The gray-haired zookeeper shivered as the wind picked up, drowning out the noise of the various costumed townsfolk. He was beginning to regret choosing a costume with shorts, glancing over at the cozy costume shop still open on Halloween afternoon. The pink-haired ringmaster pulled out their phone, lamenting the lack of service in this quaint, hidden town. There was no way to call for a tow truck or new rental, doubting there was any such service available on Halloween.

“Well, I guess we may as well get some work started and figure out where we’re staying later. Hopefully this isn’t some tourist trap town that charges an arm and leg for a crappy bed and breakfast…” muttered Ami, pulling out a clipboard from the car.

Purple nodded, continuing to glance at the costume shop. “Hmm, do you think it’s too late to change my costume? This one is kinda cold…”

“Aww! But I picked this one out for you, besides, how else would your companion make any sense? Ollie the Orca!” Ami placed a small plush orca whale on Purple’s shoulder. Purple blushed, realizing that Ollie was now attached to his costume. “Relax, it’s just velcro, it won’t damage the outfit. Now, where to? You’re the one that picked up this story.”

“Hmmmm, well maybe we should interview one of the shopkeepers? Someone who looks older?” Purple tapped his fingers against the costume’s satchel.

Ami rolled their eyes. “You just want to check out the costume shop, c’mon. I’ll ask while you browse.” They pulled Purple behind them, waltzing into the warm, cozy store.

The two were immediately taken aback by how well-stocked the shop was with extravagant clothing. Nothing looked cheap either, almost as though everything were handmade. Purple almost ran over to another zookeeper outfit, which appeared as though it could be worn in a movie. “Unlike this cheap thing…”

Purple probably couldn’t wear this particular costume though, it appeared incredibly…form-fitting. Looking over at the various other outfits on display, he noted that each one had something…off about it. Almost everything was sized for an adult, but there were no children's costume in this fairly normal looking store. A shiny nun outfit with a hood covering the entire face…a bunnygirl outfit with several large carrots…a poodlegirl costume that came with a large collar and leash…What kind of costume shop was this?

Ami was organizing their clipboard, smiling at their partner lost amidst the wonder of the shop. While Purple had their attention elsewhere, Ami stole a glance at the ballerina outfit on display. The crisp white tutu had an open-front, allowing one to see the hot-pink and gold bodice and leotard. It seemed a tight fit, but the white tights and silk ballet flats were so enticing…they were almost lost in thinking about what it’d be like wearing such a feminine and revealing outfit.

“There’s still time to change your costume for another one of Luka’s creations before midnight darling…” A young voice shocked Ami, causing them to yelp and drop the clipboard. The young woman was amused watching Ami pick up their things while Purple snickered in the background. Looking up, Ami noticed them wearing a doll-like outfit, with a puffy blue-and-white dress. She had on a gorgeous bonnet, lacey cuffs, and white Mary Janes. What struck Ami the most were the incredible details on her arms and legs. They looked like real doll joints!

“Uhh, umm, so does ummm- Luka own the shop?” Ami was blushing, wondering how long they’d been caught “admiring” the ballerina ensemble. The woman furrowed her brow and frowned.

“Umm, of course, he owns everyth- Wait, those costumes don’t look familiar…” The woman slowly, almost painfully, stepped forward to take a better look at Ami. Purple caught their eye and shrugged, wondering what the shopkeeper’s deal was.

“Poltergeist Hallowe- Hey! You know the rules, only costumes created by Luka are allowed around here or else you’ll get us in trou-” The woman was cut off by the sound of bells off in the distance. Purple took this opportunity to grab Ami’s hand and guide them out the shop, as this person seemed displeased with the two. Ami turned around as they exited, seeing the woman attempt to follow them with difficulty, owing to their doll joints.

“She was really going all out with that costume, did you see how hard it was to move in that thing? Maybe the employees have to show off how nice everything is in there…” Ami wondered aloud.

“Maybe! Think it was more for other stuff…” Purple was still thinking about the various costumes and their adult accessories. “Maybe it’s a kink?”

“Huh? Oh like the costume got stuck?” asked Ami.

“Uhh, never mind…let’s keep asking around. Oooh, do you think this Luka person is related to the witch I found out about?”

Ami rolled their eyes. “Yeah, a diapered witch runs this town. C’mon, there’s a coffee stand and I need caffeine!”

Walking toward the stand, Purple felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. Looking over his shoulder, he saw nothing but more Halloween decorations. Pumpkins, scarecrows, hay bales, and different creatures hanging from a massive tree. Squinting up at the tree, he could make out ghosts, witches, and skeletons swinging in the breeze. Chalking up the feeling to the breeze, he turned back around to catch up with Ami.

When he turned back around, Purple failed to see one of the witch figures move its head and begin to float away…cackling. The wind carried fallen leaves up until the town border, where they softly hit an invisible wall. The two didn’t realize it, but they were trapped inside.