The Witch Box

by Laura Ellison

  *****

  Anna took her time driving Joshua home, looking for a place where they could talk alone. She turned on to the dirt road where Joshua had spotted the ruins of the old white building. As Anna drove her car closer, Joshua realized he was looking at an old church; the chapel in ruins, white paint flaking, the windows boarded up.

  Anna parked across the street, turned off the engine. “My parents moved here from Traverse City before I was born. I used to think Fruit Ridge was dead little town. I only started to learn things when I dared to look closer, deeper. Then I started to get scared, feeling like I had to protect myself. If I had the money, I would move away, but you would be alone.”

  “You said I’m different than I used to be. You didn’t just mean my personality, did you?”

  Anna looked into his eyes, knowing he had changed; he no longer owned his power.

  He doesn’t remember what a jerk he was, she thought. But he’s like a child now, and I don’t know if I can help him.

  “For me,” she said, “it all started when my mom got sick. She would go to this health store in Falls River, get her supplements and buy books on natural healing. The breast cancer went away, but came back. She refused chemo and radiation. She wanted to do her own treatment. She became friends with a woman who was a Wiccan. She taught me a few things...”

  “Wicca is witchcraft, right?”

  “More like a nature-based religion. Pagan in origin, but does not use the dark arts, because whatever harm you do always comes back to you. I like to help other people heal. There are people in this town who have used their talent, their power, out of greed and anger. I think that’s why Leo is dead and Nick got his hand crushed today.”

  “Ruth doesn’t think I had viral meningitis. She said someone was trying to slow me down. Why?”

  “You were more powerful.”

  “Ruth said I showed her what was in my witch box.”

  “That means someone was trying to teach you the craft.”

  Joshua gazed at the old church. “Everything is blocked off, locked away. Maybe if I find this witch box, it will all come back.”

  “Have you been asking your dad and Brenda a lot of questions?”

  “Not about my mom or much of anything from the past. Dad talks about the merger a lot. And the baby.”

  “Do you and Colbie talk much?”

  “Yeah. She seems to like me. But, if she’s my girlfriend, why does she sleep in a separate room?”

  “Maybe your parents want it that way. It’s not like you two are married.”

  Brenda was waiting at the door when Joshua entered with Anna.

  “Max called,” Brenda said. “There’s some more bad news...”

  Brenda was sitting at the living room couch, suede in a slate-gray color. Her hands rested at her knees. She wore a silk blouse and loose navy blue pants. Her red hair was piled on her head. Anna always wondered what it was like to be beauty-pageant pretty; Brenda always seemed at ease with herself.

  “Tell me the bad news first,” Joshua said.

  Brenda grinned. “Ruth quit. The rest might stick around for a while, but they’re all joined at the hip.”

  “They’ve all known each other since they were children,” Anna said.

  “Oh, they’re thick.”

  “Where’s Colbie?” Joshua asked.

  “She’s staying after school with her foreign language club.”

  Joshua and Anna glanced at each other, but had decided not to discuss their suspicions with anyone else.

  “Anna and I will be upstairs,” Joshua said.

  Brenda frowned as she watched Anna follow Joshua. Anna tried to suppress a smile. The two entered Joshua’s room, Anna shutting the door. Joshua owned an old radio/cassette tape player that he found in his closet. He brushed the dust off the top. He pulled the tapes from his jacket pocket. He inserted a tape in the player. After rewinding, Joshua pressed the play button.

  “Josh? Do you want to sing today?”

  His mother’s voice. Elizabeth.

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you know the song?”

  “Sing with me, Mommy.”

  She cleared her throat then started to sing. “There was a boy. A very strange, enchanted boy...”

  Joshua joined in, his toddler voice faltering, then recovering. “They say he traveled very far...”

  Joshua pressed the stop button. “What’s that song called?”

  “I don’t know. Listen to the rest. It might help.”

  Joshua pressed play again. “...very far, over land and sea. A little shy and sad of eye, but very wise was he...”

  Joshua swallowed, the lump in his throat creating a wet blanket of sadness, making him shiver. He listened to the rest of the song.

  “...was to love and be loved in return...”

  Anna saw the look on his face. He has changed, she thought. He’s a different guy.

  “I’m worried about Ruth,” she said. “No one seems concerned about her safety.”

  “She’ll probably stay at her sister’s house. I think she’s safer away from the plant.”

  “Do you want to play the other tape?”

  Joshua nodded and inserted the second tape in the player.

  “Are you going to sing for Harvester, Josh?”

  “No...”

  “You can sing with me tonight, if you want.”

  “With Davey?”

  “Davey’s gone now, honey.” A pause. “What does Harvester do?”

  “He makes things grow.”

  “Right. He also makes things live a long time. Is Harvester our friend?”

  “Yeah. He likes Mommy.”

  “He likes you, too. Where does Harvester live?”

  “In here.”

  “Always in your heart. Just like me. Forever.”

  The tape ended.

  “Who is Harvester?” Anna asked.

  Joshua shook his head. “Another thing I can’t figure out.”

  “Harvester could be...”

  “A demon?”

  “An energy. Not necessarily evil, but powerful. This energy can come from the subconscious, our own minds. But I also believe that there are beings that don’t have bodies. Ghosts. Spirit energy. But your mother seemed to want you to believe in this Harvester.”

  “Who’s Davey?”

  “Maybe another little boy who was...pushed into believing.”

  “Ruth mentioned Harvester when she was arguing with my dad. She said Brenda had no favor with Harvester.”

  “But it seems your mom did.”

  Joshua and Anna did not linger for long, going downstairs after they heard footsteps in the hallway.

  Max was at the couch with Brenda, his arm around her. He was still wearing his work clothes and boots.

  “Have you heard anything about Nick?” Joshua asked.

  Max shrugged. “He’s at Falls River Hospital. He’ll need surgery on his hand and shoulder.”

  “What about Cole?”

  “He’s not coming back to the plant. I feel sorry for the guy, but he was careless.”

  “I told Josh about Ruth,” Brenda said.

  “It hurts me, but it’s her choice. She’s under a lot of stress.”

  “So are you.”

  “The owner of Great Lakes Packaging called me tonight. He still wants to do business.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  “Yeah. It sure is.”

  Joshua wondered what his father did with the toy sword and rope. If Ruth wasn’t responsible, who was? Bonnie? Lois? What did they know about Harvester?

  He turned to Anna. “I’ve got a headache coming on. I need to take some more aspirin.”

  “Okay,” Anna said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Let me walk out with you,” Brenda said.

  Joshua headed for the downstairs bathroom while Brenda followed Anna out of the front door to the porch, the storm door slamming shut behind them.

  “We had Colbie move in wi
th us for a reason,” Brenda said. “As his friend, I thought you would understand...”

  “I’m only trying to help Josh—“

  “Colbie became upset when I told her you were here.”

  “Josh doesn’t remember having any feelings for her. That tells me he never did. I don’t even recall them going on a date. She was always into her friends in her little circle at school. She was best friends with Bonnie’s granddaughter. Bonnie says they haven’t spoken to each other since Colbie got pregnant.”

  “I don’t know how Josh feels about Colbie, but she’s very emotional right now. She feels lonely.”

  “And I’m sure she’s worried about her grandparents. Don’t you think it’s strange that the police aren’t searching for Leo? Maybe Ruth never called the police. Maybe Ruth is scared.” Anna looked away from Brenda’s glare, watching the leaves blowing across the driveway. “If you don’t want me to come around, I’ll stay away. But Josh can think for himself. He’ll start to remember the time leading up to when he got sick, and the truth will come out.”

  Joshua, before he went to bed, wandered downstairs to watch television.

  He found Colbie stretched out on the couch, in front of the TV. She was asleep in her pajamas.

  He sat down in the recliner. The local news was on, the volume low. Joshua grabbed the remote, but stopped when he saw a familiar face on the screen. He turned up the volume.

  “A tragic suicide in Falls River. The body of thirty-one year old Cole Sprague was found in the locked garage of his home, inside of his car, the engine running. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the alleged cause of death...”

  God, please help me remember, he thought. Because I don’t think any of us are safe until I do.