Page 14 of The King of Halloween
“Every year for October, we do free outdoor movies on Saturday night. Cute PG ones for the kids early, then a horror one for the older crowd after,” the mayor explained.
“We also sell popcorn at ten bucks a bucket,”Marianne added.
Raj nodded to them both. “What’s the horror movie?”
“Same damn thing it is every year,” Marianne muttered to herself.
Gritting his teeth, Adam stepped in before they started talking about changing up the tradition. “It’s an old, obscure B-movie. People like to bring props, shout along with the dialogue. Have fun.” Adam glared at Marianne before he returned to Raj. “Evil Sheep 2. I doubt you’ve heard of it.”
“Heard of it? It’s only the best ba-ad movie to feature a scene with arsonist gophers.”
No. There is no chance he’s seen Evil Sheep.It took Adam five years and a month’s income to get his hands on a projection reel. Having an out-of-body experience, Adam’s head turned like a creaky screen door. He stared long at Raj, who was smiling ear to ear. “You’ve…seen it?”
“More times than I can count. People like to say the original is better, but come on. The puppetry in the first is so amateurish compared to the smooth movements in the sequel. You can really feel that ram thrusting that pitchfork through the old farmer’s wife.”
“I know. And the sound design. That is the definitive brains-popping-through-a-skull sound. Without question.”
“A hem.”
Adam jerked to realize he’d slapped his hands on the table so close to Raj’s that they were nearly touching. He clenched his nails across the old plastic, uncertain what to do.
“Great.” Marianne sighed. “Another one.”
Blinking rapidly, Raj glanced over to the mayor. “Do you think it would help if Burt Soup showed up to the screening?”
“Shut up,” Adam shouted, his whole world tilting on its axis.
Mrs. Milner leaned over to ask, “What’s a burped soup?”
“You.” Adam waggled his finger at Raj, his brain shattered into a million pieces. “You can get the star of the Dead Sheep series, Burt Soup—the Nose himself—to come to our screening?”
“What’ll it cost us?” Mayor Gunderson asked.
Ha.He may as well ask what the price of putting the moon in his garage would be. Planetary theft was as likely to happen as the Nose showing up in Anoka.
“Ah, a plane ticket?” Raj said. “Maybe dinner, too.”
“I’m sorry.” Adam kept tapping his forehead, unable to process any of this new data. “You know Burt Soup? You…you can bring him here, to Anoka, for a little movie night?”
“Yeah. We worked together a few times. He’s a great guy. Really down to earth, and funny too. One time he…” Raj started to laugh to himself. “The goat kicked him and…” He broke down into giggles again. “The jam went everywhere!” Wincing, Raj whispered, “He tells it better.”
“Well, a big fancy movie star at one of our events. That sounds like a real shot in the arm for Anoka’s tourism. Wouldn’t you agree, Halloween King?” The mayor damn near nudged Adam in the ribs while he kept beaming at Raj like he was the second coming.
“Yes,” Adam spat out with gritted teeth.
“Wonderful. I’ll put that down under new business.” The mayor pretended to write while he glanced at their secretary. Then he dropped his pen. “Oh. It just hit me. If we’re going to have a fancy Hollywood star here, then we shouldn’t risk him getting wet or cold out on the lawn.”
“That’s why I offered my shop,” Adam said.
The mayor bulldozed him. “Why don’t we have it at your new hotel? There’s a ballroom, right?”
“Um…” Raj gulped and stared around the table. “Yes. I…suppose that would work. If people brought their own chairs.”
“Then it’s settled. We’ll have our new and improved movie night at the Rushford,” the mayor declared. “Sorry, the Heartbreak Hotel.”
“Wait. Wait, wait, wait.” Adam flared his hands. “What’s wrong with my shop?”
“It’s a little small,” Marianne said.
