Twisted Lies by Nora Cobb
Chapter 14
Astrid
Without a car, I call an Uber to take me to the Halloween store at the strip mall outside Weymouth. It’s a pop-up shop in an old retail building off the highway that used to be a discount department store. Yeah, my neighborhood was the last stronghold until the hardware stores finally disappeared. The space is too large for anything else, and no one wants to pay to knock it down. So it has stayed a rental.
I get cash from the ATM, not trusting my debit card at a store that will be gone in a week. I know how scams work.
The store windows have been blacked out and covered with posters advertising Halloween costumes for the entire family. The interiors have been stripped down to the studs and concrete, and the merchandise barely takes up a quarter of the space. I tap the concrete floor with the toe of my shoe as I walk around inspecting the costumes until I find one I like. An angel costume will suit me just fine. Two styles hang side by side. The gown covers up the chest in a tacky lightweight satin that reaches the floor. I wouldn’t cover a window with this crap. But the other one isn’t so bad. It has a super short skirt with a bustier type top. I’d need double-stick tape to keep it in place, but I could get away with it. A promising pair of wings with real feathers hangs off a pole nearby, and soon, I’m getting into this look. There’s even a separate halo made with gold sequins.
The full-length mirrors are attached to huge weight-bearing columns spaced out across the building. I try on the wings and the halo, admiring how it’s all coming together.
“That looks so cute on you,” says a girl about my age that must go to Monarch. I can tell by her accent. Do I talk like that too? “I’m thinking of getting the devil costume,” she smiles as if I should be excited by the irony.
I laugh a little. “I’m already bad. I want to trick them into thinking I’m good.”
She laughs along with me. “Are you getting shoes for it?” she asks.
I look down at my heavy black shoes. “I hadn’t thought about it.”
“There’s a shoe outlet at the end of the mall,” she replies, “They have some cute heels.” She walks off after I thank her for the tip.
I pay for my stuff and head over. The shoe outlet is another large warehouse except it’s been renovated with carpeting and permanent displays. The owner plans to stick around, and they have plenty of business. A few other women walk around with their costumes, checking the color against the shoes. I try on a few pairs of heels and settle on a gold pair that lace up my calves. I’ll look hot for the ball. Maybe I should have gone with the devil costume. Hopping into the Uber, I decide against going back for it but stare at the massive warehouse as the car pulls away.
