An Invite to Adventure

Tessa was great fan of chilly weather. Summer heat made her want to do nothing more than to stay inside with a good book and a DVR full of Lords of Law. But in the fall, Tessa was much more active. Something about the sunshine with a brisk wind put her into a more sociable mood.

Today was one of those days, so when she happened upon a flyer for the town’s Bessie Mae hosted Fall Festival, she thought it was worth the trip to Bessie Mae’s ranch.

She texted Margot: Bessie Mae Fall Festival! You game?

Margot replied: Sick. Go on without me.

Tessa was itching to get out into the world, so she decided to take this excursion without her best friend. She donned on her trusted hoodie and a festive striped scarf and went about the town, leaving Scram to his own devices. She hopped on the Sneade Station uptown and soon arrived at the Fall Festival.

The Festival was a brightly decorated venue full of people. I also had crafts, games, and bouncy houses overlooking a large sunflower maze. Kids ran around in little costumes madly flailing stuffed animals and candy apples.

After briefly strolling around the event, Tessa ordered an apple cider and took refuge under a great blooming autumn tree slightly away from the commotion.

“Oh! Hi!” The tree already had an occupant. It was a young adult slightly older-looking than Tessa. He had tan skin with bright eyes and a mischievous smile. He was eating a bag of peanuts.

“Needed to get away too?” he asked.

“Yeah, for just a little bit,” Tessa replied.

“Sounds good,” he muttered, nodding. “Dallas Ryan by the way.” He stretched out his arm to shake.

“Tessa,” she replied, taking it, “nice to meet you.”

“So tell me about yourself Tessa,” Dallas said, sitting next to her. “What do you do?”

“Oh nothing special,” Tessa responded. “I work in the archives department of the St. --- library. You?”

“I teach middle school,” Dallas sighed.

“Ooh that sounds… fun,” Tessa said. “How is-?”

But she was interrupted by a stranger, appearing from seemingly nowhere, hurriedly brushing past her and striking her arm.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” the man hastened, turning around and bowing low. The man was spindly with slight wrinkles and he was dressed in dark orange lederhosen. He had thick bushy eyebrows, like two giant, hairy worms were pasted on his forehead, and spoke with a awful German accent.

The man muttered intelligibly as he bowed in apology. He rose and gazed at Tessa. His bushy eyebrows lit up with startled recognition. “Ay gracious! It’s Tessa Cridley!”

“Oh wow. You know this guy?” Dallas asked.

“I don’t have a clue,” Tessa replied. She turned to the man. “I’m sorry, but have we met before?”

“Haha! That’s hilarious!” the man chuckled. He took a peek at his arm as though the check the time. There was nothing there. “Oh dear. It appears I’ve lost my watch again. I must get going. Farewell, Tessa, and good luck on your quest!”

The odd man smiled wide and waved to Tessa ecstatically.  She politely waved back. In a flash, he rushed off, melting into the carnival.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but that was quite weird.”

Dallas sniggered. “What, you’re saying spastic orange men don’t come up and talk to you on a regular basis?”

“At least not in October,” Tessa added with a smile. “And a ‘quest’? I literally have no idea what that guy is talking about.”

“Haha yeah! A sidequest from a strange character. It’s like a classic role playing game,” Dallas joked. “It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this!”

Dallas dramatically presented his bag of peanuts to Tessa, in line with his Legend of Zelda reference. Tessa giggled.

“Would you like some?” he added.

Tessa shook her head. The truth was she loved peanuts, but her mild peanut allergy made her break out into unflattering hives. Sometimes the snack was worth it, but she was reluctant to eat it around strangers. Especially strangers she wanted to impress.

“Okay Tessa, there’s a whole lot to do at this festival and not enough time to do it,” Dallas announced. He stretched out his hand to her. “It only comes once a year, so let’s make the most of it okay?”

Tessa nodded and took his hand. They roamed the festival for the rest of the afternoon, getting their faces painted, drinking apple cider, and dancing to the live music.

Finally, Tessa and Dallas entered the sunflower maze. After around thirty minutes of playing, they reached the center of the maze to discover a wilted scarecrow and a pumpkin reading Congratulations! You Made it!

“We did it!” Tessa exclaimed. She high fived Dallas.

Just then a crow flapped up and settle on the scarecrow. It began picking at the straw.

“Well that guy’s not doing a great job,” Dallas joked. The crow squawked loudly.

As if one cue, Dallas’ phone buzzed.

“Oh?” Dallas checked his phone. “My brother is calling. I’ve got to go.”

“Oh- okay,” Tessa muttered. “See you around Dallas.”

“Bye Tessa, it was great to meet you!”

With that, he ran straight through the maze. Tessa couldn’t help but grin and more leisurely exited from his path.