by Uncle Ben
10/31/2008
Erin looks at the clock again for the tenth time. Each time she is filled with hope and dread. Still 6:32. It’s not even dark yet.
“Waiting for something?” Erin jumps at the voice behind her. It’s the voice of the one she was hoping would come.
“Erica! I was wondering if you’d come back again this year. Well, I was hoping you would come.”
“Hoping?” Erica raises an eyebrow.
“Yeah, well, since it’s Halloween and you did a nice thing for me the last time …”
“… you were hoping I’d do it again,” Erica finishes.
“And if it’s not too much to ask, can my friends join me?”
Erica smiles, “Very well, I’m feeling generous. I’ll let you all go trick or treating. Bring them here and I’ll change you all at once.”
Erin gets on her cell phone, “Cliff, I have a surprise for you. Come on over and bring your favorite costume.”
“Ok. Costume party?”
“It’s a surprise.” She hangs up and calls Carla, “Carla, I have a surprise for you. Come over and bring your favorite costume.”
“I can’t. I have to take Hazel out tonight.”
Erin looks to Erica who nods back at her, “Bring her with you then. We’re going to have a blast!”
“Ok, see you in a bit.”
Erin hangs up and calls Melissa, “Melissa, I have a surprise for you. Come over and bring your favorite costume.”
“Sorry, Erin. I can’t. I’m stuck at home passing out candy. Mom and Dad insist.” Erin tries to think of a way to get her to join them, but can’t think of any. “You guys will tell me about it tomorrow, right?”
“Right.” Erin closes the phone. It immediately rings again. She looks at the number and answers the phone, “Hello?”
“Erin? Great! We have an emergency tonight. Can you take Maria and Michelle trick or treating tonight?”
“Uh,” Erin feels a touch on her shoulder. She looks and Erica nods. “Sure.”
“Splendid! We’ll be over in a few minutes. Thank you so much, Erin. You’re a life saver.”
Soon the whole group is assembled in the foyer of Erin’s house. “Ok, Erin, what’s the surprise,” Cliff asks.
“I am.” Cliff and Carla’s eyes go wide in surprise.
“Erica,” Carla snarls.
“What’s she doing here,” Cliff growls.
“Yay! Fun lady,” Michelle cheers.
“What are we going to be tonight,” Hazel asks.
“Trick or treaters. And you’ll be about 10 years old.”
“Really,” Carla asks suspicious.
Erin defends the witch, “Really! She did it for me last year too. This is the only night of the year that she is nice and doesn’t do mean things.” Two unconvinced faces look back at her. “Fine, I’ll go first.”
Erin feels Erica’s hands on her shoulders. It’s then that she notices the white gi in Cliff’s arms. I forgot to tell Erica what I wanted to be! She feels her body adjust and shrink. She looks up during the change at her friend’s surprised faces. Her clothes shift and adjust and she finds that she looks Hazel and Maria at eye level.
She heads to the mirror and sees her brown hair has changed to long blond braided pig tails, her clothes have been changed to a green leotard, and she is wearing a red beret. “I’m Cammy!” Cliff, now at her size, joins her in the mirror as Ryu. Finally Carla joins them in her new Chun Li outfit.
“If she leaves us like this,” Carla threatens her reflection, “I’m gonna attack her with a hundred punches.”
Erin smiles, “That would be E. Honda.”
“Yours would be the hundred kicks,” Cliff adds. They laugh and return to the foyer with all the rest now in their princess costumes.
“Now,” Erica addresses the group, “I’m sure you all know what to do. I’ll change you all back when you get back here. Don’t worry about anything here.” An older Cliff, Carla, and Erin all step out of Erica. They head over to the table and pull out a board game. “We’ll be busy playing a game and passing out candy.” A copy of Hazel, Maria, and Michelle join the game. “Now go have fun and get that candy.”
The group of six exits the house and start collecting candy. As the buckets fill with candy, the night gets later and they get farther from home. They continue as the sky gets dark and porch lights start going out. “We should probably go back now,” Erin comments aloud.
Maria pleads, “No, Erin, a couple of more houses, please?”
“
retty please?” Michelle gives her best puppy dog eyes.Erin looks to the rest who seem to be enjoying themselves, “Fine, a couple more houses, but we head back after the next block.”
“Okay,” everyone agrees. They finish the block and turn the corner. Only one porch light is on in the middle of the block. The pack shuffles their tired bodies to their last house.
A friendly old lady answers the door, “Ah dearies, you look tired and cold. I’ll go get some hot cocoa and the rest of my candy. Come on in.” The old woman totters off.
The group looks at each other. “Well, Erica is at home,” states Erin.
“This isn’t Claire,” Carla agrees.
Cliff nods, “Or Tina.”
“I want cocoa,” shivers Maria.
“Candy please?” Michelle tries the puppy dog eyes again.
Hazel adds in, “Yeah, let’s go in.”
“Fine, but then we go home.” The tired group finds places on the couch and chairs in the living room.
The elderly lady returns with a platter of mugs and passes them out to each. “And you can split the candy amongst yourselves as you drink your cocoa.”
The candy is divided. As the warm chocolate flows down her throat, it drains the last of their energy. Erin’s eyes grow heavy. She sees the rest of the group asleep on the various pieces of furniture and then she nods off.
(Optional Scene)
The elderly lady looks on the sleeping forms all over her living room. Her gray hair slowly darkens and straightens. The wrinkles smooth. The sagging becomes firm. Erica smiles as she watches them. The front door opens. “Welcome Apprentice, you are just in time,” Erica says without turning around, “Make sure they don’t wake up early.”
Melissa begins muttering and waving her hands casting a deep sleep spell on each. The clock hands advance and soon the sky begins to lighten.
“Now, let’s get them ready.”
(/Optional Scene)
Erin snaps awake. Aaaaa! I fell asleep! “I’m sorry we fell asleep …” She stops speaking as she finds that she isn’t in the house or on the sofa anymore. In fact, she is leaning against a wall in a small building. Near her are the rest of the group still sleeping. They start stirring.
“Uhhh, what,” Cliff groans.
Carla rolls her sister’s body off of her as she struggles to get up, “Where are we?”
“I don’t know,” Erin replies.
“Ah! You are all waking up.” Everyone looks to in the direction of Erica’s voice. Her head is sticking through a square hole that seems to be the only exit from this place. “C’mon girls, I need to speak to the older ones.” Erica ducks out as the sleepy forms of Hazel, Maria, and Michelle crawl out of the hole that is barely large enough for them.
“Do we get to miss more school,” asks one of them.
“Of course.” Squeals of joy are heard inside the small building that holds the other three. Cliff tries to exit, but backs up quickly as Erica reasserts her head. “Now, let’s talk turkey,” Erica says as she smiles. “There is only one way out of this building and it’s through me.”
Erin looks confused, “But, what about being nice on Halloween?”
“Today is not Halloween. In fact, some would call this All Saints Day or November first.”
She pauses a moment to let that sink in. “And speaking of holidays, I’ve been meaning to get ready for the next one. Let’s see that would be Thanksgiving. So, I’m going to give you all a sporting chance. The turkey who weighs the least by the holiday will be joining me for dinner.”
Cliff, Carla, and Erin back away from her to the opposite side of the room. “You have a choice. Let me change you now so you can race with the others or wait until later and be the lightest bird.”
Erin looks around one last time for any other possible escape and then steps forward. Cliff pushes her back lightly, “I’ll go first to give you ladies some privacy.” Erin and Carla turn their backs and when they hear scratching turn back. There they see an odd looking turkey with brown and blue feathers on the top of its head that resembles his hair and bandana. He looks back and clucks at them. Receiving no response he heads toward the opening. Erica backs out allowing him to leave and then stick her head back in.
Erin looks to Carla and they both step forward. At once Erin feels the electric touch. She feels her toes joining and separating into claws. Her knees pop and reverse directions as her leg flesh loosens and hangs. The tingling continues its way up adjusting her legs. Her legs slide up toward the sides of her stomach. Then they rotate causing her to lean forward to keep her balance. Her pants drop from her diminishing size which is fortunate since feathers start growing from her tail end.
She looks under herself as she watches the feathers rush forward. Her body adjusts and shapes itself into a more streamlined shape. She reaches and checks her belly. The itch followed by the feathers races down her arms. She raises her arms to watch, but already her elbows are turned backward. She swings her arms under and watches as her fingers become one and her hand shrinks to a point. And then she has wings.
As she begins to look up, she stops as she recognizes the pattern of her breast feathers. It’s her Thundercats shirt. How did that happen? She barely has a moment to think about it as her neck straightens and lengthens. She feels the feathers flow up her neck, over her head, and around her face.
But the feathers don’t cover her face. All sensation stops, but then resume on her nose and mouth. And then her beak is formed. And Erin can tell she is done.
She looks over at Carla. Carla looks like a female turkey and yet also her foxy self. “You ok, Carla?”
“I’d be better if SHE weren’t here.” They look to the one who did this to them.
“Sorry. I don’t understand you. I’m done talking turkey.” Erica pulls her head out. The two new turkeys head out to the yard. There they find Cliff and the three girls. Erica exits the cage that traps them in. “Ok, ladies,” Erica says in parting, “Gobble up! You don’t want to join me for dinner.” She smiles as the 3 older hens rush for the food.
(Optional ending)
When she is out of sight, a bunny girl slides up next to her, “So, do you think we should tell them that traditionally we only eat male turkeys for Thanksgiving?”
“Nah.” She turns to her apprentice, “Are you ready to multitask?” Three shadow figures join Erica becoming Erin, Maria, and Michelle.
“Of course,” Melissa says as she is joined by Carla, Hazel, and Cliff. The two with their clones head off leaving the turkeys behind.
(/optional ending)