Chapter 6: Things Change
Catherine skipped work only one day, and the studio managed to finish recording. It had taken so long because she insisted on no enhancements, and usually took four or five tries to find what she liked. This would be her first album. She managed to work it out with her managers to have a kickoff party when her album debuted. The original release date was August 15, but it kept getting pushed back. She refused the producer's final offer, Just because of the date the party would be stuck on. October 31st. She hated the holiday more than ever. Unfortunately, she agreed. Only because it was a now-or-never moment.
With much disdain, she arrived at the now, Halloween party, dressed in cool greyish-blue. The top half of her hair (except her bangs) was pulled into a small bun. Her outfit was something like a bird, for from her sleeves dangled matching feathers, looking like wings. She wore skin-tight shorts with a long train around the back. Her heels ended in claws and she wore orange gloves with scale patterns etched in. She told everyone she just threw some things together, but it actually meant a lot more, as it was supposed to be a siren, a master of song.
She had to perform at this party, the first single to be released. She took the stage, gazing out into the audience. The audience was an upper-class group, and some of Catherine's friends and co-workers. She began the slow melodies, captivating the audience. With each note the crowd grew more enchanted. And when she reached the climax...
"Haha... You better pay attention, 'cause this year, Halloween is MINE!" She had already stopped singing, but she wouldn't have been able to after what happened next. A green light flooded the room followed by a shock wave knocking everyone down to the floor.
When she opened her eyes, she shivered and bit her lip. Her hair was strewn about, half in the bun and half out. She lifted her hand and gazed at it in fear. Her hand was covered in orange scales that changed to feathers halfway to the elbow. Her arms were wings of blue-grey and her feet were covered in the same scales. They were bird-like with three toes (actually more like a dinosaur) and her legs and chest were covered in the soft feathers. Her ears were long and pointed with feathers sprouting from about the earlobe, just where some feathers had been beaded into her hair.
Looking out, the audience was in the same state. All had become what they wore. In the chaos, she could see one laughing in the back. Something of a burlap sack... She needed help, but she couldn't ask anyone, not as she was. Then, a name popped into her head. Jack. She grabbed a black tablecloth and cloaked herself, running out the door.
Brushing past terrified people in the streets, some in the same predicament and some still human, she made it out of the city to a forest. She slumped against a tree as the sun grew nearer to setting. Can I really ask Jack for help? I don't even know where to find him... But I can't just sit here. She got up and ran as fast as she could, knowing she was totally lost, the only thing she had on her mind was find Jack.
She soon came to a clearing, tripping on a stone, she found herself surrounded by doors representing various holidays. Then she saw the jack-o-lantern. He did say he was "The Pumpkin King"... She opened the door and was rushed inside.
Jack was excited, putting on a show for the residents. He was reciting Shakespeare's Hamlet. They were all pleased that he was himself again. Just as he began to do another scarecrow dance, The Mayor was pulled aside. The Harlequin Demon squealed with delight presenting a cloaked figure.
"I just found this one sneaking into town, I think it's a human."
"What?! What do you mean?" His face turned around, showing his mood.
Catherine was already startled by the demon, but the Mayor was worse. She glanced up and watched a flaming scarecrow twirl and dance about gracefully. As the two conversed, she watched it dive into a well of green liquid. As a skeleton rose from the water she unconsciously blurted out, "Jack?!"
Jack stopped and thanked the crowd once more before slipping away to the where the three were standing. She turned away, concealing her face even more. Finklestein had heard everything and wheeled over.
"I'll bet it's that girl! Boil her!" The witches looked excited.
"No!" As the residents squabbled over what to do with her, they knocked her over, revealing a flurry of blue-grey feathers. Jack stared at her as she looked away, too frightened to look. Everyone turned around and looked at her. Someone stated, "Looks like she's one of us now!" A few snickered in the back.
"What happened to you?" Jack looked sincerely concerned as she looked at him. She slowly stood up and began to speak.
"I don't know," her voice was shaking, fighting the tears. "I was at a Halloween party, singing, when this voice interrupts and says, 'this year Halloween is mine!' Next everybody is on the ground after this green light and everyone turned into what they had dressed up as..." She couldn't fight it anymore. She collapsed into Jack and sobbed. Despite a snarl from most of the town, he took her to his home and laid her down in a bed. She fell asleep, exhausted, and aching.
Jack returned and never spoke a word, only moving to the cauldron to see if it was true. The mortal world was in terror, and most were as she had said. Finklestein looked up at Jack, "It looks like we have a problem."