A Love Restored

We went over to the coundog cart and Felix askel for one plain and one Cheeto hot dog. For some reason, Folis had zero spice tolerance. It kind of annoyed me sometimes because I just wouldn’t cook normal food for us both, and I’d have to top my plate with ungodly amounts of chiti oll

But it did mean I had perfected so many recipes for chili oils and s**y sauces and chutneys.

I devoured my corndog in minutes. I looked at Felix again.

“Ferris wheel-

“You promised me the haunted house.”

I hadn’t forgotten about that. I just…didn’t want to go. I was scared.

“Oh, are you scared, little baby?” He mocked. I glared at him, “Yes, for you! I don’t want your

to pee your pants.”

He gave me a bored look.

“Fine! Let’s go then.”

Inside the haunted house at the carnival, the atmosphere was thick with eerie music, dimly lit corridors, and a spine-tingling sense of foreboding. My heart raced as Felix and I ventured deeper into the darkness, our fingers tightly intertwined. I had agreed to enter the haunted house despite my fear, wanting to impress Felix with my bravery, but every step deeper sent shivers down my spine.

As we turned a corner, a sudden burst of ghostly laughter echoed through the air, making me jump and clutch Felix’s arm. He chuckled softly, his amusement evident in the gleam of his eyes. I attempted a brave smile, determined not to let fear overtake me.

“Having fun, Flora?” he teased, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, though my voice quivered as I replied, “Of course, Felix. Just enjoying the spooky ambiance.”

We continued our journey through the haunted house, encountering creepy scenes and grotesque figures lurking in the shadows. Each time I gasped or squealed, Felix.

squeezed my hand reassuringly. I appreciated his support, even if it was hard to maintain my

composure.

At one point, we entered a room bathed in eerie green light, and a life-sized coffin sat ominously in the center. I hesitated, my imagination running wild with terrifying thoughts. of what might await us inside. Felix sensed my hesitation and leaned in closer, his voice soothing.

“It’s just make believe, Flora,” he whispered. “Nothing to be afraid of.”

Summoning every ounce of courage, I nodded and took a deep breath. With Felix by my side, 1 inched closer to the coffin and gingerly pushed it open. To my surprise, a lifelike mannequin with glowing red eyes popped out, emitting a spine-chilling scream from me.

I shrieked, practically leaping into Felix’s arms, my heart pounding wildly. He burst into laughter, holding me close as I tried to catch my breath. My attempt at being brave had backfired spectacularly.

“Okay, maybe I’m not as brave as I thought,” I admitted, blushing furiously.

Felix grinned; his eyes filled with affection. “That’s perfectly fine, flower. You’re doing great, and I’m enjoying every moment of this.”

We continued our haunted journey, encountering more frightful scenes and eerie surprises.

As we reached the exit, my heart was still racing, but this time it was from exhilaration rather than fear. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself as we stepped back into the carnival’s bright lights.

“Well, that was an adventure,” I said, still breathless from our haunted house experience. “Its never happening again.”

Felix grinned and pulled me into a warm embrace. “You were amazing in there, Flora. I had a blast.”

I looked up at him, grateful for his understanding and support. “Thank you, Felix, for being here with me. I might not be the bravest, but I wouldn’t want to face my fears with anyone else.”

He leaned down and kissed my forehead gently. “You don’t have to be brave all the time, Flora. You know I’ll protect you, from ghosts, and forces out to destroy you.”

H

I giggled. As we walked hand in hand through the carnival, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment. Fear had given way to laughter and warmth, that I always felt with him, and I knew that with Felix by my side, I could face any haunted house or dark corridor with a smile on my face.

We spotted Tilly and Remy at a ring toss game, and I ran to them.

“Tilly!” I yelled, she turned around and saw me. “Where have you been?” We both shouted at

the same time.

“You left us alone and just disappeared!” I told her.

She hesitated, “We…uh…”

I pulled her to the side, “Did you end up making out somewhere?”

She nodded.

gasped. “In public?”

Tilly blushed.

Tilly’s eyes sparkled with adoration as she talked about Remy. Her voice was filled with a

contagious enthusiasm that made it impossible not to smile.

“Flora, Tilly gushed, her cheeks flushed with excitement, “you won’t believe how incredible

Remy is. He’s the sweetest, most thoughtful guy I’ve ever met.”

Listening to Tilly’s effusive praise, I couldn’t help but feel genuinely happy for her. It was heartwarming to witness the depth of her affection for Remy. I chuckled, nodding in agreement. It was clear that Tilly had found someone truly special in Remy, and I couldn’t wait to see their love story continue to grow. Tilly really deserved a guy who treated her

well.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Remy and Felix were playing ring toss.

Tilly and I went over to them, and the two boys were…really invested.

We looked at the boy manning the stall, and he rolled his eyes.

“This is their third round.” He told us.

“Felix? I didn’t know you liked ring toss.”

He didn’t respond. I guess he was…concentrating?

Tilly and I slowly backed away, letting them do their own thing.

We decided to go on the pendulum ride. It looked scary and freaky and amazing. After the ride, we were both ready to throw up. We started walking back to the ring toss to find the boys, Thankfully, they were there.

“Floral” Felix ran to me.

The handed me a huge pink stuffed octopus,

=

“I won this for you.”

The octopus was…huge. It engulfed my whole torso. I loved it.

“Thank you!” I beamed at him, “I love it.”

He grinned, clearly happy with his win.

“Will you name him?”.

1 nodded. Sure, I would.

I made a show of pretending to think.

“Can we name him Tubby?”

He nodded enthusiastically.

And that was Tubby. We both loved him like a child. Like our own.

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