Halloween Party

It was 10 p.m. on October 31. Halloween, Samhain. The day the veil between worlds becomes the thinnest.

Many of you may not subscribe to the theory of multiple worlds, though after the Event, I’m not sure how you can remain skeptical. However, I know for a fact that it is true, because I know a lady who can open a gateway with a wave of her hand, and she has taken me and my friends to another universe.

But that is a story for a different day. 

I struggled to get the sword of my pirate costume hanging so I wouldn’t trip over it when I walked. I knew I was already late for the party at the cafe, and if I didn’t make an appearance soon, Kate would be furious with me. 

Neither of us was particularly enthusiastic about the party. I’m a morning person and am usually tucked into bed by 11 p.m. Kate could only think about all the work it took to decorate the cafe and how equally hard it would be to clean up afterwards.

Kate may own the cafe, but in some ways, it runs more like a democracy. All the girls were excited about the prospect of dressing up, and she ultimately gave in to them with one condition. Kate declared that dressing up as a maid every day was enough for her and that she would wear her work outfit as her costume for the party. This generated pouts and muttering of ‘spoilsport’, but she held firm.

I should note that I usually patronize the cafe during daylight hours, so I don’t get to see the night shift staff that often. I’ve been with Kate for quite a few months, though, and we’ve had opportunities to socialize with them outside of working hours. Although I said I was not enthusiastic about the party, I looked forward to seeing Lily, Luna, Aqua and Caroline.

—---------------------------------------------------

As I approached the cafe, I heard the party was in full swing. Loud music and voices filled the night air before I even opened the door. Stepping inside, I was astonished at the quality of the decorating. The walls seemed to belong to a gothic castle, no doubt the work of some illusion magic compliments of Serass. The lighting was provided by jack-o-lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Spider webs decorated the corners. I was sure we had Beth to thank for that touch. 

Speaking of Beth, she was hanging from the ceiling by a strand of webbing. Her abdomen was decorated with a grinning skull motif. I caught her eye and made a large Z in the air. Beth grinned as broadly as the skull decoration, pleased I had caught the Zelda reference. She had a slightly glazed look in her eyes, likely explained by the empty, extra-large coffee mug lying on the floor below her. Caffeine is to Arachnes what alcohol is to humans, and I knew that when Beth felt like getting tipsy, her go-to was a colossal draft of light roast.

Luna was suspended from the ceiling on the opposite side of the room. Being a vampire bat, she needed no further embellishment to fit the evening’s theme. Her glowing red eyes scanned the room. The last time I gazed into those eyes, she compelled me to ask Kate out. Not that I'm complaining, that had worked out wonderfully. Still, I avoided eye contact with her on principle. 

Lily scuttled by, dressed in gold bangles and a veil. Her lovely green hair flowed freely, and only the sheerest fabric kept her breasts PG-rated. I mentioned that I loved her costume but wasn’t sure of the theme.

“I’m the Scorpion Queen, darling,” she breathed seductively, “Want to join my harem?”

That would have been a hard offer to refuse if I were a free man, but we both knew I was already spoken for. Besides, I’m pretty sure men aren’t really Lily’s type.

Next to greet me was Leira. She is the youngest employee at the cafe, and we are close, I think of her as a little sister. I noted her bandages and queried why she had chosen a mummy costume, observing that it didn’t seem the most obvious choice for a lamia.

Leira blushed and giggled. She wrapped me in her coils and, with her mouth next to my ear, whispered, “Don’t tell anyone, but Sam and I are having a baby. I’m going to be a Mommy, so …”

I beamed with pleasure at the news. I would have given her a big hug, but with my arms pinned to my side by her embrace, I could only whisper back, “Congratulations. I’m so happy for both of you.”

Leira released me and moved on to greet other guests. I took note of the remaining girls' costumes: Caroline as a nurse (a person would probably need intensive care after Caroline’s ministrations), Aqua was wearing a skeleton inside her gelatinous body, and I secretly hoped it was a fake and not that she had absorbed some poor soul to create her outfit. I was afraid to ask. Yoko was flopping across the floor dressed as a zombie fish, her skin a greenish-blue and open gashes on her cheeks.

I couldn’t figure out what Hina’s costume was meant to be. I was later informed she was a government spy drone because, as we all know, ‘Birds aren't real’. 

I could not see Kate anywhere, so I assumed she was dealing with some matter in the kitchen. I was a little miffed that I'd made the effort to show up, and she wasn't there to acknowledge my dedication.  I am such a self-sacrificing boyfriend. 

Finally, there was Serass. She was dressed in an anime “magical girl” style, like a character from Sailor Moon. I asked her if she had seen Kate recently. For some reason, this elicited a howl of laughter from her and a cryptic comment, “No party poopers allowed tonight.”

I wanted to ask her what she meant, but she wandered off before I could gather my thoughts. I knew she had been one of the most vocal opponents of Kate’s non-costume plan, so I hoped she hadn’t done anything drastic. Serass' powers are beyond my comprehension, and she can be somewhat capricious. 

I grabbed a drink and, spotting Sam at a booth, joined him. I congratulated him on the good news. He said they hadn’t wanted to tell anyone yet, but Leira insisted I was family, so he agreed. Looking around the room, I saw many of the daytime regulars and quite a few faces I didn’t recognize—nighttime patrons, I presumed. Across the room, I noticed Henry and Tasha, a couple of wolf-folk who frequented the cafe. Henry was dressed in Egyptian garb, and Tasha wore a nightgown and a bonnet. My curiosity was piqued. I had to go over and ask them what the costumes represented. Henry replied he was Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead (yes, I know Anubis was a jackal-headed god, but allow him some artistic license). Tasha was the big, bad wolf dressed as Little Red Riding Hood's granny. I found the idea hilarious because though she may look fierce, she’s one of the gentlest souls you’ll ever meet.

I was still wondering what had happened to Kate when there was a commotion around the kitchen door. I couldn’t see through the crowd but heard surprised gasps followed by cheers and applause. The crowd parted, and there was Kate, with an eerie green flame shooting from her headless neck, carrying her severed head on a serving tray, eyes staring blankly into space. I was gobsmacked at the effectiveness of the illusion. Then the eyes focused on me, and the head smiled and said, “Malcolm, honey, come give me a kiss!” I nearly fainted!

I rushed over in a panic when I realized it was no illusion; Kate had been turned into a Dullahan.

Seeing me go pale and woozy caused her a moment of concern, and then she laughed heartily.

“It’s OK, Honey. I’m fine,” she assured me, “Serass insisted that it just wouldn’t do for the cafe owner not to be in costume. When I stood firm, she took matters into her own hands. There’s no denying the will of our resident goddess. I have to admire her creativity.”

I gave Serass an angry glare. She returned it with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Are you sure you're OK?” I asked Kate, “Does it hurt?”

“Not at all,” she replied, “It’s kind of fun. I’ve never been able to see myself from so many angles before. In fact, I will ask her not to turn me back until tomorrow morning. I’ve got some kinky ideas of what we can do in the bedroom with me in this form.”

I’m sure I blushed. The night’s magic was clearly just beginning…