Page 33 of A Fowl Match

Constance counts down the seconds, “Three, two, one, go!”

Everything is a chaotic blur. Teams are running past us out of the pavilion. Others stand in place, ripping open their envelopes. Dustin and I planned to stay put and read the first clue, so that we could figure out where to look first. Running blindly wouldn’t help us in the least. He tears into the corner and unfolds a white piece of paper.

“You can find me where the mini trees are,” Dustin reads the clue out loud. “I have no clue what that means—mini trees? Does The Hoarder Emporium or Cat’s & Novel’s sell mini tree figurines? Or does our town have a Christmas tree farm I don’t know about?”

“We do! Olive’s parents have one. But they wouldn’t put it that far out of town. It has to be within walking distance.” I scratch my head. “Wait, I know!” I grab Dustin's hand and tug him with me. My hand tingles with nervous tension against the touch, but I don’t have much time to think about it. We slide along the sidewalk passing a few shops. At this point my hair is drenched so it sticks to my neck. I continue to blow my bangs out of my eyes. When they’re wet they become a nuisance. I should have pinned them up before this competition. I’ve also slipped a few times already, but Dustin caught me every time. I’m just glad I settled on wearing a pair of rain boots with good grips on the bottom.

Suds in the Bucketcar washcarries the scented mini trees for cars. Right along the wall they have a dispenser and if I’m guessing correctly, the next clue should be there.

“Why in the world are we at the car wash?” Dustin asks in between huffs of breath.

“You’ll see, unless I’m wrong.” The car wash is deserted. Most of the townies seem to stay out of town during events, or hangout grabbing food and watching the competitions. But who would be at the car wash right now anyway? It’s raining. The building has four open bays, each one equipped with a sprayer nozzle and brush. It’s the old-fashioned self-serve system that you put quarters in to add time. Sure enough at the outer building wall there is a tree air freshener dispenser. Another purple envelope is taped to the side.

“You are a genius!” Dustin shouts through the pouring rain. He grabs the next clue and hands it to me to read.

“Why, thank you.” I bow, teasing him. I unfold the envelope and start reading, “Congratulations! You found me. But don’t get toococky.You might have tocluckyour way to the next one.”

“It’s in the chicken coop, isn’t it?”

“Unfortunately.” I shrug.

Chapter 21

Dustin

Thenextcluewastaped to the inside of the chicken coop. All of the chickens are perched inside for the day, ducking in to escape the rain. I can’t blame them. Thankfully, Mason keeps the inside clean, fresh hay lines the floors, so it isn’t as bad as I was expecting. It’s actually nice to be out of the rain, even if it's for only a few minutes. Violet is crouching down petting Miss. Helga, our good luck charm. Let’s hope she can spread some of that luck for us today, because we need it to make it through this scavenger hunt.

“Good job, you found the second clue. To find the next one follow the stone path to a pool of blue. I’m on the side of something standing, feet grounded.”

“The pond—it has to be. But what’s the thing standing?” Violet scratches her head in thought while looking at the chickens.

What could it be?

I’ve gone for a few runs on the path that leads to the pond and one thing sticks out to me the most. “The bulletin board with the news and town map. Its posts are anchored in concrete.”

“Yes! It has to be!” Violet hops up and pulls me into a squeezing hug. Her arms envelope me in her grip. I hug her back; the electricity of our connection doesn’t go unnoticed. But before I can comment on it, she's running from the coop behind the shops, bee-lining it to a path hidden between trees. Instead of backtracking to the town sidewalk we run through the woods behind the shops. It’s a muddy mess. I follow her, weaving in and out of trees. I would lead her so that I can be the one to fall first if something’s in the way, but I haven’t been through this part of the town before. So, I would just hold her back.

Soon enough the woods part to a clearing with the pond in the center. Like a beacon of blue, the trees reflect on the water’s surface. The sign is not too far from where the woods meet the opening. Before I have a chance to keep running, Violet starts to tumble to the ground, falling headfirst into a thick patch of mud. It happens in a blur. Her arms flail out in front of her on instinct to catch the fall. But she’s too slow and ends up fully covered. She lays there for what feels like hours. I run to her side, hoping that she’s okay. Fear shoots through me.

Screw the challenge.The thought crosses my mind. All I care about is her. I couldn't care less about winning, or anything else. I just need her to be okay.

She rolls onto her back. Her face is covered in mud, her sweatshirt and jeans caked in brown.

“Vivi. Are you okay?” I ask, my voice filled with concern. I kneel down to make sure she's alright. Feeling déjà vu all over again. She is a glutton for falling.

“Can—you help me up?” she mumbles, stretching out her right hand up to me. I grab it and start to pull her up. She tugs on me so hard that the shock makes me lose my balance. My feet give out and I tumble into the mud beside her. She explodes into a fit of giggles, turning to look at me while we both laugh. Lying in a heap of mud, all of the worries I’ve been letting sit in theback of my mind fade away. Being laid off a few weeks ago. Also throwing in the fact that I am now running a farm, not knowing if it’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. If someone told me a few weeks ago that I’d be happier than I’ve been in years living here in Thornwood Valley, laying in a patch of mud, weeks spent entertaining the town’s competitive small business games and now a proud owner of a cat named Sardine, with Violet by my side, I would have laughed in their face and called them a liar. But now that I’m here looking into Violet’s warm eyes that sparkle against the pouring rain, I can’t help but feel like I’m finding myself for the first time.

I don’t know how long we’ve been lying here, listening to the tree branches sway. Or how long I’ve been scanning her face. The crimson flush of cheeks against pale, mud painted skin.

The magnetic pull draws me in, a force stronger than I can control. We are merely inches away from each other. The heat radiates from our close proximity against the chill outside. We’re so close that her shampoo fills my senses with hints of chamomile and bergamot. The sweet scent permeates me, I don’t ever want to forget it. Lost in the moment a thought crosses my mind. I want to brush my lips against hers so I can find out what they would feel like against mine. Would they be soft and warm? Does she feel the magnetic pull between us as much as I do?

Her eyes flutter closed, a silent invitation.

A loud crash of thunder sounds in the sky.

Dammit.

It makes Violet and I come to our senses.

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