Page 16 of Brews and Banishments
“Well, you see, it’s…well, it’s…” Alan fidgeted with his hands, messing with the few bottom buttons of his flannel. “Honestly, it’s pretty embarrassing.”
Daisy leaned against the counter. “This is a shop that heals any sort of problem, Alan. I’ve heard stranger things than you could probably imagine.”
He glanced in Tessa’s direction before returning to Daisy. “Well, I…” Finally, Alan released a sigh, his shoulders sagging in a defeated way. “I suppose it’ll make more sense just to show you.”
Alan reached for his hat and yanked it off.
“Holy -” Tessa began before clamping a hand over her mouth.
The long locks Alan had cherished for as long as Daisy could remember were no longer there. His hairline seeped back into his scalp, a very telling sign of early balding. Patches were missing hair while some other spots still had the wavy curls. A wide bald spot started at the top of his head and was slowly working its way out, till eventually, there wouldn’t be a single strand left.
Daisy crept around the counter, her eyes focused on his head. Even without touching him, she could feel the magical energy wafting off his skin. She could only imagine how deep the spell must travel beneath him to have such a detrimental effect on his hair.
“It just started yesterday,” Alan explained in a small voice. “At first it was just chunks in the shower, but by the time I got to work -” he paused to point to the growing bald spot in the center, “- this had grown larger than a baseball. Now I’ve got handfuls of hair falling out. Please, Daisy, tell me you can help me.”
She hesitated before she reached, her hand just barely hovering over his scalp. The tension radiating off of him was enough for her to realize that there wasn’t anything in the shop strong enough to eradicate whatever it was that had been placed on him. Perhaps it was a jilted lover or vexed coworker. Maybe they managed to buy a black market potion that worked overtime to rid Alan of his hair. Either way was possible, but unfortunately untouchable by Daisy. She’d need days of research before ever knowing how to truly heal it.
Daisy lowered her hand. “I’ll get you some cream to slow it down, Alan,” she explained. “But you’ll need to give me time to find a solution.”
“That bad, huh?”
She frowned. “Why don’t you come back in a few days, and I’ll have something better prepared.”
Alan lowered his head solemnly, but didn’t argue. Maybe the hair loss stung deep within him, deep enough to give him a few strands of humility to hold onto.
Daisy crossed the room to grab onto a squat bottle of some hair growth cream. She couldn’t even give a confident answer as to whether or not it would work. Something told her that whatever ailed Alan was far too strong for a simple over-the-counter cream, but it would have to be his best friend for the time being. Daisy passed the bottle over to him and Alan exchanged a few bills.
“This is far too much, Alan,” Daisy said after counting the money.
He shrugged, a far off look on his long face. “Keep it.” He continued on towards the door, his head hanging low, as he replaced the hat on the top of his head.
Tessa crept around the counter, her eyes clinging to his receding figure. “That couldn’t havereallybeen Alan Harris, right?”
“Who else would it have been then?”
“His good twin,” Tessa teased with a loud laugh.
“Don’t be cruel.”
Tessa raised a brow. “Was it not you who wished for him to lose all his hair when we were girls?”
“Hey,” Daisy argued, “you were wishing for it all the same.”
“My point exactly!” Tessa laughed again as she leaned against the counter. “Serves him right.”
Daisy pressed her lips together. That gnawing feeling returned to her stomach. Despite it hanging around her for a few days now, Daisy could not pinpoint it. Her gaze drifted towards the slip of paper poking out of the register, where she decided to hide the ominous note. Despite only sticking out halfway, Daisy remembered the words on it as if she’d spoken them herself. Without facing Tessa, she mouthed the words to herself.
Now you’ll get what you deserve.
Just then, as dusk took over Willowbrook, Daisy heard the distant melancholic call of the mourning doves. “Coo-OO-oo, coo-OO-oo.”
5
Daisy
The business at Fields’ Herbals never once let up. The following morning, Daisy and Tessa arrived to find a line already growing outside the door. Returning customers along with the unfamiliar faces of tourists excitedly awaited the ‘open’ sign, whispering and wondering about what tonics they’ll order next. Daisy kept to the arcane room for most of the morning, pushing herself to the very limits to make all the orders they were receiving. Only an hour into the workday, with an already full storefront, Daisy hurriedly called Anne.
Anne arrived within minutes of being called. Luckily for them, she lived a few doors down, in an apartment building above a delectable cheese shop. She swept through the storefront like an owner herself, regaining control over the crowd and seamlessly handling the growing line. Daisy heard Anne’s deep voice from within the arcane room, immediately putting her stress at ease with the extra help.
