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     The Ultimate Sweets Goodie Bag

     Tricks: Mega Ultra Strawberry Fondant, Wriggling Grub Surprise, Poisonous Lollypop

     Treats: Strawberry Fondant Surprise, Acara Ice Cream Surprise, Adorably Pink Lollypop

     The Ultimate Sweets Goodie Bag is perfect for the Neopet with a sweet tooth, and, trust me, plenty of the Neopians roaming the streets on Halloween are sugar fiends! When those eager trick-or-treaters leave your door with this goodie bag in hand, they'll be thrilled, thinking they've just scored a treasure trove of sweets. But be warned—overindulging in this haul may lead to some unexpected outcomes… *hee-hee-hee*!

     While some of the treats in this bag are exactly what they present to be (that is, deliciously sweet treats), others… Well, let’s just say appearances can be deceiving. Take the fondants, for instance. The Mega Ultra Strawberry Fondant is bursting with creamy strawberry goodness, wrapped in a decadent chocolate shell. But the Strawberry Fondant Surprise? That one will definitely leave you feeling… surprised. What’s the surprise, you ask? *Heh heh heh* You’ll just have to take a bite to find out… *cackles*

     The Gummed Up Gumshoe Goodie Bag

     Tricks: Fake Shoyru Gum Shocker, Sardine Vinegar Gum, Tooth Faerie Gum

     Treats: Berry Usuki Gum, Frosty Chewing Gum, Air Faerie Gum

     Have you heard of the curious incident of the Trick-or-Treater getting shocked by his gum? What?! You haven’t?!

     *adopts a voice akin to a film noir narrator*

     It was a dark and stormy night when the ‘victim,’ a young Zafara Detective, was navigating Neovia’s shadiest alleyways. He was hunting for clues about the Meerca Brothers’ recent dealings with Malkus Vile and uncovered something troubling. He needed to chew things over, so he reached into the ‘Gummed Up Gumshoe Goodie Bag,’ for a strip of gum, only to get zapped!

     The cause? Why that was quite elementary, my dear Watson. For, you see, instead of reaching for a real, authentic piece of gum, he instead snagged this Fake Shoyru Gum Shocker.

     *clears throat*

     Ahem! Ranging from disgusting flavours to literally shocking delights, this ingenious, chewing gum-themed goodie bag will leave even the cleverest of detectives too stunned to speak. *wink*

     The Stamp or Scam Goodie Bag

     Tricks: Orange Gummy Stamp, Cranberry Gummy Stamp, Blueberry Gummy Stamp

     Treats: Jelly Pop Stamp, Jelly World Stamp, Midnight Jelly World Stamp

     Stamps, stamps, stamps. All I ever hear Neopians talk about these days are STAMPS, and frankly, it drives me mad! So, I’m sure you’ll be surprised to hear that this year, I have decided to dive headfirst into ‘stamp mania.’ As they say, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

     The Stamp or Scam Goodie Bag lures in those obsessive stamp collectors with the tantalizing possibility of receiving a life-changing prize: the ever-elusive Midnight Jelly World Stamp! But when they tear open the bag, nine times out of ten—no, ninety-nine times out of a hundred—scratch that, nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand—they’ll find themselves holding nothing more than a gummy stamp! Still, with flavors like orange, cranberry, and blueberry, it’s hard to leave disappointed, even after opening a ‘dud.’

     The Fruit or Faux Goodie Bag

     Tricks: Imposter Apple, Double Dapple Apple, Infested Peach

     Treats: Everlasting Apple, Apple Lantern, Organic Peach

     Lately, some Neopians have opted for healthier treats in their goodie bags, like fruits and vegetables, rather than delicious candies and sweets. To those health-conscious Neopians, I say—BLEGH! Where’s the fun in being healthy? After all, it’s Halloween! It’s time to let loose and enjoy!

     To ensure those health snobs think twice before they turn up their noses to sugary treats, I’ve crafted the ‘Fruit or Faux Goodie Bag.’ Each bag is practically overflowing with delightful, healthy fruits—I swear! Just reach in, grab an apple, and take a big bite to see for yourself!

     *giggle* Did you catch a bite of worm in that apple? You see, while half of the delicious fruits inside this goodie bag are real, the other half are fake! For example, perhaps you’re expecting a juicy bite from a delicious-looking peach, only to discover that it is infested with grubs on the inside. Or, maybe you’re ready to savour the bite from the fabled Everlasting Apple, only to be met with a mouthful of wax from an Imposter Apple! Now who said fruit for Halloween couldn’t be fun?

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     So there you have it! Four deceptively clever goodie bag ideas for this Spooky Season! Looks can be deceiving—don’t say I didn’t warn ‘ya!

     Now, if you wouldn’t mind making like a banana and split, this witch needs to tend to her potion. So SCRAM!