Is This Considered A Cliche?

Chapter Twenty Two | The Legend of the Masked gun

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2014 by M-A-COYNE

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Chapter Twenty two

T H E  L E G E N D O F  T H E   M A S K E D  G U N M A N

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It's amazing how fast time passes when you're dating a mob prince, trying to find a way to get your two best friends to forgive, helping your mother plan her wedding, and attempting to forget the fact that someone wants you dead.

A month came and went and the citizens of Jacksonville, New York, found themselves running ragged trying to get ready for the upcoming Halloween Festival.

"Good morning," mom said as she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She turned to face Clement and I and leaned against the counter. "Jackie, are you going with Alphonso tomorrow?"

I never came right out and told my mom about Alphonso and me, but she seemed to have some sort of secret telekinetic power and figured out that we were dating. Clement said his father knows about it too, but Andre has yet to bring up the matter.

"Yeah," I answered. "He's picking me up from school and we're just going to hang out at his house until four and then head over to the festival."

She nodded her head. "Sounds good. What are your plans Clement?"

He shrugged. "I'm just going with a couple of friends."

He sent me a look that said that Natale and Sofia would be two of those friends.

My mom nodded once again. "I get off around six o'clock and Andre will be there all day. How about the four of us meet up around seven for some dinner? Alphonso can come too, of course. The maze starts at eight, so you all can go there are we eat."

"That's cool with me," Clement said and I nodded in agreement.

She smiled widely; her face was practically glowing with happiness.

Every year on Halloween, Jacksonville throws its annual Halloween Festival. The town square was filled with game booths and rides. The haunted house never ceased to terrify the young children (and me, but shush!) Tons of food stands made home on the side walk, selling hot dogs, hamburgers, cotton candy, funnel cake, etc.

The highlight of the festival, though, was the Four Openings Maze, which was erected with hay stacks every year in the fields just outside town. The maze became a tradition in Jacksonville about 100 years ago, when Irish immigrants starting moving to Jacksonville, making up about half the population. It was started by Deirdre Lynch, a rich widow with a love for history, and romance.

The maze has 4 openings, 2 for the girls and 2 for the boys. A line would be formed and the 4 people at the entrance of the maze would enter. After a few minutes another 4 would enter and so on and so forth. The goal was to make it to the center of the maze where an opening to the underground tunnels of Jacksonville lay.

The tunnels were dug back in the 1700's by American rebels while fighting the Revolutionary war. The tunnels were used to get supplies in and out of Jacksonville to the troops just outside the city without getting caught by the British. The tunnels were then used during the Civil War, by the Union troops and by the escaped slaves. After that the tunnels were long forgotten until Deirdre Lynch arrived. She had the tunnels renovated and paid thousands in safety procedures. She was a dedicated historian and loved Jacksonville. She believed that the tunnels would not only show the history of the city she loved, but Jacksonville would also benefit from the tourists that swarmed in when the tunnels were finished. About 5 years after she finished with the tunnels she decided to start the maze tradition so that the children could have fun and learn the history of it at the same time. Of course, they had fun more than they learned…