Lester of Two Evils

Drawing In

The Giles Hollow Town Hall was the oldest building in the village. It was two stories tall, with ornate stained-glass windows down both sides. Built of thick gray stones, it had stood in the center of town unchanged for more than three hundred years and looked poised to withstand another three hundred without much effort. But, big as it was, the local population had long ago grown past anything the founders could have imagined, and the hall was no longer large enough for its original purpose. It was, however, still used for voting, and with the addition of a stage, perennial productions of Our Town and A Christmas Carol, performed by the local acting troupe. Residents could also rent it for weddings, parties, or other special occasions.

"Look at me, Lester!" a small boy called as the curly black wig he wore fell over his eyes.

"Very nice, Ethan," said Lester. "But don't you think it might be time for a haircut?"

The boy squealed with laughter and darted off. Not being able to see where he was going, he immediately collided with a young girl, teetering atop a pair of high-heeled shoes about six sizes too big. Neither child seemed to be hurt, as the two of them fell to the floor in fits of giggles.

Lester adjusted the jacket of his navy blue suit and slumped further down into the overstuffed armchair. He casually watched as a dozen younger kids ran around the storage area that doubled as a makeshift dressing room.

"Maggie," Lester called to a girl in a pink dress. "You probably shouldn't play with that stuff."

"Why not?" she asked, turning so that he could see the maze of red lipstick covering her face.

"Oh, no reason," said Lester.

Every year was the same. On the first Saturday of September, all descendants of the founding families gathered for their annual get-together. It was then that any child who had reached the age of thirteen was required to participate in the Drawing-In. This was the ceremony officially marking their entrance into the secretive world of The Council, and no one underage was allowed into the rest of the hall until it was complete. Afterward, the reunion would conclude with a celebratory pot luck dinner.

Lester wasn't sure which he disliked more, the waiting or foraging for food through endless trays of potatoes and cold ham that had been coughed on and touched by every one of his relatives. So his usual plan was to eat sparingly and grab a sandwich when he got home.

In years where there were no children of age, the gathering still took place, but the meeting of adults was much shorter. Lester's brother Bernard was the only thirteen-year-old this time, and Lester hoped the wait would be brief.

Glancing down at his watch, Lester was marveling at how fifteen minutes could seem like an hour when the door to the room burst open.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Amanda said, making her way inside. "I know I'm late." She wore a short black dress and was still busily putting her hair up with a plastic clip when she caught sight of the chaotic scene around her. "Though," she added, with a wry smile, "I can see you've been getting along just fine without me."

"Oh, yeah," Lester said, watching a five-year-old with a bushy handlebar mustache stroll by. "Things are going swimmingly."

Amanda laughed, deftly avoided being mowed down by two kids pushing a wheeled office chair at full speed, and walked over to sit on the arm of Lester's recliner.

"You look nice," she said appraisingly.

"Thanks," said Lester. "It's Bernard's old suit."

"Oh, right. I thought I recognized the mustard stain."