older ones did not hang around for the same reason. They were social rejects you’d cross the street to avoid. If they were prone to talking to themselves and threatening the skies while off the clock, they would certainly be an authentic fit for the Castle. No acting required. I was too nervous to talk to any of them and stared at the backs of their heads and sides of their faces.
I stopped scanning the group when I came to this one girl. She was uniquely perfect. Her incredible combination of bright blue eyes and a glowing round face pushed my heart into my throat. If I wasn’t so fascinated by her face, I would have noticed her hair first. It was feathered and dyed completely green, totally rare around Dunes. The green hair was an awesome invitation. It was like a flashing OPEN TO WEIRDOS LIKE YOU sign on her head. I must have stared too long because she noticed and turned toward me.
“Hey, you’re here!” she said, scaring the shit out of me.
It was a familiar voice, a scratchy coastal drawl that made you want to hear her talk about anything. I couldn’t remember ever talking to a chick that hot, minus that demonic nun from yesterday. Who I still wasn’t sure had even been real.
“Uh, hey?” I coughed up.
“It’s me!”
“Sorry?”
“From yesterday. The nun? I’m Melody.”
“Oh! Hey! I’m Donovan.”
I had never seen a girl look so beautiful as both a human and a member of the dark side. Good or evil, I’d take both.
“Did Jack get you a job?”
“Yeah! Fucking thanks!”
“Awesome. Well, hopefully we get to do a room together soon!”
A week ago, I couldn’t imagine working in the Castle or a hot chick talking to me without sneering, and now both are happening.
“Yeah, totally,” I said.
“You’re tall enough to be Executioner, maybe you’ll get to slay me!”
“I would totally slay you,” I said while trying to process what she meant by “slay” and that she even used the word “slay.”
Melody laughed at my vow.
Jack came out through the back door and banged his clipboard on the front table to get everyone’s attention.
“Anyways, good luck!” she said and joined her group of friends while I was still lost in over-excited thought. Every day before this one sucked . . .
Jack coughed and addressed the group.
“Alright, it’s gonna be the first real big one of the summer so I hope you’re all ready for the kingdom of madness. And I don’t mean in a cool way. Don’t take shit from anybody tonight.”
This sounded both awesome and profoundly inspirational.
“We’ve got RJ on Rat Room. Beth in Nightmare Tavern. Bobby in the Graveyard. Blake, you’re a roaming zombie. TJ, you are . . . Executioner . . . with Melody.”
Whoever TJ is, he sucks and is slaying the queen of my dreams.
One by one, everyone’s name was called as they went inside to apply their assigned makeup and costumes.
Jack looked up from his clipboard and saw only me left.
“Ah, yeah, new kid! Ready?”
“Yeah!”
“Come with me.”
We walked down the pier, away from the Castle. I had so many questions I wanted to ask.
“So is, like, that hearse yours?” was the best I could think of in the moment.
“Yeah, don’t hold it against me,” Jack said.
“What? No. It’s awesome.”
“Ha! Yeah, strip clubs make me park it a block away.”
I was confused. Was he taking such a sweet car for granted? But it wasn’t important. The real question was Why are we walking away from the Castle?
“Isn’t the Castle back there?” I said.
“Sure is!”
Jack didn’t really pay attention to me. He was busy saying “hey” to people who knew him on the pier. He called the girls “doll” and the guys he liked “mack.” I wanted to be a “mack” and not “the kid.” Jack pretended to be a tough asshole and maybe he was, but I sensed there was another side to him.
We came upon the food vendor section that I already knew so well. Behind the counter sat Tony, a devoted and miserable
I stopped scanning the group when I came to this one girl. She was uniquely perfect. Her incredible combination of bright blue eyes and a glowing round face pushed my heart into my throat. If I wasn’t so fascinated by her face, I would have noticed her hair first. It was feathered and dyed completely green, totally rare around Dunes. The green hair was an awesome invitation. It was like a flashing OPEN TO WEIRDOS LIKE YOU sign on her head. I must have stared too long because she noticed and turned toward me.
“Hey, you’re here!” she said, scaring the shit out of me.
It was a familiar voice, a scratchy coastal drawl that made you want to hear her talk about anything. I couldn’t remember ever talking to a chick that hot, minus that demonic nun from yesterday. Who I still wasn’t sure had even been real.
“Uh, hey?” I coughed up.
“It’s me!”
“Sorry?”
“From yesterday. The nun? I’m Melody.”
“Oh! Hey! I’m Donovan.”
I had never seen a girl look so beautiful as both a human and a member of the dark side. Good or evil, I’d take both.
“Did Jack get you a job?”
“Yeah! Fucking thanks!”
“Awesome. Well, hopefully we get to do a room together soon!”
A week ago, I couldn’t imagine working in the Castle or a hot chick talking to me without sneering, and now both are happening.
“Yeah, totally,” I said.
“You’re tall enough to be Executioner, maybe you’ll get to slay me!”
“I would totally slay you,” I said while trying to process what she meant by “slay” and that she even used the word “slay.”
Melody laughed at my vow.
Jack came out through the back door and banged his clipboard on the front table to get everyone’s attention.
“Anyways, good luck!” she said and joined her group of friends while I was still lost in over-excited thought. Every day before this one sucked . . .
Jack coughed and addressed the group.
“Alright, it’s gonna be the first real big one of the summer so I hope you’re all ready for the kingdom of madness. And I don’t mean in a cool way. Don’t take shit from anybody tonight.”
This sounded both awesome and profoundly inspirational.
“We’ve got RJ on Rat Room. Beth in Nightmare Tavern. Bobby in the Graveyard. Blake, you’re a roaming zombie. TJ, you are . . . Executioner . . . with Melody.”
Whoever TJ is, he sucks and is slaying the queen of my dreams.
One by one, everyone’s name was called as they went inside to apply their assigned makeup and costumes.
Jack looked up from his clipboard and saw only me left.
“Ah, yeah, new kid! Ready?”
“Yeah!”
“Come with me.”
We walked down the pier, away from the Castle. I had so many questions I wanted to ask.
“So is, like, that hearse yours?” was the best I could think of in the moment.
“Yeah, don’t hold it against me,” Jack said.
“What? No. It’s awesome.”
“Ha! Yeah, strip clubs make me park it a block away.”
I was confused. Was he taking such a sweet car for granted? But it wasn’t important. The real question was Why are we walking away from the Castle?
“Isn’t the Castle back there?” I said.
“Sure is!”
Jack didn’t really pay attention to me. He was busy saying “hey” to people who knew him on the pier. He called the girls “doll” and the guys he liked “mack.” I wanted to be a “mack” and not “the kid.” Jack pretended to be a tough asshole and maybe he was, but I sensed there was another side to him.
We came upon the food vendor section that I already knew so well. Behind the counter sat Tony, a devoted and miserable
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