A New Witch in Town (Maybe Two) (A Modern Tale about the Witches of Springsville Book 1)

by Dani Corlee

  “We don't know anything about the Queen,” she continued. “Her age, her background, where she is coming from... No doubt, she must be very powerful. Incredibly powerful, if her arrival has been foreseen tens of thousands of years ago.”

  “Not really. Hic!” Lydia—Aunt Lydia, as most of them referred to her—exclaimed with a hiccup. Her love for whiskey, at any hour, was well known. She often boasted about her cellar, which, to hear her tell it, contained bottles that were hundreds of years old, an inheritance from her Scottish ancestors—or so she said.

  “I don't think she's a powerful witch,” she continued with a slurred voice.

  “Why not?” many witches asked in unison.

  “We would have known her already. Or do you think she is an alien? Coming from another planet? Hic!”

  “An alien...” Lucille added thoughtfully. “But our culture is earth-based...”

  “What about a newborn? Could she be a baby about to be born today?” somebody asked.

  “Why today? The prophecy says nothing about the date. It only tells us she is coming. Could be in a month or in a year,” added another.

  Many other witches started talking all at once. The sound was unbearable and Lucille had to intervene again, shouting at the top of her lungs, “Quiet!”

  “It must be at the local hospital, then,” a witch shouted in an effort to be heard by everyone. “I work there. Let me make some calls and see if any baby girls were born today or are due in the next few months.”

  “Cool,” Lucille replied.

  “Any other ideas?” Isidora added.

  A young, plump witch timidly raised her hand. “Catarina, speak!” Lucille exclaimed.

  “Could it be a normal person who turns into a witch? Maybe the comet brought some cosmic rays with it which hit the person. Or could the meteor itself have spread something from the center of the universe?”

  “Yes, yes... it could be,” Isidora replied, scratching her sharp chin. “So, witches, what we should do now is to check for newborns, new residents and also check any strange activity in town. If Catarina's theory is the...”

  Just as Isidora was trying to finish up, there was a loud, trembling boom that shook the entire auditorium, leaving every witch’s eyes wide with fear.

  CHAPTER 4

  “Mom, I like this house. It's so big!” Aurora exclaimed after a tour of every room. “Can we see it again?”

  “Sweetie, we’ve already made three trips through the entire house. I can’t keep on going around anymore. It's getting late. I need to start unpacking some boxes. We won't be able to have dinner if I don't find some saucepans, the plates and silverware.”

  “Oh,” her daughter replied with a sad face. “Okay, can I play here by you?” Aurora asked, smiling wide, having already forgotten her request.

  “Of course you can. Don't touch anything, though. It could be dangerous. And stay away from the pile of boxes. They could topple over on you!”

  “That's the best place to play. I think I'll keep all my toys right here,” Aurora said excitedly, pointing with her little finger to a giant star on the wooden floor, a pattern of wooden mosaic pieces right below the main light, a crystal chandelier left by the previous owners, in the center of the room.

  “Sweetie, this is the dining room and the table should stay over it.”

  “But Mom! You can't hide such a beautiful star with a table.”

  “Don't worry about it now, go to your room while I try to reach the box with the kitchen stuff in it. It's the one below those others, and I don't want you to sit here while I move them. But first I need to call Granny. She’ll be upset if I don't tell her we arrived safely.”

  Collecting Mrs. Daisy, Aurora went to her room, singing to herself and hopping.

  A few minutes later, she was back, holding a little china pot with delicate drawings of stars of different sizes etched into its shiny surface.

  “Look, Mom! Look at this. Quick, look!” Aurora could barely contain her excitement at her discovery.

  “It's precious, isn't it, Mom? Look, there's something inside!” she exclaimed while holding the top and handing the fragile piece of china to her mom.

  Kimberly looked at the pot and thought it was really beautiful, a fine sample of old and precious china. “Where did you find it?”

  “It was under my bed! I checked to be sure no monsters live here, and I saw it,” she replied, all in one breath.

  “Are you sure?” Kimberly lifted an eyebrow. “There was nothing in the room when the furniture arrived. Maybe the movers had it in their van and thought it was ours. How could it have gotten here in one piece? It looks so delicate.”

  She shrugged and looked inside the pot—there was a piece of old paper, yellowed by age and folded many times to fit the little container. She unfolded it with care and tried to read it. It had been handwritten, and the ink had faded slightly.

  “Switch on the light, my love, will you?” she said, and positioned herself directly below the big, crystal chandelier, the only working light bulb, which didn't help much.

  “What does it say, Mom? Is it a treasure map? Or a love letter? Oh! It could also be the prince's invitation to a ball!” Aurora exclaimed, jumping with enthusiasm. “Read it out loud, Mom, please!” she begged.

  “Okay, okay! Keep quiet. It isn't anything special.” She quickly scanned the writing. “Just a... piece of poetry, maybe? Not even good, it seems.”

  “Let me see, I want to see! I want to see!” Aurora replied, pulling her mom's arm down close to her.

  “Here you are,” Kimberly said, stretching out an arm to hold Aurora while kneeling down near her, right in the center of the star decoration.

  “Little moon.

  Silver moon.

  which are shining from above...”

  Aurora was very excited and danced around her mother, mimicking her gestures while repeating the poem.

  “Listen to my plea,

  Listen to my love.

  Let me enjoy your magic light

  give me powers from tonight.”

  Kimberly and Aurora jumped in fear at a loud, trembling boom. Suddenly, in the semi-darkness, the only light they could see was coming from the red sun setting in the late afternoon.

  “Oh, no!”

  “What happened, Mom?” Aurora asked, trembling and holding her mother's arm.

  “Nothing important... the power just went out. That’s all. It must have been a short. Don't worry.”

  Yet Kimberly couldn't hide her disappointment. All she needed was more problems. Thankfully, a few seconds later, the lights came back on.

  “Thank goodness! Listen, let's forget the saucepans and dishes. I don't know if the light will go off again. We still have a few sandwiches. Let's have them and then we'll go to bed.”

  “Yes, I love sandwiches! But what about a fairy tale before bedtime?” Aurora asked, smiling.

  “What was that?” Isidora asked, eyes wide.

  “It can't be a new witch, can it?” asked Hylee, a teenage witch who stood up and quickly got close to her grandmother, trying to be heard over the uproar of the room. She was a tiny figure next to Isidora, yet she looked a lot like her, despite her long, curly brown hair.

  “It sounded like a witch's arrival, but it's impossible. Our community's witches would have advised us, and witches from other communities would never dare to arrive unannounced. It was the typical sound of a witch arriving and forcing our protected circle. Can you please take my crystal ball, my dear?” Isidora asked her granddaughter.

  Could it really be her? Isidora wondered to herself, while the confusion in the auditorium kept on growing. “I didn't expect this, after the meteor the other day. But it could make sense. Oh, dear! I want to contact...”

  “Don't worry, Grandma,” Hylee interrupted her. “We can use my smart phone.”

  “Smart phone?” Isidora looked at Hylee in disbelief. “Sweetie, don't be silly. I don't really trust all those modern gadgets—pure sorcery, if
you ask me. We have been using crystal balls for thousands of years and I'm not going to change such an ancient and wise tradition.”

  Hylee giggled. “Oh, Grandma! I can just imagine our great-great-great-ancestors visualizing images on a pond under the moonlight. Acting all shocked when a young witch proposed using a huge gem instead of the pond water, or when a witch refused to use a crystal ball instead of the traditional gem because it was too modern.” Suddenly turning serious, Hylee exclaimed while looking at her smart phone, “Oh! I can’t believe it!”

  “What? What? Get my crystal ball, my dear, please!”

  “Look here, Grandma! The bang came from old Dolly's house!” Hylee exclaimed, showing her smart phone to Isidora.

  “That's really incredible. Dolly's house has been closed up for at least two decades. What could have happened?” She gestured to Lucille to approach them, while all the witches were still talking all together, looking at her.

  “Lucille, please end the meeting and tell everybody to be ready for a new call as soon as we know what happened. I'll be in my office if I'm needed.”

  “Great,” Hylee intervened. “Tell them I'll message them for the new meeting.”

  “Message them? What are you talking about? We will use the proper spell!”

  Hylee rolled her eyes. “Okay, Grandma!”

  “Hylee, please, for once, don't talk back.” Hylee's sister, Ravyn, approached them and intervened. But she then whispered to Isidora, “Honestly, Grandma, you should only worry about the important things and let us manage the secretarial matters.”

  “This meeting is adjourned until we know something new!” Lucille said to the puzzled audience, still waiting for an explanation, and rushed to Isidora's office.

  “Now,” Isidora said to herself, moving her desk chair to the little tea table in one of the room’s corners where she kept her heavy crystal ball.

  “Let me help ya,” Lucille exclaimed while entering her room. She was too curious and desperately wanted to see, firsthand, what Isidora was going to peer into. Celeste also arrived, followed by her two daughters, Ravyn and Hylee. They all went to the table, behind Isidora, who put her hand on the ball, closed her eyes and murmured the spell to activate it. A rainbow swirl arose from the center of the ball and an image started to form.

  “What's that?” Hylee asked, peeping out from behind Ravyn and Celeste, who were both taller than she was.

  “Mm... it looks like... let me see... oh!” Whatever it was, in the meantime it had moved backwards, and they could see it was a face. A pretty young woman, with hazel eyes and long, light-brown hair. She was looking down and smiling. She said something, but they couldn't hear exactly what. The woman moved away and once again was out of focus, too close now to be visible. Then the image faded and they were left with only a smoke swirl.

  “What was that?” Hylee asked again out of frustration.

  “It was her,” Isidora whispered. “That is our Queen.”

  CHAPTER 5

  “Come on, Aurora. I don't want to be late for my job interview!” Kimberly shouted from the kitchen while preparing breakfast. It was an important day for her, which could result in a triumphant success or a total disaster.

  The interview was at the local hospital for a position as a physical therapist, which had been her occupation from the time she'd started working. She didn't know how many applicants there would be, but she was ready to fight for the position. To hedge her bets, she had applied to every hospital and clinic in the local area, even if there weren't any positions available at the moment. But she had to work, so she was prepared to accept any job in the meantime. It had been a true stroke of luck discovering that the town she'd chosen almost on a whim had such a position vacant. She had felt it was a good omen and set her mind on Springsville.

  The drive to the hospital from their new home only took a few minutes. Kimberly looked at the large three-story building with its striking white exterior and big windows that faced the sun. The flowerbeds along the parking lot were perfectly cut, with lines of short red and yellow flowers perfectly aligned. Yes, she thought. I would love to work here.

  They entered through the big doors. A slight smell of perfumed disinfectant and medicines, as only hospitals have, reached their nostrils. A young woman at the reception desk pointed them in the direction of the Human Resources office. Asked to wait outside it, Kim looked at Aurora, who was talking to Mrs. Daisy. She would have preferred not to bring her daughter with her, but didn't know anyone yet to call to babysit. Time had been too short to search for a babysitter. Lost in her thoughts, she realized another woman had arrived just after they had. The two smiled, studying each other, knowing they were each other's competition.

  “Are you here for the position of the physical therapist, too?” the woman asked with a stiff smile. “I have quite a lot of experience. How about you?”

  She was a middle-aged, plump woman, dressed out of style. Everything about her spoke of a close-minded person and Kimberly felt she wasn't the right candidate for such a job. Most of all, she disliked her and her false grin.

  So much the better, she thought. I won't feel bad if I'm chosen and she doesn't get the job!

  The hiring director came out of his office to check on the interviewees. He greeted them and asked Kimberly to go in. She turned to Aurora and whispered for her to behave and not to move from her seat.

  Kimberly liked Mr. Patten's warm smile at once. The office was roomy and professional, the type of office you would expect in a hospital. There were many signs Mr. Patten had tried to give the room some personality. Some pictures of a woman with two kids and some also showing him were scattered here and there. Many little succulent plants were placed at the window, enjoying the summer sun. There were even a few trophies sitting on the book case.

  Kimberly was excited, but not nervous. She noted with surprise that her hands were dry, and she wasn't feeling breathless like she normally did when she was anxious. She knew she was the right person and would be very good at her work. Usually, she was very emphatic, and this was a precious gift for such a job.

  The director gave a deep glance at Kimberly and skimmed through her résumé. Then they spoke about her education, her previous jobs in the same position, and why she thought she was a good candidate for the position of physical therapist.

  “Did you bring the reference letter from your previous employer, Mrs. Pupp?” he asked. “It's just a formality,” he added with a smile when he noticed the look in her eyes.

  “Yes!” she replied readily. “I have it... here,” she added doubtfully. She had just realized she hadn't brought her document folder with her. Where was it? She'd been holding it before leaving the house.

  She looked in her bag, more from embarrassment than to find something she knew wasn't there.

  What an idiotic thing to do! I must have placed it on the table while looking for the car keys! I wish I at least had a copy of that letter with me...

  “Oh!” She glanced at her hand and the letter was there. She didn't remember finding it in her bag or taking it out, but before showing her astonishment, she handed it to Mr. Patten, uttering a few words in her total confusion.

  Okay, she thought. First, I must sleep more, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and do some meditation, before going crazy. I must have been really absent-minded to have done things automatically, on auto-pilot... It could be dangerous! The last few months have been too difficult—the separation, the decision to move, looking for a new house, the move itself...

  The gentleman wore a pair of glasses and skimmed through the letter, nodding thoughtfully.

  “They were sorry about your decision to leave. They even wrote they’re afraid they won't find anybody at your level. You must have felt proud and gratified about what they thought of you! Well, I suppose at this point, I don't need any other information from you.” Mr. Patten paused as if searching for words, taking off his glasses.

  “I want to be honest with you, Mrs. Pupp.
We have interviewed many people for this position, both men and women. We liked a few of them and weren't really impressed by others, but so far you are our first choice. I have only one other person to meet, then we'll decide. As things are now, there isn't any need to wait any longer, so expect a call from me tomorrow.”

  Kimberly could have shouted and danced, as happy as she was. She wanted that job, she knew it was perfect for her and she was perfect for it. Instead, she smiled, and while standing up, she stretched out her hand and with a calm she wasn't feeling said, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Patten,” while thinking, "I wish there was nobody else to interview! I want this job!"