Of Bats and Ravens at the Black Orb

The smell of pumpkin spice wafted through the store as Millie and Annabelle placed the pumpkin lights all around the outside of the windows. 

“Millie, I do believe this window is going to win the Tutty’s Port Halloween Window Fest award for ‘Best Window.’ We’ll hang the blue ribbon in the front window for all to see,” she said triumphantly.

Millie shook her head. “Mother, don’t be too confident. The jewelry store up the street has sparkling baubles as big as my head in the front windows. And Old Man Tutty has been bragging that his window will be the best this year. And he has the clout to pull it off.” 

Millie jumped down from the ladder to appraise the window. It was pretty, but didn’t have the “wow factor” she was looking for. “Diao, what do you think of the windows?”

Diao stopped preening himself on his perch and tilted his head. 

“Okay, I guess. I do think that Annabelle makes a convincing witch however.” His cawing laughter rang through the store.

“Is that so, you overstuffed duster?!” Annabelle said, hands on hips in the window. “Perhaps I should grab this broom and give you…” 

Millie raised a hand. “Enough you two. I am trying to decide what this window needs to add a bit of pizzazz. We don’t have much time.” 

Annabelle grabbed the broom and leaned it against the wall of the window display. “Perhaps a coffin would do the trick?”

Millie had walked over to the counter to take a sip of her pumpkin spice latte and almost spit the drink all over Diao. She turned back to the window with an incredulous look. 

“What?” she shrieked, wiping her mouth clear of the latte. “Are you serious?”

Annabelle turned and looked at her and shrugged. “Of course I’m serious. You could put the coffin against the wall of the display area where the broom is now.” 

Millie could see that Annabelle was on a roll and there was no stopping her when she got like this. 

“You could take Diao’s perch and put it in the tea room and he could perch on top of the coffin and say ‘Nevermore’ from up there. Toss in a few fake spider webs, several black iridescent balls and… Voila!” Annabelle spun around triumphantly. “We are a shoo-in for that ribbon.” 

Millie shook her head laughing. “Only one problem that I see. Where are we gonna to get a coffin?

As if on cue, the doorbell chimed and in walked Gar with a huge coffin over his shoulder. Most people would never be able to carry something so large and heavy, but for Gar, it was easy.

“Good afternoon, Miss Millie, Miss Annabelle, Diao. I thought you may need this for your window.”

Millie stared at Gar dumbfounded. He always seemed to come to her rescue. “Gar, I…where did you find a coffin?”

Gar chuckled softly, looking at his boots. “Oh, it belonged to a friend. Would you like me to put it in the window for you?”

Before Millie could speak, Annabelle took control. “Gar, pull that coffin in the corner and tilt it slightly outward. We want the light to hit that coffin lid just right, to put an eerie cast on the dust mop’s wings as he perches there. It will be perfection!”

Annabelle made a dramatic move with her hands reminiscent of Grande Dames of the Theatre.

Diao flew to Millie’s shoulder and spoke softly into her ear. “You don’t think there is someone in there, do you Mil? I still don’t trust the gargoyle.” 

“Oh, Diao, of course there is no one inside,” Millie whispered back. “Gar has been nothing but kind. He knows this means a lot to the business.”

Diao shook his head. “Be careful Mil, I don’t want you to become one of the undead. Can you imagine how much work I would have to do during the day?”

Millie rolled her eyes at Diao’s comment and brushed him off her shoulder. “Be nice, Diao.”  “Blah, Blah …even to the undead.” Using her best Bella Lugosi voice.

Millie leaned against the counter, laughing while Diao rolled his eyes.

 Trying to sound spooky Diao quipped, “Oooooo…Mark my words, little Millie, or I shall see thee in the daylight…!” Diao struck a pose on his perch in dramatic fashion, just as the door chimed and in walked several customers asking for pumpkin spice tea boba. He waited til then to finish the threat “Neverrrrrmore!” 

Millie rolled her eyes and went about her business tidying the shelves.

A steady stream of customers kept Millie busy while Annabel and Gar continued to work on the window. At the end of the day, they all stepped back to look at their handiwork.

Large glass black marbles hung from the ceiling. Cobwebs and plastic spiders stretched across the ceiling from the coffin to the ground. A broom lay against a large copper pot, while the little pumpkin lights twinkled around the outside of the window.

“Well done everyone! I think it’s time we order some pizza.”

Gar laughed, “Actually, time for me to get to work. 

He walked toward Millie and planted a kiss on her forehead, then started up the steps.

Annabelle’s eyes just about fell out of their sockets at this display of affection. 

Diao sat stunned into silence, which doesn’t happen often. Minutes ticked by as he tried, unsuccessfully, to keep from speaking. Finally…

“Wellllllll, that was a bit forward, Mil. Ole kissy-lip flappy man needs to have a bit of respect for the elderly.” He tilted his head in the direction of Annabelle.

Annabelle raised her brows almost to the ceiling. “I did not just hear the talking feather duster call me old,  did I?” Her pitch rose slightly. 

Millie witnessed  the aftermath of Gar’s kiss and laughed as she walked to the back room to order the pizza. She could hear the chatter up front as she called.

“Ohhhh, no he did not just kiss her in front of me,” Diao snapped.

Annabelle harrumphed, “Well, at least one of us will be dating a tall handsome…man…”

***

Dinner was a rather quiet affair.

Later that night after everyone had gone to bed, Millie startled awake to a loud crash in the store. She never wanted this type of thing to happen but was prepared. Picking up a baseball bat, she slowly walked down the stairs.

As she reached the bottom, Diao flew out from his perch and landed on her shoulder. She stifled a scream and just looked at him. 

“What?!” Diao whispered. “I am here to help.”

“What are you going to do, batter him with your wings?” Millie whispered back.

They stepped out into the bluish light of the moon flooding through the broken front window of the Black Orb. Nothing else seemed amiss in the store. 

Nothing except for where the window display was located. The coffin was open. Everything had fallen in the window display.

Millie stared at the coffin for one moment. “Gar?” Her voice grew louder until the entire house-store was awake. “Gar!”

Forgetting protocol, something or someone fluttered down to land in front of the store. Annabelle ran down the steps and surveyed the damage.

“Millie…what is…” She blinked as she watched Gar in true form and squeaked out, “That?!” Millie looked from her mother’s face, then turned to meet Gar’s eyes. 

“Ummmm…” Millie’s mind whirred at lighting speed trying to come up with a plausible idea that would placate her Mother. Nothing came to mind.

Diao whistled a low sound next to Millie’s ear. “Mil, this is all yours.” Turning abruptly he flew back to his perch in the tea room and put his head under his wing.” 

He murmured into his wing, “Neverrrrrrmore.”

Gar looked at Millie and shrugged. From behind Millie the sound of laughter arose. Annabelle sat down on the steps and laughed hard as she looked at Gar.

“Well, I guess I know where he got his name from,” Annabelle mumbled through laughter.

Diao began laughing from his perch. Gar flinched as he looked at himself. 

Millie muttered to herself, pointing at the open coffin. “Not only do we have a Gargoyle as a landlord but now we have a vampire on the loose in Tutty Port. Yep…only at the Black Orb.” Running her hands through her hair, she sighed deeply.

Annabelle called out to Gar, “Come on in Gar. It appears we have lost our cashier.” She pointed to the coffin. 

Millie shook her head. “Let’s clean this up. I have a window decorating contest to win!”

Diao, shifted uncomfortably. 

“I need you to help set up the window again…with tape and all. Make the window look like Frankenstein’s monster. It will look spookier,”

Diao, no longer a Raven, walked up with a broom. “Don’t worry Mil, how much destruction can one errant vampire cause? Besides, another tenant to charge rent, eh?”  

Gar walked up to Millie and began to help clean. Mille stopped him. “You could have told me Gar, perhaps we could have prevented this.” 

Gar nodded. “Sorry Millie.” She just waved her hand as if waving him away. Diao stepped in “Shouldn’t you be up guarding a building or something? Perhaps finding Count Dracula? 

Gar muttered as he turned, “It wasn’t the Count… he was… just…” Gar shook his head.  As he reached the sidewalk, a flutter of wings carried him to his lofty perch.

Annabelle grabbed a dustpan, turned to Millie and said “ Well, never have a dull moment at the Black Orb. A gargoyle for a son-in-law, that  will be a hit at the Pretzel Fest. Perhaps you should reconsider your choice in men, Dear. A human would be nice.” 

The tone was plain. Hurricane Annabelle was not happy.

Millie leaned against the counter and shook her head. A small bat crawled out from the side of the register and placed a wing on her hand, looking pleadingly into her eyes.

The bat said softly “Blah Blah…aww nuts to the old routine. The name is Victor and I’m sorry, Millie. Gar thought I could rest here during the season and no one would know. Guess he was wrong.”

Millie looked at the small bat, the wing, and the pleading eyes. How could she turn away a friend of Gar’s? He wouldn’t bite her. Right?

She began to laugh. “No problem, Victor. Welcome to the Black Orb Family. You are our new night cashier. And Happy Halloween!”

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