Freaky in Fresno

by Laurie Boyle Crompton

  “Yeah, he’s famous for doing pranks,” Lana says. “They’re basically his job.”

  I reach for the zipper of the carrier and a low growl emits. Recoiling, I tell Lana, “You should open it.”

  She moves to the carrier and starts unzipping it. “You ready?” she asks Evil Z in a high pitch. Gingerly, she lifts the Chihuahua out of the pink purse carrier and places her on the red countertop.

  Zelda immediately catches the scent of something and her little toenails click, click, click on the tiles as her tiny, long-legged body scampers along the edge.

  Her run looks almost spiderlike.

  “Thatta girl,” I say as she darts into the corner behind the old-fashioned cash register.

  We can only see Zelda’s back end, her tail straight like a tuning rod, as she roots around in the dark crook near the back wall. The scratch of her nails digging at something gets more and more urgent until finally we hear one loud squeak and then silence. Her tail starts wagging happily.

  She backs up and Lana closes her eyes as the Chihuahua comes out from behind the register with something gray and furry hanging from her mouth. I see a big red drip of blood and Z’s whole body wriggles with joy.

  I release the breath I’m holding, just as the furry creature in her mouth squeaks again.

  “Aaahhh!” Lana screams and flails her arms. “Just kill it already!”

  Instead, Zelda releases the bloody mouse and it runs across the countertop.

  The next thing I know, there’s a small gray creature hurtling over the edge of the counter and through the air toward us.

  Lana and I instinctively run for the closest exit.

  Which is the main entryway in front.

  With a bang and a flash and a whoosh, we crash into the glass door together. And in one adrenaline-fueled shove, the door swings open and we grapple with one another, trying to escape out the opening at the same time.

  There’s a blaze of light as the two of us scramble through the doorway, climbing over each other to get away from the wild, bloody rodent that I swear just growled and flashed its teeth at us.

  chapter 18

  I’m breathing heavy when I step outside, feeling silly for reacting so strongly to a little mouse. Then again, that seemed like a very aggressive little mouse. And I definitely saw teeth.

  “Was that some sort of immortal mouse?” I ask Lana. “I can’t believe Zelda let—” But then I’m distracted by a blinding glint of light. I lift up my arm and sunlight reflects off of it, making me squint. My arm has turned solid silver.

  I look over at Lana and see she’s completely silver too.

  “Did we just switch back?” she asks as she holds up her shimmering arms, twisting them back and forth in amazement.

  “I’m pretty sure I’d feel taller if we did,” I say. “Wait a—” I rub at my wrist and tiny flakes of silver float into the air. “Arrrrgh!” I yell.

  Together, Lana and I both wail, “GLITTER!”

  So much glitter.

  “The front door must’ve been rigged with a giant bin of it.” Lana scowls and calls out, “Nice one, Erik!”

  I look around. “Is Erik even here?”

  “He’s not, but I’m sure one of his cameras is.” She scans the parking lot a moment and gestures to Wes’s black Jeep and then to a light post. “It could be anywhere.”

  “I don’t see anything.” I shake out my pink skirt, making it rain silver around my feet.

  “That’s the point. Trust me, it’s there.” Lana tries to wipe the glitter off her arms, but it doesn’t budge. “This is awful. Glitter is forever!”

  The door to the concession shack opens and Wes strides toward us with Zelda tucked under one arm. He’s laughing so hard he can barely walk, and the Chihuahua has her head held high. She’s gripping the mouse in her mouth by its tail.

  Lana screams and points. “There’s blood around that thing’s mouth!”

  Zelda looks even prouder.

  Wes gives a fresh bout of laughter, then reaches down and takes ahold of the mouse, trying to wrestle it from the Chihuahua’s grip.

  “Don’t touch it,” I yell.

  Zelda bares her teeth at Wes and hangs on to the tail, but he manages to lift the small, dead creature with two fingers. He aims it in our direction and Lana gives another scream.

  “Wait, is that real?” I move in for a better look. The mouse has exposed fangs and blood drips from its mouth. Zelda growls as I get close but not before I’m able to see the mouse was never actually alive.

  “It’s a fake zombie rat!” Wes laughs.

  “I saw it run across the snack counter,” I say. “Is it motorized or something?”

  “Remote control,” he says proudly. “One of Erik’s gadgets.”

  “I should’ve known,” Lana says. “He once got his buddy with a ferret that scampered around like it was loose in his car.”

  “So then it wasn’t the real estate guy sabotaging our snack sales for tonight?” I say.

  Wes makes a face. “I’d never give that guy time alone in the snack bar, Lana. Although I wouldn’t put it past him. He stands to gain a huge commission if he closes the sale on this place.”

  I burst out, “Are you considering selling?” and stop breathing as I wait for Wes’s answer.

  He absentmindedly pets the Chihuahua he’s holding. Finally, I’m forced to exhale and take in a fresh breath to hang on to. Wes says, “This drive-in has been the one constant for most of my adult life. It’s home. Always here no matter what each day deals me.” He looks at me and then Lana. “To be honest, it feels like the Starlight and me are a part of each other.”

  “So, you’re not selling then?” Lana shakes her head and glitter rains down on her shoulders.

  “I’d hate to see it go,” Wes says. “I’ve watched so many couples come here on their first dates and then continue coming, announcing to me they’ve gotten engaged and then married.” Wes puts Zelda down on the ground and she begins contentedly chewing the bloody-looking mouse. “The next thing I know, here those sweethearts come, driving up to the ticket booth with car seats and little ones in PJs in the back. Bouncing around, excited to see a movie.”

  “I loved coming to the drive-in in my pajamas as a kid!” Lana says. I can still barely breathe, waiting for Wes to finish his story and give his final answer about the fate of the theater.

  “I’ve had dates and even a few relationships over the years,” Wes says, “but I never got to experience the true magic of the Starlight: sharing it with that special someone.”

  “Wow,” I say. “I never thought about how lonely it must feel to watch all that love expanding in that way. Love you helped facilitate.”

  “But see, this drive-in is my one great love,” Wes says. “It’s probably why things never quite worked out with anyone else. Why I never started a family of my own. Open every night year-round is a huge commitment. Women always felt like they came second. But ever since the flood nearly took my love away, I’ve been thinking it may be time for me to risk a real relationship with someone special. Before it’s too late.”

  I move to put an arm around him, and Zelda gives a warning growl at his feet. I don’t back away.

  “Wes, you truly are the heart of the Starlight,” I say. “And I support whatever decision you make about this place.”

  “What was your name again? Lana?” he says. “You’re kind of getting glitter all over me.”

  I laugh and drop my arm as he ineffectually tries to brush himself off.

  “Glitter is forever,” I say helpfully.

  “Thanks,” Wes says. “That’s comforting.”

  An engine revs loudly and the three of us turn toward the sound coming from the Starlight’s entrance.

  Wes lights up and announces happily, “Why, look at that perfect timing,” he says. “It’s your aunt May.”

  Sure enough, the telltale bark of a wolf dog rings out across the drive-in’s empty lot as Aunt May’s pickup emerges from a low clou
d of drive-in dust.

  “Finally,” we all say in harmony.

  Wes runs a hand through his hair and straightens his Starlight T-shirt. He turns to Lana and breathes in her face.

  “How’s my breath?” he asks.

  She coughs and waves her hand as she takes a step away from him. “We don’t have that kind of relationship,” she says.

  Aunt May parks her truck and hops out quickly, her long, red hair swinging and her bracelets jingling. “Oooh,” she says. “What’s been going on here?”

  Lana shakes her arms, creating puffs of sparkles. “There was this glitter incident—”

  “Lovely.” Aunt May waves her off as if us being coated in glitter needs no explanation. “But why did you three fill up my entire voice mail box?”

  With a hand that displays a ring on each finger, she holds up her flip phone and a message I left on the way to her yurt this morning streams from the phone’s ancient speaker. I sound more composed than I felt in the moment, only explaining that we were on our way to see her.

  It’s followed by a message from Lana. “Hi, Aunt May, I need you to call me right away please. Everything is great with the car, thanks again. It’s just that, well, there’s something kind of wrong with Ricki and me.”

  The next message begins with, “Hi, May. This is Wes and I’m just calling you to say, you know, Hi.” There’s an awkward pause and he adds, “I’m really looking forward to seeing you at the Starlight tonight.”

  Lana and I look over at him, and he gives the glitter at his feet a kick and smiles at Aunt May.

  Hi, he mouths, and Aunt May says Hi back before playing the next message.

  It’s Lana again, and she sounds like she’s barely controlling her voice. “Aunt May, we need to know if you can help us. Please call back. Please call back. Please call back.”

  “We get the point,” I try to interrupt, but May holds up one finger and continues hitting play.

  The messages cycle through various stages of grief and panic from Lana and me, while Wes calls with increasingly senseless explanations for why he keeps calling her.

  Finally, Wes is stammering, “. . . not sure if I remembered to tell you in that last message that you can come early if you want. We could sure use your help around the theater if you don’t mind or, actually, please don’t feel obligated to help. You can just come and enjoy yourself or . . . don’t come. But please come.”

  Lana reaches over and snaps Aunt May’s phone shut. “Okay, so we get the idea. And you, Wes, have zero game, by the way.”

  I laugh. “I think it’s sweet.”

  The look on Aunt May’s face shows that she finds his awkwardness sweet too.

  She says, “Well, I wasn’t getting your calls because I was busy at my studio . . .” She pulls out a small brown box. “Making this.” She hands it to Wes. “To wish you good luck for the reopening tonight.”

  Wes blushes as he takes the box and opens it. Inside is a thick blue stone, formed into a necklace with wrapped, antiqued copper wire. Wes smiles so big he looks like his face might burst.

  “The stone is called an Elistial Starlight Sapphire Andara,” Aunt May says, and Wes holds it up in the sunlight so we can all see the way the minerals inside light up like stars. It genuinely is amazing-looking.

  He asks Aunt May to put it on for him and the two of them share a touching moment that drags on as Lana and I wiggle with impatience. I feel like we’re little kids helplessly wishing the grown-ups would hurry already.

  “I’ll never take it off,” Wes says, smiling down at our aunt.

  They embrace for too long, and finally I can’t take it anymore and say, “Okay, so moving on . . .”

  Lana says, “Aunt May? Can Lana and I speak with you? Privately?”

  “Of course,” she says. “Wes, would you be a dear and let the boys out of the truck? They’re probably so thirsty. They barely drank their water this morning for some reason.”

  “Weird,” Lana says as Wes quickly heads to the back of the pickup.

  I catch my aunt checking him out for just a beat and see the slightest smile cross her face before he lets down the gate and the dogs knock him down flat.

  I instinctively cover my head against the oncoming wolf dog stampede.

  Instead of running for cover, or cowering in fear, Evil Z continues gnawing on her bloody-looking prize until one of the wolf dogs sniffs her so close he touches Z’s nose. The Chihuahua immediately drops the mouse and plants her four spindly legs in a wide stance.

  The wolf dogs startle and tumble into each other as they leap backward, away from the tiny creature.

  Zelda growls one of her deep, terrifying growls and the biggest wolf dog tilts his giant head at her, as if trying to figure out if she’s prey or if maybe he’s the prey. The closest pup leans down to give a tentative sniff and Evil Z bares her teeth and lunges so quickly, the next thing we know all three wolf dogs are running away at full tilt while the miniature Chihuahua aggressively gives chase.

  We stand in shocked silence as we watch Zelda pursue the pack of wolves to the faraway end of the drive-in lot. Finally, Wes and Aunt May unfreeze and give chase while Lana and I glance at each other before bursting into laughter at the comedic scene.

  “I guess it’s all about the attitude,” I say, feeling a stir of admiration for the little Chihuahua, wicked as she may be.

  The humans chase the canines around and around while Lana pulls out her phone to record the whole thing. When they reach one end of the drive-in, the pack changes direction and starts running the other way with Wes and Aunt May bringing up the rear. Lana is laughing so hard she can barely hold her phone straight.

  We watch as Wes trips over a metal pole sticking out of the ground that many years ago would’ve had a small speaker on top for hanging on customers’ car windows. Aunt May stops to help him up but instead he pulls her down beside him and the two of them start howling with laughter. They lean against each other and continue watching the galloping dogs.

  “They both seem so happy,” I say.

  I look over at Lana, still covered in glitter with her phone held high, and she turns to look at me with a smile on her face. I feel a lifting in my chest that makes me wonder if we’ve successfully bonded enough to change back.

  Lana says, “This is going to get over two million hits and bring fresh traffic to my channel.”

  And just like that, it’s as if the whole world has invaded our little moment of delight.

  My heart sinks. “Are you truly incapable of staying in reality?” I snap. “What’s wrong with just being present? All you care about is trading experiences for clicks and likes and traffic.”

  “Come on, Ricki,” Lana says. “This is viral gold.” She gestures to the pack of large wolves being chased back across the lot by the tiny teacup Chihuahua. “They’re acting like she’s Freddy Krueger or something.”

  I have to admit it’s hilarious. But I can tell when Lana’s just trying to butter me up with horror movie references.

  “Let Aunt May know I’m inside when she’s ready to talk,” I say. “There’s an awful lot to get done before tonight.”

  I don’t look back to see Lana’s reaction as I stride away. It’s like it’s impossible for her to unplug and do what’s best for herself. I open the glass door to the concession shack, and angrily step over the mound of glitter still scattered across the threshold.

  chapter 19

  I’m resanitizing the countertop when I hear the loud metallic scrape of a vehicle bottoming out on one of the pavement bumps as it drives across the drive-in lot. Looking out the window, I see Lana standing beside Wes and Aunt May as they all watch an oversized white van drive past them on its way toward the concession shack. It pulls up right outside, and Erik jumps from the driver’s side.

  He strides around to the back of the van and yanks open both doors. Hauling out a brightly colored mountain of thick canvas from the back, he drags it onto the ground.

  He puts one foot
on the waist-high mound and places his hands on his hips, posing as if he’s just conquered the rainbow heap in battle.

  I move toward the glass doors but stop when I see Lana has chased after the van and is striding up to confront him. He laughs at her sparkly condition and she flings both her hands at him in an attempt to hit him with glitter.

  I head out to remind her to control the level of flirting with Erik and reach the two of them just as she’s rubbing her glittery hair in Erik’s face.

  At least Jake isn’t here to see this shimmering, flirty display.

  “Hey, Ricki,” I say. “I know you’re excited to be tall enough to shake glitter on Erik and all, but don’t you think you should maybe give my boyfriend a little space?”

  “Hey there, doll.” Erik grins from ear to ear when he sees me. “Cute dress. I watched the glitter drop in real time.” He points to the low roof of the snack shed, where I see a small camera.

  He takes two wide steps closer and wraps his arms around me. The next thing I know, he’s spinning me around, making glitter sprinkle off of me and into the air around us.

  I will never get used to being this light and portable. I thought petite girls were lucky, getting to be smaller than all the guys they like, but I hate being lifted so easily and now wonder how small humans deal with feeling physically powerless. I reach forward and punch Erik’s shoulders. “Maybe ask a girl before picking her up?”

  He immediately places me back on my feet. “I’m sorry, Lana, truly. You’ve never minded before.”

  He seems rattled by the fact he’s upset me, and I realize he and Lana have built their way up to this level of closeness. It feels intrusive to me because I barely know him. But still, “I don’t enjoy feeling controlled like that,” I say.

  “Perfectly valid. I’m just excited to show you.” He runs over to the massive wad of colorful canvas.

  “Let me guess,” I say. “A giant clown chewed up a life-sized rainbow and spit it out.”

  “It’s a surprise!” Erik says. “To make up for the glitter shower. Which went so amazing, by the way. I’d figured just one of you would get hit on your way inside, but then I couldn’t believe it when you entered through the back door, and both came flying through the front! It was better than . . .”