Undaunted

Reverie

In Avery, the day of the harvest festival is as much a holiday as any other, but it's far more unique than any Christmas or Thanksgiving. We don't have anything special like massive Christmas trees in New York or floats and parades, but everyone in the town gets together to make it work. Whether you're making caramel corn or corn husk sculptures, there's always something for you to do. We don't get many visitors around this time of year, but we don't really mind. All the merrier for us.

This year, I was helping string the lights up around town. Though this was one of the harder jobs to do, I always enjoyed it. It reminded me of the first time I came here.

"You doing all right, Drew?" a voice called up. I looked down to see my mother standing there with a large smile on her face. Her auburn hair was drawn back hastily in a ponytail, but a few strands were working their way out. A stained apron covered her flannel shirt and jeans, and she was holding a whisk. She had bags under her eyes and flour everywhere, but she was brimming with happiness.

"I'm fine," I replied. I hammered in another nail before adding, "You look like you've been busy. How about you? Are you doing all right?"

Her grin widened. "Great! We've made so many treats that we've run out of kitchen space to store them until those tables get set up in the park." She sighed dreamily. "I have a feeling that this is going to be a good festival." She snapped out of her moment. "Well, I have to get back to cooking. You take care, alright?"

I waved goodbye before finishing up the strand of lights. After getting off the ladder, I tested the lights out. They worked like a charm. Satisfied, I stowed away the tools in the metal latch box inside the hardware store and walked back out onto the main street. Looking around, the festival was coming together quickly. Streamers were draped from awnings and the lights. Carved pumpkins were sitting on railings with candles waiting to be lit. A group of people were setting up the main square. Everything looked so inviting.

My watch beeped at me, signaling the hour. I still had some time to spare before the festival began, so I decided to return back to our house to get ready.

Heading out from the main town are a few dirt paths and side roads leading into the forest, where a few remote cabins lie. Our house is one of them. I kind of like the secluded sense of security. It also gives me more opportunities to explore.

Dappled sunlight pushes through the treetops, lighting up the path as I walk. After passing a small wooden sign marking the edges of the neighbourhood, I turned off the original path onto our driveway, passing by  our Jeep. Dashing up the creaky steps, I made it to the door and pushed my way inside.

Our house isn't very large. There's only a family room, a kitchen and a dining room smashed together, a bathroom, and two bedrooms, but it's not that bad. I passed through the living room and went into my room, closing the door behind me. After changing into a fresh shirt and pulling on a black and white hoodie, I went back outside.

Instead of heading back towards Avery, I entered the forest.

Avery's forest isn't the most amazing place on Earth, I'm sure, but there's no other place that I've connected with like it. A large stream cuts through it and empties into a small lake. There are clearings dotted about and  a network of caves here and there. I've explored a bit, but I know there's still a lot to find out there.

Which is a good thing.

Choosing a direction at random, I made my way through the underbrush, having little doubts about where I was heading. I knew where everything was, so there wasn't anything largely surprising. I picked my way down a small hill and dropped into a small sheltered overhang. Inside the overhang were some plastic lawn chairs I'd set up when I first found this place. I sat down in one with a satisfied groan and looked out, listening to the trilling birdsong from all around and the gentle rustling of the wind in the leaves and the branches.

It's the kind of place that makes it extremely easy to lose track of time, and I have a habit of daydreaming. I was just zoning out when my phone chirped at me, playing a techno riff from an old cartoon. I jumped slightly, and dug around in my pocket for my phone. I opened up my messages and chose the brand new text from my mom.

Drew, prep got done early so the festival started. Where r u?

I snorted at my mom's use of chat speak and tapped out a response. On my way. Be there in a bit.

I stood up, stretching slightly before leaving my hideout and picking my way back up the cliff. My phone rang again from my pocket, but I ignored it. Kind of hard to shoot a reply when you're clinging to a slippery, moss covered rock face.

It didn't take long to get back into town, and I heard the festival before I even saw it. There were screams of joy from children and overly loud laughter from adults who probably had too much to drink. A band was crashing away in the square, but I avoided them like the plague. They were playing horribly butchered country music, which made me cringe. A pity they didn't have earplugs on hand, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one who wanted them.

Skirting quickly past the square, the music slowly quieted down and was replaced by conversations. People greeted me and I hastily responded, trying not to get trapped in a conversation. I mean, these people are nice and all, but shutting up wasn't really their thing. Flashing an awkward smile, I ducked into the kitchens.

Our town has a centralised cooking area for travelers and people who needed a place to cook. That being said, the fridges and pantries had become war zones, but the pros outweighed the cons by miles. The smell of spices, caramel, cocoa, and who knows what else came at me like a heavenly slap to the face. It was hard to decide what to grab, but I settled on one of the neighbours' nanaimo bars. I didn't spot my mom, so I left before I grabbed anything else.

I ended up finding her watching the kids run around a small maypole, the autumn-coloured streamers twining around slowly. "How's the festival so far?" I asked, coming up to stand beside her.

She beamed at me. "Awesome, like always," she gushed, dancing on her toes, "though it's a real shame your father had to work late today. He would have loved to be here."

"True, true. Hopefully he'll be able to come later and at least not fully miss out," I ventured, but I doubted it.

My mom turned back towards the maypole. "I remember watching you do that. You used to love it so much. That's where you met that little Sally Harper you liked so much." She chuckled. "You insisted you had to run next to her."

I felt my face flush with heat. "Mom, please stop," I complained, looking around. "How do you know Sally didn't hear that? Or anyone else? I mean, she still lives here. She's probably somewhere here at the festival for all we know."

"Drew, you know I'm only teasing," she soothed.

"Yeah, well, I'd prefer not in public. Where people can hear you."

"Honestly, Drew, it's not that big of a deal," she scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "Anyway, there was something I wanted to tell you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's that?"

She pointed at one of the parks, where I could see a big shadowy shape looming in the distance. "A travelling circus arrived in town not long after you left and set up just over there. None of us were expecting it, but the park was vacant, so the mayor let it slide. I just thought maybe you'd be interested in going to see the show later on. It starts in about an hour."

I nodded slowly. "Interesting. Maybe I will check it out, but we'll see."

"Just thought I'd tell you, Drew." She patted me on my shoulder. "Now go enjoy the festival."

"Thanks, Mom."