Page 29 of The Neighborhood Witch

Alice expanded her smile before responding with a hint of sarcasm, “Oh, wouldn’t want to miss out on a turkey leg.”

“Best in the state!” Hugo responded before leading her down the stairs.

Alice took up position on the left of the sidewalk.

Hugo was quick to interrupt. “Sorry, I have to be on that side.”

“Oh?” Alice seemed startled.

“It’s a chivalry thing. A personal thing. I have to be between you and the cars,” Hugo explained as he stepped to Alice’s side.

She smiled. “I appreciate a chivalrous man.”

“All those years going to the renaissance festival, I guess they rubbed off on me.” They joined the procession leading toward the center of town.

Johanna Newes satin her high-back antique chair, watching the procession down the street from behind a small opening in her curtains. Her brunette hair was pulled neatly back into a ponytail. A grandfather clock ticked in the background. Her living room was dimly lit as to not alert anyone to her presence.

A wretched, blasphemous holiday, Johanna thought.

She noticed movement across the street and saw a familiar figure. She pulled back the lace curtain to get a better view. He was unmistakable. She also recognized a familiar pointed hat.

“How could you, Hugo?” she whispered as she tapped against her pinned cloak clasp.

Hugo and Alice proceeded down the street. Johanna sprung up from her chair and turned off the antique lamp on the side table to darken the room.

The town centerwas a flurry of revelry and joyous people. Throngs of people mingled through the brightly colored tents and food trucks that lined the streets. Kids ran around in a menagerie of Halloween costumes. The smells of fried food and expensive beer saturated the air. A melody of carnival music blared from mobile rides that beckoned, calling young children to partake—for a fee, of course.

A Ferris wheel, taller than the buildings, gave riders a magnificent view of the town. Faux jack-o’-lanterns adorned the tops of the ornate streetlamps, struggling to fight back against thedarkness of the night sky. Hugo and Alice wove their way through the crowd, clutching their prized turkey legs.

“Look, Mommy, she’s a witch like me,” a young child’s voice caught Alice’s attention.

She bent down, looked the child in the eyes, and smiled at her witch costume.

“Well, hello, fellow witch. Are you causing mischief and mayhem, like me?”

The child giggled as Alice asked the question. She reached behind the child’s ear and conjured a small candy bar. She paused, seeking confirmation from the mother before handing over the treat. The child’s eyes widened at receiving a gift of chocolate.

“Thank you,” the child replied before showing her mom.

Alice stood up.

“I love the costume,” the mom replied before they scurried away.

“Oh, it’s not a costume,” Hugo stated before he winked at Alice and nudged her shoulder. “Do you always carry around small candy bars in your pocket?” he joked.

Alice lightly smacked Hugo across his chest. The back of her hand slid across the smooth leather. “Jealous you didn’t get one?”

“Actually, yeah.”

“Too bad. Fresh out,” Alice replied. “Have to save the rest for trick-or-treaters. So, what’s on the agenda, Hugo Dodds?”

“Well, we have to stop by the fortune teller; that’s always fun. They have a bobbing for apples booth—catch as many as you can in one minute to win prizes. Maybe ride the Ferris wheel.” There was joy in Hugo’s voice, a joy he hadn’t felt in a long time. “Oh, and we have to try the homemade cider. What do you want to do first?”

Alice took a bite of her turkey leg. She wiped the juices from her chin, careful to not get them all over her coat. “This is a good turkey leg.”

“Told you. Best in the state.” Hugo took a bite.

“The fortune teller sounds fun.”

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