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“Aw, come on, princess. How about some more Donna Summer? That always cheers you up.” Kevin cranked up “Love To Love You Baby” as it popped up on shuffle and they took the exit into Cawker, Kansas.
The town looked like it was right out of an old movie, small and adorable. The main drag through downtown was lined with old tiny buildings, and a water tower withCawker Citywritten across it loomed in the distance. There were several big signs for the Ball of Twine, and Kevin eagerly followed them down until he spotted a large wooden roof that housed the ball within.
“Holy shit! Look!” Kevin exclaimed. “There it is!”
Percy clasped his hands together as if in prayer. “Dear baby Jesus, I know we haven’t always gotten along with me being a demon and all, but I would appreciate it if you’d do me a solid and get me out of here. Burn the ball of twine. Send a tornado. A flood. Anything.”
“You’re no fucking fun. Jesus has better things to do than destroy a perfectly innocent ball of twine.” Kevin pulled up to park in front of the ball, and he grabbed his cell phone. “Come on, princess. Let’s go!”
Percy shoved a handful of gummies into his mouth, no doubt to silence whatever complaints he was about to spew. He still mumbled as he followed Kevin toward the wooden gazebo, but it was impossible to understand what he was saying.
Probably for the best.
There was a sign next to the gazebo that readWorld’s Largest Ball of Sisal Twine, Started by Frank Stoeber in 1953. The sign also boasted the ball’s current weight as being over twenty-seven thousand pounds and that it was over eight million feet of twine. In the middle of the gazebo on a concrete floor was indeed a very large ball of twine. It was over ten feet tall and easily three times as wide.
There were three other people visiting the ball—a young couple and an old man. The couple was reading the board while the gentleman took pictures of the ball.
“Wow. It’s just as thrilling as I imagined,” Percy drawled.
“Come on! This is cool!” Kevin insisted, approaching the ball as soon as the old man moved out of the way. He touched the thick twine, running his fingers along some of the strings and grinning like an idiot. “We gotta get a picture! Get over here.”
“Are you serious?” Percy groaned even as he came over to join Kevin. “If I do this, you realize it means we’re getting that oil painting done.”
“Look, have I not been documenting every second of this trip? This is an important stop! It’s the largest ball of twine!” Kevin curled a strong arm around Percy and pulled him in tight against his side. “Smile, princess! Saywe’ve got a big ballon three!”
Percy grumbled, but something magical happened when Kevin dragged him in so close.
Percy smiled.
A real, dazzling smile, gold tooth shining and all. They were cheek to cheek, both grinning at the camera with the giant ball behind them. Percy turned as the camera on Kevin’s phone continued to click to snag a sweet kiss.
Kevin’s heart fluttered away in his chest, and he just kept taking pictures as they kissed. He knew he was smiling when he pulled away, and he glanced at his phone to see if they were even still in the frame.
Damn, he hoped he got those pictures.
He opened his mouth to comment on how adorable he was, but he froze when he saw a familiar face in the display creeping behind them around the side of the ball.
It wasSebastian.
“Princess,” Kevin said quietly as his heart thumped with dread, “we got company.”
Percy tensed, his eyes finding Sebastian on the screen. “Shit.”
Sebastian didn’t realize he’d been spotted, and he slowly reached under his jacket.
Percy squeezed Kevin’s hip. “I apologize in advance, peaches. Hopefully this doesn’t hurt.”
“What—”
Percy flung Kevin out of the gazebo.
Kevin grunted as he landed over in the grass, the air knocked right out of his lungs. He pushed himself up, his eyes wide as he saw Sebastian pointing a gun at Percy. The tourists screamed and fled, and Kevin wheezed, “Percy!”
Sebastian fired.
“Ow!” Percy hissed in pain and dropped to one knee. “You asshole!” He thrust his hand toward Sebastian, sending him flying into a nearby parked car.
Kevin struggled to his feet and then rushed toward Percy, but a man in a black coat came out of nowhere and tackled him to the ground. He ate grass again, grunting as the man shoved his head down. “Hey! Fuck off!”
