05 Meows, Magic, & Wands

by Madison Johns

  “It says ‘Employees only,’” Samantha whined as she did the pee dance.

  “I know, but it’s fine. People use it all the time.”

  Petunia picked up a flashlight and carried it to the register. She set her wand down to rummage through her pocketbook. “I should have bought a flashlight earlier.”

  “You mean like at the dollar store?” Nelly asked.

  “No, that’s not what I meant. You know I give you plenty of business.”

  “Yes, for liquor.” Nelly laughed.

  “I hardly think that’s the case.” Petunia smiled.

  “We’re done,” Velma announced.

  Petunia walked outside, but Nelly called after her. “You forgot your wand, Petunia.”

  “I’ll get it for you,” Samantha said, hurrying to retrieve it.

  Petunia smiled as she held out her hand for the wand.

  “Can’t I carry it, please,” Samantha pleaded.

  “No. I need it back. You have your own wand.”

  “But it doesn’t look as good as yours.”

  “Give it back, Samantha,” Velma hissed.

  “No!”

  Velma grabbed the wand and attempted to wrestle it from Samantha’s hands.

  “Stop that, girls!” Petunia shouted.

  They tugged and tugged until Petunia feared they’d break it. Petunia was about ready to grab the wand herself when it discharged, hitting a power line with a huge spark.

  The girls’ eyes widened.

  “I knew it!” Samantha exclaimed. “It’s a real witch’s wand and it’s all mine.” Samantha broke free and dodged across the street. Velma and Tabitha giving chase.

  “Oh no!” Petunia said as she pursued the girls. “Aunt Maxine is going to kill me. Lake Forest is in deep trouble with a witch’s wand in the hands of children.”

  “What are you talking about?” Pansy asked as he darted to her.

  “Samantha got hold of my wand and took off with it.”

  “So that’s what the spark was about.”

  The sound of sirens screaming up the street meant Petunia had better get moving. She didn’t have time to talk to the fire department about what happened. She could hardly believe it herself.

  She ran past Cora, who held a Halloween protest poster in front of city hall. “Watch where you’re going, Petunia!” Cora yelled.

  “That’s the last thing I need to worry about now,” Petunia said out loud as she stopped in front of the meat market, attempting to catch her breath. The market window sported a poster reading ‘Trick-or-treating inside,’ so Petunia darted inside. Her eyes widened as she spied Sharon behind the cash register. Sharon had had it out for Petunia ever since she got caught bringing Pansy into the market.

  “Hello, Sharon,” Petunia said, huffing and wheezing. “Did three witch trick-or-treaters come in here? They… .”

  Sharon rolled her eyes. “It’s hard to remember with so many little girls dressed as witches this year thanks to the mayor’s half-baked festival.”

  “What have you got against witches?”

  “Nothing. I just don’t approve of the festival.” Sharon’s eyes widened as she stared behind Petunia.

  Pansy retreated to the door as Sharon jumped over the counter with a broom.

  “Don’t you dare!” Petunia said as she scooped up Pansy and hurried out the door.

  “I should have told you not to come inside,” Petunia said. “I wasn’t aware that Sharon got her job back.”

  “Where are we off to now?” Pansy asked. “To get assistance from your aunt?”

  “If only I could. I’d much rather handle this myself.”

  “How is that working out for you?”

  “Shhh. I think I see them across the street.”

  Petunia rushed across the street. A quick blast of a siren alerted her that a police officer was nearby. She turned with a grimace as Deputy Cartwright wriggled her way out of her cruiser. Blue and white lights flashed in her eyes.

  “You could kill the lights anytime,” Petunia said as she turned to walk away.

  “Not so fast, Petunia,” Cartwright said as she pulled out her ticket book. “Jaywalking is illegal in Lake Forest. I’ll have to write you a ticket.” She pulled up her mirrored sunglasses, the type that most cops found so passé these days. “I see you have that cat of yours off leash, again. I’ll have to write you a citation for that too.”

  “Whatever. But could you please hurry? I’m trying to look after the children who came here to trick-or-treat.”

  Cartwright glared at Petunia as she scribbled.

  “I suppose I can give you a warning this time. I’d just hate for a child to be run over tonight because you’re not following the law.”

  Chapter 10

  “What’s up with her?” Pansy asked as they ran down the sidewalk.

  “She has it out for me, but at least she didn’t delay us too long.” She pointed to the street. “There they are!”

  Petunia carried Pansy across the street. Just ahead of them the trio of mini witches moved along the street, one of them waving the wand. More sparks cascaded just beyond the trees. By the time Petunia and Pansy reached the place where the sparks hit the ground they found an anti-Halloween picket sign, and a brown toad hopping over it.

  Petunia bit down on a finger. “Yikes! They turned Cora into a toad!”

  Pansy laughed. “And here you were worried what kind of trouble the girls would get into with the wand. It looks like they eliminated your problems ... with Cora anyway.”

  Petunia turned on Pansy. “Not funny! We have to get that wand back so we can turn Cora back into a human.”

  “Hmm, it never worked that way for me,” Pansy reminded Petunia.

  “That’s totally different. I don’t have time to argue with you.”

  “I suppose not, with Cora hopping away.”

  Petunia grabbed the toad and frowned when it peed on her. “Yuck!”

  “That’s Cora, all right! But what do we do now?”

  “I’ll have to go home and find something to put Cora into.”

  “Why don’t you put her in your purse?”

  “She’d make a mess in my purse. Besides, she’d probably suffocate in there.”

  “You seem to think I do just fine in there.”

  Petunia frowned. “We’d better get moving.”

  As much as she wanted to continue to search for the girls, she had to find a suitable place for Cora. Fortunately her house wasn’t far, and she waved at Noah as she disappeared inside.

  The cats meowed at her appearance, but she continued into the kitchen. “Now where did I put that pickle jar,” she said as she set the toad in a basket on the table.

  “Why do you need a pickle jar?” Noah asked as he walked into the kitchen.

  Petunia buried her head in a cabinet. “I thought you were handing out candy.”

  “I can’t hear you.”

  “Ouch!” Petunia bumped her head on the cabinet as she retrieved the jar. “I need to find a temporary home for Cora.”

  Petunia proceeded to pound holes in the top of the lid of the pickle jar.

  “For Cora? What do you mean?” Noah asked.

  “Why don’t you go back to handing out candy? Believe me, you don’t want to know what’s going on.”

  Noah rubbed his temples. “I ran out of candy.” He watched her work on the jar lid. “As much as it pains me to ask, how is Cora going to fit in that jar?”

  Petunia sighed as she faced him. “Well, you know how I was supposed to look after those trick-or-treaters who came to town? I only had to watch over three as it turns out.”

  “Are you coming to a point soon?”

  “Fine ... the girls turned Cora into a toad.”

  Noah eased himself into a chair. “Wh-What?” he asked weakly.

  “They got their hands on Hazel’s wand.”

  “How did they do that?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Probably not. We better
get the wand back before they cause more trouble.”

  “That’s what I was trying to do.” Petunia squealed as Cora hopped out of the basket, off the table and into the living room. Instead of the massacre she expected from her cats, they only glanced at the toad lazily.

  “Your cats are too domesticated to chase after a toad,” Noah said.

  Merlin shook the table he hid under. “I really need to get you checked out, Merlin. You’re not acting yourself.”

  Petunia scooped Cora up, placed her in the jar and screwed on the lid. She then washed her hands and met Noah outside.

  “We should put some grass in the jar,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “That’s what I always did when I was a kid.”

  “Me too,” she agreed. Petunia carefully placed grass in the jar.

  “Do you think it’s a good idea to carry Cora around with us?” Noah asked. “What if the jar breaks?”

  “We better head over to the refreshment area. I need to see Aunt Maxine.”

  “Don’t forget to cross the street at the crosswalk,” Pansy said as he followed the couple.

  Petunia crossed the street as she normally did because Lake Forest didn’t have much traffic. The town sported only two traffic signals.

  * * *

  Noah picked up a glass of cider and nodded at Aunt Maxine. “Nice night for a little magic,” he exclaimed.

  “Oh is it?” Aunt Maxine asked.

  “Why yes… .”

  Petunia interrupted. “How about I do the explaining?”

  “This should be good.” Pansy snickered.

  Without taking a breath Petunia launched into the story. “I lost the trick-or-treaters, and they got ahold of Hazel’s wand. They nearly knocked the power out in town ... oh, and this is Cora,” she exclaimed, holding the jar high.

  “That’s Cora?” Wanda asked poking at the jar.

  Aunt Maxine took the jar from Wanda. “So you’re saying that children turned Cora into a toad?”

  “An ugly toad, at that,” Hazel said.

  “I’m afraid so,” Petunia sighed. “One minute Cora was holding a picket sign, and the next she’s a toad.”

  Aunt Maxine placed the jar next to her. “I just don’t understand.”

  “Me either,” Hazel agreed. “I didn’t think a mortal could even use my wand. I’m never too old to learn something, obviously.”

  “You did say it was loaded,” Petunia reminded her. “The girls are dressed as witches. They each have a different color wig ... blue, yellow and red.”

  “We’ll be on the lookout for them,” Wanda said.

  “So you’re not coming with us?” Petunia asked.

  “Sorry, but this is your problem Petunia,” Aunt Maxine scolded. “You should have been more careful with that wand. What if it fell into the wrong hands?”

  “I’m sorry. I really am,” Petunia said.

  “So what are we going to do?” Noah asked.

  “We need to look for those little witches. I’ll see you later, Aunt Maxine.”

  Noah rubbed Petunia’s back. “Don’t worry. I’m positive we’ll find them.” He laughed.

  “You wouldn’t be laughing if they turned you into a toad.”

  “Please don’t keep me in a jar if they do. I’d prefer a green pillow and to be treated like a king.”

  “So fresh bugs every meal?”

  “You two really need to cut that out,” Pansy complained. “It’s getting us no closer to finding those little witches.”

  “I wonder if the girls planned to do a little trick-or-treating?” Noah mused. “Let’s head down the street. I know a place that gives out the best candy.”

  “We’re looking for the children, not getting candy.”

  “Don’t be so serious all the time, Petunia. I’m only saying that if I were a kid that’s where I’d go.”

  Noah rounded the corner onto a cobblestone street where the houses were all lit up with Halloween lights. Petunia’s eyes widened at all the white, purple and orange twinkle lights. Children packed the street, which had been blocked off from vehicular traffic. Each house had a line of children waiting to approach the doors. It appeared Mayor Hopkins’ festival was well advertised and planned. This was what it was all about, children having fun trick-or-treating. Both sides of the street had a candy-checking station. Petunia strolled over to one of them.

  “Hello, Steven” she greeted. “I had no idea you volunteered tonight.”

  He smiled. “You might want to say that Chastity suggested it. Apparently she was in charge of rounding up the volunteers.”

  The sound of clicking heels approached from the rear as Chastity appeared, wearing an angel costume. “Look, it’s Noah and Petunia.”

  “I know. I certainly didn’t expect to see them here. I thought they’d be riding on Petunia’s broom,” Steven joked.

  Petunia narrowed her eyes. “And get picked out of the sky by Cora’s shotgun?”

  “She doesn’t have one ... I hope not anyway,” Chastity winked. “Could you imagine short, little Cora trying to manage a shotgun?”

  Petunia gave her a cockeyed smile. “How is your night going?”

  “Great, but I have a feeling we’ll be quite busy once the children are finished for the night,” Steven said.

  “It depends on if they stick to the trick-or-treating hours.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it. I believe the buses are scheduled to leave at eight-thirty,” Chastity said.

  Petunia glanced at her cell phone. That only gave them an hour to find the girls.

  “I don’t suppose you noticed three witches with blue, yellow and red hair pass by here?”

  “Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. As you can see, there are plenty of girls dressed as witches this year,” Steven said.

  Petunia dropped her shoulders. “If you happen to see three witches together, could you please give me a call? It’s important that I find them. I was supposed to be watching them.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me,” Noah said with a wink.

  Petunia bumped Noah’s shoulder as she walked past him. “Funny. Very funny.”

  “You might as well relax a little. I’m sure we’ll find the girls. If they came on the bus, they’ll have to leave at a certain time, like Chastity said.”

  “That gives us exactly an hour to find them. I’d hate to think what would happen if they managed to bring that wand home.”

  “Can you carry me?” Pansy asked. “This is too much walking for a cat to do.”

  “I should have left you at home.”

  “Red, tell the truth ... you need me.”

  “I suppose you’re right, but you could always entertain Merlin, especially in his present state.”

  “An easy target is never fun. I actually miss the old Merlin.”

  “When you’re done talking to your cat we should head down to the corn maze.”

  “Wh-What?” Petunia asked.

  “Just kidding.”

  Petunia picked up Pansy. “I should carry Pansy for a while. I’m not sure a cat has that much stamina.”

  Pansy extended his claws until Petunia yelled, “Ouch! Or I could be wrong.”

  “Isn’t it creepy having a cat that is so human-like?”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “He really seems to pay attention, especially when we’re talking.”

  “And you call me crazy,” Petunia said.

  “At least I’m not the cat lady. Who takes a cat practically everywhere with them?”

  “I won’t dignify that with a response. We should stop by Lucy Winter’s house. I heard she’s having a Halloween party. I better make a quick stop home first. There’s something I meant to drop off there earlier.”

  * * *

  Lucy opened the door with widened arms. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Petunia smiled. “Yes, this is Noah.”

  “I meant the contents of your bag.”

  “I hope you know wh
at you’re doing, Lucy.”

  “You know how careful I can be.” Lucy winked.

  Petunia had her doubts, but handed her the vials of potion, hoping that it was weak enough.

  “So how is your party going so far?”

  “Come in and find out.”

  Petunia and Noah walked inside. There was a tub filled with water, apples floating on the top. Petunia rubbed her eyes at the false teeth stuck in one of the apples.

  “Are you bobbing for apples or dentures?”

  “It’s Floyd’s idea of a joke.”

  Lucy handed out the small jars to each of her guests. “Petunia was kind enough to spare some of her famous salve. I wouldn’t be where I am today without that salve.”

  “What’s in it?” a pinch-faced woman asked.

  “It’s a secret recipe handed down in her family,” Noah said. “Petunia keeps her recipes under lock and key. Why, I’m her boyfriend and she has yet to tell me what’s in it.”

  Petunia shook her head at Noah. “Thank you, Noah, for your help.”

  “Don’t pay attention to Petunia,” Lucy said. “She’s an alarmist. The salve certainly didn’t kill me.”

  “I don’t know,” Floyd said. “I heard her hair tonic is a bust. Everyone that has tried it went bald!”

  Pansy snickered silently.

  “Can we speak in the kitchen, Lucy?” Petunia asked.

  “Of course, dear.”

  Lucy led the way into the kitchen. Her counters were full of liquor bottles and a blender that had green contents spilled onto the cupboard.

  “Certainly you can’t be drinking all of this tonight,” Petunia ventured.

  “No. I just set it out so my guests can make their mixed drinks. I make a killer margarita, though. Have one?”

  “That’s what you need, to drink something that has the word killer in it,” Pansy said.

  “Thank you, but we’re too busy tonight,” Noah said. “Petunia misplaced the trick-or-treaters she was supposed to keep an eye on.”

  Petunia pursed her lips. “Noah, you’re so sweet to point out all of my flaws.”

  “I never said losing the girls is a flaw, but you know that if they don’t return home on that bus, you’ll be the person on the chopping block.”