Night of the Witches
A hot fire dancer performing near the old town square. She was the highlight of the night.
A Polaroid and a Witch Hat
On that fateful night, October 18, 2024, my friend invited me to drive deep into the country with her to attend the Night of the Witches. About an hour from where I grew up, it was far enough that in my 24 years of life, it was a town unfamiliar.
I don’t remember who was driving, but we parked the car and began to walk. A few carnival tents were set up with witches selling their wares. Broomsticks and hats, and magic tattoos. Forever a collector of memories, Lauren wanted a picture of us together. We hailed down one of the witches, and found a lovely spot in front of a tall ash tree. The witch smiled as she pressed down on the button, FLASH! In seconds, a Polaroid print smoothly slid out the front. I liked it. Lauren still has the photo in one of her scrapbooks.
Before we left the market, Lauren wanted to take a another look at a sparkly black hat she had seen earlier. Checking the price tag, I reminded her that neither of us had much to spend, but she got it anyway. I must confess, it was a good look on her, and to be fair, it has a good point.
Lauren with the sparkly black hat she bought at the Witch’s market
It Hasn’t Changed Since the 90’s
We left the festival and began to wander. As we got close to her former school, she confessed, this was her hometown. Where she went to daycare and pre-school. Her grandparents used to own a grocery store there (They closed it and retired in Florida). Her mom used to work at said store until it close (and there is definitely no bad blood from that, of course not, why would you even think so 😉.
Sheridan Food Mart - Her Family’s Old Grocery Store
We discovered her old elementary school and the playground right beside it. With her sexy black boots and scuffed denim jacket, she swung on the swings. I ran around the wood chips, climbing things, exploring and doing the monkey bars. The town was small enough, we could reach the edge within half an hour of strolling. She knew were at the end when we saw the Family Dollar, and behind it a dark forest. All of this was, well, eerie. As if the town hadn't changed at all since the 1990s. As if it hadn't changed since her childhood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYrmAF6SQmE
Lauren climbing up the equipment at her elementary school’s playground
The Fire Dancer
After about 2 hours, we returned to the festival, where we saw a fire dancer preparing to perform. She was hot. literally. It was entrancing, I stood, staring at the moving flames forever. Watching her swift movements push back the shadow of the night. I don’t know how long I was there before my friend pulled me away.
The Drive Home
We had one last stop to make before we left. We saw 2 more of her relatives, owners of one of the towns bars and taverns. After seeing them, we got in the car and returned home. On the way back, I asked Lauren if she would like to be more then friends. She said no. That’s okay, it just means I can continue my search for someone who does.
