To her surprise, Emily found that her feet were not cold and figuring that it had something to do with the fur covering them, she commented on this fact, to which Samantha merely nodded in response as she closed the back door. Zipping up the front of her jacket, Emily waited until her best friend had also finished doing the same and then asked, "So where shall be begin our search?"
Shrugging, Sam replied, "I don't know. I thought you knew."
"Well," Emily said as they began to walk. "I figured to try the downtown area, as it is the area with most shops. I just was wondering if maybe you had an idea as to where in the downtown area we should begin. After all. Shadow Falls doesn't exactly have a novelty costume shop that is listed in the phone book."
As she nodded in response to this, Samantha wondered where it was her brother had bought the costume and if maybe the shop was one that only opened once a year. Telling her best friend what she thought, she added, "And if it did open only once a year, it would probably be in one of the many vacant buildings in the downtown area. To which, there are a lot, because Shadow Falls has fallen onto hard times because of America's financial crisis, or so my dad tells be every time I ask for something."
"Well I hope we don't get caught after curfew by Officer Lebowitski," Emily muttered as she thought about where in the downtown area they would find the costume shop and as her friend nodded in response, she said, "I think we should avoid the mall. It's not likely in there."
"I don't think so either," Samantha said and looking down at Emily's feet, she asked, "Are you sure you are not cold?"
Smiling, Emily shook her head and told her best friend, "Not cold. The only problem I am having is with my balance. I think I can understand why and animal goes about on feet like this and has a tail. But what is really weird is that I know that my feet are digitigrade, a word I have never heard of until after I put on the paw-like feet."
As she shook her head, Samantha replied, "That's just weird," and as they turned a corner, she asked, "Anything else you'd care to bring up that might strike you as odd?"
Emily thought for a moment and after a bit, she shook her head and answered, "No. The only other thing is the odd sensation that something is calling out to me. But it such a tiny feeling, I can easily ignore it and know that it really isn't important."
Unsure how she should take this, Samantha lapsed into silence and as they continued on without saying anything more, she wondered what it might be that was calling out to Emily and for a second she thought it might be the costume shop, but then dismissed the thought as silly, figuring a building could not possibly call out to a person. "Even if the contents within can alter a person," she thought as she also wondered what had happened to Tad and where he might be at the moment.
As she looked about, she suddenly realised that Emily was not with her and glancing back, she saw that the other girl was no longer walking, but was instead looking up at a street sign. Turning about, she headed back to where her best friend was standing and asked, "What is it?" when she was within a couple feet.
Pointing up at the sign, Emily said, "I don't think we are in Shadow Falls any longer. Unless you know where the Street Nighdon intersects with Lathshex Avenue."
"What?" Samantha asked, sure that the other girl was misreading the sign and moving closer, she peered up at the sign and squinting under the moon light, she read that they were indeed standing at the corner of Nighdon and Lathshex, which she knew was no it in Shadow Falls.
Glancing about, Samantha hugged herself and commented, "I think we should turn back," thoughts about getting lost drifting coming to mind and what might happen if they couldn't find their way back.
As Emily shook her head, she explained, "I don't know about you. But I did not come all this way just to turn back. If you want to go home, you can. But I am going to find the shop and find out how to undo this," and taking one final glance at the street sign, she started walking again, sure that they were on the right track.
Taking one last look up at the street sign, Samantha glanced back the way they came and looking at her best friend, who was already half way up the street, she sighed and called out, "Wait up," and began to jog so that she could catch up with the other girl, hoping that they weren't making some type of mistake and that they could actually find the costume shop.
----
How many hours they wandered the unfamiliar streets, neither Emily nor Samantha was sure. But as the evening wore on and each began to feel colder and colder and Emily started to find walking and balancing on digitigrade feet more and more difficult with each step, a sense that they were not going to actually find the costume shop and after a while, Emily stopped and sitting down, she said, "I don't think we are getting anywhere," as she began to massage her feet and looking about she wondered where exactly they were, as she was now certain that they were no longer in the town of Shadow Falls.
Next to her, Samantha hugged herself, sure that they must be lost, that there was no possible way they could find their way back and that they would eventually have to find some place to sleep for the evening before trying to retrace their steps back. Voicing her concern, she then explained, "We aren't going to find this costume shop, so I think we should stop wasting our time looking."
Sighing, fearing that her friend was right, Emily gazed back the way they had come and then looked in the direction they were heading. Stretching out her legs and moving her feet about in an attempt to loosen them up, she eventually said, "Let's try another block or two and if we still haven't found what we are looking for, we can stop and instead look for a place to sleep for the evening. Or, attempt to retrace our steps. Though I am sure we are both going to be in a lot of trouble when either of our parents get ahold of us."
As she thought about the prospect of going on for another two blocks, Sam also contemplated what her parents would say when they found out that she hadn't gone to Emily's and instead had chosen to wander about, looking for a shop that clearly did not exist, knowing that she would probably receive the worst of it from her father.
"Another block and then we are done," she finally announced in what she hoped was a voice that sounded authoritative and did not hint at she was feeling.
Standing and nodding, Emily decided that it was for the best as she glancing back the way they came, trying to see if they might have missed something. When nothing comes to mind, she instead turned her attention forward and began to walk once again. Still hugging herself, Samantha thought about just turning around, but in the end decided that she could not abandon her friend and hurrying to catch up, she let her thoughts drift as she looked at the odd, but old houses, as they walked past them.
Hours seem to drift past and the two begin to wonder about the street they are walking down as it appeared to have no real end and just as Samantha was coming to the conclusion that maybe they should stop for the evening, Emily suddenly called out, "What is that?" and looking in the direction her friend was indicating, Sam noticed that the air around one of the houses had started to shimmer.
Scared, the two watched as the house slowly faded from view and in its place, a shop appeared. Approaching it, both noted that it was dark inside until they were within a couple feet of the front door and with an audible click, the front marquee lit up, displaying the name of the store. Taking a couple steps back, both stared in trepidation at the store, noting that it was a costume shop, but each wondering if it was the one that had sold Tad his costume. And then a voice from the door called out, "You have been expected. Though you are late," and as Emily and Samantha glanced in the direction of the voice, they saw a dapper man standing in the open doorway, watching them.
Looking at each other, the two girls took a step closer as Emily asked, "What do you mean you were expecting us?"
The dapper man smiled and indicating towards the girl's feet, he sniffed, "You have tried on a product that you did not purchase. A product that was not intended for you. A product intended for a person who has done exactly what he should not have."
Confused, Sam and Emily glanced at each other as the dapper man commented, "Oh well. Accidents do happen. Especially to those who can read the fine print."
"Fine print?" Samantha asked.
"Never you mind," the dapper man snapped and looking about, he bid them in by saying, "You might as well come in and not stand about. We are bound to attract attention by doing so and we have to correct your friend's situation."
Glancing at each other, the two gazed back at the dapper man, who was turning and heading back inside and taking a deep breath, Emily figured she might as well, as Samantha thought about letting her best friend go on her own. And taking another look at each other, the two girls grasped each other's hands and followed the dapper man into the costume shop.