'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 17

Buck regained his balance as he dodged past a man with a crew cut who had zipped in front of him. The menacing clouds hanging over the festival didn't deter the festival-goers from wandering through the city of tents.

Buck felt a couple of raindrops fall on his arms. Moments later a steady rain began to fall. He and Shirley Sue raced between canopies in search of a vendor who sold something which would afford them protection from the rain than the flimsy rain ponchos which were little more than trash bags with hoods. They found a vendor with two blueberry themed umbrellas and purchased them.

Shirley Sue laughed as she picked up one of the last three remaining umbrellas and opened it up. The duo paid for the umbrellas and walked out from under the tent and onto the pavement.

“Aren't they hideous!” Shirley Sue giggled.

“At least they'll keep us dry,” Buck said, smiling at Shirley Sue.

The pair wandered around the festival. They weren't exactly sure who to look for, beyond the vague profile Sarah had given them. Before the rain had begun, searching for someone who matched the description of the suspect was challenging at best. Now with the ocean of umbrellas bobbing past, their task was impossible.

“You there!” a deep voice called from behind them. “The young man and pretty lady.”

Buck and Shirley Sue turned around the face the voice.

“Yes you!” a short man with a beard and a ponytail said. “You look like a nice strong fellow. How about you try your arm at this game of skill and win the lovely lady a prize.”

Buck walked over to the man and Shirley Sue followed behind.

“One blueberry for a dollar, six for five dollars. Toss it into one of the holes and win a prize,” the man said, pointing to a row of stuffed animals.

“Sure, why not,” Buck said. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a dollar bill.

The man placed a blue beanbag down in front of him. Buck picked up the beanbag and tossed it, narrowly missing the hole.

“Ah, so close,” said the man. “I bet with another chance you'd get it.”

Buck made several attempts and managed to win only a couple of small trinkets. After a few minutes of chatting with the man behind the booth, he felt a tug on his shirt.

“I need to use the bathroom,” Shirley Sue whispered into his ear. “I'll be back in a few.”

After three more attempts, Buck was finally able to win a small blue owl. The man tried to convince him to keep going so that he could win the bigger sized animal, but Buck declined. He was already fifteen dollars in and didn't want to spend any more. Besides, he was certain that Shirley Sue would love the owl.

He bid the man farewell and distanced himself from the booth. As he looked around for Shirley Sue, he saw the woman from the diner staring at him. She smiled and pointed her finger at him, then beckoned him toward her. He felt as though a force was pulling on him. His legs began to move and carried him in the direction of the woman.