For Don who introduced me to the wind bears and red rocks of Waterton many moons ago
I love the smell of Mondays Cricket McKay tilted her nose up and closed her eyes Her real name was Jenna but everybody called her Cricket It started back when she was five and collected hundreds of crickets on her grandpa’s farm hoping to start a cricket zoo She eventually released the crickets but the nickname stuck You’re crazy Cricket Mondays don’t smell said her best friend Shilo Cricket opened her eyes I’m crazy She watched Shilo tiptoe along the top of the stone fence beside the sidewalk The fence wasn’t high 11 Chapter One
but it guarded the RCMP headquarters in the tiny village of Waterton You’d better get off of there before Constable Peticlaire sees you And by the way Mondays do smell of popcorn Shilo sniffed the air Mmm you’re right Sabina always makes extra popcorn on Mondays Every Monday a new movie started at the theater in the old Waterton Opera House Since March when both girls had turned nine they had been allowed to walk to the theater together on Monday evenings A horn beeped Shilo yelped and jumped off the fence The girls turned to see a big white park warden truck pull into the driveway at RCMP headquarters What’s your dad doing at the police station Shilo asked Cricket shrugged I dunno The campgrounds are getting full Maybe a bear broke into somebody’s cooler 2
Cricket’s dad was a warden in Waterton Lakes National Park He spent a lot of time sorting out disagreements between wildlife and tourists The girls waved to Warden McKay then crossed the street to the theater They lined up at the ticket window outside and then Cricket bought some licorice from Sabina at the snack counter Cricket and Shilo climbed the stairs to the first row of the balcony Because the theater was in the opera house it had scrunchy seats and no cup holders but the balcony was cool The lights dimmed and Cricket opened her licorice In the middle of the third preview the screen suddenly went black The theater was completely dark What’s going on Shilo’s voice was tense Orange emergency lights snapped on The exit near the stage glowed The girls looked at each other their eyes wide Nothing like this had ever happened before 3
