We’ve heard of witches, warlocks, wolves, and all manner of werebeasts, but the past year found a new creature lurking in the woods of South Carolina — clowns. Of course, whether these incidents involved actual demonic hell-jesters luring children into the forest remains unproven. What we do know is that if you want to trick kids into your woodland hideout, start with a house made of sweets and an oven that opens from the inside. —Dustin Waters