Page 7 of Her Wonderful Wonder Bell
“Absolutely not. I asked because I wanted you to know that you’re supported. We accept everyone who accepts us in Ghostlight Falls, and don’t tolerate the horrible bigotry of outsiders.” I tip my head to the side as I think. “At least, that’s how it used to be. It was one of the main reasons I moved here. I came for a Wonder Balls game with a friend and saw all the different types of couples out in the open, everyone accepting them, treating them equally. When I saw they were having tryouts for the Wonder Belles, I moved here on a bus with a one-way ticket. I certainly hope it hasn’t changed. Would be a tragedy if things grew hatefulhere.”
“Oh, heck no. Ghostlight Falls is just about the most accepting place there is. As long as you support the Wonder Balls and not the Ankara Eels, of course.” Delia winks.
The Ankara Eels have been the rivals of the Wonder Balls since before my time. When there’s a Balls versus Eels game happening, the whole town gets riled up.
“Well, of course. No one likes an Eels fan. If you’re not a Wonder Balls fanatic, are you even really a citizen here?”
I put my hand over my heart and begin to sing the one song everyone in Ghostlight Falls knows—The Wonder Balls anthem. Delia stands to join me shortly after I begin.
There’s never any wonder
Who’s the best team in the Falls
They’ll never steal our thunder
Cuz we’re the Wonder Balls!
From hole to lake to forest
We fight for Ghostlight Falls
We’ll never give them rest
Cuz we’re the Wonder Balls!
Balls! Balls! Balls!
We’re gonna fight! Fight! Fight!
For the Falls! Falls! Falls!
B-A-L-L BALLS! Go Balls!
I clasp my hands together in delight. “It’s good to know some things stay the same.”
“For sure.” Delia’s smiling eyes turn curious when they dart back down to my shoe. “So, question. Did your foot get sliced up too? It couldn’t have been just your shoe, right?”
“What do you mean? Clearly not. I think I would feel it if my foot were torn up.”
“Yeah, but Mavis sliced through the whole piece of paper. I mean, you. Shoe, sock, foot. The whole thing was shredded, and I taped it back together. How did you not feel it?”
“Oh my. I didn’t stop to think about it. Haven’t really stopped to think about much. There’s a lot happening.” I wiggle my foot again. It seems fine. “I suppose I could take off the shoe and check.”
My stomach feels like it’s twisting in knots with how nervous I am about it. I bend overand take a close look, pursing my lips in concentration. How am I supposed to untie a two-dimensional shoe?Hmm.Here we go.
As odd as it looks, the action itself goes quite smoothly. It’s so surreal though because to me, everything feels normal—I’m untying a shoe, same as always. Nothing is off about it to me except the annoying rustling sound I make when I move. In fact, I notice that when I move my clothing it moves smoothly along with me, but when an outside force attempts to, it's stiff. How strange and frustrating.
“Wow, that looks crazy. It’s like—actually, I was gonna say it’s like you’re a moving photograph, but that’s pretty much what you are, so that would be stupid to say. It’s like I’m watching one of those life-sized stand-up displays of movie stars they have at the theater sometimes, you know? Except alive. A moving photo with a soul,” Delia says, rapid-fire thoughts spilling out, as she’s watching me slip off my taped-together paper shoe.
It turns out there’s an entirely whole, stocking-covered paper foot underneath. No tape.
“A soul, huh? My mama wasn’t so sure I had a soul. She tried to marry me off to some old preacher when I was fourteen. To save my soul she said. More like to fill her wallet. I packed a bag in the middle of the night, took a train to California, and never saw her again.” I turn the shoe over in my hands and inspect the back of it.
My jaw tightens as years of terrible memories before Ghostlight Falls come rushing back. Closing my eyes, I let out a breath, feeling my muscles relax. “I don’t know what happened to get me here, but I know I had enough ofsomething—essence, spirit, maybe even asoul—to save for eighty years, so I could come back as sweet, and kind, andqueeras I ever was. Looks like my mama waswrong.”
“Man, fuck your mom.” Delia throws a pillow against the wall. “What a bitch.”
I bark out a surprised laugh. “Well, that’s straight to the point.”
