Jack-O-Lantern

Jackie had always felt unlucky. Now that she was 13 years old, she felt EXTRA unlucky. So, it was no real shock to her that she ended up sick from tucking into just one piece of Halloween candy early. She was only a few houses deep Trick or Treating when she started to feel sick. It was just her luck to have Halloween end early, or really it was her complete lack of luck. She sat in her window seat and sighed, cursing herself for having to give into that piece of candy early. Her mother told her to rest but she was fighting her stomachache, hoping she could sneak out for a little more of All Hallow’s Eve fun and antics.

She stood up and paced her room, seeing how she felt.

“I’m fine!” She said to herself with a wave in the mirror.

Then suddenly, her face turned. She was not, in fact, fine. She rushed to the bathroom and threw up what she expected to be dinner & some candy corn, instead, it was glowing orange goo.

“…wha…” Jackie could barely squeak out before she stood and noticed herself in the bathroom mirror now. SHE was glowing.

The stomachache had disappeared but now she was… glowing. What exactly was in that candy corn she ate? Or was it her mom’s meatloaf? She stared at herself in the mirror for a good moment and couldn’t help but smile. She could light the way for other unlucky folks who just need a little guiding light after all. Unless… she never STOPPED glowing?

She could figure it all out later. There was only a few hours left of Halloween and she was sure there would be some dimly lit street that another kid might be too scared to walk down.