Surprisingly, the most popular song featured one banjo playing Mothman. Not that the world was aware a cryptid was plucking strings with his claws. However, we did sometimes consider if he could come along with us and play on stage. We could say he wore a costume and concerts were already disorienting, who would notice if part of the disorientation was caused by a trans-dimensional creature?
Our old band manager kept encouraging us to come back to the studio. It was across the states, back in California. We didn’t even entertain the idea. Ava was involved with ghost hunting now and the idea of trying to hide Pollux in California sounded ridiculous.
No, that would never work. Really, Ava’s house didn’t work perfectly either.
Which was why today we were going on a trip for the first time in a year. It was only the five of us, our family members weren’t invited.
“I think you’ve been in America long enough to get a driver’s license,” Brandon said, shooting me a teasing look from the driver’s seat.
“Fuck off,” I said with a snort, brushing my hair over my shoulder. His eyes lingered on my neck before moving back to the stretch of road in front of us. Ava, Makwa, and Pollux had no clue where we were headed. I peered in the back seat and saw her gripping Pollux’s hand tightly as we made our way west on interstate 64, heading in the direction where it all went down.
We weren’t going to West Virginia though. When we finally took an off-ramp, I saw Ava visibly relax.
I hoped this was the right thing to do. We were about two and a half hours away from Ava’s hometown, still in Virginia. It had been over a year since we’d been out this way.
Brandon drove down the Blue Ridge Parkway and we marveled at the tree colors—golden yellows, deep oranges, and vibrant reds. It looked like a mismatched orchard of over-ripened fruit rather than leaves. The colors fell from the trees like rain and littered the street, flattened and wet.
I marveled more than I normally would have because we’d stopped at a mountain winery thirty minutes back and gotten tipsy. Wineries and cider mills littered the main highways around here and had been a welcome break from all the “are we there yets” Makwa kept forcing from Ava’s mouth.
We pulled into a gravel driveway that curved privately through the trees at an incline.
“We’re staying here?” Ava asked. Pollux got out and looked around, inhaling a big lungful of crisp mountain air and letting it out slowly. When coming from the coast, there was an extra sense of freshness as the humidity shook off and the air thinned. The fur around Pollux’s neck fluffed up, showing his pleasure.
Brandon and I looked at each other nervously. It had been a wild idea to do this alone, without the other’s input. However, the others were never going to do this. Makwa hated doing anything that wasn’t his idea, Pollux refused to make any personal demands, and Ava… well Ava would have probably agreed but we wanted this to be a surprise, like the one she’d given us last year with the studio. Her gift had finally snapped something inside both Brandon and me to really live again.
“What is this?” Pollux asked in my head. He knew something was up. I’d never been so nervous in my life and kept fiddling with my hair like a dumbass. Brandon bumped my shoulder and then squeezed my hand. I shook him off and he snorted in amusement.
“Come on,” I said, leading them up the incline to the house. It was modern and brand new. As in, not another person had ever lived here because Brandon and I had it built for all of us.
We gathered on the long stretch of slate porch. Brandon tossed me one of our keys and I groaned when I saw it had a Mothman keychain attached to it. When I opened the door, dim orange light was filling the foyer and living room. Sunset seeped in from the bank of walls on the opposite side of the house. It was an open floor plan with the entire back wall made of windows.
“This is amazing,” Ava said, walking in. I watched her expression closely. She looked awed by the place as she darted all around, looking in confusion at certain details that seemed too personal. Pollux eyed me suspiciously, still waiting for his answer.
“It’s ours,” I said. “Brandon and I… we bought it. For all of us.”
“What?” Ava asked in shock, her hand going to her mouth. She was at the windows, looking out over the view. The deck outside jutted out over the rolling blue mountains that spanned out beyond it. She stood there in shock, her eyes watering.
“This is ours?” She asked in disbelief.
Pollux suddenly grabbed Brandon and gave him a tight hug, making Brandon pat his back and laugh. Pollux signed “thank you” to him before he came to me.
His hat dropped on my head, sliding past my eyes. Before I could push it up he pulled me close, his furred face brushing against my cheeks. His feelers traced my jaw and cheekbones before ghosting over my lips. Then his hand slid down to my ass and give it a rough grab.
“You shit,” I grumbled as he darted away in delight. He ran directly to the back door, flinging it open. He ran across the porch, his boots stomping on the wood. Then he leapt off the edge.
Ava gasped. A moment later Pollux ascended, his large wings spread wide and a smile on his face. He flew, his fingertips grabbing at the top of trees as he whirled away in joy.
The sun was going down fast. Ava’s hand came up and pressed to the glass. She was quiet. I found it easy these days to tell when they switched. Makwa held himself differently, shoulders straighter and tighter, his chin tipped up regally.
“You did this for them?” He asked deeply. “Very sweet.” Brandon sighed and stomped over, leaning against the wooden beams between the windows and crossing his arms.
“We did it for you too, Makwa. You never got used to the Luna house.” He leaned forward and patted Ava’s hair down. It had begun floating a little. “This will be better, right? You like it?” Brandon asked hopefully. Makwa pulled his hand away from the glass and turned towards Brandon. A slow smile spread over his face.
The sun descended. In a blink Makwa himself was standing behind Ava, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as they looked at the shadowy shape of Mothman flying in view.
“I love it,” he said.
22
