The night of the witches

Oct. 2005. Just days before my second Halloween ever. I was in a mall in Arizona with a group of Kosovo lawyers and judges. I stumble upon Fredericks of Hollywood, before I ever heard of them (I moved to the States a year before, and No, I didn't remember that line from Sex and the city) and I didn't have a Halloween costume. There's no Halloween in Serbia. Yes, there are all kinds of horrors, and freaks (just like here) but no one dresses up unless insane or insanely drunk, and no one celebrates  "the night of the witches" unless that is their pet name for their mother-in-law (very frequently used in Serbia, to describe a woman someone (usually a man) is fond of.)
Back to Arizona. So I was trying on different costumes, having fun (hey, this was fun for me, new for me) and I decided to buy one. O.K? Now I'm embarrassed to say which one, but it's not really relevant to the story. Wait, what's the story? In my defense, it was only slightly slutty, I thought that might have been the point of Halloween, being new to the country and all, and it looked really good on me. And I was very, very young. (Now I'm just very young.)
I wore it for two years and gave it away to charity right after I got my Masters Degree and became google-able.
Rewind to my first Halloween. Belgrade, 2003. The Canadian Embassy. My friend (student) Karen lent me a tail and ears, and in an all black bodysuit, I suddenly became a tigress (similar to lioness but more feisty.) I remember the inspired costumes and a huge party, as well as an elaborate, pro haunted house in the U.S. Embassy. By the way, the Canadian Embassy in Belgrade was the happening place at that time. The best happy hours, every Friday!
Today. My...ninth Halloween. A friend promised a party (you know who you are) and then hasn't delivered, but I have already bought some devil parts--horns, bow-tie, tail. And I'm not wearing it now.
At least not yet.
p.s. For some reason, I don't remember the Halloween of 2004. I was probably still too green, or I repressed it in my mind due to the extreme happiness of the one who recently changed continents.
p.p.s. Haven't I promised I would be silly...