'Till Halloween

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

The stars are alight, its milky light shining down on us, lighting our paths forward.

“Faethylle, pull up!  Get out of the trees!”

I ignore her.  Exuberance crowds my mind and each tree that I dodge sends a thrill like a thousand tingling spiders through me.  I weave effortlessly through the rainbow Eucalyptus trees, a thread through their fabric.  

“Fae,” Elliot pleads, high above me.  “If you come up here I’ll buy you a box of jelly doughnuts from town!”

I laugh, pulling out of the forest to glide in the air currents next to her.  

“I’ve had my fun, fine.  Let’s head to town.”

Elliot didn’t even get to finish sighing by the time I zip ahead of her, calling, “Race you there!”

I could hear Elliot grumbling behind me, something along the lines of, “slow down, Fae, or what am I to tell your mother when I carry home your body?”

I lean forward on my chiseled mahogany broom, fastest in its class, and speed up.  My ears pop as I do all of the things Mother would advise against.  I hold my broom tight as I fly close to the moon in a loop de loop, and whoop in laughter as I corkscrew through the air.  

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

“When’d you learn to eat like that?” Ellie stares at my jelly-covered face.  “I thought you were on a diet!”

“Diets are for losers.  Besides, Cinnamon’s has the best doughnuts in the country!”  I smile brilliantly at her.  “Now come on, are you coming to the waterfall with me or not?”

“But Fae, it’s nearly midnight!”

“Ellie, sometimes you just gotta live!”

I pay at the counter, ignoring Ellie’s chivalrous protests, and we walk to the bridge, under which our brooms were stored.  

“Do you need a hairband?” I ask Elliot suddenly.  She was repeatedly tucking her red hair behind her ear and smiling at me.

She clears her throat and looks away.  “Oh, uh, no.  No, I’m fine.”

We stroll through the brightly lit streets, our boots scuffing quietly against the sidewalks.  As we pause for a crosswalk, I speak.

“If you had a month to live, what would you do?”

Elliot looks at me curiously.  “Probably travel the world,” she says.  “Apologize to some people.  Why?”  

I glance toward my feet.  “Oh, just curious.”

Desperate to change the subject, I stammer, “Oh look, the light’s changed.  Let’s go.”

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

“Come on, Ellie!”

“You’ve never jumped before, why would I climb up there with you just to watch you chicken out?”  

“Elliot,” I plead.

“Fine. But Faethylle, you’d better jump this time,” Elliot says, wading into the warm water.  She began to climb the rocks, slippery with moss and water.

I was gripping the thick leaves of a nearby fern to keep myself from falling into the water, but when Ellie clambered to the top, I let go.  Step to the edge.  Look down.  Step back and recover from the vertigo.  

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

Then I jump.  I fall for at least three seconds before hitting the water with an enormous whoosh of green bubbles and an equally enormous wedgie.  

I stay underwater for another few seconds, smiling larger than I ever had, silently congratulating myself.  I tug my blonde wig back into place and emerge, laughing.

My whoops echo off the rock walls of the falls, creating a pleasant cacophony of noise.  

“Come on, Ellie, who’s the chicken now?”

She rolls her eyes and cannonballs next to me with a splash.  Her red hair turns black, soaked with water, and she sputters to the surface, treading water.

“It seriously took me a month to do that,” I laugh.  “It wasn’t even that high!” 

“I think we both know who’s the chicken here,” Elliot teases.  

She gets a faceful of water in reply.

I get one too.

We grin devilishly at each other.  “As you know, this means war,” she declares, swimming toward me. 

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

The sand is soft against my back, like a huge cushion.  The clouds drift in and out of the moonlight, casting shadows onto our faces.  

We’re draped loosely in towels, lounging about on the shore like romans on their marble beds, but it’s still cold.  

The heat of the day and the warmth of the water have gone, and all that’s left is a cold, wet air that sends icy shivers down our spines.  

“The coven meeting is tomorrow.  It’s a long flight and we should get some rest.”  Elliot starts to collect her things, but I touch her arm lightly.

“Just a few more minutes, Ellie.  Please, just stay a little longer with me.”

She sighs and rests her head back onto her shoulders.  

“Sure.”

We stare at the stars for several minutes in amiable silence.  

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

“Ellie,” I say suddenly.  “How long have we known each other?”

She frowns, her face glowing mutely in the starlight.  “About ten years, I’d say.”  She nods, as if confirming her own statement.  “Yeah, we met at lunch in high school.  You were using magic so you wouldn’t have to taste the cafeteria’s food.” 

I laugh softly.

“Yeah…”

“It’s been so long,” she says, rolling over to face me.  Her breath smelled like chocolate.  Sand covered her neck. Her hair was a perfect shade of pomegranate red.

“Ellie,” I say again, rolling to face her, too.  Our faces were inches apart.  “I love you.  I’ve loved you since the day we met.”

“And I’ve been hoping you’d say that since the day we met,” is her whispered reply.

Then I kiss her, and it’s the taste of chocolate doughnuts, and the smell of the river water in our hair, and the feel of soft sand covering our cheeks.  

“Well, then today’s our lucky day.”

“I’d give it ‘till Halloween.  Make your goodbyes then.”

My purple-polka-dot suitcase sits on the back of my broom.  “You ready, Elliot?”

“Let’s go,” she says.  “But no tricks this time, your stuff will fall out.”

I roll my eyes, smiling, and we take off, invisibility spells going up at the exact same time.

I look over my shoulder at the grove of banyan trees and sigh.  Then I look back at the ocean in front of me, knowing I would never see those banyan trees again.  

We fly low over the ocean, our feet nearly skimming the warm waves.  The sound of the ocean and the wind is loud, we couldn’t talk if we wanted to.  

Maybe that was good.  We hadn’t talked about last night at all.  

My hands grow stiff quickly and my legs are already sore from flying.  But we still had hours to go.  

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

We finally arrive in the golden shores of California after a long day of flying.  It was night, and as we flew over residential areas, we could make out ghosts and clowns and fairies and werewolves making their rounds through the neighborhoods, gathering as much candy as their weak young arms could bear.

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

We arrive on a deserted beach, isolated from the rest of the world by tall grey cliffs.  It was filled with light from dozens of campfires.  The smell of roasting meat and marshmallows filled the air, barely discernible from the smell of the seaweed from the sea.

Our feet slammed into the sand, our heels dipped in sea foam and our legs utterly and painfully asleep.  We walked straight past the Wyknns, the Eldores, the Alywards, the Reymers, (cannibals, so disgusting) and the Irises.

Straight to the campfire of the Winghams and the Windtakers.  

“Ma’am,” I greet Mrs. Windtaker, embracing her.

“Faethylle! Good to see you!”

“Mom!” Elliot rushes towards Mrs. Windtaker, hugging her tightly.  Mrs. Windtaker rubbed her daughter’s head tenderly.

Mr. Windtaker greeted us both with a burly hug filled with a scratchy beard.  Ever since my parents passed, Mr. and Mrs. Windtaker had become my new parents.  I greeted my Uncle and cousins too, with hugs that took them by surprise.  We didn’t have the best relationship in the past, to say the least.  

“I’m sorry,” I whisper into their ears, nerves making my voice croak.

Mr. Windtaker hands me a marshmallow and I levitate it into the air above the fire.  

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

“I’d like to say something,” I announce, staring into the depths of the fire.  Then, without checking to see if they were listening, I continue, “I just want to take a moment to thank you for what you all have done for me.  Thank you for being a part of my life.”

Mrs. Windtaker smiles at me.  “Of course, dear, but may I ask what caused this outburst of emotion?”

I smile sadly.  “Let’s just say that after tonight you won’t be seeing me again.”

Elliot stands abruptly.  “You aren’t committing suicide, are you?”

I grip her hand tightly.  “Of course not.  I would never want to leave you.”

“Are you sick then?”  Tears were streaming down Elliot’s face now.  The others were too shocked to say anything.  

“Yeah.  I’m sick.”

Elliot pressed her forehead to mine.  

“You can’t do this to me!  You can’t kiss me then die!” 

I wrapped my arms around her.  

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

“I know.” 

She pounded my arms with a fist.  “You can’t leave me! I won’t allow it!”

But she stopped fighting and let me hug her, sobbing quietly.  

My family, as if on cue, rose and joined us.  And huddled under a tangle of arms and love, mixed together like spaghetti, I smiled.

And not sadly, either.  I was glad to spend my last moments here, with Ellie, with my family.  

I’d give it ‘till Halloween.

“Maybe we’ll meet again in the next life, Ellie,” I whisper.  “I know the perfect waterfall to wait by.”