A Halloween Chorus

      The young witch shrugged out of her work apron and into her casual, day-to-day rune-embroidered spiky-shouldered robes. Glancing furtively left and right to make sure she was not being followed, she skulked down dark, damp alleyways, slunk around tight bends, corners and narrow staircases, to emerge on the brightly lit Neopian Bazaar, by the jolly front of the Gift Shop.

      She had to push past exiting customers laden with shopping bags, and brushed glitter off her cloak. The inside was crowded as always. Swarmed by customers at the till, Nikki could only spare her a little wave.

      The Darigan Vandagyre headed towards the Halloween-themed aisle, making the buckles on her heavy boots clink with every step. She scowled down at the overexcited children chasing each other across the shop, and they shrank out of her way.

      She reached the Halloween aisle and was greeted by a profusion of pastel baskets, ribbons, gardening tools and floral garlands. Madeline paced up and down each aisle of the shop, her eyes narrowing as they flitted between pinks, yellows, reds and greens.

      "Nikki!" she called at the front counter, "where have you moved the skull display?"

      The purple Usul paused, their face nearly hidden behind the towering pile of gift wrapping paper rolls they were carrying back to their desk. "I think we're all out, Mads, until next fall at least."

      She clicked her beak. "You'd better get some back in stock much sooner, for all the Neopians in need of spooks and scares!"

      Nikki shrugged. "It's not like there are many of those, you know. Supply, demand. We have to follow the calendar, too."

      Madeline's feathers puffed and she gestured a wing towards a glittery, frosty display piled with enough Advent calendars for the next five years. "You keep this jolly nonsense all year round! Halloween things don't even stay a whole month!"

      Her friend had already gone back to meet with their red Scorchio manager, mouthing "Sorry!" as they left. Madeline was left to glare at the wide display of greeting cards for all occasions. Happy this and merry that and congratulations on your thing. See you in the same card in another 365 days. The calendar said to!

      "I shall celebrate what I want, when I want to," Madeline continued to mutter under her breath, bringing home the results of her shopping trip. She had resorted to thrift shopping and was suspicious as to the quality of her purchases - precision was crucial to her craft -, but she was preparing a completely different spell now, and it just might work.

      Sparing no time to eat, she began tracing patterns and inscriptions on her living room floor, lighting candles, placing reagents and chanting. The usual deep, shadowy mist crackling with energy and eldritch whispers spread through her home, now a comforting, familiar sight. In the centre of her spell circle, a silhouette began to form, growing quickly, soon towering above her.

      Madeline had to shield her eyes from the dark intensity and shifting geometry of this form. It kept changing shapes. When it seemed to slow down, she chanced a peek, and as her eyes focused on it, the figure settled on the form of a large, lanky Halloween Uni. Madeline's summon let out a booming, ear-splitting whinny.

      "I am the spirit of Halloweens past. All of your fears from past years rise again and ride with me." It lowered its head, aiming its fiery gaze at Madeline. "Trick, or treat?"

      "Trick, always," said the young witch, grinning.

      The spirit's laugh echoed like a tomb slamming shut. A dreadful, bone-chilling wind swept through Madeline's house, and it was gone.

      The witch clapped her hands and made to clean up the portal circle after her summon. She quickly drew back her hand, however, when burning hoofprints appeared on the sigils, with another echo of the spirit's laugh. Her circle remained active, and more shadows stirred within. Madeline shrugged. Today was already Halloween again, thanks to her. The more ghosts joined in, the better. She left them to crawl out. She needed to dress for the occasion.

      In her most sinister gothic attire, Madeline stepped out, cauldron and ominous staff at the ready. What she found was everything but Halloween.

      She dodged streamers left and right. A Poogle dived to her feet and she narrowly dodged them. They had begun to wrestle with three other Neopians over something in the snow. A Negg.

      Chocolate-attired dancers attempted to waltz their way through a parade of Tyrannian allies. Right next to her, a passing Grarrl cleared their throat, smiling expectantly, soon imitated by a Ruki and a Xweetok.

      "You need something?" Madeline managed to ask, before they were all pelted with bananas and a "Happy Mynci Day!"

      "It's Lupe Day, where's my free training?" yelled someone running down the sidewalk.

      "It's Ogrin Day! Free training is for me!" yelled another, chasing after them.

      "It be Eyrie Day and I'll be trainin' meself!" squawked Captain Threelegs angrily from the front of the chase.

      "I was hoping everyone would be a little bit more sensitive about this," sighed one of a group of Grey pets, preparing a crying circle.

      But Madeline's trained eyes looked up, and noticed all the ghosts floating above these Neopians.

      "I am the spirit of Gnorbu Shearing Day past," said one, staring right back at her. Under the ghost, a Gnorbu was screaming at any passer-by to please shear them already.

      Spirits of Usuki Conventions, spirits of Slorg Days, they had all gathered, and Neopia Central was coated in them like fog. Madeline gulped and turned back towards her house.

      She did not make it far before running into the cake bearers.

      "Happy birthday to you!"

      "Happy birthday to you too! And you! And you!"

      And on they went.

      They managed to grab Madeline's hands, surrounding her with their huge grins. She braced herself for what she knew was coming. It was no less terrible: the birthday song.

      Behind her tightly shut eyelids, she saw the smiles of the guests and their expecting faces, awaiting her well-rehearsed reaction and well-scripted thanks. She saw the piles of greeting cards and empty thank-you cards waiting to be filled. She saw the flaming eyes of the spirit she had summoned, heard its echoing laugh, and the ghostly hooves pacing by her. "Good trick, isn't it," it neighed in passing.

      Madeline ran home and slammed the door behind her.

      The summoning circle had finally gone quiet, only a few carolling ghost Meepits were sauntering about. The Vandagyre quickly got to work on changing her inscriptions and began to chant again, curled up under her cloak. She only wanted it to be Halloween again.

      With what looked like great effort, a new shape arose out of the circle. Madeline repeated the incantation once, twice, in encouragement, watching it swell ever so slowly. It took on an orange colour and stopped moving altogether. A pumpkin?

      Madeline gingerly reached forward and prodded it.

      The pumpkin opened bleary eyes, a broad toothy mouth, and yawned. When it stretched two feet, Madeline realised it had taken the form of a Halloween Jubjub.

      "Hi! I'm the spirit of Halloween present," said the little round thing in a bright, chipper tone, with a soft smile.

      "Boo," said Madeline, and the Jubjub jumped. "Aren't you supposed to be scaring me?"

      "Oh, me, scare? I couldn't do that, could I? It is Halloween all the time, you know. It's not really scary anymore."

      Madeline shook her head. "Don't say that! That's actually terrifying."

      "I'm sorry?" said the spirit, its wide eyes trembling.

      "Worse!" Madeline picked it up. It was like holding a large soap bubble in her arms, hoping it would not pop. "Here. At least, since you are a Halloween, you can help me with the next one."

      The Jubjub watched awkwardly as she repeated her summoning spell, apologising now and then.

      For the third time, shadows swirled around Madeline's house. All was still. A figure appeared in the blink of an eye.

      "I am the ghost of Halloweens yet to come," said the hazy figure.

      "Ghost? I was summoning a spirit," said Madeline, squinting.

      It took a shape closer to a ghost Eyrie, fanning out feathered wings. "I am a ghost, for there is no longer another Halloween to come."

      Madeline clenched her beak. She knew she had messed up. "Show me what else might come."

      The ghost flapped its wings, opening a swirl of wind. Sheltering the Jubjub spirit in her arms, Madeline was yanked through.

      They floated over Neopia Central, watching the spirits of past holidays wreak more of their chaos. They floated over the Haunted Woods, watching trees wilt, monsters wither, and normality spread. Time sped ahead, days were lost and confused, celebrations came and went without meaning. Madeline caught the Eyrie's blank stare. The sinking feeling in her stomach had already told her what she needed to know. Celebrations were meaningless if they were not shared, and she could never force anyone to partake in her own, just like they had never been able to force her into holidays she did not really enjoy.

      They flew back down to her house. Madeline froze when the door was opened by an ordinary blue Vandagyre in a business suit. Her future self walked past briskly, briefcase in hand, reading over papers for work.

      Another gust of wind pushed Madeline back to her starting point. The ghost Eyrie seized her by the throat, its eyes pulsing with blood-red light.

      "Give me back what I should have become," it rasped, "or lose yourself as well."

      It dissipated, leaving her to blink in frosty wisps of smoke.

      She wiped her eyes. The little Jubjub spirit reached up to pat her, as best it could.

      "It's time to figure out how to cast out all these holiday spirits," she said.

      "The best way to communicate with them is through their own greeting cards!" piped up the little Jubjub, pleased to help.

      Madeline grimaced. "I know."

      She did not hesitate to cast a shield spell before fighting her way back to the Gift Shop through the chaos.

      Nikki was swarmed with holiday spirits, bouncing helplessly between ghosts as they switched from one seasonal greeting to the other mid-sentence.

      "And what'll it be for you, Mads?" they asked when she reached the counter.

      "I would like to celebrate today," she said.

      She watched them pile one of every kind of greeting card in a basket for her, and promised to make it up to her friend the very next day. And on their birthday, and on Usul Day, and on none of those days.

      Madeline lined up all the cards around her summoning circle.

      "This spell will be very big," said the Jubjub spirit, hopping down from her shoulder. "I'll lend you all the rest of my power for this."

      Madeline's ear-tufts drooped. It was such a tiny spirit. "You... you will come back in five months, won't you?"

      The Jubjub smiled. "Not me! Well, not like this. I had a nice day, though. It was a surprise, I really wasn't expecting to be summoned today. Thank you for inviting me!"

      She nodded, and began to chant again. She cast her spell tirelessly until all of the spirits had been drained back into the circle, like a very cold bath being drained.

      It was nearly midnight. Madeline got ready to sleep. She did not check her calendar for what would come on the next day. Everything could wait.