Secret Transfic Autumn Anthology / #7

Town Pariah

by Mackenzie

A short story about a girl whose life is forever altered when she visits her girlfriend on the one night a year that she is allowed to: Halloween.

 

Another year down, and another Halloween night over. Darby couldn’t hold back the sobs that burst from her as her one night a year girlfriend turned away from her. Just like last year, and the year before. Emily lived a different life to Darby. She knew this, but still couldn’t help but come and see her the one day a year that they could get away with seeing each other. Darby dressed quickly, her ghost costume feeling cheap and bland now that Halloween had ended. Despite the agony of departing Emily’s side without a word once again, Darby knew she’d be back next year. 

ᓚᘏᗢ

Halloween. The one day a year that Darby felt alive. The one day a year that people didn’t know who she was and didn’t ignore her presence. Being an openly trans girl made her a pariah in the small town of Salem, Australia. 

Not to be confused with the American Salem, though. Her town was as humble and free of witches as it was small – that is to say, very small. The only time that Darby wasn’t ignored was Halloween, and that was because she got to dress up and hide who she was. She was just grateful for the self-serve function of the shops and online ordering. 

A number of years ago, a trans girl just like her was murdered in her town. That terrified her so much, she rarely ever left home anymore. She spent all of her time playing video games and writing stories for her Patreon patrons. Only the anonymity of her ghost costume made her feel safe enough to go out. That, and people not ignoring her on the few times she did leave. 

3564 steps to go to her destination. Darby smiled as she stepped outside of her run-down and dilapidated house and the last remaining rays of sunshine warmed her through her ghost costume. Making her way through the overgrown grass and run-away weeds, Darby stepped onto the concrete pathway with a sigh. 

2870 steps. 

“Hey! Get away from me, that’s my chocolate!”

“Nuh, uh! It’s mine now, fag!”

Darby winced as she heard the familiar taunting of children and how nasty they could be to each other. Turning the corner, she saw the kids in question. Three larger boys were picking on a child half their size who was wearing a Disney Princess dress. 

“Come on, Brody, please leave me alone.” The small girl was crying now, holding herself tightly around her chest as the boys taunted her. 

Brody smirked at her, holding his hand up like he was going to give her a back handed slap, causing the girl to flinch. “Why should I? Boys aren’t supposed to wear girls' clothing, Dad said so.”

The other boys laughed and guffawed as the child in the dress cringed and made herself even smaller. Darby’s blood boiled as she saw this happen right in front of her. Her pulse pounded as she picked up her pace to get there on time.

Darby’s hand caught Brody’s mid swing before it could land on his victim. Through her anger and rage, she may have pushed a little too hard, knocking the bully onto his ass with a startled yelp. All four children fell silent as they took her sudden presence in, paling as if they’d seen a ghost. Darby felt ashamed at the pleasure she got from their fear. 

“Can’t you see that she’s a very pretty girl in her dress? Why don’t you leave her alone, hmm? Go on, get… you little shits,” Darby yelled, muttering the last part as the bullies ran away, terrified faces quickly vanishing around the corner. 

Turning to the Disney Princess, Darby did her best to smile through her ghost mask. “Are you okay, cutie? That’s a very pretty dress that you’re wearing. It suits you well.”

Even through her fear, her cheeks went pink from the compliment. “Thank you… miss?”

Darby winced at the hesitant way the girl called her miss. “Just Darby is fine. What’s your name?” She smiled warmly, holding her hand out to shake. 

The little girl's eyes widened considerably when Darby introduced herself, her face paling even more if that was possible. Taking her hand shakily, the little girl stammered. “M-My name is B-Brendan. Are-are you really Darby? I thought you… had…”

Brendan trailed off as he, she, they? gulped audibly. Looking nervously at Darby like she was going to hurt them at any moment. 

Hiding her pain behind her eyes, Darby smiled at Brendon warmly. “I am Darby, yes, but I promise I won’t hurt you, okay? I’m not a monster like people like to make me out to be. And it’s totally fine for you to wear a dress.” Darby winked at the child, smiling conspiratorially. “Do you have a secret name that you’d want everyone to call you?” she whispered. 

Brendan looked down at her colourful slippers. Darby noticed that she was wearing a Cinderella dress, and she thought it was very fitting. 

After a moment's hesitation, Brendan finally replied in a shame-filled whisper, “Renee.”

Smiling widely at Renee, Darby patted her on the shoulder affectionately. “A very pretty name for a very pretty girl.” 

Renee’s cheeks went crimson as she blushed, though a smile made its way out, too. 

“I meant what I said, you look really cute in your dress. If it’s something you like doing, then I don’t see a problem with it. Stay strong, Renee, don’t let anyone tell you how to live your life.”

Darby squeezed her shoulder gently, before quickly striding away. She had already spent more time than she wanted making her way to her witch’s home. Darby could feel Renee’s gaze on her back just before she turned the corner. 

1535 steps. 

Her excitement was palpable as she all but rushed towards her destination, ignoring the random townsfolk gawking at her as she passed. The streets were starting to fill up with more and more trick-or-treaters as the sun finally set and the street lights came on. The pale street lights cast eerie shadows across the neighbourhood as the light trickled past the halloween decorations in front of homes. 

1082.  

Heart pounding with excitement, Darby almost ran into a mother and her daughter leaving the front of someone’s home, stuffing their treats into the little girl's Wonder Woman backpack. Nearly tripping, Darby caught herself on the fence post out the front; glancing down, she saw a newspaper that the owners hadn’t bothered collecting yet. 

Third Year Anniversary of Local Trans Girl’s Murder on Halloween

Darby suddenly struggled to breathe as all her fears and worries over being murdered next flashed through her. Trembling and gasping, Darby jumped as she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright, dear?”

Shuddering and not looking at the woman, Darby breathed out slowly. “I’m okay, just a little agoraphobic is all. Thanks, though,” she said, smiling at the mother and daughter, before turning and making her way again. 

The little girl gasped. “Mummy, was that…”

“Shh, honey, don’t point.”

Sighing, Darby shook her head. She couldn’t ever get over how transphobic her town was. Hopefully one day they would accept her, but it seemed that it wouldn’t be just yet. 

721 steps to go. 

Night had truly fallen by the time Darby had turned into the street of her one night a year girlfriend. Glancing around to see if anyone was following her, Darby ducked into the park that separated her and her love. Large, old pine and eucalyptus trees surrounded her on both sides, a light fog swirling along the ground around her feet, as Darby shivered from the sudden chill in the air. The hooting of an owl closer than she had expected made her twitch in surprise as the bird swooped past. Thankfully the full moon overhead gave Darby enough light for her to pick her way without tripping over. 

120 steps. 

Her heart pounded and pulse raced as she saw Emily’s cottage through the trees. A nearby bush shaking made her flinch as a rabbit dashed out from underneath it. 

35 steps. 

Stopping for a moment to adjust her costume, Darby took a deep breath and released it slowly. Having had to wait another year to see the love of her life never made getting to see her the first time in a year any easier. Sweat beaded on her brow as she worried that this year was going to be the year that Emily told her that it was over, that she was sick of only seeing her one day out of every three hundred and sixty-five. 

5 steps. 

The old porch steps creaked as she walked up them slowly, cautiously. 

1

A gentle breeze blew her to the side as she knocked gently on the cottage door. A smile widened on her face as the door flew open instantly, as if the love of her life had been standing there eagerly waiting for her. 

“Darby! I’ve missed you so much, you have no idea.” She was forced back a step as Emily engulfed her in a loving hug, her warmth seeping into Darby’s heart, making it beat wildly in response. 

“I‘ve missed… mmff,” Darby started to say, only for Emily to lift up Darby’s mask and kiss her passionately.

Minutes later, Emily finally dragged Darby inside, slamming the door shut behind them. 

Emily continued kissing her as she slowly peeled off Darby’s costume, while she continued dragging her into her bedroom. 

“I love you,” Darby sighed contentedly into Emily’s collarbone as she lay curled up in bed an hour after they’d made love for the first time in a year. 

“I love you too, so, so much,” Emily replied, rolling over onto her side and pulling Darby tightly to her. Darby buried her face into her girlfriend's neck, sighing happily as she snuggled in tight. “Which is why…” Emily started hesitantly. 

Darby turned to look at Emily through her red hair. “Hmm?”

“I’ve finally finished working on the spell I told you about. The one to bind two human souls together.”

Emily’s eyes flicked downward and she licked her lips as the bedsheet slid down off of Darby’s shoulder when she sat up, baring her chest. “What spell? Is this some kind of roleplay thing?” Darby wiggled her eyebrows playfully. “I’m all for whatever it is you want to do, babe.”

For a moment or two, Emily stared at her, before she finally sighed. “I keep hoping that you’d remember when we’re together. It breaks my heart having to tell you each time.”

Darby froze, her breathing was suddenly difficult as she imagined all of the worst possible scenarios. Was Emily breaking up with her? Was this just a goodbye, thanks for the memories, one last hurrah? 

“Hey, hey. It’s okay.” Emily hugged her tightly, patting her hair gently. “I’m sorry, you react the same way every time. You’d think I’d have gotten better at this by now; it has been three years, after all.”

Holding her tight, Darby attempted to get control over her erratic breathing, her heartbeat slowly, very slowly coming down from the terrifying thought that Emily would abandon her too. 

“Okay… so to start with. I’m a witch. I have been for too many years to count now. You came to me years ago, asking for a magical potion to make you complete within yourself. Do you remember that?”

Darby shook her head before a dim recollection of a faded memory flashed into her mind. 

“Hi, umm, you don’t know me, but my name is Darby. I had heard from a friend that you were a genuine witch? And… ahh, doyouthinkyoucouldturnmeintoagirl?” 

The beautiful red headed woman stared at Darby, a single stylish eyebrow raised as she tried to understand what Darby’s garbled, panic filled gush of words had meant before she relaxed and smiled down at Darby from her porch. 

“Sure, cutie pie, step into my office, we can work something out, I’m sure,” the witch said, gesturing for Darby to follow her into her cottage.

With a gasp, Darby was back in the present and nodded her head. “I remember now,” she whispered, a little unsettled that she had forgotten such a pivotal moment in her life. 

Emily the Witch looked at Darby, her eyes seemingly seeing directly into her soul. Frowning, she sighed. “Unfortunately, I don’t know for certain exactly how to do what you ask. I don’t know what would work for this situation.”

Darby tried not to look too disappointed at the news. A large part of her wasn’t surprised; first her family had rejected her, then the doctors refused to allow her to go on hormone replacement therapy. Her family history apparently showed a much greater risk than average of strokes and HRT would increase it even further. 

Suddenly, Emily was there, patting Darby’s broad shoulder gently. “Don’t worry, sweetie, we’ll find it. It’ll just take some time, and I’d appreciate your assistance in doing so.”

Looking at Emily with wonder, hope flared in Darby’s chest as the witch winked at her. 

“I remember now. All of those months we spent looking at different spell books, we fell in love while we tried all those types of potions and enchantments until we found the right one.”

Emily’s smile was warm and full of love, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. “That’s right. Remember when I turned you down after you asked to become my apprentice?” She giggled. “You were so disappointed and asked me why I turned you down. And I told you…”

Darby blushed. “You told me that it was against the rules to love your apprentice, then you kissed me for the first time.” She giggled at the memory. 

Suddenly Emily was kissing her again, just like she had that first time. Falling into the kiss, Darby lost track of the time, even as she could hear the constant tick-tock of the nearby bedside clock. 

Moments or possibly hours later, Emily pulled back, cupping Darby’s face in her soft hands, a loving smile on her lips. 

Emily’s smile dropped as she grimaced. “I hate this next part, it always hurts. Unfortunately, my charms don’t work on your memory once you return the day after Samhain.” She hesitated, biting her lip and looking sadly at Darby, tears rolling down her cheeks. “To the place that you were murdered,” she whispered sadly. 

“What…?” Darby’s blood went cold as memories flashed through her, horrible memories of her final moments in life. 

Grimacing, Emily pulled her into a hug as Darby wailed into her chest, clinging to the last remnants of love she had in this world. The only thing keeping her from moving on to the afterlife. 

“You’re okay, let it out love,” Emily soothed, “you’re safe here.”

An innumerable number of minutes later, Darby wiped her tears away with a shaky hand as she clung to Emily with the other. 

Emily had sat there on the bed, gently soothing her, brushing her hair softly and patiently while Darby dealt with her memories. “I’m sorry, my love. It’s never gotten any easier each time. I’m hoping that finally, this year, we won’t have to do it ever again.”

Her voice was determined; Darby could detect only a slight hitch as she spoke. 

“What do I have to do?” Darby asked curiously. 

The love of her life, and afterlife, apparently, smiled at her. “I have everything set up; you just have to get your cute butt into the magic circle with me, while we cast the ritual, together. The sooner we get it done, the better. Samhain is the perfect time to complete it. It’s the time of year when the veil between life and the afterlife is the weakest, allowing you to break the seal on your death site and visit me, and the ambient magic is stronger than at any other point.”

Darby nodded nervously. “Okay, if it means that I can see you more than once a year, then anything is worth trying.” She smiled at Emily. 

Emily’s answering smile warmed up Darby’s dead heart. 

ᓚᘏᗢ

The witch and the ghost stood in the large magical circle, holding hands as they intoned in a dead language, a language that had been ancient when Latin was just starting to be spoken. 

“We come together as one soul, one heart, one love, two bodies. We stand together as one soul, one heart, one love, two bodies. We wholeheartedly offer up ourselves as one soul, one heart, one love, two bodies, so that we may continue to be as one, for the rest of our lives. 

“We beseech thee, Isis, Goddess of Magic and Love, please hear our plea! We come together as one soul, one heart, one love, two bodies. We stand together as one soul, one heart, one love, two bodies. We wholeheartedly offer up ourselves as one soul, one heart, one love, two bodies, that we may continue to be as one, for the rest of our lives.”

Darby could feel the power of the circle thrumming through her ghostly form; now that she knew she was dead, she could see the evidence for herself, the blood and wounds she had sustained, as well as her partially translucent body. It surprised her that Renee hadn’t been more terrified after seeing her. 

“…for the rest of our lives.”

As they finished the final incantation of the ritual, a thunderous boom echoed across the ritual room, a lightning bolt flashes and a beautiful woman appeared from within the bright light. 

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” she called out, her Egyptian accent clear in her voice.

The woman was a statuesque dark-haired woman in golden Egyptian garb, smirking at Darby and Emily as they held hands. 

“My Goddess Isis,” Emily breathed, bending low in a deep bow. Darby followed suit a moment later. 

Isis smiled at the two women for a moment before gesturing for them to stand up. “It is nice to see the niceties being observed in this day and age when a Goddess such as myself is rarely worshipped. Please, be comfortable. You are brave and clever, Witch Emily, to call me. Most other divine beings would have sent you both to the deepest, darkest pits of whatever afterlife they hold sway over for your hubris.”

Darby glanced fearfully at Emily’s determined face. She hadn’t realised that Emily was risking her immortal soul just for her. Her heart swelled with love even as her stomach twisted in fear. 

Isis turned to look at Darby, her face unfathomable for a moment. “Oh yes. This was incredibly risky on your witch's behalf. Anyone who knows anything about entreating a God, knows that asking to raise the dead is rarely ever taken well. Emily knows this well, after what happened to her old Master. But she also knows that I am a Goddess of Love and Magic, and that I once brought my own lover back from the dead.” 

Darby gasped and Emily’s stoic expression slipped for a second, as her worry shone through before she hid it again behind a mask of determination. She bowed her head to Isis. “Please…”

That single word of Emily’s held so much emotion, her love and fear, her hope and despair. 

The Goddess stared at Emily, appearing to judge her, weigh her, measure her. Finally after long minutes, she nodded slowly. “I accept. Your immortality, and your worship, for the chance to live the rest of your life with your soulmate. Just know, this is permanent. It’ll fuse your souls into one, and if either one of you isn’t completely sure, both of your souls will be destroyed.”

“Emily! No! I can’t let you sacrifice your immortality or risk your soul for me. You spent too many years cultivating it, just to give it all up.”

Emily’s tears pierced Darby’s heart as the witch turned to her. “I-I can’t, Darby. I can’t live the rest of my immortal life like this. Either we live together, or we die together. There is no other way for me.”

Holding her trembling body, Darby hadn’t realised until this moment just how much their circumstances had hurt Emily too. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded slowly. “I love you, Emily. I always will, in this life, or the next.” 

Emily nodded towards Isis, before she cupped Darby’s face in her hands and kissed her deeply, passionately, so full of love, Darby’s heart hurt; and as everything went white, she heard Emily’s words whisper in her ear, “In this one, or the next, I promise.”

ᓚᘏᗢ

Darby hissed at the boys bullying Renee, her tail puffing up as her back arched, her claws extending in her anger. 

“Thanks, kitty. Some boys are always mean to me.” she said, patting Darby as she purred, glaring at the boys as they ran away. “You make me feel safe and happy. I wish I could take you home, but I see you already have a home.” Renee gently tugged on her collar once, before standing up and sighing. “Well, I better head back, Mum gets worried if I’m too late from school.”

Letting out a soft meow, Darby nudged her head on Renee’s knees before she ran off, only turning back once to make sure that Renee had made it safely inside her home. 

“So, she’s the one you’ve been telling me about? The one we will be making a True Me potion for in a few years, right?” 

Darby purred and rubbed her body along Emily’s legs briefly, before shifting into her humanoid form, carefully making sure no one saw her do it. Snuggling into Emily’s side with a comfortable sigh, Darby glanced at Renee’s home with a soft smile. “That’s the one; we’ll give her a true Cinderella moment to last a lifetime.”

ᓚᘏᗢ

 

Secret Transfic Autumn Anthology / #7

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