Emily looked at Samantha, who was still staring out the window, looking for her brother, and noting that her best friend had not heard her, she asked again, "What's this," and dropped the mask onto the window sill, finally getting the other girl's attention.
As Sam picked up the mask and commented, "I do not know," Emily ran her forefinger and thumb over the material that made up the paw-like hand and feet, thinking that it felt rather life-like.
"It feels so real," Samantha said, echoing Emily's thoughts.
Nodding, Emily wondered why Tad had put on the body suit and not the rest and not having an answer, she instead, "Do you think your brother would mind if I tried on the gloves or socks to his costume?"
As she set down the mask, Sam commented, "I do not know," and returning to looking out the window, she thought about climbing out and using the trellis attached to the porch to climb down as the sound of somebody coming up the stairs reached the two.
As Emily was thinking of trying on the costume paw-like hands, a voice suddenly asked, "Where's Tad? And what are you two doing in his room?"
Glancing in the direction of the speaker, Emily saw that it was Ted and before she could say anything, Samantha snapped out, "Don't know where Tad is. And the reason we are in his room is because we were looking for him," and then added, "Besides. What's it to you?"
"He didn't do his chores before disappearing upstairs and now dad is taking it out on me," Ted explained.
Huffing in mock indignation, Samantha dropped the mask into the Emily had taken it from and walking across Tad's room, she pushed past her older brother, telling him, "You're such a whiner," as she headed out into the hall and towards her room.
As Ted watched her leave and then followed, Emily looked down at the two objects she was holding and after a moment's thought, sat down on the floor and pulling off her socks, she slipped on the paw-like feet, noting that they fitted her really well and that they looked even more realistic on her feet. Standing, she almost lost her balance as her attempted to right herself and was for a moment surprised that her feet not only looked smaller, but looked the same way an animal's would.
Wiggling her toes, she saw the toes of the paw-like feet wiggle. Giggling out at how realistic they appeared, she began to walk about, liking how it felt to be balanced on digitigrade feet.
"Are you coming or what," Samantha's voice from down the hall called and responding, "In a minute," Emily sat back down on the floor and attempted to pull the paw-like feet off, nearly crying out in pain when she pulled on the fur.
"What are you doing," Sam called out and as Emily attempted to remove the piece of the costume she was wearing, she listened as her best friend came back down the hall.
Looking up from where she was sitting, Emily whimpered out, "I think there is a problem with Tad's costume." as Samantha stood in the doorway and stared down at her best friend, watching as Emily ran a hand over ankles, looking for the seam.
As Emily attempted to once again pull off the paw-like feet, this time by grasping the toes, Sam came into the room and looking at what was covering Emily's feet, she whispered out, "Stop fooling around," suddenly feeling scared for both her brother and for Emily, her mind flashing to what might happen if neither could remove what they were wearing and why Tad might have snuck out.
"I'm not fooling around," Emily hissed back. "These stupid things appear to be stuck," and giving up, she leaned back so that she was resting on her elbows.
Squatting down, Samantha began to search Emily's ankles and feet, commenting, "There is no way they can be stuck," as her best friend giggled out, "Stop it. That tickles," and suddenly growing serious, Emily sat up and looking at her best friend in the moon light, she asked, "What am I going to do if they won't come off? And I have to live like this for the rest of my life?"
"You're just being overdramatic," Samantha responded as she let go of her friend's foot and standing, she said, "Come on. Let's have a better look somewhere there is light."
Wishing that she hadn't tried on the paw-like feet, Emily struggled to a standing position, thought that that the tail on the costume would really help for balance and following Samantha out of the room, she wondered what people would say if they saw her feet.
----
Hours later, the two sat on Samantha's bed, staring at Emily's feet, each trying to come up with a rational explanation that would explain why the paw-like feet where stuck and how they were supposed to be removed. After a couple minutes, Emily ventured, "We could always try finding the costume shop that Tad had purchased the costume from," to which Sam shook her head and commented, "It's nearly nine o'clock at night. Even if we could find it, the shop would most likely be closed."
Standing, Emily began to pace and after a moment, she stated, "It would at least be a start."
Before Samantha could respond, Ted appeared in the doorway demanded to know if either knew if Tad had come back at all, to which Sam merely snarled out, "No! We don't know where Tad is and if he did come back, I doubt he would come and talk to either of us."
"God," Ted exclaimed. "Change your tampon and take a Midol," and turning away, he stormed off down the hallway.
Watching Samantha's older brother storm off, Emily commented, "What a Neanderthal," and resuming her pacing, she tried to come up with a solution as to how to get the costume off and what she was supposed to do if she couldn't, thinking that if all else failed, she might be able to find a pair of shoes in the attic from when she had been little, as her mother saved all of her and her sister's baby clothes.
"Can you please stop that?" Samantha asked from the bed. "It's making me feel anxious."
Muttering, "Sorry," Emily stopped and flopping down on the bed next to her friend, she stared up at the ceiling, absently tapping her foot lightly against the bed.
After a moment, she stood up again and glancing at Samantha, she stated, "I'm going to look for the shop. If I can find it, I know where to start and I'll either come back in the morning or I'll just wait," and without giving her friend a chance to respond, she turned about and headed across the room and out into the hallway.
From where she lay on the bed, Samantha thought Emily was being both rash and sensible at the same time and after a moment, she sat up calling, "Wait up," she followed her best friend out into the hallway.
As Emily grabbed her socks from Tad's room, she listened as Samantha called after her and returning to the hall, she wondered if she was going to freeze her feet off by not having shoes or socks on. A couple feet from her, Samantha called down the stairs, "I'm going over to Emily's," and glancing back at her friend, she said, "Now we have a cover story," as Emily decided that she would just have to take her shoes with her.
Fetching her shoes, she balled up the socks and stuffing them into the footwear, she tied the laces together and slung them over her shoulder. Heading downstairs, she met Samantha at the back door and collecting her coat, she pulled it on as Samantha asked, "Where should we begin?" to which Emily realised that she had no idea on how to find the costume shop, but figured that the best place to look was in the downtown area and voicing this opinion, she slipped out the back door, with Samantha following a couple steps after.