Page 30 of Wolves' Midlife Reunion
“Uh huh. And she said it wasreallyscary. It wasn’t just the decorations, either. There were people with chainsaws who were trying to cut them in half! They were running after them and everything!”
“I see.” There were haunted houses like that, but why would anyone come home and tell their young child about them? “Sometimes adults like to do things that feel really scary, and that’s why they go to haunted houses like that. I know this one isn’t that way, or I wouldn’t have brought you.”
“You’re sure? No chainsaws?”
“No chainsaws. I promise. I’ll be right here next to you the whole time, too.” Dex had thought it would be fun to do a haunted house together, one that was geared toward children. That was before he knew Sage had been primed with stories of other horror attractions.
“Well, if there are any people with chainsaws, I’m not going to let them touch me,” Sage affirmed.
Dex glanced around and then knelt in front of Sage. “You know, that makes me think of something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
“What?”
“I know you could get a little spooked in there, and sometimes we do things when we’re scared or we don’t have time to think,” he began.
“I won’t hit them,” she promised.
He chuckled. “I know you won’t. I just want to remind you not to use any magic.” Dex whispered the last few words so quietly that Sage had to lean close.
“I know, Daddy. You’ve told me that, and so has Tina.” She gave him one of those looks she’d mastered from a very young age, the kind that said she really wasn’t stupid and adults didn’t need to talk to her like she was.
“Yes,” he acknowledged, “and I know you’ve been very good about it. This is just a bit of a different situation, and I thought we should talk about it. Especially since you’ve been practicing so much.”
As soon as she’d gotten home from school and had a snack, Sage had disappeared into her room. Dex went to quietly check on her an hour later, figuring she was probably exhausted from their late night at the Samhain party. Instead, he’d found her sitting on her bed, working diligently to rearrange her stuffed animals with her magic.
They reached the entryway to the haunted house, and Dex paid their fee. Then a woman dressed as a witch handed Sage a laser pointer. “This is your magic wand! You’ll see many different creatures as you venture through our haunted house. If any of them are a little too scary, you only need to point your magic wand and they’ll disappear!”
“Clever,” Dex murmured. He took Sage’s hand.
“Do you have any questions about how your magic wand works?” the witch asked kindly.
Sage grinned. “No. I know a lot about magic.”
Dex let that go for the moment, but only because this was one of the very few times Sage would be able to say such things.
They wound their way through dark halls, swirling tunnels, and a room full of mirrors. As the witch had promised, several actors in full costume and makeup were posted throughout the building. The first few they passed were mild: a pirate, a princess, and a few more witches. They’d done a good job at gearing this toward children.
“He’s not so scary,” Sage giggled as they passed a werewolf who lurked in the corner of a darker room.
Even Dex was starting to relax. She was going to do just fine.
They passed Frankenstein, his huge frame lurking in a doorway off to the side. He groaned through his stitched mouth. Sage cuddled close to her father and whipped her magic wand, the red light of the laser pointer landing square on Frankenstein’s chest. The monster turned and walked away, disappearing in an instant.
“That worked quite well,” Dex noted, relieved that she’d used the laser and not her real magic.
Sage made a mummy and a ghost disappear next, but she let an alien stay next to his crashed spaceship with bright lights.
Another friendly witch now stood before them. “You’ve almost escaped! There are a lot of monsters behind this door.You must use your magic wand and get as many of them as you can. Do you think you can do that?”
Sage nodded bravely. “Yes!”
The witch let them into the next room. It was styled as a bridge that went over a firepit, with fake flames and glowing red lights beneath it. The wood had been distressed to look old and shaky, but it was sturdy under their feet. As promised, monsters appeared on either side as they crossed the bridge. Sage held tight to Dex’s hand, but she flashed her laser pointer as they hurried across the bridge. Trolls, goblins, and ogres fell backward at the merest glimmer of her wand. They pushed through a big wooden door and into a brightly lit room where yet another witch greeted them.
“You did a great job! Come pick a prize from our treasure chest!” She took the laser pointer and guided them to a huge treasure chest that held an abundance of little plastic toys. “You may also have a snack and a drink to refresh yourself after such an adventure.”
“That was so fun, Daddy!” Sage enthused as they each took a cupcake and a juice box over to a table. “I’m glad we got to do that.”
“Me, too, kiddo. You did a great job. You were really brave.”
