Katie ran her fingers over the ring, contemplating what had just occurred but also considering everything that had transpired till now. The ring had given her extraordinary powers and wonderful opportunities. At the same time it had shaped and changed reality in very frightening ways. She could feel its essence flowing and becoming a part of her own. She felt excited by the prospect, but at the same time it terrified her.
"Tricia has to grow up all over again because of me..." she thought to herself.
The ring seemed to answer that it wasn't because of her, it was because of Tricia's own selfishness. It had acted to protect her after all. It was true, she had wanted protecting. In her heart and soul she was still a little girl, frightened of the power of adults. Tricia had been an adult, had been acting like one, and Katie was still a child no matter how much she tried to grow up physically. All the girls, all her new friends, had been adults to start with and came with that perception. Tricia had never changed hers, really, though the others had.
"If I had the perspective they did, would I think the same?" Katie wondered a moment. The ring began to warm with the prospect. She didn't want to lose it, and the ring, interestingly enough, didn't want to lose her. It felt more and more like a true friend that wouldn't ever leave or abandon her. It couldn't try to trick her like a grown up might.
"In the end, I am a kid at heart." Katie said. "I always will be. But maybe its time I gained an adult's perspective, just for one night."
She took a breath. "I wish I was an adult, in body and mind, that everyone, including myself remembered this, but that I would return to being my age at the end of halloween regardless of other wishes I might make and the experiences I have. That my real self, this kid self, would be kept safe so I could be me again." Part of her, also in fear wished there was a way the ring would never leave her side, for fear of being stuck. The ring picked up on this fear...and made it an integral part of the wish.
Slowly, katie's body began to grow and change....passing from childhood to adulthood. As it did, her body matured through puberty and gained all the experiences and understandings she would as an adult. her witch costume would expand and change with her, and as it did the ring clasped tightly to her finger. It was enough it couldnt be removed, but to her it was not uncomfortable at all. In addition, the ring took her wish to return to her former age to heart even though the reality changed around her. Katie remembered the rings powers to change others ages, but to her, she was a fully capable adult. She had no memory of being Kelly's daughter, but rather her younger 21 year old sister. She had offered to take Kellie's daughter, Mika, out with her other first grade friends to go trick or treating. The prospect of that, plus the chance to use the ring on the kids to make their expeirences all the better had appealed to katie, since she had no children of her own yet.
"Maybe I will meet a nice guy..." the woman said, smiling to herself.