"Oh, I don't know," Sierra shook her head. "Halloween isn't really my thing."

"Sierra!" Veronica pouted. "Don't be a spoil-sport! It's just a party! You never come to parties!"

That was true. It wasn't that Sierra disliked parties, necessarily, but she always felt so awkward, and unsure of what to do. She could have drank, if she wanted, but that never felt like a good idea. She'd gotten her accidents under control, mostly, though it was hard to tell what would happen if she had alcohol in her system. And that went for her magic as well. She was good about not using it around Muggles normally, but when she was drunk, what if it slipped her mind, and she used a spell to get herself another beer from across the room or something?

"I don't know," she said again.

Veronica put her hands on her hips. "Do you not like me?" she asked. "I thought we were friends!"

As far as people in the office went, Veronica was definitely the one Sierra had the easiest time talking to. She was also the only one there younger than Sierra, which might have said more about her than Veronica. Veronica was the baby of her family, and it definitely showed, with her often acting even younger than her age, but, while the other people in the office found it annoying, Sierra didn't mind. It reminded her of her time babysitting, and it meant that, rather than worrying about her co-workers whispering to one another about how immature she was, they would whisper to her about how childish Veronica was.

"We are," Sierra assured her.

"Then come to my party!" Veronica stomped her foot. "It's gonna be fun, I promise!"

Sierra sighed, and, finally, shrugged. "All right," she caved. "I don't know how long I'll stay, but I'll drop by, at least, okay?"

"Yay!" Veronica grinned. "We're going to have so much fun!" Sierra forced a smile, nodding. "Oh, there is one more thing, though," the other girl added. "Costumes are mandatory."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You're kidding, right?" Sierra wrinkled her nose. "That's it?"

The worker rolled her eyes, taking a step closer. Instinctively, Sierra slid her hand into her purse, grasping her wand. She had some bad experiences with costume shops in the past, but this had been a last resort.

"In your size, yeah," the girl shrugged. "It doesn't look that bad, really."

It wasn't awful, true, though, at the same time, Sierra couldn't exactly say it was what she'd been looking for. "I don't really want to be a doll," she said, leaving the word 'again' silent. She'd done that a couple times now, in various forms, and none had ended well for her.

"Annabelle's creepy," the girl told her. "It's up to you, though. You can go see if you can find something else somewhere else if you want."

She could do that, but there was no guarantee the costume would still be there if she had to return here. There were other costumes around, too, in different sizes, and she could have used her magic to make them fit her, though none of them particularly appealed to her either. And maybe this would be the year where she broke the curse, where she was able to dress up as a doll and nothing bad would happen to her.

"Fine," she sighed. "I'll take it."

She looked a bit silly in it, she thought, with the white dress, the thigh high stockings, some Mary Janes on her feet, and her hair in pigtails, but there was no mistaking the fact that she was in a costume. She wasn't half-assing it, so Veronica had no reason to complain.

Veronica didn't live too far from her, so she decided to walk, after a long, internal debate about whether or not to leave her wand behind. She finally settled on doing that, in case she did get coerced into drinking, and did something stupid. At least leaving her wand her would minimize what she could end up doing to draw attention to herself.

It was starting to get dark out, so the trick or treaters were beginning to thin out somewhat. There were still plenty of kids in cute costumes around, however, and the jack-o-lanterns were beginning to glow softly as the shadows grew. Maybe, she thought as she approached Veronica's house, Halloween wasn't so bad after all.

She knocked on the door and waited patiently, preparing herself for Veronica to scoop her up in a hug and tell her how happy she was to see her, and how cute she was, and all of that. Instead, the person who answered the door was a guy dressed as a superhero, wearing a very tight costume that did very little to hide the rippling muscles underneath, which immediately threw Sierra off. "The candy's over there," he pointed to a nearly empty bowl with a sign saying, 'Take one, please.' "Happy Halloween."

Sierra knew she was at the right house, because she could see the party going on in the background, but, even so, she couldn't help feeling like she didn't belong anyway, with whoever this was instantly assuming she must be a trick or treater. She squirmed, trying not to stare at him, knowing that he was probably around her age, if not younger. "Umm... I-I was looking for Veronica?" she stammered.

"Oh, are you one of the kids she babysits?" he asked, Sierra's face turning bright red. "She's busy right now, but I can see if I can find her for you. I'm sure she'd love to see your little costume."

"N-No!" Sierra shook her head frantically. This whole thing had already gotten off on a bad foot, and the last thing she wanted to do was be led through the party by this guy, introduced to her co-worker as if she were a little kid. Obviously, Veronica would recognize her, but she'd also definitely tease Sierra about the misunderstanding the next day at the office, and probably the day after, and the day after, for who knew how long, and there went Sierra's feeling that she was more mature than at least one person she worked with. "N-No, you don't have to do that," she said, stepping over to the bowl and fishing out a piece of candy. "Thank you!"

"No problem," the guy shrugged, stepping back into the house.

Sierra glanced down at the piece of candy, and at her stupid costume, pouting and stomping her foot. She knew she shouldn't have worn this stupid thing! Maybe she could go back and throw something else together, and hope someone else answered the door, and the guy didn't recognize her if she ran into him. Really, though, all she wanted to do was go home and sulk under a blanket and drink some hot chocolate.

"Oh, no!" she heard an unfamiliar voice behind her. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Sierra spun around, cheeks warming up again when she saw a woman there, guiding around a small group of kids. "N-Nothing!" she exclaimed.

"Are you sure about that?" the woman asked. "Where's your candy, sweetie? Did some mean big kid take it?"

Sierra groaned quietly, wanting to sink into the ground. Did this costume really make her look that young?! "N-No," she shook her head. "I-I just..."

"Well, it's a good thing for you I have some spares," the woman winked. "Here you go!" She handed a hollow, plastic jack-o-lantern to Sierra. "Go on, take it! I know how mean big kids can be on Halloween, so I always bring a few extras, just in case. You're not out here by yourself, are you?"

Sierra reluctantly took the bucket, dropping her piece of candy into it. "N-No, ma'am," she lied. "My big sister is right over... there!" She looked around frantically until she spotted someone walking by themselves, in costume. They were heading the wrong direction, away from her own home, but they'd have to do. "I just got separated for a second! Thank you!"

She scurried away, glad that the woman didn't stop her, or question her further. The last thing Sierra wanted to do was get swept up in that group of children, like she was one of them! She caught up with the other girl she'd seen, walking beside her for a few paces, in case the woman was watching, then peeling off when the girl starting giving her a weird look, following the sidewalk away from her, and up to a house.

She hadn't planned on knocking on the door, or taking any candy, but the door opened before she was anywhere close to it, an older woman stepping out. "Aren't you adorable?" she smiled. "Come here, dear, come get your candy!"

Sierra opened her mouth to tell her that it wasn't necessary, but stopped herself. She was already here, already in a costume, already had a candy bucket, and not much in it. It wouldn't hurt to get a few more pieces, right? She padded up to the woman, grinning. "Trick or treat!"

This was one time where it wasn't so bad to be mistaken for someone younger she thought, practically skipping to the next house. Everyone was happy to give her candy, and, as it got later, and they assumed she'd be one of their last trick or treaters, they were willing to give her more and more, her bucket starting to grow heavier in her hands as she hauled it. She was going to have candy for weeks! Or days, anyway, depending on how good her impulse control was.

She was so swept up in it, she didn't pay attention to much else besides getting to the next house, until she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Well, look who it is," the woman from before said. "Did you lose your sister again?"

Sierra turned, blushing, holding the plastic pumpkin she'd gotten from this woman with two hands now, it was so heavy. "Sh-She had to head home," she fibbed. "But I'm old enough to finish up on my own."

"Are you now?" the woman raised an eyebrow. "I'm not so sure about that."

"I am!" Sierra pouted.

"That's funny, because all of the kids I was sitting for had to get home for bedtime already, and I'd say they were all more mature than you," the woman smirked. "I brought all kinds of extra supplies for them, just in case, but none of them needed any. Not like you."

Sierra squirmed, very much missing her wand as the woman moved closer and closer. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she shook her head.

"I'm sure you don't," the woman chuckled, reaching into her bag. "And that's the problem, sweetie. But look! It matches your pumpkin!"

Sierra gasped as the woman slid what was unmistakably a large, plastic diaper out of her bag, big and poofy, and orange, decorated like a pumpkin. "I-I don't need that!" she squealed, trying not to think about all the times that hadn't been the case.

"Are you sure?" the woman raised an eyebrow, and Sierra wiggled her bottom, noticing only then a dampness in her underwear. She must have been so caught up in her trick or treating that she hadn't felt it happen! It didn't seem like a big deal, but now that she'd felt it, there was no ignoring it. "That's what I thought," the woman told her. "I've done enough sitting to spot it from a mile away."

That was so humiliating! Had she really been able to tell, from a distance, without even having to check her, before Sierra, who was the one wearing the wet panties?! Sierra whimpered, taking a quivering step backwards, too slow to avoid the woman as she lunged forward, grabbing her by the wrist, dragging her to the next house.

"I'm so sorry," the woman told the couple who answered. "Could we borrow your bathroom for a minute?"

There was no mistaking what it was for, the pumpkin diaper still in her hands, the nearly full candy bucket in Sierra's making her look very much like a little kid, one clearly too small to be trusted out on her own, or without some protection. The woman pulled Sierra into the bathroom, taking her candy and setting it on the sink before spreading the diaper out on the closed toilet lid.

"Pl-Please, don't," Sierra shook her head. "I-I really don't need..."

Finally, the woman grabbed Sierra's skirt, lifting it up, shutting the girl up instantly. It really didn't look that bad, but it was more than enough to keep her quiet as the woman slid the undies down, cleaning her up, sitting her down on the waiting diaper. Sierra whimpered, wiggling her bottom, listening to the diaper crinkle around her, feeling so small and helpless as she was taped into the thing.

"Isn't that better?" the woman gave it a pat when she was finished.

"No!" Sierra pouted, but that didn't stop the woman from pulling her to her feet, helping her to wash her hands before she picked her pumpkin up and was guided outside.

"Say thank you," the woman ordered, Sierra obediently parroting her, taking her candy and adding it to her stash.

Sierra squirmed, toddling away from the house, the diaper suddenly taking the fun out of the experience, reminding her of all her past Halloweens, and how they'd gone. "I-I don't need a babysitter," she insisted.

"I'm sure you need one just as little as you needed that diaper," the woman gave the latter a swat through Sierra's dress. "Now, I want you to tell me the truth, sweetie. Did you run away from your big sister? Is she out here looking for you?"

The woman knelt down in front of Sierra to look her in the eye, letting go of her hand. Sierra fidgeted, seeing the ways this could go, none of which seemed good. Clearly, the woman had made her mind up about Sierra, and would probably assume she was lying if she told her that she was allowed to be out here by herself, much less the whole truth. Maybe she would try to take Sierra home, which would be awkward when they found nobody else there, or maybe she'd search for her 'sister' with her, which would be just as fruitless.

The easiest thing for Sierra, while the woman wasn't holding onto her, and was off her feet, was to turn and run. 'Easy' wasn't quite the right word for it, to be honest, with the bulky diaper between her legs, which were definitely shorter than the woman's, but that didn't stop her as she cut through the yard of the house, into the woods beyond, and kept going as fast as she could.

She did her best to go in a straight line, to make it easier to find her way back, but in the dark, it was hard to tell exactly where she was going, and in the quiet of night, her own footsteps, crunching in the leaves, was so loud that it was even harder for her to tell if she could hear another set of them behind her, if the woman was still chasing her. Finally, she was so tired that she had to stop to catch her breath, daring to glance behind herself, and seeing nobody there, hearing nothing else that sounded like a human.

She shivered, the pale moonlight doing very little to light up the area around her. There were plenty of other sounds, hoots and rustling, and what could have been breathing, though it was hard to say. She held her pumpkin a little tighter, searching the distance for the glow of lights to tell her which way she should go to get back to civilization, and finding nothing, no matter which way she turned, all that turning making it impossible for her to recall which direction she'd been facing to begin with.

The forest couldn't be that big, she thought. No matter which way she went, she'd find her way out eventually, and she'd feel better if she was making some progress towards that, rather than standing here and listening to the strange sounds of the woods. She picked a direction and started to toddle along, and, thankfully, her prediction turned out to be correct, the trees thinning out, leading her to a clearing, and what seemed to be a large pumpkin patch.

"This is nice," she told herself quietly. What better place to wind up on Halloween? Not to mention the fact that it was surely being taken care of by somebody, so a house, and the road, had to be not too far off.

"Wow," she observed as she picked her way across the patch, trying to avoid the vines as best she could. "These pumpkins are huge!" She giggled to herself, imagining having one of them to fill with candy instead of hers, then paused, recognizing how similar they looked to the plastic bucket she was carrying. Someone had taken the time, apparently, to carve faces into each and every one of them. Considering how big it was, she couldn't even imagine how long that must have taken!

As a cloud drifted over the moon, she saw that they were being lit, too, though by what, she couldn't tell. It didn't have the same orange glow that the ones she'd seen in town had, that came from candlelight. And, as she looked more, she realized that couldn't have been it, either, since, as far as she could tell, the tops hadn't been cut off of any of them. Whatever they were using gave the glow a strange, eerie, green color, which she couldn't say she was exactly a fan of.

"Whoa!" Despite her best efforts, she felt the toe of her Mary Janes catch on a vine, nearly making her take a tumble into the dirt. She caught herself, tried to straighten back up, only to find she couldn't. She frowned and glanced down at herself. "What the...?" she reached down to touch the vine that she now saw was wrapped around her leg, somehow.

And that was when it started, another vine whipping out of the ground, reaching up. Sierra flinched, expecting it to grab her, but, instead, she was almost pulled off her feet once more as she felt a violent tug on her candy bucket. "Hey!" she gasped, grabbing it with both hands again. "That's mine!"

The glow began to get stronger, casting a green light over the scene as she wrestled with the vines. She'd really been looking forward to that candy, and after all her work, going door to door, she deserved it! Besides, that was the best Halloween memory she'd had in a long time, at least until she'd run up against that woman again!

"Hey!" she squealed, feeling another vine wrap around her waist, pulling her further away from her bucket, making it all the harder to keep her grip. She was certain she could feel something huge shifting, moving behind her, as the jack-o-lanterns started to move. "Give it back!" she whined, feeling her dress bunching up as the vine wound around her waist, knowing that it was riding up, revealing the diaper underneath.

There were more and more vines popping out of the ground, wriggling towards her, the pumpkins moving, their carved smiles widening as they slithered closer. "I-I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, starting to realize what was going on, as the bucket finally slipped out of her grasp. "I-It's not one of you, I swear! B-But you can have it!"

That wasn't good enough, however. She yelped in surprise as she felt herself being lifted off her feet, turned around to face the biggest pumpkin she'd ever seen, far bigger than her, at least in its current form, split in the second, its jagged mouth open and seemingly waiting for her. "No!" she shook her head, realizing the vines around her waist were coming from that pumpkin, and that it was dragging her closer and closer to itself. "I-I'm sorry!"

She tried to pull the vine away, but more vines reached up, wrapping around her arms, holding them still, her feet kicking uselessly as she dangled in the air, the jack-o-lantern's mouth looming closer, ready to chomp down on her.

And then she felt that familiar sensation, the warm wetness that she knew all too well, that came when she had an accident in her diaper. Even with nobody here besides the pumpkins to see her, she still blushed, feeling the pee soak into the padding, making it swell, proving that she was just a baby to the end. She flinched, whimpering, shutting her eyes tight as the jack-o-lantern lifted her up, towards its gaping mouth...

And then stopped. It took a minute or two before Sierra dared to open her eyes, and when she did, she was puzzled by what she saw. Most of the smaller jack-o-lanterns had settled back into the dirt, the green glow gentler, more faint now. The bigger one was still holding her in the air, but it had closed its mouth, and was just staring at her, before, a moment later, it set her down on her soggy bottom.

What was going on?! She had no idea what time it was, but maybe it was past midnight, and Halloween was over? That was all she could think of, though it still didn't explain why the biggest pumpkin was still moving, why it hadn't just dropped her unceremoniously as the Halloween magic wore off. Nervously, she reached up, tugging her skirt back down, only to have a vine pop out of the ground, yanking her hands away, while another pulled her skirt side, ripping it slightly.

Finally, she saw it, her face turning bright red. The wetness indicators on this diaper, she realized, were in the shape of a face, turning it from a normal pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern. Her accident, it turned out, had saved her, as had the woman's insistence that Sierra had needed the thing in the first place.

She could see her candy not too far from her, some of it spilled out, though mostly still in the bucket, which had been set gently onto the ground. She wiggled her bottom, feeling the dirt beneath her, realizing the jack-o-lantern had done the same to her. Any time she attempted to hide her diaper, or take it off so she could creep out of the patch without it, another vine appeared to stop her. As long as she left it alone, and left her soggy diaper on display, she was fine.

She was still going to have to find her way back home in the morning, trying to keep her diaper hidden, despite the rips in the fabric of her dress from the vines, her own walk of shame, much different from the kind she expected some of the people at the party she was meant to be at were going to be doing. And it was still early enough that there was a very good chance that, by then, it was going to be more than just soggy. And that was assuming that this was a magic pumpkin patch, one that wasn't being attended to by any farmers after all, since, if that was the case, there was a good chance she was going to get quite the wake up call, and they were going to get quite the surprise, when they found her the next morning.

All in all, however, as strange as it was to think, this was still one of the better Halloweens she'd had in quite a while. And, other than the diaper that was keeping her stuck there, unable to leave until, hopefully, morning, this wasn't a bad place to spend it, surrounded by softly glowing jack-o-lanterns, ready to defend her, or at least that diaper of hers, and her candy, if anyone came to try to mess with her. She just had to hope that whatever magic had brought them to life was going to fade after Halloween night was over, so that her padded bottom wasn't going to have to become a permanent resident at the pumpkin patch.