Any Witch Way (3 page)

All these foster homes were getting confusing. It had been three years, and in that amount of time, she racked up the same number of families. At least she was still in the same town. She always felt so sorry for those kids that had to learn new towns and cities all the time. Cranberry Grove, Pennsylvania, was her hometown, and it felt safe to her; plus, Mrs. Felis and the bookstore were there. Sadie was never good at making new friends, any friends for that matter, only having those acquaintances she used to have at school. She always assumed the friends she did have were because they were outcasts just like her. And the families, none of them really wanted her, and they all had something to say about it. Funny thing was that it was all about the same.

“There’s something wrong with this girl…she hardly speaks to us, to anyone; when she does speak, it’s to say her mother’s still alive.” That was what Mrs. Anderson used to say. “She’s too quiet, too shy, too withdrawn, too unusual and definitely strange. If she does speak and it’s not about her mother, it’s to ask too many questions. The girl just rambles on and on.”

That was Mrs. Moats’ complaint about her. Mr. Moats was more direct: “She still thinks her mother is alive. We can’t afford all the therapy bills this one will need.”

And Sadie’s personal favorite, which she’d never forget, was from Mr. Anderson. “When she’s sad, it’s like a dark cloud settles over the house.” 

I just wish I were a normal kid. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.

Sadie wrestled with this in her head. The same dilemma she’d been fighting her whole life. It had become a tired old lament she tortured herself with on a daily basis. At least this family, the Argyle family, wasn’t making her see a shrink anymore for thinking her mother was still alive.

Sadie quickly remembered the first time she told Mrs. Argyle she knew her mother was still alive. How she was probably wandering, lost, confused, with some sort of amnesia, trying to work things out. Mrs. Argyle smiled at Sadie and asked her to sit with her in the parlor to tell her all about it. Sadie, at first thinking it was a trick, only said a few, small things. But then, after realizing the woman really was genuinely interested and wasn’t going to send her away, Sadie let loose and told her all her theories, starting with the body.  

If Sadie knew these things, she really didn’t understand why the police didn’t. It made so much sense. To have a car crash without finding a body? Granted, the car careened into the river, but eventually, wouldn’t a body wash up somewhere? And the police theories about animals dragging it away, well, there haven’t been coyote sightings in Cranberry Grove or the surrounding towns for over three decades. There weren’t any other large animals so Sadie just didn’t buy that theory. And wild dogs, well, she hadn’t seen any of them either. Even the fishes couldn’t dispose of a body that quickly.

If her mother were dead, her body would have been found sooner or later. Sadie just knew it. She told all of this to Mrs. Argyle freely and without constraint. It felt good to actually let it all out. Mr. and Mrs. Argyle were probably analyzing her themselves, and that was okay with Sadie if it meant not going to the therapists twice a week. All they wanted to do was put her on medications that made her head feel like a balloon. And the one set of pills made it so she felt nothing. Sadie didn’t like crying all the time, but at least she felt something. While on the medications she walked around in a balloon-headed stupor, numb to anything and everything. Though the pain of it all still burned deep, she would much rather deal with it as opposed to feeling nothing. She just wanted to feel like herself, even if that meant she were sad all the time. At least there might be a chance at feeling happiness again without all those medications to cloud her mind.  

 As she made her way home, Sadie stopped torturing herself with thoughts of her mother. Sadie didn’t think about Crazy Mary and what she said. She didn’t notice the pelting sleet and cold evening autumn air. She didn’t think about not having her mom anymore. She didn’t think about her upcoming birthday being combined with Halloween. And she didn’t notice the large man in a long black wool trench coat with his hat pulled down over his eyes standing in the alleyway between Johnson’s Title and Tag Service and Dipsy’s Doughnuts watching her every move.

*  *  *

As Sadie lay sleeping in her bed, an ominous dark cloud, not unlike the metaphorical one her prior foster families always said hung over her, settled over the house. It only hovered over this house, her house, and it seemed to breathe as it enveloped the rooftop. It was a strange, dark cloud, unusual in its appearance. Its appearance was as curious as those times when it rained in the front yard, but not the back yard.  

Sadie stirred under the covers and began to blink her eyes. A noise awoke her. It was a noise that much was obvious. It wasn’t music or singing or a sound. It wasn’t anything like that. It wasn’t anything that denotes something good sounding. It was noise, but it was an attractive noise. It drew her in like a moth to the flame. The noise grew louder yet was not an assault on her ears. It was a cacophony of sounds all blended together to make “that noise.” Humming, fragments of sentences and the clink, clatter, and clash of daily objects all blended together to make that attractive noise the background music for something that made her feel good. It made her feel good because it was home, and it had been a long time since Sadie had a “home.”

It’s all been just a horrible nightmare.

She smiled like she hadn’t ever before and opened her eyes completely. Silence. Grey light filled the room, and Sadie’s smile faded as she realized she was home and not “home.” Home was where her mother was. Home was where Sadie felt like she was okay. Home wasn’t the Argyle’s big old empty house. It was her and her mother’s cozy little apartment. Home wasn’t the nightmare of foster care at all.

Yeah, it’s a nightmare all right, a waking one, she thought as she rolled over and tried not to let the sadness creep in yet again. I miss my Mom.

Three hours later Sadie woke and dressed quickly, for she was in a hurry to get back to the bookstore. She tried to avoid her foster family as much as possible. They were nice, nicer than most had been, but they still weren’t “hers.” And Sadie had the sneaking suspicion she was just filling a void since they couldn’t have children of their own.

Mrs. Argyle was at the head of the table with her needlepoint accoutrements in the two remaining chairs as Mr. Argyle had already left for work. The new, un-matching one had been placed carefully amongst the other two just for Sadie, but she felt as awkward as it looked when she sat there. It wasn’t a part of the set and neither was Sadie. She said her “good mornings” and “goodbyes” as she grabbed a piece of toast from the clutter of threads and hoops on the kitchen table.

“Sadie, where are you rushing off to? It’s your birthday, and I thought we’d do something especially Halloween-y since it’s both Halloween and your thirteenth birthday. And I wanted to ask you why you’re always wearing black now? Are you trying that whole Goth thing? I do understand children expressing themselves through their clothing. Where are…” said Mrs. Argyle to no avail. Her voice was fading in Sadie’s ears as the woman shouted out, “Happy Birthday, Sadie! Make it home in time for the trick-or-treaters!”

But Sadie was already out the door.

She felt bad for ignoring Mrs. Argyle; she tried really hard to make Sadie feel at home, but talking about her Halloween birthday was something she just didn’t want to do. Kicking at the sticks and leaves that last night’s wind had left in piles around Main Street, she didn’t look up in time to see the moving van and boxes piled high on the sidewalk. Just then, she smacked into a very large, very solid wall made of dark clothing. It wasn’t really a wall, but it felt like one. What Sadie had really run into was a very large man.

“You should watch where you’re going. A little girl like you could run into all sorts of dangers,” said the man through a wide, beaming grin.

“I’m s-sorry. I wasn’t paying attention,” she said as she tried to sidestep him and the mess of clutter in front of her.

“Hey, what’s the rush?” he boomed as the statement began to make Sadie uncomfortable. “I’ve got a son about your age; you should meet him. Since we’re new to town, maybe you could show him around? He’s not helping out here that’s for sure,” he said as he motioned for someone in the house.  

Why does he seem, I don’t know, familiar?

“I…I don’t know…” Sadie stammered, feeling very uncomfortable, “I’m supposed to be somewhere. It’s my bir…I just can’t….”

But he cut her off. “Nonsense!” he said a little too forcefully for Sadie’s liking. “He can go with you, can’t he?”

The man looked at Sadie with condescending eyes and a disgusted smirk, yet his voice had become softer. “Well, at least you two can meet so he has a friend come Monday morning. I understand you can’t just go off willy-nilly with a stranger. I’m just anxious for him to meet people since we’re new in town.”

Why do all adults think that children don’t have important things to say or do? How rude, Sadie thought to herself. And isn’t he being a bit forward?

She softened a little remembering how hard it always was, and still is, for her to make new friends. She smiled up at the tall man.

Stranger-Dangers she heard her mother’s voice say in her mind, yet clear as crystal.

As she stood on the sidewalk feeling confused, awkward and on the spot, Sadie watched as a dirty-blonde haired boy, about her age, appeared at the door. With his hands shoved deep in his pockets, he begrudgingly came towards her and the man who was his father.

“David, come meet…” he slowly turned to face Sadie again. “I’m sorry, what do they call you, girl?”  

“S-Sadie,” she said shyly, “I’m Sadie.”

And I HATE being put on the spot.

“Come meet Sadie, David.”

David sulkily walked up to Sadie and without looking up, said hello. At least, she thought it was a hello. It was a low mumbling of a hello, and it reminded Sadie of how painful it was for her to meet new people—let alone a boy. His dirty- blonde hair hung down in his eyes, not like he was going for a look, but like he was in desperate need of a haircut. His clothes were black, which she didn’t know why but she liked, and he was shoving a stick into his pocket as he drew near.

Just like a boy! I bet he’s got a frog or snake or something in those pockets, too.

He didn’t look too happy about having to meet her, or it could have been the fact that he had to unpack all this stuff; but he looked disturbed enough that Sadie warmed to him a little. She felt genuine pity for this kid, especially with a dad like that. But…at least he had a dad.

I never had a dad, and now I don’t even have a mom.

“Hello, David,” Sadie replied with a hint of pity.

After a few moments of awkward silence consisting of Sadie looking at David—I have nowhere else to look—David looking at the ground—poor kid—and David’s father glaring down at both of them—I can feel his eyes boring into my flesh. Sadie finally broke up the standoff by clearing her throat.

“I have to go now,” she said, sounding sure, but feeling unsure.

Mumbled goodbyes began and just as it looked like David’s father was going to touch Sadie, to pat her on the back or something, he pulled his hand away as if he thought better of it.  

Like he would get cooties or something, she thought. Even strangers think I’m a weirdo.  

The last two blocks to the bookstore went quickly, and as Sadie opened the door, once again the wind took it and flung it wide. But...this time Sadie noticed there was no wind.

“Sorry, Mrs. Felis, I guess I don’t know my own strength,” said Sadie as she wiped her feet on the mat.

“It's okay, Piseag. The hinges are just too loose,” Mrs. Felis replied, bearing a huge grin not unlike that of the Cheshire Cat.

Sadie hung her coat by the door and made her way to her usual overstuffed chair with Grimm tagging along behind her. Following the two of them was a very eager, very glowing Mrs. Felis carrying a large box wrapped in Happy Birthday wrapping paper which had NO markings what-so-ever stating that today was also Halloween. Sadie grinned to herself and acted surprised when she turned to sit down and saw it. Though she had seen the gift out of the corner of her eye, she still wasn’t convinced it was all birthday and no Halloween. Looking at the present, she smiled wider when she realized that pink and yellow wrapping paper in no way would make someone think of Halloween.

Just like Mom used to do, she thought before taking the gift from Mrs. Felis.

“Happy thirteenth Birthday, Sadie. May you have many more!” Mrs. Felis said with a slight tear in her eye.

Grimm had jumped on top of the package and rubbed his face along Sadie’s cheek. Little bits of catnip fell from his fur to Sadie’s lap, and he quickly scooped them up with his paws and put them on his tongue, all the while still rubbing on Sadie.

“Leave her alone, you cheeky cat,” Mrs. Felis said as she picked him up. “Let Sadie open her gift and then you can monopolize her time.”

“Oh, he doesn’t bother me. I kinda like his touching me. For some reason, it makes me feel good,” said Sadie as she played with the ribbon on her present.

Mrs. Felis cleared her throat, set Grimm down, and began pouring the tea. Grimm did figure eights at Sadie’s ankles as she smiled inside, wondering what on earth her gift could be. It was only nine o’clock in the morning, and, so far, it was turning out to be a wonderful birthday day.

I only hope something doesn’t mess things up like usual. I’ve got that weird feeling in my chest like I always get right before something comes along and WHAM! My world is upside down again.

Handing Sadie her cup, Mrs. Felis began to speak after she took a quick sip of tea. “Sadie, my pet, I want you to make a wish before you open that gift. It’s not every day a girl turns thirteen.”

Mrs. Felis looked as though she bit her tongue. Sadie suspected it was because she was about to say it was also Halloween.

Sadie took a lengthy, unhurried sip. She let the honeyed, warm liquid wash down her throat slowly. She then took two more to give herself time to think about her wish. One more sip and she set the cup and saucer on the side table so that she could be very serious about this birthday wish. She always wanted to make Mrs. Felis happy. Plus, for some reason, she really felt that whatever wish she made could come true.