Page 17 of Glow

They weren’t quite ready for the “L” word yet, but Dan felt certain that’s where they were heading, and he was more than halfway there himself.

It’s good to find a mate, Wally commented. I like him.

Dan watched from the hotel steps as Quinn drove away. For the first time in a long while, he felt optimistic and found himself looking forward to what the future had in store.

The next morning, Dan checked his phone when he grabbed his bag before beginning his trip.

Quinn: Drive safely. See you soon.

Dan looked at Quinn’s text message and smiled.

Dan: I’ll be back before you know it, he replied before he headed out of town for the highway that would take him back to Dover.

In less than a week, his life had completely changed, in a good way. He had found a new place to live in a welcoming new town with a new boyfriend Dan believed could be “the one.” Just as important, Fox Hollow would be a safe place for Wally, something Dan had never really felt was true in his hometown.

We’ll still have to keep you mostly a secret, he told Wally silently. But we can tell Quinn and maybe Liam when the time is right. Dr. Jeffries wasn’t upset at all. I think this will be good for both of us.

I hope so, Wally replied. I don’t like being scared.

Dan sang along with the radio as he drove, enjoying the sunny day. He felt sad about having to miss the Monster Network’s Summer Solstice out in Yellowstone, but that wasn’t going to work this year. Even so, he was looking forward to the Fox Hollow Midsummer Festival.

Maybe next year, he told himself, for the Monster Network bash. Or would that be “mash”? He chuckled as the Halloween song came to mind.

It took most of the day to drive to Dover. Dan changed music channels several times when playlists started to repeat. He got in just before sunset, wanting to be settled in his house by dark, and stopped for fast food on the way since he didn’t remember what was still in the fridge.

Dan drove by his house and gave it a careful once-over, wanting to make sure nothing had changed before he pulled in. He was pretty sure that no one linked him with the Dover Demon, but all it took was one hunter clever enough to put together the clues to bring his world crashing down. He felt a little guilty leaving the place that had been in the family so long, but he knew his grandfather would understand.

We could go for a last run, Wally suggested hopefully. Dan knew his cryptid side hated being stuck in a car even more than he disliked long periods without shifting.

Too dangerous, Dan replied. Let’s not push our luck. I’ll pack tonight, we’ll leave in the morning, and I promise we’ll go for a nice, long ramble once we get back to the Adirondacks.

Wally made a skeptical snort but let the subject go, to Dan’s relief.

Dan checked his front porch and doorway for hidden cameras, trip wires, or other surprises. Satisfied that no one had booby-trapped his entrance, Dan grabbed the stuff from the mailbox and hurried inside, locking the door behind him.

Unapologetically suspicious, he checked every room to make sure nothing had been disturbed and that no one had gotten in. All the windows were locked, and his alarm system showed no one else had tried to enter.

Relax. It’s the last time. Then we’re gone for good, he told himself, or at least until we sell the place and clean it out. He’d eventually have to list it but hoped to wait until the interest in him died down.

Dan glanced around, thinking about what things he’d want to keep. Much of the furniture and contents came from his grandfather or his dad’s place when he passed. It was time for a clean start, so there was a lot he could let go. The rest he could put in storage until he was settled. He quickly packed his meteorology equipment and computer as well as his other electronics, gaming devices, good coffee maker, and associated manuals.

Clothing went into suitcases, toiletries and desk stuff filled a shopping bag, and he grabbed the few cherished mementos he had kept over the years, personal records and official documents, and his favorite pillow. Most of his reading was on e-books, so he felt grateful he didn’t have to sort through physical copies to pack or leave behind.

Dan tried not to think about how few things his life boiled down to, just a couple of bags and boxes that really mattered.

I think on some level I always knew I was going to leave and didn’t get too rooted, he thought, how did Grandpa stay so long in one place? Wally was quiet, and Dan wondered if the daemon spirit minded leaving the area it had haunted for generations. If so, Wally never warned Dan away from moving, and Dan figured that a little discomfort was better than being hunted in the woods.

He kept the outdoor lights minimal as he packed his car, not wanting to attract attention. Dan doubted anyone was going to steal his stuff, and he made sure anything valuable was out of sight.

Finally, he cleaned out his freezer and refrigerator, fixing a late-night snack from the bits and pieces, setting out a small cooler bag for cheese, crackers, and a couple of sodas, leaving the cold cereal and milk for breakfast. Unopened canned goods and boxes could be donated, or whoever he hired to clean the place was welcome to them.

His phone chimed, reminding Dan to tune into the monster hunter podcast, something he monitored just in case. He logged in on his phone since the rest of his equipment was packed and tried to take comfort in a hot cup of tea.

“It’s a big night tonight,” Phil, one of the hosts said when the opening music ended. “We’ve got big, big news for all you monster fans out there, and you’re seeing it here first.”

“That’s right,” Chet, the other host chimed in. “For the first time in many years, we have new photos of the legendary Dover Demon, Dover’s very own monster.”

“As you know, if you’re regular fans of our show, the Dover Demon has been part of this town’s history for over one hundred years. In all that time, there have been very few sightings, and only a handful of photos. It’s clever, and stays out of sight, except for the occasional stray footprint,” Phil went on.