Chapter 5 Amber
amber
“Are you sure no one will recognize me?”
My mom laughed. “You’re a far cry from stage sparkles in this costume.”
I smoothed down the fuzzy orange sweater.
It had been white two days ago. Finding a Velma orange sweater on short notice was outside of even my wheelhouse.
But some natural dyes had made for a bright saffron color.
My mother’s handiwork with a sewing machine took care of the swingy pleated red skirt.
Luckily it ended up being a mild night so I could go with a pair of orange knee socks and red Mary Jane shoes I found in a thrift store a few towns over. I was glad some of my old places were still open. I’d had to make my own costumes at the start of my career and money had been scarce.
I adjusted the brown wig until the bangs were straight, then gave them a little fluff. It was the best part of the disguise. The dark hair so very different from my pale blond. Add in the tinted glasses and...
“Wow.” I fussed with the skirt. The pleats were damn near perfect, but it was a touch short. “You outdid yourself, Mom.”
She came up behind me in the mirror. “I did, didn’t I?” She smoothed the hair of the wig. “No one would recognize you, I promise.”
A little anonymity tonight sounded really nice.
I’d been cooped up in the house for the last four days. My brother hadn’t been able to get away from the hospital, but what I’d really needed was rest anyway. As exhausted as I had been, there was only so much sleeping a girl could do.
I’d been hiding all my hair under a slouchy hat when I did leave the house. The extensions definitely needed to come out. I just wasn’t sure if the Natalie’s Hair Hut would be the best place for that to happen. I was tempted to fly Harini here to take them out, but she deserved her own vacation.
My crew, dancers, makeup, and hair dressers all worked harder than I did.
I would figure it out.
They were heavy as hell, so it needed to be soon. But for now, they were braided and pinned down under the wig.
I turned around and gave my mom a tight hug. “Thanks for this. I love it.”
She folded me in against her. “Are you sure you don’t want us to go with you?”
I laughed. “No. I know you guys go with your friends. I don’t want to bring any attention to you. People will figure it out if you stand by me.”
“If you’re sure.”
I stepped back and nodded. “I’m excited to go out incognito. Believe me.”
I grabbed the leather satchel I’d found at the same thrift store and looped it over my neck and shoulders. I checked my keys, money, and phone and flew down the stairs and out the back door where my old yellow VW Bug was parked.
I paused at the door.
This car wasn’t exactly inconspicuous. Maybe I should have my dad drop me off. I’d probably have to park a long way off anyway.
Stop being a nervous Nelly. No one would notice it. Heck, people probably didn’t even remember the car anymore. It would be just one of many that needed to be picked up later when the parade was over.
I tossed the bag in the passenger seat and backed out of the garage.
Driving into town caused a huge wave of deja vu. I’d driven the roads a million times. Some of the old staples like Angelito’s and The Daily Scoop ice cream shop were still where I remembered. The bookshop and taco place were new, however. My stomach growled at the idea of tacos.
I was already starving.
I barely got down Destiny Street when the crowds started barring the streets. I found a parking spot near the park and checked my makeup in the mirror. I’d gone simple, only really adding some freckles to the bridge of my nose.
“Here goes nothing,” I said to my reflection. I got out and followed the foot traffic toward the bank where people were signing up for best costume. I bypassed that table and slipped into the crowd.
The kids were happily trunk or treating at festively decorated cars parked on the street while everyone waited for the parade to begin.
Vendors were selling street-fair food and a bunch of food trucks were making a killing near town hall.
I bought a few soft tacos and ate as I lazily made my way along the sidewalks peeking into the shops that were still open.
There were quite a few empty buildings with leasing signs in the windows.
A familiar drumbeat had me craning me neck. The Haven High marching band always started off the parades. Instead of our usual red and gold uniforms, they were all dressed up like zombies and playing “Thriller.”
Various vintage convertibles slowly drove down Destiny Street with themed costume couples.
Haven always went all out for the major town holidays.
At the back end of the cars people started following in their costumes. Each store and restaurant was decked out with spooky gear and tried to lure people off the parade with their wares.
They got me a few times, but I was too content to slowly walk with the rest of the parade and to take a left down what used to be Columbus Ave, but now had a shiny new sign decreeing it Reynolds Avenue.
The hometown millionaire had made a name for himself.
It was a circuitous way to the Reynolds farm, but the day was so nice I didn’t mind the walk.
I was used to running five miles on my treadmill to keep me in shape to run around for two hours a night.
I found myself dancing with the kids in their adorable costumes.
I was surprised to see so many dressed up in The Princess Bride characters, but the little girl beside me made an adorable Princess Buttercup with her long, wavy blond hair.
A surprising pang hit me out of left field.
Kids had never really been on my radar. I’d been so career focused for the last five years that there had been no room for it. Julian certainly hadn’t been father material.
Shaking off the memories of my ex, I had to laugh at the influx of teens who joined the parade from a nearby development.
The sweetly adorable costumes were now of a distinctly adult flavor.
Sabrina Carpenter costumes led the pack as well as tight fitting Avengers and DC superheroes.
And of course the usual witch, vampires, and zombies with a smattering of cops and firemen.
Small-town America might be changing with the encroaching tech world, but Halloween always brought people into town.
I kept hearing people talking about the Reynolds farm. The small-town rumor mill was always brewing up some hot tea. Evidently it was supposed to be the ultimate end of the parade.
I started to lose some steam. The tacos and funnel cake I’d eaten made me glad I had a fluffy sweater to hide how tight the band on my skirt was at that point.
But when we rounded the bend, two twenty-foot Frankensteins tied to a massive arch had everyone talking.
A far cry from the old farm sign of my childhood.
I remembered the small farm stand Mrs. Reynolds had run right through my high school days.
Now, the weathered wood was replaced with a wrought iron fence at the end of the drive. Instead of closing off the property, it gave it a grand entrance. I couldn’t quite read the sign under it, but a temporary banner declaring Haven Halloween Haunts flapped in the breeze.
The cars that had been slowly leading the charge were now parked along the winding road that led to the Reynolds farm.
My mother hadn’t been kidding about the changes to the farm.
It had been repurposed into a village of sorts. It seemed to be mid-build, but they’d made a valiant effort in hiding the rough edges with impressive decorations and rows of tents with games inside. Each tent had a different motif from scary clowns to Disney villains and everything in between.
The food trucks from town were now stationed here to feed the masses who had worked up an appetite. I lost myself in the games and people watched, my music brain soaking everything up like a sponge.
I climbed the winding gravel road toward the back of the pasture.
There was a fenced-in area that seemed to be off limits on the far side of the hill, but there was plenty going on near the maze.
People were making social media videos with their friends and snacking on the candy in plentiful supply.
I avoided the cameras and dipped into the maze.
Laughing my way through the jump scares and costumed kids squealing, I somehow ended up in a dead end of the maze.
I turned around to try and get back to the main maze, but the fog machine left me disorientated. I bumped into a huge form and screeched at the mottled face of a zombie. He was staked into the ground and thankfully not an actual person.
Laughter and screams floated in distantly. At least I wasn’t that far off from civilization. The huge black fabric draped hay bales and cut off the setting sun, leaving it dark save for some eerie purple lights.
I swung around at a sound and my mouth dropped open at the massive rat.
It convulsed and trundled forward. I yelped, bumping into something or someone. I whirled around to find a very tall guy in all black. His face was half covered with little pointy horns at the top of the mask.
The double D on the front of the costume was splattered in red and he had a staff in his hands.
Startled, I backed up and the rat was right there. Between the atmosphere and the enclosed space I freaked out.
“Hey, it’s okay.” The deep voice didn’t help the rising panic.
He dropped the staff and held his hands out. “The ROUS won’t get you.”
I bent at the waist and laughed. “God, I’m sorry. Good job on the decorations. You got me.”
I pulled the glasses off and tucked them into the neck of my sweater as I stood.
“Amber?”