fourteen

All that afternoon, Goldie worked on her costume. She trimmed the pointy hat with sea urchins she had brought from Sheepskerry’s west shore. She snipped and stitched and made the bolt of black taffeta into a swirling cape lined with purple lace, and sewed deep blue mussel shells on the collar. “Reversible!” Goldie exclaimed with delight as she tried it on.

Her gown was made of sheer black chiffon, with a long white lining (her nightgown!) underneath it. Goldie had made pointy shoes out of the pair of old slippers she’d found at the bottom of the costume box, and she painted her best white stockings with red stripes.

Goldie’s costume was almost done when there was a knock at the door. Avery peeked her head inside.

“Can I come in?” she asked. Then she started in surprise. “Oh! I’m sorry. I thought this was Golden’s room!”

Goldie burst into laughter.

“Oh, it is you!” cried Avery. “I didn’t even recognize you when I came in. You look horrible!”

Goldie didn’t want to break the code of silence, but she gave Avery a gap-toothed grin.

“You can talk to me, Goldie. I’m not in the contest!”

“Whew!” said Golden. “It’s so good to talk at last! I’m just going to put some cobwebs on my wings and then I’ll be done,” she said. “Lucky thing I brought those cobwebs from Sheepskerry!” She had to twist sideways to get the right effect. “Don’t help me! I don’t want to cheat!” She draped some stringy webs on her wingtips. “How are the other fairies doing?” she asked, hoping they were not quite as witchy as she was.

“I haven’t seen anyone else,” said Avery. “All their doors are closed. And I only wanted to see you!”

Goldie glued one more wart on her nose. “Time to go!” she said. “How do I look?”

“You are the scariest witch I have ever seen!”

Goldie spun around and looked at herself in the mirror, every way she could.

“If I’m not the ugliest witch at this fancy-dress party,” she said, “I’ll eat my pointy hat!”