Page 184 of Knot Baked Out For This
"He startled you."
"He's doing his job!"
"Badly."
The wagon jolts to a stop in the middle of the fog-shrouded woods, supposedly for "mechanical difficulties" but really to build tension. The fog is so thick we can barely see the other passengers, and the sounds of the night—owls, wind, possibly actual murderers—create the perfect ambiance.
Levi leans close, his breath hot against my ear.
"Bet I could make you scream louder than that ghost."
I swat him, but I'm laughing and definitely blushing, and the couple across from us is staring.
"Behave!" I hiss.
"Never." He grins. "Pack law number two: Levi doesn't behave."
"That's already a universal law."
"Now it's official."
The wagon starts moving again, and the final scare is actually impressive—a full graveyard scene with fog and lighting and zombies that look almost real. One reaches for me, and I grab the first thing available.
Which is Fred.
Which I throw.
At the zombie.
Who catches it and looks confused.
"Did you just assault an actor with a stuffed spider?" Rowan asks.
"Fred volunteered as tribute!"
"Fred is inanimate!"
"Fred is brave!"
The actor, still holding Fred, breaks character completely. "Ma'am? Do you...want this back?"
"Yes, please," I squeak, and Luca has to reach over to retrieve Fred while the entire wagon tries not to laugh.
"We're never living this down," he mutters.
"We could move," I suggest.
"After all that renovation? Not a chance."
The ride ends with us disembarking to scattered applause—apparently, my spider-throwing has made me festival famous—and we escape to a quieter corner by one of the bonfires.
"That was mortifying," I moan, clutching Fred like he can protect me from my shame.
"That was hilarious," Levi corrects, pulling me down onto a hay bale. "You're a legend now. The Omega who fought back with plush weapons."
"I panicked!"
"You improvised," Luca says, appearing with mugs of hot cider that smell like autumn in liquid form. "With style."
