Bookmarks XLIII: The Hat Signal

Police Chief O'Brien stood on the roof of the downtown station, huddled in the scant shelter offered by the rooftop doorway. It was cold, windy, dark; but not yet dark enough.

"Those old crones," she said under her breath. "I swear they think this is funny." She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets.

The last trace of sun disappeared over the horizon, leaving the city lit only by its own light pollution. O'Brien stalked out of the shelter of the doorway and over to the searchlight, modified specially for nights like this one. Nights when the police knew things were moving, things they didn't want to understand and couldn't deal with. It had been years.

She drew in a breath, and flipped the switch. The searchlight flickered once, then threw a steady beam into the clouds. Visible in the center was the shadow of the image on the searchlight's lens.

There. She'd done it. She'd lit the Hat Signal, and there was nothing to do now but wait and hope it was answered.

Look, it's not that I mean to make horrible Batman-referencing puns. It just happened. One moment I was stamping a witch's hat above the haunted house as some kind of an accent, and the next all I could think was Yes. The Hat Signal! I am a hilarious genius!

I'm entering this bookmark into the following challenges:

• Flutter By Wednesday #210: Any Winged Creature (bats!)
• Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge 19: Something Spooky
• Our Craft Lounge 139: Scary & Spooky
• Heck of a Challenge: Spooktacular
• Sweet Stampin': Halloween
• Fashionable Stamping Challenge #33: Halloween or Use Halloween Colors
• Ladybug Crafts Challenge 2: Halloween

Supplies: (the hat is also from a Studio G dollar stamp set)