Page 82 of The Neighborhood Witch

“I’ll do something,” she whispered to Elizabeth’s invisible ghost. “I promise you. I’ll do something.”

She scanned the room for anything that could cause a distraction or put an immediate end to the festivities. Anything to prevent midnight from coming. Johanna focused on a middle-aged gentleman moving from group to group. He was holding a drink and shared a laugh. He was making sure everyone had a great time.

Frank!Johanna thought. Frank was the head of the New Year’s Eve committee. His power and, most importantly, his access to the building gave her an idea. She moved through the crowd as fast as possible. Time was against her.

“I’m sorry to barge in, Frank,” she said as she approached him. “But I need the keys to the maintenance room.”

“Johanna! Having a great time?” Frank asked.

“It’s been a great evening up until now,” she replied. “An extension cord went out. I need to get a replacement. I don’t have keys.”

Frank removed the keys from his pocket and handed them to Johanna. “I’ll get them from you at the end of the night,” Frank said. “Hurry up. You don’t want to miss the balloon drop.”

“I know,” Johanna replied. “I know.”

She took the keys and left the gymnasium. She hastened through the hallway and passed the showcase. Elizabeth’s memorial gave her a momentary pause. She lost herself in Elizabeth’s smile and her auburn hair. She was reminded of their tea parties together and happier times. She thought of how much Elizabeth reminded her of Abigail.Her Abigail, and how much her betrayal shattered her soul. Johanna pulled away from the picture and ran down the hall.

She arrived at the electrical maintenance room and checked the time. She only had a few minutes before midnight. She tried the keys one by one. There were too many. She inserted one, but it wouldn’t budge. She tried another, but nothing. With each passing key, she breathed heavier and heavier. The clock raced. It was going to win, and Elizabeth’s betrayal would be complete.

She tried one more key, and there was a click. The key worked. Johanna laughed with momentary relief. She scanned the area to see if anyone was watching. She was alone in her deeds. She opened the door and slipped inside.

Alice allowed herself to smile.This evening was perfect. Hugo seemed happy. He smiled as he interacted with everyone. He shared stories of Elizabeth’s past and talked of Alice’s future. As he greeted everyone, Hugo immediately introduced her—not as his neighbor or an acquaintance, but as his girlfriend. Everyone welcomed her. She received the occasional odd stare. Those who still had not quite reconciled with her purple hair and witchy appearance, but she didn’t care. She felt welcomed, and that’s all she wanted.

Alice grabbed Hugo’s arm and pulled him onto the dance floor.

“I don’t like to dance. I’m not very good,” Hugo pleaded as he reluctantly followed her through the crowd.

“I don’t care. It’s the effort that counts,” Alice replied. She, on the other hand, loved dancing.

They moved and danced to the pulsating music.

Alice sashayed her hips and made certain Hugo saw her moving her hips. She gave him a wink, a smile, and occasionally brushed up against him. She hoped it tormented him in all the right ways. He grinned after every teasing glance.

As the music slowed, they held each other close and swayed with the beats of the music. Alice smiled with tears in her eye.

“Hey. Everything okay?” Hugo asked.

“Everything is perfect,” Alice replied.

“All right! We are seconds away from midnight,” the DJ said over the speakers. Cheers and whistles echoed throughout the gymnasium. “Grab that drink, grab that special someone, and let’s count it down!”

The scoreboard counted each second down from sixty. More and more cheers erupted the closer it got to midnight.

Alice looked Hugo in the eyes and said, “Thank you for everything. I love you, Hugo Dodds.”

“I love you too, Alice Primrose.”

“Thirty seconds!” the DJ shouted.

The scoreboard went off, and the gymnasium went dark. Commotion rose as people were audibly confused.

“Everyone, stay calm,” Frank shouted. “Stay calm. We lost power.”

The revelers verbally expressed their disappointment as midnight drew closer.

“I can fix this,” Alice whispered to Hugo.

“Are you sure?” Hugo asked. “Aren’t you afraid someone will notice?”

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