“I never knew...” I began.
“...I came back with the sheriff three days later,” Merry continued. “But you had all already packed up and moved on. That’s the last I heard about you until Aunt Dora let us know you were alive and well in California. I didn’t try to reach you again for fear Michael would uproot you like before.”
I stared at my sister, remembering how quickly Michael had ushered us out of Kansas. He had said the locals hadn’t appreciated our form of religion and we needed to move before things got ugly. But he was really trying to keep me from my family.
Jillian’s words came back to me, too.
Real love doesn’t try and control.
I no longer had the urge to go to Woodhaven, or anywhere with Michael for that matter. I had nothing but anger––and pity––for the man, and neither emotion would make me get into that van.
“You still going?” Merry asked quietly, a streetlight illuminating her pretty but tired face.
“Not a chance,” I said. I took her hand and we walked back into Dip Stix.
Maybe I would still leave Dark Root, but it wouldn’t be tonight.
We returned to see Eve and Michael huddled close in the booth.
Eve was rubbing his shoulder and I was surprised that I wasn’t jealous. If Eve wanted him, she could have him.
“There, there,” Eve said, as Michael sipped from a white ceramic cup. “I’m sure she’ll have you. You just have to show her what an incredible man you are.”
Michael nodded and took a long swallow, finishing off his drink.
I shot Eve a what-the-hell-are-you-doing look, but she only smiled. Suddenly, Michael pounded a fist on the table, slid out of his seat, and stood up.
“Thank you, Eve,” he said. “I am going to fight for her!”
Merry gripped my hand and we readied ourselves, but Michael jostled past us and out the door.
“Where’s he going?” I asked as I heard the van roar to life. I was certain he was going to turn around, remembering that he had forgotten me, but he drove away.
“Well, ladies,” Eve said, straightening the sleeves of her shirt. “I not only know how to reel them in, I also know how to release them.” She raised Michael’s cup and winked.
“You used your special tea?” I asked, leaning forward to peer inside the cup. “The dose you were saving for...” I didn’t finish the sentence on purpose.
Paul was standing in the entryway to the kitchen, watching us.
“Yes,” she answered. “Well, that and the power of suggestion.” She pointed to a picture of an actress on the cover of a magazine in front of her. “Michael is now off to find some slut that got the role that could have made me a star because she sent the producer naked pictures of herself.” She shrugged, flipping over the magazine. “Karma’s a bitch.”
“Eve!” Merry said, aghast. “We don’t want that man stalking some poor woman!”
“Firstly, she isn’t poor. I hear she cleaned up with those photos. Secondly,” she said, turning to me. “The effects won’t last long. A week. Maybe two. Long enough for Maggie to see what a mistake marrying that guy would have been.”
“I think I already did.” I squeezed Merry’s hand. “But Eve, what about you? Don’t you still need the tea?”
Eve lowered her eyes. “No. If I can’t make the person I love, love me back without witchery, then I don’t think I’d be happy anyway.”
“How my little chicks have grown!” Merry slid into the booth and I followed. Merry wrapped her arms around the both of us. “Now, let’s have some real coffee. Gaston!”
Moments later, Paul and Shane appeared. Paul carried a coffee pot while Shane balanced a tray of cups, saucers and whipped cream in his hands. Paul served us, smiling at me while he poured my cup. I could feel Eve watching us as she sipped her drink.
“This is the best coffee I’ve ever had,” I said, holding my cup up for a refill.
“That’s an espresso blend,” Shane informed me. “It’s got chocolate in it.”
“You should definitely serve these,” I said, licking the cream from the top of my lip.
“Well, I’m not great at making them. It’s more Paul’s thing.”
Paul smiled. “Maybe you should hire me or the secret will go to the grave.”
“Maybe I will,” Shane said.
Paul wasn’t going to Seattle, I realized, as I glanced around the room.
He had found his home.
Twenty-One: The Boys are Back in Town
In the past half hour, I had gone from grumbling spinster to respectable almost-married woman, then back again to spinster. Despite it all, I felt happy and alive. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t under anyone’s rule, physically or emotionally.
My future was really my own.
This revelation deserved a drink and so I had one. And another.
We stayed at Dip Stix late into the night––so late, in fact, that that I thought Shane was going to boot us out. But he kept the place open and the wine rolling. June Bug returned and we regaled her with tales from our childhood. She asked tons of questions, throwing us into fits of nostalgic hysteria.
“...Remember the time that Mother got into the fight with that old lady who used to rent the house down the road? Claimed the lady had stolen her familiar...?”
We howled at the memory of Mother shaking a finger at the poor, aged widow, threatening to make her go barren.
“...How about that time you two got into it over that carnie boy?” Merry added. “He was some prize.”
“I won, of course,” Eve said, blowing on her fingertips.
I laughed so hard I almost choked. “Yeah, and he stole your credit card. Lucky you.”
“Hey, a win’s a win. I only hope all those shoes that showed up on my bill that month were for his mother.”
At last, June Bug’s head hit the table, a signal that it was time to go.
Merry fumbled around in her purse for keys, found a lipstick instead, and declared that she was ready to take us home. We laughed raucously and Shane raised an eyebrow.
“Methinks the fair ladies have had a bit too much to drink,” he said, shaking his head.
“I can drive you girls, and we can pick up Merry’s car tomorrow,” Paul offered, removing the keys in his apron pocket.
We thanked Shane for his hospitality, promised to stop by sometime in the next week to help him clean up, and then huddled up for warmth as we stumbled towards Paul’s car.
“It’s cold,” I said, blowing frost circles into the air.
“No shit,” Eve said, her voice teasing.
“Yes, Fall has come to Dark Root,” Merry agreed, laying June Bug in the back seat. She crawled in beside her, leaving Eve and I to fight over who would get the coveted middle seat up front next to Paul. I was quicker and gave Eve a smug look as I put on my safety belt. Just because we had made our peace didn’t mean either of us was going to back down on Paul. Eve should have saved some of her tea leaves.
She took the window seat and pinched my knee. I pinched hers back.
“I’m telling Mom,” I teased. She stuck her tongue out at me.
“Maggie,” Paul said. “Will you find us some good music on the radio?”
I nodded, fiddling with the cigarette lighter, disappointed that no music was coming out.
“It’s not working,” I said.
Paul moved my hand onto the radio knob.
“You’re a genius,” I said, playing with the hairs on the back of his neck. He patted my head and cranked up the heat.
“He’s not only a genius,” Eve cut in. “He’s cute, too. A cute genius. How often does that happen?”
“Almost never,” I agreed.
Eve leaned across me towards Paul. Looking up at him with large doe eyes, she said, “...And the funniest thing is, he doesn’t even know it.”
“That’s one of the things that makes him so cool,” I added.
Eve and I spent the next few minutes trying to o
utdo one another on the reasons Paul was so great.
Finally, Merry spoke. “I don’t know about all of you, but I’m wide awake.”
“Me, too!” I said. That was an understatement. I was so hopped up on sugar, wine, and caffeine that I could do most anything––swim a lake, climb a mountain, build a pyramid. If I had springs in my shoes, I could probably launch myself to the moon. Then I had a sobering thought.
“Aunt Dora’s going to kill us if we stumble in like this.”
“I have an idea,” Merry said, who had consumed a little wine herself. “Let’s go to Sister House.”
Eve and I looked at each other, mouths opened. “Are you kidding?” I asked. “With the monster still in there?”
“That monster,” Merry said, tapping my shoulder repeatedly from the backseat. “Is precisely the reason we go. Look at the moon!” She motioned towards the yellow ball that hung motionless in the dark sky. It wasn’t full yet, but it was getting close. “Perfect night for an exorcism, don’t you think?”
“What about June Bug?” I said, trying another approach.
“We can drop her off with Aunt Dora. Problem solved.”
“I’m in,” Eve said, surprising me. “It’s about time we had some fun. Whoo!” she yelled, opening her window and sticking her head out to face the wind, begging Paul to drive faster.
He looked us over. “I think you girls need sleep more than anything.”
“I’ve been sleeping my whole life,” Merry said, her eyes still on the sky. “Please, Paul. For us?”
Paul shifted in his seat. “Well, two have weighed in so far. Maggie?”
I looked at Eve. Her eyes were closed and she was mouthing the words to the Bob Seger song playing on the radio. Behind me Merry was giving me her sweetest smile.
“I can’t let them have all the fun,” I said, reaching for the crystal around my neck. I should have given it back to Michael, and maybe one day I would. For now, though, it offered me comfort.
“In the words of our great sister, Merry,” I said. “‘Let’s send that thing back from where it came.’”
Before we went to drop off June Bug, we made a quick pit stop at our mother’s shop.
Paul waited in the car while the three of us plundered the store. I hadn’t seen the place in over a week, but I could tell that Eve had made some real progress. For starters, there was electricity, for which I was grateful. If there were any rats running about, I wanted to be able to see them before they saw me.
“Nice job,” I said to Eve, as I made my way through the store.
There were still a few boxes, but they were organized neatly against the walls. The shelves had been dusted, the floors swept and the windows cleaned. I wondered how she had found time to tackle all of this and help out at Dip Stix, too.
Merry dug through the bins beneath the counter, pulling out herbs and sniffing them. She frowned. “These are a bit old and diluted, but they will have to do.”
“Too bad we can’t schedule the exorcism for next week,” Eve said, pulling several candlestick holders from a low shelf. “The new stock will start arriving about then.”
I watched my sisters, unsure of how I could help. I had never been much for ‘the craft,’ but I was suddenly fascinated by the process.
“I’ve been reading Mother’s book,” I announced, lifting the spell book from my purse. “Especially the parts about getting rid of bad spirits.”
Merry gave me a curious look. “Good. We might need that.”
“I think we have everything.” Eve’s arms were full as she made her way outside.
We followed, flipping off lights and locking the door behind us. Eve beat me to the middle seat and whispered ‘nanny-nanny-boo-boo.’ I stepped on her toe.
“Good grief!” Paul shook his head. “I didn’t know witchery was such an expensive hobby.” He made jokes about witches having to take in laundry to support their candle habits. Eve and I laughed, trying to out-cackle each other.
“Think we can throw a curse on Frank while we’re at it?” Merry snickered, climbing into the back seat. I did a double take to make sure June Bug was still sleeping. She was. But Merry’s comment stuck with me. She had always been a ‘turn the cheek’ sort of person. Either exhaustion, the wine, or our run in with Michael had gotten to her. Maybe all three.
We arrived at Harvest Home, charging through the front door.
Paul carried a sleeping June Bug over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Aunt Dora was awake, watching Andy Griffith on late night TV. Her legs were propped on an ottoman and she had a wet towel over her forehead.
“Aunt Dora,” Merry stroked her arm. “Do you mind watching June Bug for a while? We have things to attend to.”
“I know what things ya have ta atten’ ta,” Aunt Dora said, removing the towel from her forehead. “Da circle is cracked and chippin’ away. Ya better make sure ya know what ya gettin’ inta.”
“Aunt Dora,” I said, taking a spot on the ottoman near her feet. “Please tell us what you know about the circle.”
Aunt Dora’s eyes turned to slits. She pulled her legs from the stool, pushing her feet into pink slippers. She raised herself to standing, reached for her cane, and drew an imaginary circle on the ground with its tip.
“Da circle has many meanings: unity, wholeness, eternity. It is wid’out beginnin’ an’ wid’out end.” She stopped, checking to see if we were paying attention. “But in dis case, da circle represents protection...”
Aunt Dora limped towards the window, looking out at the moon. The glass steamed over from her breath and she traced out another circle.
“Dark Root is a stronghold, one o’ da few left in da world today. An’ dat’s only because of yer mama.” She looked at me, her eyes birdlike. “An’ da reason it’s a stronghold is because of da spell we put o’er the town. A spell o’ protection. Ta keep da...”
“...Dark at bay,” I said, remembering the incantation of my dream.
“Yes! But it was also meant ta weaken da things dat are alrea’y in. An’ now dat da circles breakin’, things are gettin’ in dat aren’t s’posed to come in, and da things dat are alrea’y in, are gettin’ stronger.”
“Why is the circle breaking?” Merry asked.
“We ha’nt done da spell in a few years now. It needs a’ least se’ev to keep it goin’, but da more sayin’ it da stronger it gets.” She swallowed and tapped her cane three times on the floor. “A few ha’ died. A few more are losin’ der minds.” She shook her head sadly. “Ev’rything’s fallin’ apart...”
I wasn’t sure what she meant about stronghold, but it sounded too big for my wine fuzzy mind. “We are going to Sister House to take on one of those ‘things’ now.”
Aunt Dora didn’t look surprised. “Take yer totem,” she said, pointing the end of her cane towards my purse. “Da owl from yer mother’s shop will protect ya.”
“How did you know about the owl?” I asked.
She pointed a finger towards her forehead and gave me a wry smile. “I’m ol’. I know lots a things. I jus’ don’ make a fuss about dem.”
“Thanks,” I said, giving her a grateful hug. I knew very little about totems but I was game to try anything.
“Now, ladies,” Merry said, covering June Bug with an afghan. “I do believe we are set. Let’s do this.”
“After getting rid of Maggie’s loser ex-boyfriend, this will be a piece of cake,” Eve said, pulling a jacket off the rack and opening the door.
I opened my purse and peered at the spell book and glass owl inside.
“Yeah, cake,” I said, wishing I had more wine.
Maybe then I would believe my words.
Sister House, by light of day, appeared despondent, like the face of a beautiful woman whose time had passed. But at night, especially beneath the light of a yellow moon, its fading beauty changed to a visage that was almost sinister––a small mountain of a house, obscuring and devouring the forest behind it, a forest that threatened to take it ba
ck.
One day, the trees seemed to say as they bobbed and dipped in the wind. One day that land will be ours again. Until then, we wait.
“The witching hour will soon pass,” Merry said, as we piled out of the car, scrambling up the dark walkway. Her eagerness to go inside was unnerving.
“Should I go with you?” Paul asked, catching up to us. “I don’t like sending you girls in there alone. What if there are squatters?”
I smiled at his naïveté. “Squatters are the least of our worries.” His face took on a look of alarm. “...We’ll be fine,” I added. “Just don’t leave us.”
“Never,” he said, reaching for my hand, as Merry and Eve climbed the steps to the porch. “Call me if something happens. I’ll be right here.”
I noticed Eve’s silhouette turn in our direction and I released Paul’s hand.
Paul returned to his car and hollered, “If I don’t bring all three of you back, Aunt Dora will have my hide. I’m more afraid of her than of any ghost.”
“As you should be,” I called back playfully, then turned towards the door where Merry was jamming a key into the lock.
“He likes you,” Eve said quietly, folding her arms across her chest to shield herself from the wind.
“Yes,” I admitted. “Though I don’t know why.”
“You’ve got spirit,” she said. “I just have fake eyelashes and a boob job.” She gave me a weak smile before following Merry into the blackness inside.
Twenty-Two: You Can Do Magic
The house was cold, a down-in-your-bones cold, and I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to fight off the freeze. I found one of Mother’s old fur coats in the entry closet and put it on. It was itchy and musty, but it was warm.
“Where are the cats?” I asked. Aunt Dora had been coming by to feed them, but the house was uncannily quiet and I had no idea where they were caged.
“Probably hiding, afraid they will be turned into another coat,” Eve laughed, inspecting me.
“Aunt Dora let them loose in the basement,” Merry said.
The Witches of Dark Root Page 25
