Any Witch Way (4 page)

As she looked up at Mrs. Felis, about to speak, Mrs. Felis’s face began to contort and blur. Sadie saw Mrs. Felis grab the arm of her chair and slowly, awkwardly begin to sit down. Sadie tried to move, but felt as though she weighed a thousand pounds. Her head was thick and her tongue matched. In her distorted vision Sadie saw Mrs. Felis’s lips move, but just barely heard her words.

“Sadie, the tea, I think something’s wrong. This smells like my sleeping tea, not chamomile.” Then, everything went black.   

A cold wash of air blew over Sadie, causing her to shiver. Where am I? Last thing I remember, I was in the bookstore. She looked around, not recognizing her surroundings, and became alarmed. It was getting dark here, wherever she was, and fear began to prickle up her spine. I think I’m going crazy. I have no idea where I am or how I got here. She spun around, trying to take it all in and ground herself in the situation.

“I’m coming for you, Sadie,” cried a vibrating voice in the menacing darkness.

She inhaled quickly, but the cold air bit into her lungs with its icy fangs and took her breath away just as fast. Resisting the urge to cough, Sadie struggled to capture just a moment of controlled breathing. As she focused on equal inhaling and exhaling, she tried to take notice of her surroundings. That horrible sleet was back again, coming at her from all directions and assaulting her brutally. She pulled her coat closer to shield herself from the new burst of weather as she searched for a way out. At least the moon was full and bright, giving her some sort of light in the darkness.

In front of her lay a vast, murky peat bog, sure to filch her to her death. If the quicksand waters didn’t get her, then Tod Lowery would.

Children steer clear of the Tod Lowery’s bog; they’ll drown your soul and turn you into a frog. Oh, my God, how do I know these things?

To her left, the immense forest began. It was undulating and moving like fabric in the wind. The wicked storm tore the vestiges of fall’s leaves from their branches and didn’t give them time to alight on the ground. It swept them away forever. Not bending to wind’s will, limbs began to snap and crash to the earth violently.

Too many dangers in the forest, both living and dead.

To her right the immense lake pounded the shoreline with angry intentions of utter destruction. Cold fingers of surf seemingly reached out for her, to snatch her away to a chilly and painful dark blue death.

As she stared out at the angry loch, the mast of a large sailboat broke and crashed into the furious waters, taking the handful of sailors on board with it. All disappeared rapidly below the ever-changing surface in the blink of an eye.

The Undines will have fun tonight. Wait! Who is putting these thoughts into my head?

Sadie turned widdershins, trying desperately to spot a safe place amongst so many threats. As she did so, she noticed three ethereal wraiths appear from nowhere known. She crouched behind a cluster of abandoned fishing gear and remembered once again to breathe, as the hideous ghosts glided in the opposite direction from her position on the beachhead. Further up the beach, five algae-draped, calcium-encrusted corpses trudged slowly out of the waters, oblivious to the surf. Slick black eels slithered from their homes within eye sockets and crayfish dropped from the flesh they had been feeding on. These rotting and stinking pieces of water-logged tissue moved precariously towards shore to begin their part in the hunt for Sadie.

How is it I know they’re after me?

From the wood emerged the Hell Hounds, shaking off moist clumps of black earth, their fiery red eyes glowed bright in the fury of the gale. Their rancid, hot breath could be seen in puffs steaming forth from their nostrils and lather had formed around their mouths. With enlarged new claws clicking and clacking against the sound of gnashing teeth, the beasts assembled to carry out their orders. Before the Hell Hounds ran off towards the swamp, Sadie thought they had caught her scent as they furiously sniffed the air sweeping from her direction.

Where are all the good magikal creatures when you need them?

A gust blew up and scattered her cover, exposing her to whatever entity should come for her next.

RUN.

Staying on the middle ground between forest and lake, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her.

She ran, not feeling the pain in her chest. Somehow fear gave her back her ability to breathe. She ran, not caring what she ran towards. She knew she had to run away. She ran, like a sneak thief coveting her prize. She barreled towards what she hoped was safety.

When hope ends, grasp for anything to stay alive, but use your heart before your head.

As if Mother Nature were against her as well, the sleet came harder, faster, causing her to shut her eyes from its attack. A voice in the darkness began calling her name.

“Sadie…Saaaaaaaadieeeeeeee….”

When she opened her eyes again, the sheer impact of her surroundings struck her like an angry open hand. Everything was silent. Gob-smacked, she realized she was staring into her mother’s smiling face.

“Sadie, you were having a dream, a very bad dream. I’m here love; it’ll be okay,” said her mother in a soft and gentle voice.

Relief flooded Sadie as the warmth of her bed, her mother’s presence, and her new-found safety encompassed her entire being. She stared at her mother’s soft expression and relaxed a bit.

“Oh, Mom! It was awful. I couldn’t get away. They kept coming. I couldn’t breathe, and I was scared and….”

Wrapping her in the time immemorial safety that her mother’s hugs always brought her, Sadie slowly began to calm down and relinquish her urge to flee.

“Ssssshhhhhh, sweetie. I’m here now. It was all just a dream.”

Sadie smelled the sweet lavender, her mother’s scent, and inhaled deeply. She felt the warmth of her hug and, in an instant, felt safe and secure. The strength in her mother’s arms somewhat surprised her, she had never known her to be so strong, but Sadie chalked it up to a mother trying to calm a distraught child.

When her trembling had stopped, Sadie pulled back a little to look at her mother’s face, wanting to ground herself in reality after such a nasty, frightening nightmare. She was smiling down at her and moved her hand to caress Sadie’s tear-streaked cheek.  

When did Mom’s hands get so rough? They’re usually so soft and un-calloused? She must have been working in our little garden plot out back of the apartment without gloves.

“It’s all better now,” she whispered to the child.

Sadie buried her head and hugged her mother back as if she hadn’t seen her in years.

Something’s not right.

Her senses came alive again, tingling with reception.

My mom’s dead.

Her own heart skipped a beat as she tried to reconcile what was now happening.  

My mom’s car went into the river. My mom died in that car crash.

Slowly, she released herself from her so-called mother’s hug and with new fear, lifted her gaze to face her latest obstacle.

Her mother’s beautiful red hair turned black and grey while her smooth skin aged centuries in seconds before Sadie’s eyes. Her nose began to hook and crook and her eyes turned to narrow red slits. Yellow, broken teeth bared themselves from between thin, cracked lips that dribbled greasy spittle onto its now caved in chest. The smell of rotting flesh emanated from this creature, causing Sadie’s stomach to turn. She put her hand over her mouth to quell the urge to vomit.

A slimy grey tongue flicked in and out of the repulsive mouth like a snake scenting the air for prey. Black shadow creatures flitted about the space surrounding this new witchy creature, weaving an invisible web to ensnare their victims. As Sadie stared, horrified at the thing before her, festering boils appeared on any exposed flesh and oozed pus that sizzled like bacon grease. She opened her mouth, maybe in protest, but she couldn’t speak as she stared into its ominous eyes.

“I told them I’d get you, Sadie, any which way, we are going to get you,” the witchy-thing before her rasped as Sadie’s world turned to black yet again.

“SADIE!”

From some vast distance a voice called to her across the black abyss. She struggled, as something had a hold on her consciousness, to open her eyes once more.  

“Oh, Sadie, thank ye gods, you were having such bad dreams, and I couldn’t wake you,” said Mrs. Felis as she hugged her tight.

Sadie remained motionless in the old woman’s arms, afraid, yet ready, should this be another trick of the mind or some crafty concoction from those “otherworldly” creatures that had been after her. As she slowly regained her composure, her head pounding, Sadie tried to focus on something, anything, not to remember the wretched breath or horrid eyes of the witch-thing that had only moments ago been breathing in her face.

“W…what’s going on? What happened? My head really hurts.” Sadie said as she rubbed her eyes to try and get the blurriness out.  

How can dreams seem so real?

“Oh, Sadie, I must have mixed up a batch of Sleeping Aid tea, and a bit too much I might add—you fell sound asleep.” Mrs. Felis released her hug and picked up her cup of tea, obviously freshly brewed. “You’ve been out for many hours. I would have been as well, had I taken a bigger sip of that tea and been as small as you. Luckily I wasn’t and could take care of….”

“WHAT? What do you mean? How? How on earth did you mix up the teas? THEY ARE CLEARLY MARKED! I’ve SEEN the jars!” Sadie yelled, cutting Mrs. Felis off mid-sentence. “I don’t understand,” she said in a lower voice, realizing she had been screaming.

“Sadie, my little kitten, to be completely honest with you, someone must have switched them…and I have a feeling I know why,” replied Mrs. Felis, a bit frayed at the edges.

She took a sip from her teacup as though nothing suspicious had just happened with the drinks.

Sadie, still trying to digest what she had just been told, sat quietly thinking to herself.  

Who goes around switching old ladies’ tea jars?

The idea seemed preposterous to her. 

She is getting old. She must have done it herself; maybe she needs to get those glasses checked.

Grimm jumped up onto Sadie’s lap from the gift box that lay at her feet. Some birthday, thought Sadie.

“I’ve only been awake for about two hours now, and already my bad luck has ruined it,” she said trying not to sound too depressed.

“Sadie, it’s almost midnight, Halloween night, eleven thirty to be exact, you’ve been out for the entire day and evening,” Mrs. Felis said softly.

As new panic set in and Sadie’s fingers dug into the upholstery of the chair’s arm, Mrs. Felis noticed her alarm and tried to calm the now-again-distraught Sadie.

“I’m afraid, dear, there’s some things I need to tell you—some information that you might not find too easy to digest,” said Mrs. Felis.

“Could I have a drink of…no, wait, never mind, not after what just happened,” said Sadie through a dry throat as she thought better of drinking anything else she didn’t open or pour herself.

“We don’t have time, anyway. What I need to tell you should have, would have, taken me all day today; now we’ve got but a mere half hour,” Mrs. Felis stated much to the shock of Sadie. “No use having that stunned look on your face now, little one; wait ‘til you hear what I’ve got to say,” she finished, with a big cat-who-ate-the-canary grin.

Sadie took a deep breath and braced herself for the worst. The worst was what she was used to, at least since her mom died three years ago. 

Here it comes; she’s probably gonna say I’m being given to another foster family. Oh, NO! The Argyles! They’ve probably called the police by now, thinking I’ve run away.

“The Argyles, I have to call them or….”

“The Argyles are fine, Sadie,” replied Mrs. Felis.

She twitched her nose a little, which reminded Sadie of Grimm, and then put catnip into her tea right in front of Sadie. Sadie’s eyes opened wide, as did her mouth, and then she pulled her jaw shut quickly.

There’s no reason in letting her know that I think she’s gone absolutely mental.

Sadie straightened up in her chair and tried to look as though she were intensely listening to the old woman. In reality, she was rationalizing the situation and circumstances in her mind.  

Poor Mrs. Felis, she’s finally lost it in her old age. See, she probably switched those tea jars. I wonder what crazy thing she’s gonna say or do next. Is she going to tell me that my mom was an assassin or something, and she killed someone so important that now they’re after me?

Mrs. Felis set her tea cup down very matter-of-factly. She smoothed her dress with her hands and then folded them on her lap. Crossing her legs at her ankles, she wiggled back further into her chair. She then cleared her throat and looked Sadie right in the eyes.  

“Not an assassin, Sadie, but a witch; yes, people are after you to capture you. And I’m not sure, but I think to kill you. That’s why I’m pretty sure they had to be the ones who switched the teas in the jars, so that they could get to you without incident. You see, I’m NOT crazy or losing it in my old age. I couldn’t have, would NEVER have made such a mistake on such an important day. Oh, and you’re a witch, too, at least at midnight you will be.”

What on earth is Mrs. Felis talking about? Sadie quickly, internally, tried to understand and digest those three sentences. I think the poor old thing has really lost her mind. I am so confused.

Once again, she felt like someone had rung her bell. Head spinning, hurting, and body numb from shock, she began to consider Mrs. Felis’ words. Her emotions ran the gamut from sadness and fear to joy and laughter back to panic and uncertainty. Rationale went out the door as she noticed that outside the bookstore windows, it was indeed nighttime.

Okay, so I was asleep for a long time that much is true. But this witch stuff—that’s just crazy.

Taking deep, measured breaths, Sadie continued to process this new and crazy information.

Be calm, Sadie told herself; let’s just try to figure this out. Mrs. Felis must be completely insane. As crazy as…well, as crazy as Crazy Mary.

Her eyebrows scrunched as her brain tried to assemble and sort this new information.

Witches aren’t real, but maybe that explains my dream. No, maybe it’s me; that’s gotta be it; I’m crazy! Yeah, that must be it; I’m nuts or…still dreaming.

She stared at Mrs. Felis who had deposited herself in her usual chair and the old woman and young girl were locked in the heavy, paralyzing silence of the bookstore until a revelation smacked Sadie out of her internal thoughts.