Beyond the Lamppost

III. Red Card

Chapter Three:

X

Red Card

I dived into the comfort of my bed and still fully clothed with my uniform which Ruby provided. It's been a long day and I haven't got any information about my father, Oliver Lewis. Ruby is a very considerate woman. She knows about my investigation about my father and she offered a job. Now she's giving me a two-hour break every day to search for his information. I've been to the town hall for three consecutive days, asking the different offices about some information but the only info I have was his death certificate. It's been four days since I've been working in Miss Hoggins' shop and five days since I found out about my father and I'm feeling lost every time a day ends.

Brushing off the frustration in my mind, I heaved a deep breath as I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep without changing into my nightgown.

I was woken up by the sound of an alarm clock. I stirred in bed and after a while, the silence came. Not long after, the alarm buzzed again and I groaned in irritation. How I wish I shouldn't have broken my phone so that I can simply silent off an alarm and sleep some more. But I did broke it and now, I need to stand up to turn the damn alarm off.

My eyes widened as I saw the time displayed in the clock.

"7:50! Shoot! I'm late!"

I did a quick shower and dressed in the first thing I grabbed in my wardrobe---a white shirt and black fitted pants. I snatched a piece of bread from the fridge before I ran towards the door and locked it.

I've already prepared my reason for being late as I open the shop door but instead of an angry Miss Hoggins, I was greeted by a happy one. Okay? What's going on?

"Oh, dear. I'm glad you've arrived." Confused and dazed, I coughed as I smile and greeted her a quick good morning. This is better than an angry owner, right?

"I assume good news had arrived, right Miss Hoggins?" I asked while I pulled out my apron and a mop in a cabinet in the corner.

"More than just a good news, it is!" she exclaimed happily. A genuine smile I saw for the first time. "Oh dear, I thought that they'll cancel it once again. It's been two years since we've been into---" she stopped as she noticed the confusion in my eyes.

"I'm sorry, I really can't comprehend, Miss Hoggins." I shyly apologize but she returned it with a nod and smiled.

"No dear, it's my fault. I didn't tell you about the All Fool's Day." I stopped mopping for a second before realization hit me.

"You mean April Fool's Day?" She nodded in confirmation as she opened a drawer under the counter and handed an envelope to me. I unsealed the envelope and saw a red card inside.

"We usually called it All Fool's Day. But unlike April Fool's Day, for us, that day is far greater than the usual." I did understand her point but her latter words made me at lost again. I read the text in the card and my eyes widen.

"It's an invitation to a ball!" I exclaimed and later felt dumbfounded.

"Yes, you're right dear. That's how we celebrate All Fool's Day around here. You see, people here in Greenwoods are not fond of technologies people in Middleton praised." I nodded in agreement as I noticed the kind of living people here has. "We preserved our history most and practiced the values taught by our great ancestors. Many things had changed but on that certain day, we tried to live a life our ancestors had." She looked at me and handed a brown box.

"We'll turn back time and enjoy like fools throughout the day." I opened the box and found a silver mask that can cover half of a face. With awe, I gently touched the tiny gems that intricate the mask. Are these real?

"And I'm inviting you to an era you'll never forget."