Marcia opened her eyes to a bright glow. It was gone in an instant, leaving her in a strange and unfamiliar place. She rubbed her eyes just to find her house was dilapidated, as if no one had lived there for years. The floorboards were creaky, it created a screech as she got off her bed and observed the walls which were covered in dust.

She stepped outside and found herself in a world bathed in eerie blue light. The sky was a deep purple, trees were twisted and gnarled, their branches reaching out like skeletal claws. The streets were deserted, save for a few strange creatures that roamed aimlessly. Looking back at her house, it resembled a haunted house, abandoned and left to rot. Marcia's mind raced to think of something that could explain this oddity. This place can't be real, she must've been dreaming.

Marcia felt a chill run down her spine. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew she wasn't in her own world anymore.

She started walking towards the town, hoping to find someone who could help her. As she walked, she passed by more and more strange creatures. Some were tall and thin, with pale skin and glowing eyes. Others were squat and hairy, with sharp teeth and claws. And some are anthropomorphic animals, with rats on two legs and a flying chicken.

Marcia tried to ignore them, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy. She had never seen anything like them before.

Finally, she reached the town. It was a small, quaint town, but it was unlike anything she had ever seen. The buildings were made of crooked stone and wood, and the streets were decorated with cobwebs and pumpkins. The lamps were lit up jack-o'-lanterns that illuminated the street.

Marcia wandered through the town, feeling lost and confused. The creatures she passed gave her a confused look, her ear caught a whisper from one of them; "Why is she still like that?" She didn't know where she was or how to get back home.

Suddenly, she bumped into someone. She stumbled backwards and looked up. Stood before her is a towering girl with pale green skin, emerald green eyes that seemed to pierce through her soul, and her hair a wild mane of snakes. Marcia screamed in terror.

"A gorgon!" she cried.

The gorgon smiled softly. "Hey hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

Marcia slowly calmed down, yet still apprehensive. "Who are you? And where am I?" she asked. "I am Jamie. And to answer your second question mysterious person, you're in Embermoor." The gorgon replied. "A place where everyone is free to be themselves, no matter how different they may be."

Marcia glanced at Jamie's form, "You can call me Marcia, my third question, why does everyone look so... unusual?"

"Well... On Halloween, everyone was a shape-shifter. Today is a celebration of revealing everyone's true self through different and unique forms." Marcia's heart raced as she observed the streets teeming with beings undergoing incredible transformations. "It was a night of Unmasking, a night when you could physically become who you truly were."

Marcia felt hopelessly out of place. Physically, she didn't know how to transform like the others, and emotionally, she had always struggled to express herself. She looks down at her hands, hers contrasting to the scaly serpentine hands of the one in front of her. "I don't know how to change." Marcia whispered out, looking back at the gorgon.

Jamie holds Marcia's hand, her scales touching her tender light brown skin. "I can show you how, if you want to." Marcia felt a tug on the corners of her lips, pulling it into a smile. This was it, a chance to be herself. "Please, lead the way." The gorgon slithered to the forest with the human close behind, both being soaked in the blue moonlight.

They made their way to a small, rustic shack illuminated by flickering candles and the eerie glow of a jack-o'-lantern. As they entered the dimly lit room, Marcia couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation mixed with trepidation. The atmosphere was thick with incense, and the candles.

"We're going to dig deep inside, Marcia," Jamie said, her voice gentle but resolute. "We will sit on the floor and face each other. Relax and let your mind wander. I'm going to ask you some questions. Just answer them honestly, let it all out." Marcia nodded at the instructions and carefully sat on the dusty mat, with the gorgon doing the same thing. Jamie held both of Marcia's hands, her touch comforting and reassuring.

"Okay, let's begin." Jamie began with a simple question, "Where do you come from?"

Marcia hesitated for a moment and thought about the question, reassessing what she's doing right now. Being away from her parents for a few hours in some unknown kind of dimension makes her want to disobey her parents. 'No talking to strangers,' they said, 'don't leave the house'. She let her curiosity control her, her small sparks of defiance and quest for her truth culminating in this exact moment.

She took a deep breath, "I come from a small town," Marcia explained. "My parents are very strict. They control everything I do. They tell me what to wear, what to say, and even who to be friends with."

"Do you like being controlled?"

The girl avoided the gaze of the gorgon. "I hate it. But I'm afraid to disobey my parents. I don't want to get them angry," she admitted, her voice quivering. As Marcia shared her deepest fears and struggles, she began to glow, a soft, radiant light enveloping her. Jamie watched with a reassuring smile.

"Keep going, Marcia," she encouraged. "You're doing great." Tears welled up in Marcia's eyes as she continued, "I don't want to be forced to wear dresses, and I don't want to be forced to like boys, but I can't tell my parents what I don't want. I've always been told what I want."

"What do you want, Marcia, Truthfully?"

"I just want to be free, do what I choose, to be happy. But I don't know how to do any of that..." Marcia's glow flickered faintly, she felt Jamie's grip tightened, not too much to hurt her but enough to look straight in her emerald eyes.

"That is your true self. That's the part of you that's been hidden away. But it's there, and it's waiting to be unleashed."

Then, her vision of the gorgon faded in a blast of gleam transporting her in her own subconscious. Standing in a vast, otherworldly expanse. Before her, something charged towards her-an intense, bright ball of orange light. Marcia wanted to leave but being surrounded with darkness means there's no way out, it's calling her. Instead of fearing its impact, Marcia opened her arms and embraced the light with warmth and acceptance.

Jamie observed in awe as Marcia's eyes began to glow, and her entire form consumed itself in a blinding light. Marcia emerged as a breathtaking orange and yellow phoenix, her eyes shimmering as she flew outside the shack with glee. Jamie slithered outside to see Marcia show off her new, true form.

Marcia flew high and low, even circling around the gorgon. She landed down and glanced at her wings, her feathers glistening rather than her dull colour of her hands before, it was the first time her choices felt right, and she knew, without a doubt, that her true self had been found.

"Marcia you are so beautiful!" Jamie exclaimed as she rushed to hug the phoenix. "You did it, I'm so proud of you." When they both separated from the hug, Marcia holds Jamie's hand as she lets out a soft chuckle. "Let's have fun tonight."

Marcia spent the rest of Halloween exploring Embermoor with Jamie. She flew through the forest, soaring high above the trees. She felt the wind in her feathers and the starlight on her face. Not only that, but she and Jamie encountered different creatures and they ended up on a cliff side, watching the meteor shower. She felt alive.

As Halloween day came to a close, it was time for Marcia to leave. Jamie led her back to abandoned house, both girls stand in front of the bedroom door. Marcia gave the gorgon one last embrace, leaning her head on the crook of Jamie's neck. "Thank you so much, I couldn't have done it without you."

"Always stay true to yourself, Marcia," Jamie held the phoenix's face, knowing it might be the last time she would see her again. "No matter what."

Marcia nodded, tears welled down and Jamie carefully wiped it off. She knew that she would never forget her time with her new friend and Embermoor. She is in tuned with her true self, and she was finally ready to embrace her true identity.

Marcia waved goodbye to Jamie and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and concentrated, stepping inside the luminous bedroom portal. Her body began to shimmer and change. She transformed back into her human form. The last thing she remembered is an all consuming glow.

Marcia opened her eyes and looked around. She was back in her bedroom. Looking down at her human form she noticed a small orange phoenix mark etched on her skin, a constant reminder of her inner strength and newfound courage. She knew that she would never be the same again. Marcia now knows who she is, and she is ready to face anything life throws at her.