It is done. Will update with a long preface if I feel like it after I upload. Lol.

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October 31st, Sometime After All The Other Nonsense

Lyna finally came to, only a vague recollection of what just transpired. Laying on the floor of the tourism center, she groaned as she lifted her head up. As her vision cleared, the state of the lobby, at this point supposed to be populated with various decorations, contained something else entirely.

As far as she could see, just about every inch of the room had been covered in wrapped pieces of candy. She spied Sam, broom in hand, pushing another cluster of candies into a massive pile that he'd begun to form in the center of the room. His ears perked up, and he turned as he heard Lyna stir.

“Oh! Cool, you're finally up!”, he announced cheerfully, “I got a little head start on the cleaning.”

“Ah, god...”, Lyna mumbled, pushing herself up and sitting against the desk, “Did that actually happen?”

Sam nodded, pointing at the wheelbarrow near the front door. Stack precariously onto it, the still-petrified forms of all their friend's Lyna invited to the party. He got back to sweeping as she tried, gradually, to pick herself up off the ground, having trouble regaining the strength in her legs.

“Yeah, y'know, I'm never too bothered by this kinda thing...”, he casually stated, “And I think our new friend liked your apple babies so much he undid your curse early!”

“And, everyone else...?”, she asked.

“Uhhhh...?”, Sam winced, glancing between Lyna and the wheelbarrow, “...I think they'll be fine? Honestly I was just gonna... push them all back home, drop 'em off and see what happens later...”

Finally rising to her feet, Lyna stumbled slowly over to the pile of candy, still encumbered by her brief tenure as a statue. She picked one of the pieces of candy out of the pile and inspected it. There was no brand name on the snack, only fancy, red lettering written across the reflective tin that read, “Fun-Size”. A taunting reminder of what almost sealed their fates just a few hours ago. Lyna popped open the wrapper and tossed the piece of candy in her mouth. The taste was a little underwhelming.

“...I don't really wanna clean this shit up right now.”, Lyna admitted, the mediocre taste of the candy lingering in her mouth.

“Yeah... me neither...”, Sam agreed, leaning against the broom as he cleared more of the floor, “I just wanted to make a path for the wheelbarrow, really.”

Then, the wood of their friend's statues began to rattle, just barely. Some sign of life from the rest of the group, at last. Sam dropped the broom and darted over to the wheelbarrow, pressing an ear to Laurent's head. They hadn't imagined it, everyone now very faintly displayed signs that they were returning to their original states. Sam took a deep breath, grasping the handles of the wheelbarrow.

“Guess I should get going, then...”, Sam sighed, “Hey, if they forget all about everything, should I get them to come to the party again? Maybe tell them they pre-gamed too hard or something?”

“Oh, yeah, for sure!”, Lyna confirmed, “I didn't go through all this shit for nothing, I'm having my party. I'll make some coffee, hurry back and we'll make a mountain out of the candy and give it away for free.”

“Aw yeah! Aw right! Party time! Guh!”, Sam cheered, kicking his heels playfully as he strained, groaning in pain as he pushed the overloaded wheelbarrow out the door.

As Sam departed, that uneasy feeling deep in Lyna's gut finally vanished. That same feeling she'd had all month long, just knowing some misfortune lie around every sunrise. It was finally gone. The curse, if it even was one, had been lifted, that much she could sense. She adjusted her pristine, white t-shirt, tucking it more uniformly into her denim jeans. She reached back, making sure the red handkerchief that dangled out of her rear pocket did so in a sufficiently scruffy manner.

Today would be a nice Halloween, after all. And for once, she knew, all her efforts would be worth it.