Part 84 (1/2)
”Do you remember those sparks off the energy that I told you about the first day I was here?”
He frowned thoughtfully and scratched at the back of his neck. ”The ones you see that keep you from driving?”
”Essentially. There are places where the fabric of the universe is practically cheesecloth tonight so a lot of sparks are going to get through. Once through, it seems some of them are being called here. That was a Bogart.”
”Humphrey?”
”I doubt it.”
”Was it dangerous?”
”No.” Dropping down onto the stairs, she stretched her legs out into the lobby. ”But it could've gotten destructive if I hadn't bought it off.”
He glanced down at the salad bowl. ”With chocolate bars?”
”Why not?”
”Okay. What did it mean by biggers?”
”Bigger than it. More powerful, more dangerous.”
”Will they be coming all night?”
”I don't know. They might stop coming if we blow out the jack-o'-lantern and turn off the front lights, but they might not.”
”So we should blow out the candle and turn off the lights and see what happens.”
Her eyes narrowed. ”No.”
”No?”
”I'm not cowering in the dark.”
”But you didn't even want to do this.” He was wearing what Claire had begun to recognize as his responsible face. ”It was my idea and...”
”So?” She cut him off and stood as Austin announced more children approaching. ”Since we've started it, we're going to finish it. And you might as well enjoy it.”
The gypsy and the ghostbuster, although they might've been a pirate and a sewer worker, Claire wasn't entirely sure, looked startled when she opened the door before they knocked.
”How did you know we was coming?” the gypsy/pirate demanded.
Claire nodded toward the window where Austin could be seen silhouetted beside the pumpkin. ”The cat told me.”
The ghostbuster/sewer worker snorted. ”Did not.”
”My dad says this place is haunted,” the gypsy/pirate announced.
”Your dad's right.”
”Cool. Can we see the ghost?”