Camouflaged

Written for the Heather Hubler Write me a letter Challenge. Find all the details, below.

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My dearest Heather,

Just thought you should know I still haven't decided what I’m going to be for Halloween... I can hear you gasping from here. It's okay, I’ll figure it out. I know how important it is to us, tradition and all... It's the only calendar day where I can be anything I want and mingle amongst the world of prying eyes without a care in my bones. Disappearing under the ruse of a costume or piling on layers of makeup is something I look forward to.

Do you remember a few years back when you dressed up as Ariel from The Little Mermaid for the annual Halloween office party? You wore an elegant a red wig that stopped co-workers in their tracks to admire your swagger to the punch bowl. Soon after, I suggested you dye your hair red; it looked good on you! You laughed of course and said if God wanted me to have red hair, my parents would have been Irish. You were always the witty one... What you said about God though, haunts me till this day. I'm quick to read between the lines.

This year feels different. I have grown both mentally and spiritually. I now look at life through the eyes of a patron saint. No, I’m not born-again but perspectives change over time. Dreams once abandoned, have been rekindled. They tug at my thoughts until I give them the attention they deserve.

I always look forward to our tradition, but sadly I must confess… I will not be attending the party this year. I apologize for breaking our exciting streak of creative collaborations. This year, I just want to be myself. Together with all my flaws and idiosyncrasies, with all my attitudes toward petty differences, all my phobias and my blatant hatred of oysters, everyone can take it or leave it. Is this newly found confidence advantageous? Yes, it is... Wait! What am I thinking? I can't miss all the festivities including Robert who wears that lame-ass Peter Pan costume every year and Samantha who thinks her different accents are funny. Forget everything I just said! My epiphanies are short lived these days. I can still be myself while pretending to be a blood-thirsty vampire, or a mindless zombie in search of brains. Maybe this year I'll ironically go as the Joker, you know, the one from the batman movies. Sorry for the scare. It’s only one day a year, plus I don’t think I could handle you rubbing all the juicy details in my face. So, I guess I need to start working on my costume. Please bring more of those brownies you brought last year. They were a hit with everyone. Whatever kind of love you put into them gave everyone the giggles. Throw in a few extra for me to take home. Thank you! See you soon, sunshine!

Your bff

Frank N. Stein

PS: How’s the novel coming along?

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