Page 22 of Wallflower Witch

“Can you show me where you found the stone?” Matt asks. “I’d love to see if there are any more around here.”

“Sure but watch your step. Obviously, no one’s done yard work for a while, so who knows what you’ll step on.” I use the hand I’m holding to lead him around the side of the house.

“This place could be better, but it looks like it’s in good shape. Why are you staying at the motel and not just camping out here?”

I pause to think about it. “I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about it, but that’s a good idea.”

We round the house, reaching the area that used to be a garden. I point to the tree in the distance, starting to explain everything to Matt when the woman from before appears a few feet in front of us.

“Are you okay?” Matt asks.

I nod. “Yep. But one of the ladies from before is here. She used to live here when the town was still a town.”

“Told you things get active up here,” calls Josh as he and Patrick round the house to join us.

The woman is wearing the same dress as before and carrying a basket of vegetables. She steps closer, but I take a step back, dragging Matt with me. Even though I joked about enjoying my nap, I don’t really want to lose another day.

Her smile falters slightly, but she stops. She bends, sets the basket on the ground, then pushes it toward me.

I look at it, then back at the woman.

“A thank you,” she says, “for freeing me.” She lifts her face to the sky as a light shines down from above, bright enough I have to look away. When the light fades, the woman is gone, but the basket of vegetables sits on the ground.

“Where did that come from?” asks Matt, leaning toward the basket.

“What happened?” asks Patrick, coming up on my other side and taking my hand.

“Free food?” asks Josh.

“I don’t know,” I answer all of them. “The lady who was gardening put it there. Then she was consumed by a light, so I guess she passed over. Before she left, she thanked me for freeing her.”

“What did she mean by that?” asks Patrick. “Freeing her from what?”

“Maybe whatever has those vines being super creepy and alive…” Josh says with a shudder.

“What vines, and why are they creepy?” asks Matt.

“Long story,” Josh says. “I’ll catch you up on it later. But first, what’s the game plan?”

I look around the empty dead yard. “See what else we can find around the house and start training my magic, if I have any…”

“You do,” Patrick says. “I could sense it from early on.”

“Of course you have magic,” Matt mutters under his breath. “You can see ghosts; what more is magic in the mix?”

I snort a laugh. “I get it,” I tell him. “I didn’t believe it at first either.”

His face flushes slightly, but he nods.

“I’d like to go poke around in the yard and near that tree. We may find more gems and stones,” Matt says, turning in that direction.

“Okay,” Josh pipes up. “I’ll go with you and fill you in on some of the other stuff that’s been happening around here.”

Matt nods, and the two of them walk off, aiming for the treeline..

“That leaves you and me, sweet cheeks,” Patrick purrs. “So, what do you want to do? Search the house more or have some witch practice first?”

I shake my head at his new nickname for me and think through my options. “We’ve already searched most of the downstairs… I guess we should see if you are right and I can do more than talk to ghosts.”

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