I adjusted my witch hat and red hair, and looked in my hallway mirror. I was wearing a witch costume I threw together using: a black collared jumpsuit with sheer sleeves, detachable sheer black train with gold spiders, black underbust corset with two large golden spiders on either side, black wedges with gold spiders on the side, a boater black hat with gold spider theme trim, and a wand with a gold spider at the end holding a marble orb.
So basically I went all out with the spider witch theme. A good theme if you ask me.
I was finishing my eyeliner, trying to make my brown eyes look wider, when my phone started ringing. I looked at the caller ID and smiled.
"Hey babe." I greeted into the phone. My friends' laughter spilled over the speaker.
"Hey bookworm," she greeted. "You ready, because I'm coming through the front door to kidnap you."
True to her word, she barged into the apartment with company at tow. My friend, and co-art studio owner, Diana was dressed as a zombie: her brown hair was replaced with a blonde wig, her olive skin hidden under green make up, and white contacts covered her blue eyes. Harrison, Diana's boyfriend, was also a zombie: his blonde hair and blue eyes weren't covered, but his skin was covered in fake boils. Michael and Lucas, Harrison's cousins and fellow bookworm twins, dressed as thing one and thing two.
"Guess who's ready to party!" Harrison shouted.
"We are!" All five of us shouted.
"Then let's go, my mini van awaits." Diana pulled me towards the door.
"Hold on," I laughed, "let me grab my purse."
After I snatched my, guess what, black purse, with a large gold spider in front, we all headed to the party.
The party was loud and filled to the brim with people. What else was expected of a party at a fancy hotel.
I shoved as much candy and goodies as I could in my purse. A logical choice for anyone with a purse.
After dancing with my friends and throwing back a couple of beers, I was in need of a breather.
Soon I found myself in the alley between two giant hotels. It felt safe alone here because it was Plaza's, the other hotel, employee parking space. So they had cameras on either opening and were well lit.
Soon I heard Plaza's backdoor opening and a family in costume were thrown out one by one, followed by a triangle. Strange.
"I need a holiday." The father in a Frankenstein's creature costume groaned.
"Oh my gosh," I gasped. "Are you all alright?"
The blonde girl dressed as mummy looked up at me, her face burning red. "Oh no." She groaned as she got up. "Not only were we humiliated on stage, but we're humiliated here too."
"Well, this is less than ideal." Said the little boy dressed as...a bear...a lion?
"Why can't you talk like a regular person, especially in front of a stranger?" The girl mummy complained.
"Be nice to your brother." The mother dressed as a vampire said.
That was a voice I recognized.
"Being nice is the last thing I want to do." Fay, I remember Emma saying her daughter's name, grumbled.
"Fay, is it?" From the look of her face I was right. "Just because you had a bad night doesn't mean you should lash out."
"How do you know my name?" She asked surprised, then she shook her head. "Never mind that, you don't know what my mother put me through. I have every right to lash out!"
"Fay," Emma gasped, "don't shout at Lizzie like that."
"Mom, that was totally humiliating, and it was all your fault." Her daughter huffed.
Emma looked down. "I'm sorry. It was an accident, honest."
"Nobody wanted to come to this stupid family outing." Fay turned around and crossed her arms.
"I wanted to study." Max, Emma's son, whined while cleaning his glasses.
Emma grunted in frustration. "You're both so ungrateful."
"Don't-"
"I second that motion." I interrupted her husband, who I hear suffers from foot in mouth syndrome. "Fay, Max, your mother spent weeks trying to get you all together. I wish I could do that with my family."
"Ad why don't you?" Fay huffed. "And why are you butting in?"
"Parents live in Mexico, brothers in America, both in different countries." I shrugged. "I'm butting in because Emma is my friend." I placed my hand on her shoulder and smiled.
"Why are you out here anyways?" Max asked.
"Probably kicked out for butting in too much." Fay mumbled.
"Needed some fresh air, party is packed to the brim."
Just then Lucas stuck out from the door. "Yo Lizzie, Harrison stole the mic and performed a solo. And he was bad." He pulled up his phone. "Don't worry I sent you the video."
I laughed. "Give Diana my condolences to her second hand embarrassment."
Lucas saluted and went back inside.
"Why couldn't we go to that party?" Fay threw her hands up.
"Invitation only." I took out my invitation as evidence.
"How about we go home and relax." Frank suggested.
"Look who's awake." Emma twirled to glare at her husband. "Do you think you can manage to drive us home?"
"Yeah," he nervously wrung his hands. "I'm just working so hard-"
"And I'm not?" Emma cut him off.
"Emma sweetie, breath." I placed both my hands on her shoulder. "It sounds like tonight was pretty traumatic for everyone. You should all go home and take a break."
"I wouldn't call these costumes hard work." Fay picked up a piece of her brother's costume.
Emma turned around and threw her arms around me. "I hate that my own daughter insults me." She sobs. "I hate that my kids always fight. And I hate that my husband sleeps through it all."
"There, there." I rubbed her back and held her close. "It'll be ok tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow always brings new problems. " A new voice came in. "So very unhappy you are." We look down to see an old woman.
"How very perceptive you are." Emma walked back out of my hold.
"Baba Yaga brings help." The old woman stretched out her hand.
"Really?" Emma asked in disbelief. "How can you help?"
"By cursing you." She grabbed a glowing green amulet from under her red robe.
"What?" We all asked in confusion.
"By fire, by light, by all things bright." The old woman started.
"Now dear, don't you have a cat somewhere to feed?" Frank put his foot in his mouth.
The old woman glared at him, her green eyes flashed at him. She moved her hands and her glowing amulet began floating, green electricity coming from it.
Above us the clouds began forming into a circle. I panicked, thinking it was the beginning of a tornado, and ran to the door. Only to find it locked.
"Oh great, it's gonna start raining." Fay pointed up.
"Rain? That looks like a tornado to me." I tried the other door, locked too.
"But tornados are rare around here." Max stated.
"By day, by night." The old woman continued making bubbles appear out of nowhere.
"I think we're witnessing magic." Max tilted his head.
"Impossible." Fay argued.
"Do you have another explanation?"
"Not really"
The magic woman combined the bubbles and amulet, now filled with green smoke and electricity, and threw her it up into the sky. "You will be transformed tonight." She threw her hands up and lightning suddenly stuck down.
Frank grabbed all of us, trying to push us away, but it was too late.
A loud deafening boom sounded and we were all thrown by some force.
I landed on some empty boxes and rubbed my back in pain. My purse suddenly started moving and I picked it up, thinking it landed on a rat, or something. But then the spider on my purse came to life.
I screamed blood murder as it crawled all around. "Oh Jesus, oh fuck, get it off me." It crawled back on my purse and fused into. Making it back to a normal old purse. "What just happened?"
"Why won't they come off?" I looked up to see Fay struggling with her costume.
"Hold on, I'll help." I turned expecting to see Emma match the voice, only to see a beautiful blue eyed woman in elegant gothic style clothing.
A growling sound came from Fay's direction. A dog was pulling at the bandages on her leg. She shook her leg in fright "get off" and kicked the dog into a trash can.
"Ow!" Came from the can. "That's not the nicest way to treat your brother."
The three of us gasped at that.
"Max?" Fay questioned.
Max, who's now definitely a werewolf, took a banana peel off his head. "I'm hairy. All over!" He gaped in horror at his own...hands...paws?
A rustling sound came off to the side. In front of us a tall green monster that looked a little like Frank was in front of us.
"Dad?" Both kids asked.
The monster smiled and farted.
"Ugh, that's definitely dad." Fay gagged.
"What have you done with my family and friend?" Vampire Emma was on top of the witch, shaking her in anger.
"Well, Opalla. Actually only wanted to transform you." The witch shrugged in surprise at what happened. "If everyone is transformed, then everyone must be unhappy."
"I'm transformed?"
"See for yourself."
Emma looked into the car's side mirror. "I'm an ugly old witch." She gasped.
I laughed at that.
"Lizzie don't laugh, I'm hideous!"
Baba Yaga groaned. "No that's me. You are now a vampire, reflectionless."
"I-I-I'm a vampire." She slumped against the car.
I walked over to her. "If it makes you feel any better, you're a hot vampire."
"Lizzie!"
The witch laughed and took out her amulet again. "Disappear. Pronto!" She was swallowed by a smokey bubble and vanished.
"Where did she go?" Emma got up and ran out of the ally.
"Mom?" Both her kids called out.
"You two stay here." I ran after Emma. "Your mom and I will be back."
"There she is!" Emma pointed up. The witch was standing in someone's fire escape. She ran under to where the witch was. "Ok, last year I went to the gym." She crouched down and jumped. Jumped a good few feet. Jumped three fire escapes up. "Wow, it really paid off." She called down to me.
"OK, so Emma had vampire powers." I looked down at my purse. "So maybe I have witch powers too." The spider slowly took my wand out for me."Er, thanks. Now what did that witch say? Disappear Pronto?" I felt my body being squeezed, gold and spiders burst all around me, and found myself on top of a building.
I heard Emma and the witch throwing banter nearby, so I wasn't far away from them. The fire escape started to move and I saw the old witch climb onto the roof.
"Hold it right there." I pointed my wand at her.
She laughed at me. "You, new witch you are, but no spells you know."
She was right. "But I have a spider." She looked confused when I shoved my purse into her face. Then my spider came to life and attacked her.
Emma joined us and tried tackling her. "Disappear pronto!" She vanished again with my spider.
Emma became tangled in an antenna on the other roof. Baba Yaga appeared there, finally throwing my spider off herself. She laughed in her victory. They bantered again and Emma fell, freeing herself. They both went running the other direction. I heard clicking and saw my spider chase after them.
I pointed my wand in their direction. "Disappear pronto!" Once again I found myself in the alley I was in before. Only it was empty this time.
"Lizzie?" I turn around to see Diana at the door. "Hey, can you be our designated driver...you look pale. Are you ok?"
"I lost my spider." I held up my purse. "And I was cursed by a witch."
"Yeah," Diana rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm gonna call you a taxi or something. Get back in here."
I followed Diana back to the party. Everyone was worried about how pale I looked and how different my eyes looked. The twins suggest they go with me to make sure I'm ok. But I assured them I was fine and was heading over to a friend's place anyways.
I opened my phone to Emma's texts and showed my driver the address. When I got there, no one was at home so I waited. Which wasn't long because Emma came running to the door. With giant gold spider and monster Frank in tow.
"Lizzie, are the kids home?" She asked.
I flinched as the spider jumped from Frank's shoulder to mine before returning to the purse. "No, we're the only ones here."
Emma looked around worried. "Where can they be?"
"I'm sure they'll turn up." I moved aside so she could open the door.
We both walked in, Emma headed to the kitchen and I sat on the couch. Frank sounded like he was struggling so I got back up.
"Careful." Emma tried to warn him, but his head crashed into the doorframe, fell on the door, and hit the ceiling lamp.
"You really don't want to break that, it was a gift from your mother." Emma told him. Then he ripped it out of the ceiling. "I always thought it was ugly."
I laughed. Then I felt something trembling on my leg. Looking down to see my spider shaking and twitching on my purse. "You're afraid of the dark?" The spider nodded and pressed itself closer to me. "Such a big and scary spider afraid of the dark." I petted it's head and it started to purr. "Maybe you're not as scary as I thought."
"Mom, dad?" I heard Max call out. "What's that noise?"
Frank fixed the light and caused Max to shout in fear.
Max whined in fear as his father was stuck with electricity. He scouted away into his mother's legs. "Mommy!" He scrambled and put his arms out to be picked up.
"Oh, Max." Emma sighed in relief as she picked him. He hugged him tight and Max started to lick her face. "That's new." She giggled.
Frank walked up to them with a smile. A noise came from the door. We turned to see Fay at the door. She stood there staring at us until she was almost hit by a loose brick.
"Fay," Emma reached her hand out. "Are you ok sweetie?"
"Don't you sweetie me!" She slapped her hand away. "This, this is all your fault." She accused me.
"Yes, because your mother predicted that magic was real and it would turn us into monsters." I started sarcastically.
"I'm the monster, all you are is a shade paler with golden eyed." She pointed at my spider. "With a hairy metal friend. Without it you can still go out in public."
"Look," Emma started, "I'm going to find the witch and make her turn us back. I promise."
"How, look her up online?" Fay sat down in frustration.
"The last thing she said was "Oculus Londra" we find that, we find her." Emma closed the front door.
"Ocula, what now?" Both Fay and I said.
"That's what I said."
"Oculus Londra means London Eye." Max explained. "That's a big Ferris wheel in London."
"So the witch wants to go on a Ferris wheel." Fay said in disbelief.
"I've read in school that the London Eye is built on an ancient magical site." Max thought back. "The witch must be going there to recharge her powers."
"So, we're going to London!" Fay squealed in delight.
Frank grabbed his family in a hug. "Holiday!"
