Terry’s expression softened, but only marginally. “Bay spotted Constance’s shoe and pointed it out to me,” he said. “She didn’t see more than that.”
“Do you know how Constance died?” I asked. “I mean … was it hard?”
“I don’t think it was easy,” Terry said, choosing his words carefully. He made a point of not lying to the girls unless he thought it was in their best interests. He looked torn regarding what was best for Bay given the realities of her world. “I don’t think she suffered long. It looks as if she fell down a little ravine and couldn’t get out.”
“How did she die, though?”
“I can’t be sure, but I think she probably just went to sleep and didn’t wake up during the night on the day she disappeared,” Terry answered. “The coroner will have to answer that question. He’s on his way.”
“Okay,” I said. “I have to get back to the house and find Aunt Tillie. She’s hiding. Clove and Thistle are helpless as long as they’re blind. Can I take Bay back with me to watch them?”
Terry nodded. “I think that’s a good idea,” he said. “Bay doesn’t need to be around for what happens next.”
“Cool,” Bay said. “Does that mean I get to be in charge of Thistle and Clove? I mean … they are helpless, after all.”
Of course her mind would jump there. She has a tiny bit of control freak in her. She gets it from her mother. “Sure,” I said.
“Yay!”
“That also means you have to help them when they need to go to the bathroom,” I added.
Bay’s face fell. “Gross!”
“Responsibility comes with hardship,” I said, turning back to the house. “Now, come on. If this day goes any further off the rails I’ll need to find an entirely new train to hitch my caboose to.”
Nine
“Are you guys still alive?”
I led Bay into the living room and frowned when I saw Clove curled up in a ball on the floor.
“What’s your deal?” Bay asked, nudging Clove with her foot. “Are you pretending you’re dead?”
“Can you see?” Thistle asked, shifting at the sound of Bay’s voice. She was lounging on the couch and any outsider would think she didn’t have a care in the world. I wasn’t an outsider.
“I can see,” Bay said, although she didn’t look happy with the development now that she was in a room with her recently blinded cousins. “What’s it like?”
“It’s like staring into nothing,” Thistle said. “So it’s like staring into your head for asking that question … or like staring into Aunt Tillie’s soul.”
“What soul?” Clove asked, refusing to uncurl. “She has no soul. For a second, when I lost my sight, I thought the world ended. I thought I was dead and went to a bad place.”
“You’re not going to a bad place,” I chided. Why do teenagers have to be so dramatic? Is it a law or something? “You’ll be fine as soon as I find Aunt Tillie.”
“I bet she got the idea from Little House on the Prairie,” Bay mused. “She’s been watching that on the Hallmark Channel. She said that Mary deserved to go blind because she was such a do-gooder. Oh, and she whined a lot, too.”
“Well, that’s just great,” I said. “I’m glad to know she’s watching something besides trash on television. Clove is convinced monsters live under the stairs in the basement. At least Little House on the Prairie has good family values.”
“Because they don’t have sex before marriage?” Bay asked.
“Yes. This should be a lesson to all of you. No sex before marriage.”
“Why would we possibly want to learn that lesson?” Thistle asked. “We’re already blind. Sex is all we have.”
“I’m going to fix the blind thing,” I snapped. “In fact … .” I didn’t get a chance to finish because Twila picked that moment to walk through the front door, her arms laden with shopping bags.
“Well, I’m never doing that again,” Twila announced. “I had the worst day ever.”
“I bet I can top you,” I said dryly.
“It’s not possible,” Twila said. “I got stuck in line behind a woman with twenty coupons and all of them were expired. She argued with the clerk about each and every one. Then she didn’t start filling out her check until the very end, when she could’ve filled it out and just waited for the amount to finish it off. You know how I hate that. It was horrible.”
“That’s sounds horrible,” I said, earning a raised eyebrow from Bay. “Do you want to know what I’ve been dealing with?”
“Not until all the groceries are in the house,” Twila said. “Girls, go out to my car and empty the trunk and backseat. Take everything into the kitchen and put it away.”
“We can’t do that,” Thistle said. “We’re invalids now.”
“That’s nice,” Twila said. “Hurry up, girls. I’m not joking.”
“They can’t get the groceries,” I argued. “It’s impossible. You’ll have to get the groceries.”
“Why can’t they get the groceries?”
“Because we’re blind,” Clove wailed.
“Oh,” Twila said, glancing around. “Aunt Tillie?”
“No, they randomly caught blindness,” I deadpanned. “Of course it was Aunt Tillie. They found the box of magical supplies and brought it upstairs. When they were coming back down she paid them back and stranded them on the staircase.”
“Well, get her out here and make her reverse the spell,” Twila said. “I need help with the groceries.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
Twila shrugged, as if it wasn’t a rhetorical question. “I don’t know. Why didn’t you think of it?”
“Because I can’t find her, you nimrod,” I snapped. “I’ve been baking pies, dealing with blind people, getting extorted to find a box, checking on Bay, calling Terry and dealing with a dead body on the property. Tell me about the freaking coupons again. Please!”
Twila’s mouth dropped open. “Who extorted you?”
“You’re just unbelievable,” I hissed. “You need to get the groceries yourself. I’m sorry. That’s just the way of the world today.”
“What about Bay? She can help. She doesn’t look blind. Why aren’t you blind?”
“Because Bay is everyone’s favorite,” Thistle sneered.
“That’s not why,” I scoffed. “Bay was with Terry looking for Constance’s body when these two pinched the box Aunt Tillie stole from us. Bay got out of punishment because she technically wasn’t involved with the theft.”
“Oh, well, that makes sense,” Twila said. “I bet she got the idea from Little House on the Prairie. She really hates Mary.”
“Is that important right now?” I snapped.
“I really don’t like your attitude,” Twila said.
“I will kill you if you don’t shut up right this second!”
“Hey, I hate to interrupt this screamfest, but the coroner’s van is out front and he’s on the property,” Terry said, appearing in the doorway between the living room and kitchen. He obviously entered through the rear door. “Does anyone want to tell me what’s going on?”
“We’re living in Little House on the Prairie,” Clove answered.
“Okay,” Terry said, not missing a beat. “Is there a reason you’re on the floor?”
“I’ll have less distance to travel when I trip over my own feet and fall to my death.”
“That sounds very practical, Clove,” Terry said. “You keep … doing what you’re doing. How about you, Thistle? How are you feeling?”
“Evil.”
“So … normal?”
Thistle scowled. “I need to apologize to you for saying those horrible things last night, but I can’t if you’re going to make fun of me.”
“Hold on to the apology,” Terry instructed. “I’m nowhere near done making fun of you yet.”
Bay giggled, earning a murderous look from Thistle. Well, kind of. Thistle couldn’t quite figure out where Bay was so she was actually glaring at empty spa
ce. It was close enough, though.
“I’m going to make you eat so much dirt when I get my sight back you’re going to choke,” Thistle warned.
“Leave Bay alone,” I said. “She’s been dealing with her own curse today. Her day hasn’t been easy.”
“You found Constance’s body?” Twila asked. “How did she die?”
“We’re still figuring that out,” Terry answered. “If I had to guess, though, she fell into the ravine and injured herself. She was too weak to get out and … passed away in her sleep.”
“He’s only saying that to make me feel better,” Bay said. “Constance is confused and doesn’t know who she is most of the time.”
“We think she had dementia,” I supplied.
“That’s awful,” Twila said. “So, who’s going to help me with the groceries?” Sometimes she has a one-track mind – and that’s being very generous, because that one track gets stuck on repeat a lot.
“No one is helping you,” I said. “Do it yourself. I need Bay to watch Clove and Thistle while I find Aunt Tillie. I can only deal with one crisis at a time.”
“Aunt Tillie is on the back patio,” Terry said. “She was drinking a glass of lemonade and had a big smile on her face when I let myself in. If I had to guess, she knows exactly what’s going on in this room and she’s enjoying herself.”
“That sounds just about right,” I said, shaking my head. “Okay, I’m going to deal with Aunt Tillie. Bay, you watch Clove and Thistle. Twila, shut up and get the groceries. There! See! I’m in charge and things are going to work out just fine.”
“And people say I’m delusional,” Twila said, turning on her heel and stomping out the door.
“Come on, Terry,” I said, grabbing his arm. “I might need you to be firm with Aunt Tillie again. We cannot have these girls wandering around blind with the coroner here. How will we explain that?”
“How do you explain any of the things you do?” Terry grumbled, although he followed me out of the living room and through the kitchen. He glanced longingly at the pies cooling on the counter as we passed. “You can have a pie if you help me,” I offered.
“Sold.”
Aunt Tillie didn’t bother looking up when we joined her on the patio. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. It makes me glad to be alive.”
“That’s great,” I said. “I’m going to put all of my cards on the table here because I’m about to lose it. I know you don’t care about my mental health, and you’re probably getting a kick over the fifty heart attacks I almost had today. Things have to be settled, though.”
“I’m listening.”
“You need to remove the curse you put on Clove and Thistle right now,” I said. “That’s the first thing.”
“No.”
“You have to,” I snapped. “They’re helpless.”
“They shouldn’t have gone through my stuff,” Aunt Tillie said, finally bestowing a hard look on me. “I happen to know you instructed them to go through my stuff. You should be thankful I didn’t curse you, too. I’m waiting to dole out your punishment until after Winnie gets back. We need someone in charge and Twila … well … she’s just not up to the task.”
“Because I ordered the girls to retrieve the box of items you stole, I think we should call it a draw,” I suggested.
“They were in the wrong. You don’t touch other people’s stuff.”
“That’s my stuff!”
“I didn’t steal it from you,” Aunt Tillie clarified. “I borrowed it. There’s a difference.”
“Well, I borrowed it back,” I said. “You have to take the curse off those girls. They’re miserable, and with the coroner and his people running around the property we cannot risk them asking questions about why two of our teenagers have suddenly been rendered blind. What don’t you understand about that?”
“Why is the coroner here?” Aunt Tillie asked, blowing off my question.
“Because Constance Warren’s body was found on the property,” I answered. “She fell in a ravine and died.”
“That’s a crappy way to go,” Aunt Tillie said. “That will teach her to cheat at cards, though. Karma is a bitch.”
“That will be just about enough of that,” Terry said, taking me by surprise with his fortitude. “It looks like Constance Warren had early onset Alzheimer’s. She didn’t want anyone to know. Her daughter said her spells weren’t bad enough to warrant a nurse, but I think she was deluding herself. Constance was confused, and walked out of her house and wandered around long enough to end up here. That’s not something to be happy about.”
“You talked to Constance’s daughter?” I asked. “When?”
“When I was waiting for the coroner to arrive,” Terry replied. “Constance Warren might well have cheated at cards. She might not have realized she was doing it, though. You know darned well what you’re doing.”
“I didn’t know about the Alzheimer’s thing,” Aunt Tillie said, lowering her voice. “That’s awful. Did Constance suffer?”
“We can’t be sure, but if she died of exposure or from a lingering injury that kept her from being able to get out of the ravine, well, I can promise you it wasn’t quick. I told Bay it was because I don’t want her blaming herself or having nightmares, but there are much easier ways to go than the way Constance did.”
“I didn’t curse Bay,” Aunt Tillie pointed out. “I should get points for that. I didn’t know what was going on.”
“Well, now you do know,” I said. “Take the curse off the girls. Those are my supplies and I know why you wanted them. You’re not putting one over on me. I’m testing the contents in each of those baggies before we use it.”
Aunt Tillie scowled. “You ruin all of my fun.”
“I often feel that way about you,” I said. “We’re on a clock here, Aunt Tillie. You’ve been nothing but a distraction for days. You’ve been worse than the girls … combined. Enough is enough.”
“You can’t talk to me that way,” Aunt Tillie chided. “I’m still your elder.”
“Then act like it,” I ordered. “Clove and Thistle are miserable and frightened. They don’t deserve this. I ordered them to do what they did. Quite frankly, I’m exhausted. I haven’t had a moment’s peace since Winnie left. I thought being the boss was all fun and games. Boy, was I wrong.
“I am tired, Aunt Tillie,” I continued. “I’ve had to deal with drunken girls … Twila’s singing … more drunken girls … crying girls … Bay seeing ghosts … missing supplies … baking … Thistle’s mouth … and your shenanigans. I’m exhausted. I can’t take one more second of this.”
“No one asked you to be a martyr,” Aunt Tillie pointed out. “When you need help, all you have to do is ask.”
“I am asking.”
“I’ll consider it,” Aunt Tillie said. “Talk to me about Constance’s ghost. Is she still hanging around?”
“Bay said she’s confused and has no idea who or where she is at any given moment,” I answered. “I don’t know what to do about that. I don’t know what to do about any of this. What I really need is a bottle of aspirin and my bed. I don’t think I’m going to get that, though, am I?”
“You can have anything you set your mind to, my dear,” Aunt Tillie countered. “You only have to know how to get what you want.”
“Well, I want to take some aspirin and lay down for a few hours,” I said. “Then I want to finish the pies. When I come back downstairs, I want my daughter to be able to see again and you to be on your best behavior. Do you understand?”
“There’s no reason to get whiny,” Aunt Tillie said. “I’ll fix Clove and Thistle. I’ll handle Constance, too.”
I was surprised by the second offer. The first was a grudging one and I knew I would get that … well, at least eventually. The second one was almost shocking. “You’re going to take care of Constance? Why?”
“Because, if I don’t Bay will take it upon herself to deal with Constance and
she’ll lose days out here on what might be a losing proposition,” Aunt Tillie replied. “I know you think I’m stubborn and mean, but I don’t want Bay to needlessly suffer. I can fix this so she won’t have to.”
“That’s very nice of you,” Terry said, earning a small wink from Aunt Tillie.
“Wait, are you saying you want Thistle and Clove to suffer?” I asked.
“I want them to suffer when they earn it,” Aunt Tillie replied. “I’ll fix this for you because I don’t want you to suffer. I’m still going to get those little nitwits back when I have time to think of a fitting punishment.”
“That would be lovely,” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, my head really is pounding.”
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Aunt Tillie called to my back. “I have everything under control. You can trust me. I’m in charge now and things will be rolling right along in the next five minutes. I’m the boss.”
Now that was a terrifying thought.
Ten
When I woke from my nap, something felt off. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was right away. When I shifted toward the window I was surprised. I thought for certain I would sleep until late in the afternoon. I expected shadows peeking through the curtains. The sun was bright, though.
“What the … ?”
By the time I made it downstairs and found everyone in the kitchen I’d moved from curious to worried. The girls sat around the kitchen table, happily chatting away as Aunt Tillie regaled them with some story from a previous solstice celebration. Twila served food to everyone, and it took a few moments for the people at the table to register my arrival.
“Good morning,” Twila said, pulling out a chair. “I made French toast for breakfast. How many slices do you want?”
Did she just say breakfast? That can’t be right. “Why are you cooking them breakfast for dinner?”
“Um … .” Twila glanced at Aunt Tillie.
“Because it’s morning,” Aunt Tillie replied. “You slept for almost eighteen hours. Congratulations! You’re a slug.”
“Aunt Tillie,” Twila hissed, slapping her arm. “Don’t mess with her. She’s had a long week.”
A Solstice Celebration: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short Page 8
