Christina Ghostburn's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Christina Ghostburn pressed her nose against the window of the empty shop on Main Street. The faded "For Rent" sign hung crooked in the glass. She pulled out her phone and snapped a photo, her fingers trembling with excitement. This could be it—the perfect spot for her year-round Halloween costume workshop. She'd spent three years designing costumes in her cramped apartment, but now she was ready for something bigger. A real store where people could walk in any day of the year and find the best costumes in town. Better than Party Palace. Better than Costume Kingdom. She stepped back and looked up at the dusty windows on the second floor. Her workshop would crush the competition. The real estate agent handed her the keys three weeks later. Christina pushed open the door and stepped inside. Dust particles floated through the afternoon light. She walked to the corner and set down her leather-bound sketchbook. The pages were filled with costume designs and floor plans. She flipped to a fresh page and started drawing the layout. Display areas here. Work tables there. A fitting room in the back. She propped a mannequin near the front window and draped it with her newest creation. The gothic skirt shimmered with neon patterns that caught the light. Digital designs glowed against the dark fabric. A woman walking past stopped and stared. Christina watched her lean closer to the glass. The woman pulled out her phone. She was taking a picture. Christina grabbed her sketchbook and headed outside. She needed fabric and materials to fill this space. The town had what she needed—old curtains, forgotten clothes, scraps people didn't want. She would collect them all and turn them into costumes no one had ever seen before. This workshop would be open every single day. No more waiting for October. No more settling for cheap costumes from her competitors. She looked back at the building—her building—and smiled.