Vincent Goyle was working harder than usual, potting new plants for the hotel garden for the new season. He saw a tall shady figure over the road, wearing a teal coat and brown hat and it vanished into the mist leading into the pier. He put down his gardening tools and dashed behind it. Suddenly, he cannot see anything. Not a whistling noise, not a bystander to be bumped into and not even a big shade of colour to be seen. He discovered that he was standing on the pier, which the mist had led him to following the figure. He continued to investigate further down by the trail of muddy footprints.
He rushed closer and closer, until the shady figure grew bigger. He spoke with “Excuse me, Sir or Madam. The Pier is not open until next week.” He stopped and discovered he rushed to the wrong figure in the mist. It was the life-size cutout made of plywood with a woman with a teal dress and a man with a black suit and a brown hat dancing. Vincent Goyle was lost in the pier. He tried to search for the shady figure again and saw it further down in the mist, alongside the building. He dashed again and tried to speak again. “Excuse me, Sir or Madam. The Pier is not open until next month.” He drew closer and missed the figure. It was a big green flag broken off the pole and landed on the talking telescope, but no sighting of a brown hat. Vincent still has plenty of time to solve the mystery. He thought hard on where could possibly go somewhere else in the pier. He then thought of his fiancé, Zoe Granger. Perhaps she must be wearing that hat and coat to surprise me. He thought to himself and took down the broken green flag and rolled it up. Vincent had the keys to the pier inside, only for cleaning and maintenance.
He opened the pier himself and walked to the cleaning storage room and left the broken flag into place. “Did you say the pier is closed until March?” Said a girly ghostly voice behind him. Vincent Goyle stood frightened and wasn’t sure what to reply. He turned around slowly and saw the figure wearing a teal coat, a brown hat, but never a white mask. “Y-Y-Yes,” He stammered. “I have j-just only p-put away the b-br-broken green flag, I had the k-keys to open it for c-cleaning.” The figure laughed and removed the white mask. It was his fiancé, Zoe Granger playing a practical joke on him. Vincent laughed as well. “You’re handsome when you are frightened.” she said. “I admire your sense of humour too.” replied Vincent. They hugged together and kissed. “That was a very funny practical joke to play on,” He said. “The mist will be lifted shortly and I got something to ask you.” He closed the door to the cupboard and kneeled onto the floor. “Will you marry me?” “Yes,” cried Zoe. “Of course I will marry you.” As they left the pier together, the mist had disappeared.
