Page 3 of The Neighborhood Vampire

Hugo leaned forward and shouted, “Yaw!”

The broomstick took off. They flew out of Wildgrove Park, careful not to hit any of the tree branches attempting to strike them out of the night sky.

They raced toward the muted glow of Newbury Grove off in the distance. The trees were like blurry streaks beneath them. They passed above the town center. It was the witching hour, the time between 3 and 4 a.m. They were the only souls awake. Normally, they had a rule to stay away from the town center while flying to avoid a repeat of last March—back when Hugo flew across the sky, in front of a crowd of onlookers, as he raced to rescue Alice from the torment of the amulet of witch’s fire.

Tonight was different. Alice allowed him to give her this view. This beautiful view of the turn of the twentieth-century buildings passing beneath them. Hugo pulled back to slow their speed, to not spoil this moment for Alice. She took it all in. The brightly colored awnings. Ornate light fixtures bathed the town center in an orangish glow. Neatly trimmed trees lined the street. This was her home.Theirhome.

Alice hugged Hugo tighter, wanting him to be as close to her as possible. She kissed him on the shoulder. He side-glanced back at her and smiled before banking to the left. They were following the streets below.

The building with the black-and-white striped awning came intoview. The unmistakable, cursive black lettering. Raskin’s Neighborhood Market.

Alice gave a curious look. “What are we doing here?”

“I told you it’s a surprise,” Hugo said.

Hugo maneuvered Guinevere to the back of the building. Alice snapped her fingers, and the area darkened to conceal their arrival from any onlookers. Their feet meet the ground with a cushioned touch as they landed. They disembarked and Hugo moved over to a door with an alarm.

“Are we breaking and entering?” Alice asked with a smile.

“Nah,” Hugo said. “They trust me with the code. It’s fine.”

Hugo punched in a code on the security keypad. The door unlocked.

He opened it, holding and gesturing for her to go inside. “After you.”

Alice smiled and said, “Gwennie, wait here.” She entered the building with Hugo following behind her.

They were in the back loading area. Pallets of non-perishable items waited to be put on shelves. Hugo examined an electrical box on the wall. He flipped a few switches, and the entire store lit up.

“Follow me,” Hugo commanded.

He proceeded through a swinging door. Alice followed.

They exited the loading area down a hallway leading to the main store. Alice followed Hugo as he forged a path through the lines of shelves. They passed by the deli counter, where only a year ago she told Hugo she would have said yes to a date if he had asked her out on the fateful night they first met. She was glad he had eventually asked her out.

“It’s over here,” Hugo said. “Wait. Close your eyes.”

Alice stopped and did as commanded. “What is this?”

“It’s your surprise. Trust me. Give me your hand,” Hugo said.

Alice stuck out her hand, and he took it.

“Follow me.” He led her down an aisle.

“I feel silly.”

“That’s okay. We can be silly together.”

Alice tingled at his familiar phrase, conjuring images in her mind of when they stomped grapes together.

“Keep them closed.”

“They’re closed,” she assured him.

“Okay, stop. Now open your eyes.”

She did as instructed. Her mouth dropped with joyous glee. She covered the lower half of her face with her hands. The shock overwhelmed her. Tears formed in her eyes. She was motionless, frozen in time, not wanting to waste a second of the moment as it filled her soul.

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