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The appearance of the Halloween decor was, in Ally's world, on a specific code system. Either all flags were normal, or the world went into 'Code Orange' and Ally was all over as many haunting stores as possible to ferret out candy, costumes, or daily needs like gothic make up or accoutremonts -- or even clothing. What some called costume the woman called required clothing, and so she was studying costumes in a new store for clothing pieces for both days she was a girl, and days jer gender screamed 'MAN'. The brunette walked the store curiously, humming at the scent of mothballs and dust, an old, comforting smell from the new Boo-tique store, and Ally had to admit she was soothed by it immensely. Some scents just felt right, and this was one -- especially in helping calm her enoughto find clothing and other necessities.

Like a steam-punky, rather fetching costume she found that earned a brow raise. Itwas smart, a nice brown and grey number with a vest, shirt, aND slacks and fake pocketwatch -- a conductor? A character in a Jules Verne book? Ally wasn't sure, but it seemed for more likely a conductor. A pity it lacked a cap, but she could fudge it. The fabric was nice -- a durable, hardy fabric meant to last well past Halloween, and it seemed absolutely fascinating. Ally nodded at it, stowing it in her basket as she moved, looking over a few accessories idly. She hated to try clothes on -- looking at her reflection felt awkward and Wrong and uncomfortable and the face looking back never felt... Right. No, Ally did not like her looks in the mirror without her binder, and today.... Well she didn't wear it.

After several minutes of examining items on wrought iron-themed shelving and antique, musty settings, the time came Ally eyed the small, dusty room and sighed, creeping in to try on her new clothing find neatly. It was a good costume, one useful for a good, hearty outfit or two, and very swiftly, she changed before glancing around. Both blessing and curse-- it fit, but she couldn't see how she looked, and with a grumble, she stepped out of the dressing room, and froze, eyes widening.

The air smelled of cigarettes, of old wood, cold metal, and faintly of oil and coal. The light was dim, small lamps hanging between windows looking out into silvery, misty woods that seemed almost ethereal; but inside was just as eerie. Candles flickered on tabletops on red candles, heat mingling in the scents in the air as she looked 'rounf. Ally knew the room was off, but now it was mounting in 'off' -- old maroon booth seating reflected the weak light, bouncing it onto green, pea green wallpaper with the windows, crown moulding, and baseboards old dark oaken brown. The floor was barely carpeted, hard, and unpleasant -- the entire car felt like an old train car from the golden age of trains.

And then Ally noticed the trees changing. The car was moving, she realized, the wheels of the car ticking and clacking along the track below, the rumble as the car jostled and moved the dominant sound. There were no passengers nor animals outside; Ally wasn't even sure the trees were real. But she moved, and the car kept moving. Ally pulled the door to change cars and look for other passenghers, and founf both doors locked. The only company was the sounds of the wheels, ticka-tak, ticka-tak on the rails.

Toicka-tak. Ticka-tak. Tiocka-tak.

Ally shifted, looking outside a bit longer to watch as smoke waft by from the engine ahead, wincing as the whistle finally blew in a low, slow whistle, agonizingly haunting and deep, thundering through the area outside, and she sat to collect a pamphlet from the table, and paled, staring at the title.

Welcome Aboard the Ghost Train was proudly emblazoned on old looking card stock, the words wisping, a hand-made font, and below a pen and ink of what must be the engine pouring out smoke flowed, whorling into the words almost as if forming the letters, and Ally threw it across the room.

Nope. Nope, she was done, forget this noise she was done and the girl panicked, scrambling around to try doors and windows, finding herself locked in, blocked by unseen walls, and the panic began welling inside. She felt her heart pound, looking for escape as another unearthly, terrible wail from the train whistle shot into the night, a sound almost... Taunting.

Was the train itself alive? Was the sound an evil toot? Ally panicked again, scrambling still. She couldn't styay here, she couldn't. Cara needed her, and Tor, and her Mom, and Amy, and- and- and-

Ally gasped, grabbing the paper again to flip through, heart pounding in her ears as she pulled up a page on disembarking early - supposedly for emergenciues -- and began reading--

And blinked as she began dessimating information mentally, an evil, mocking whistle blow fading with the sound of the car moving over the rails. The scents of the train car were slowly replaced by dustballs and mothballs. The lifght improved considerably, and the paper was gone, the damned train replaced by a half-wood, half tacky shoppe dressingroom wall, and Ally breathed slowly. The train was gone. She was back in Boo-tique, her basket of goods at her side, and the girl swiftly stripped herself of the outfit, shoving it back on the hanger as she changed back into her daily clothing -- a dark comfort, considering what she thought she saw. Even her phone was content, showing no minutes passed and Ally shook her head. Had she hallucinated? Likely; and the door opened to normalcy, allowing Ally to step into the store, and track a clerk, basket in hand. She had noticed in changing the clothes lacked a price tyag, and she soon approached a sales clerk -- and older lady -- and held the clothing up modestly.

"Excuse me, ma'am? This doesn't have a tag."

And Ally was beginning to consider suplexing a train as Afon Wysg, but some things were best left unsaid. Instead, she beamed, the clerk tsking as she took the clothing tidily.

"I'm sorry sweetie," The woman crooned. "These weren't meant to be out. You know how new hires are, don't you? I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience -- can I help with anything else?"

Ally blinked, watching her hand the costume to another clerk,. who rushed them to the staff area, befoire blinking. No train. Calmly, she shook her head.

"No, I... Would just like to cyheck out, if possible."

BNetter to get AWAY from thjis mess, quickly. The older clerk beamed, nodding as she collected the basket, and lead Ally to cash out.

"Of course dearie, I'd be delighted." The woman said brightly, and lead Ally to the cash register. Ally, for her part, merely sighed. After THAT scare, she was Done for the day, and paid quickly, moving to hurry home.

Forget this. She needed some kind of break, and she wasn't taking no for love nor money.