Page 36 of Something Cryptid This Way Comes
CHAPTER 11
TREVOR
Hand in hand, Bram and I stroll down Garnet Drive with our dogs on leash leading the way.
Hades and Bandit bark at dogs farther up the block. Every time I look at Hades dressed in his devil costume, and Bandit as a bee, I grin. Getting them into the costumes was easier than I anticipated, but I don’t know how long we’ll have until they’ll want the items off.
Music echoes from Maplewood City Park, and brightly painted signs point the way to the Fun and Fright Fest. So many people are out here, crowding the sidewalk, hurrying past us to get to the event. Pets, kids, and some adults in costumes, vendors carrying boxes, musicians hefting instruments, everyone is excited and ready for another Maplewood festival.
Bram lets out a low whistle. “So many people. Hades won’t know where to look first.”
“If he gets overwhelmed, we can duck out for a bit and take him for a walk in a quieter area of town or head back home.”
The air is crisp, bordering on cold, and I use the excuse toburrow closer to him. He’s stolen another of my plaid shirts in what’s become almost a daily occurrence. The tails of the blue plaid shirt stick out from the hem of his leather jacket. Seeing him in my clothes warms my insides and makes me want to puff out my chest. It’s like he’s announcing to the world he’s mine. I like seeing him in my clothes almost as much as I like waking up with him in my bed. Which is to say, a lot.
We reach the corner of Garnet Drive and Morgan Street. Dozens of balloons in orange, purple, and black arch over the park’s entrance. Beyond it, vendors and activity stations spread across the park’s green spaces.
A big smile stretching across his face, Bram bumps his shoulder into mine. “I wish they’d held this when we were kids.”
“It’s my favorite festival.” Guiding Bandit around two teens admiring each other’s zombie costumes, I walk under the balloon arch and onto the paved path decorated with colorful chalk drawings. “Maybe we should’ve worn costumes.”
Bram draws Hades away from a toddler dropping pieces of her donut on the grass. “We will, for the adult trick-or-treat. For now… I see booths selling witch and wizard hats and headbands with sparkly pumpkins and bats on antennas. Want any of those?”
I like that we can be silly with each other. “We have to go with the sparkles so we match Hades and Bandit. I like the pumpkins.”
Hades’s costume is a red velour cape with webbed collar, and sparkly red curved devil horns, and Bandit in his yellow and black striped bee costume, has sparkly silver wings and a yellow cap sporting iridescent tinsel balls for antennas.
Bram presses his hand to my lower back, guiding me in the direction of the booth. “Sparkling headbands, coming right up.”
I hold the dogs while he buys a headband with sparklypurple bats for himself, and one with orange pumpkins for me. After donning his headband, he turns to me and smiles. His blue eyes shining, he slides my pumpkin headband into place with care, and ends his act with a kiss on my lips.
This tiny moment is one memory I’ll cherish forever. Something so simple and ordinary, yet shakes my world with the tenderness of it.
The pumpkins bob with my every step as we visit the vendors. The warring diners, Sparky’s and Red’s are here, along with Harmonic Circus, the gardening club, local artisans, a vendor selling all things maple, and a specialty pie shop serving up slices of maple, apple, pecan, and pumpkin.
At the booth for the specialty pet boutique, we buy treats for the dogs. Hades tugs on the leash, his head turning right and left at all the people passing and possible new friends. Bandit is more interested in the little kids dressed as baseball players tossing a ball back and forth.
Bram points to a row of vendors by one of the paths. “Ever’s booth is over there.”
We wind our way in that direction, and at the Honey Spot’s booth, find Ever and Dmitri, and Jake and Alaric. Alaric is also sporting a bat antenna headband, with black bats.
As soon as Ever sees Bandit, he grins. “Now, there’s a costume.”
Bandit smiles his doggy smile at me like he knows he’s the center of attention. I bend and pat his head. “I thought you’d like it.”
“You could use him as a store mascot.” Jake squats down and lets the dogs climb on him.
Dmitri pets Bandit’s head, and brushes his fingers over one of the bee wings. “We already have our costumes for the adult trick-or-treat, but now I know what next year’scostume will be for me.”
I drop Bandit’s leash so he can climb onto Jake's lap better. “What are your costumes?”
Ever holds up a box of dog treats, his eyebrows raised in question. “You’ll have to come by the store that night so you can see.”
“Oh, we’ll be there,” I assure him, and nod that Bandit can have a treat. “Since we were busy setting up the haunted house this past week, Bram and I haven’t picked costumes yet, but we have time.”
Jake stands, brushing dog hair from his pants and hands Bandit’s leash to me. “Are you ready for opening night? A few guys I work with have tickets and plan to be at the haunted house when the doors open tonight.”
“We’re ready. I’ll be there at the start, before going to see Jo at the carving competition.” I lean into Bram. We worked so hard getting everything ready, and I did a final walk through today while Bram did podcast promo on social media. “Don’t forget, Bram’s podcast episode about the cryptid investigation airs tonight too.”
