Page 23 of Wicked Witch

“Hey, Arnie, do you know where my ancestor’s house is?”

Shaking his head, he begins to move closer to the homes. Some are in bad shape while others seem to be in perfect condition. One large white mansion stands out and I move closer to it.

As I cross over onto the grass, I’m shocked and thrown back to where Cirrus is.

“What the hell was that?” I shout, rubbing my ass that’s now definitely bruised.

“Protection spell and a strong one at that. I’m going to take a wild gander that you need to be a descendent to enter that plot. Let’s try some other homes and see if anything stands out.”

“Okay, but if I get thrown away again, I am going to say fuck this shit and go home.”

We walk for a few minutes and after the third house, I’m starting to feel discouraged. I haven’t been thrown off the grass again, but no voices have spoken to me, and I haven’t had any visions either.

After an hour my stomach growls, and I’m about to give up for the day and go back to the diner. I am yet to try any of their specials and a grilled ham and cheese with soup sounds delicious right now.

“Maybe we should come back tomorrow?” I suggest and Cirrus laughs.

“Not that I’m in a time crunch or anything, love, but do you know how long you plan to stay here?”

Shaking my head, I groan, then bend over, grabbing my hair, I throw it into a messy bun. My neck is sweating and I’m about to strip off this hoodie. I knew I should have worn a tank-top under it.

“No, I don’t know anything, Cirrus! I’m just flying by the seat of my broom at the moment, and I’m losing my damn mind while I’m at it.”

Walking into another yard, I freeze as cold chills run up and down my spine. “Catch me,” I mumble, before falling to the ground.

Cirrus’s arms wrap tight against me as my head spins.

“Finally, child, you have found your path.”

Smiling, I sigh and then laugh. My legs still feel wobbly, but I found the house. Looking up at it, I groan. It’s not the worst out of the few we have explored, but it will need a significant amount of work.

White pillars support a large wrap around porch. I can see myself on a porch swing, reading or enjoying the weather. Faded blue shutters encompass all the windows, and I know when we break inside I’m going to have to air it out.

“The roof looks intact, but it will need to be replaced,” Cirrus mutters, lifting me into a fireman’s carry as he holds me while walking around the whole structure. “It’s a large home. We could do a lot with it.”

“Put me down. I need to go inside. I have a strong feeling about something. It’s nagging at me.”

Setting me on the porch, I’m careful about where I step. Arnie hovers beside me, and I don’t miss the way the curtains inside shift, or the eyes peeking out.

“Looks like we will have to introduce ourselves,” I mutter to him and he sighs.

“The other spirits here don’t like me. I’m an outsider who trespassed in their town.”

“Well they will have to get over it.”

I try to open the door but it’s stuck. Mumbling a quick spell, I wait for the wood to reshape so we can get inside.

“Cirrus, can you?”

Moving me aside, he puts a little strength into it, and it swings open on rusted, creaky hinges.

As I step inside, I’m overcome with a flurry of emotions. Pain, heartache, and love. So much love. The floors are intact, but I wouldn’t trust the stairs yet. There is a huge built-in fireplace with an engraved mantle.

It’s beautiful.

Cirrus walks around, trying to open the shutters and let some light and air in here. It’s like a preserved tomb.

“Snugglepuss, I may need some of your special spells. These windows don’t want to budge.”

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