Black Hollow: One Man's Curse

by Jennifer Wedmore

  “We know what Derrick is looking for and we will help as best as we can.” Matthew smiled and floated away.

  Well that was an interesting twist. Maybe they could be of assistance, she would have to see how they handled the town’s people and decide what to do about them. In the meantime, she had to check in at the B and B. Hopefully Derrick didn’t do anything about her staying there.

  Five

  The first woman to interest him in years and she was a descendant of the man who turned him into a Zombie? Because of her ancestor he had to watch his Great Uncle Horace waste away, his mind gone. He shuffled around, moaning and pointing at random objects. It broke his heart to see his favorite uncle like that. Soon he would have to lock him up for his safety and the town’s. The curse had mutated over the years, his ancestors used to live to a thousand years before any sign of the crazy behavior was evident. Uncle Horace was barely six hundred and forty and he was deteriorating fast.

  His family had gotten complacent and let the curse run, he couldn’t do that, wouldn’t do that. He would find a way to fix everyone. Dammit, even if that meant working with her. Why did she have to be related to that wizard? Derrick stomped down the library steps and headed toward the Rotten Meatball.

  “You look like someone pissed in your Wheaties this morning. What happened Derrick?”

  He glanced up to see Alizon coming up the sidewalk. “Geez Alizon, your language could scare a sailor.” Derrick shook his head at her.

  “Just being me darling, what’s got you so upset? Could it have anything to do with the new witch in town hmmm?” Alizon grinned at him.

  “I didn’t know she was a witch honestly, I guess it makes sense, but I hadn’t asked. Is that what brought you over and out of your candy store? No longer the lone witch in town, so checking out the competition?” The Sticky Fingers Candy store had the biggest assortment of candy he had ever seen. Parents liked to tease the kids with the old fable about Hansel and Gretel, Alizon did love to play along and put up a big Gingerbread house outside her store every year. The kids dared each other to go in and see if they could get out.

  “Of course, I am always interested in meeting another witch, though if Seraphine is right, she doesn’t really qualify as a witch right now. Birthright yes, but active powers…. anyways Seraphine asked if I was okay with her moving in and I am, unlike those snotty bitches in Salem.”

  Derrick sighed and glanced up at the sky, “I honestly didn’t get that far, I stormed out and left her in there. Would you be interested in showing her where Sandman’s B and B is, she also mentioned the apartment complex across the street.”

  Alizon glanced up at the library doors and back to Derrick, “I got this go do whatever you need to do.”

  Derrick nodded in thanks and walked down the sidewalk. His conscience felt a bit better now that she wasn’t left alone in town on her first day. Now to figure out how to apologize and find out more about her family. He walked into the Rotten Meatball and didn’t even realize he had gone that far or actually arrived. His head was filled with all the new information he learned today. He wanted to be hopeful that this was the first step to finding a cure, but he didn’t think he could handle the disappointment when they found nothing new. A family member of Malachi’s shows up, Seraphine says she is what we need to end it. That’s a lot to take in, but there was still a spark of hope in him.

  “Hey cuz, ready to go over tonight’s menu? Lunch rush should be starting shortly so I only have a few minutes.”

  “Hey Stephen, sure. Though I don’t know why we do this each day, you know I trust you to make whatever you think is best.”

  “Fine, I really need your help coming up with names for some new dishes.”

  Derrick groaned, “what have you done now? The last new dish you presented… Gave some of the kid’s nightmares. Parents were yelling at me for days!”

  “It was tongue in cheek…. Well that’s what we called it at least. It was only stuffed shells, but some people have no sense of humor!” Stephen sighed and shook his head. He wasn’t fooling Derrick though, he knew he loved messing with food and people.

  “I think the issue was the food coloring you used. Making the cheese pink… gave a bit too much reality for the kids.” It was funny really; an Italian restaurant called The Rotten Meatball run by zombies. Everything they did was tongue in cheek! “Anyways, what do you have for us tonight?”

  “I decided to go for something simple, Steak, potatoes and green beans….”

  Derrick waited to see if Stephen was going to add more but he didn’t. “That sounds kinda plain for you cuz. What am I missing?”

  “For the Christmas holiday I wanted to offer our guests a traditional meal. But that’s why I need your help, the name can’t be ordinary. I want them to order and worry about what they are getting.”

  “Dude, I worry the curse is already addling your brain. You could always call it The Chef’s special. Anyone who has eaten here knows what you cook and would worry about it but be tempted to try it anyways.”

  Stephen contemplated Derrick’s words for a few minutes. “I think I like that, I am going to get the staff to play it up when they are announcing the specials.”

  “Stephen you are a truly wicked man.”

  Stephen cackled and walked back to the kitchen. Derrick chuckled and headed to his office, time for the crappy part of owning a business. Bills and paperwork, hopefully he could be done early enough to check on Uncle Horace before the dinner crowd shuffled in.

  Six

  “Hello, anyone here?” Raven heard a woman calling from the lobby of the library and she headed towards her.

  “Hi, I’m here, sorry I was roaming around getting used to this place. It’s much bigger than I expected. My name is Ravenna, but my friends call me Rave or” Raven found herself smiling at the new nickname “Raven.” She held her hand out to the woman standing in front of the doors as she approached.

  “I’m Alizon and the resident witch. I wanted to introduce myself and hell check you out. I have to be honest, I liked the title of the only witch, but I supposed I can share with you.”

  Raven was a bit taken back by her straightforward manner, but it was refreshing. “I am sure you can tell I have no active powers, so not really any competition. It is a pleasure to meet you though.”

  Alizon waved her hand as if to brush her words away “I can sense a lot of power in you, it’s just dormant. I am sure you will find the key to unlocking them here, Black Hollow has every type of creature you could possibly need at your disposal. Anyways I ran into Derrick outside, he asked me to show you the apartments, which are across the street by the way.”

  Raven glanced at the doors, as if she could see through them. “That would be a really easy commute to work each day! I would like to take a look and see if they have an opening for me. Seraphine made a reservation for me at The Sandman's B and B for as long as I needed, would you show me how to get there also please?”

  “Of course, we witches must stick together. Come on and tell me why you have no powers.” Alizon looped her arm through Raven’s and led the way to the apartment.

  As they walked Raven filled her in on the little, she knew about the family curse. “Holy bat balls! So, your family is the one that cursed the Ainsworth’s? Holy frog legs!”

  Raven couldn’t contain her laughter, “You have the most interesting curse words!”

  “Oh yeah, well I run the Sticky Fingers Candy store. Being around kids all day, I had to be inventive. Now it’s a habit I can't break. Anyways back to the whole curse the zombie thing.”

  “Yeah, my ancestor way back was the creep who cursed them, and before you ask. No one knows why, we have gone through all kinds of family records and asked relatives… but nothing. He didn’t live long after the curse, he left behind his daughter who was just a year old.”

  Alizon froze in her tracks “What about his wife? Couldn’t she tell you anything about what happened, even how he died?”

&nbs
p; Raven tugged on Alizon’s arm and they started walking again. “She was never seen after the curse, the family thinks there was something going on between my ancestor’s wife and Derrick’s ancestor. He cursed them because of her, or something she did. Of course, we didn’t find any proof but it's the best theory we ever found.”

  “Crap on a cracker girl! You sure do bring the drama! Come on let’s see what apartments are ready and the cost. We can continue this discussion later.”

  Alizon was going to be one of her favorite people in Black Hollow she could see it already. She was a bit crazy but a lot of fun and that was something Raven needed. Alizon opened the door to the apartment complex just as a tall man came out.

  “Hey Silver, I want you to meet Ravenna. She just started work today at the library and she’s a witch from the family who cursed Derrick’s family.” Raven stared at Alizon. She was shocked and upset she would share that information so easily. What if this Silver guy got upset!

  “Well, that sounds like a story I need to hear. Would you be interested in an interview for the town paper?” Silver smiled, and Raven was put at ease, but if the whole town heard the story how would they react?

  “I don’t know yet, can I talk to Derrick first? I don’t want him or anyone else upset with me.”

  Silver nodded, “No worries hun, but this might be the best way to get the whole story told and not from gossips. Excuse me while I run, I was just chatting with Adam for a bit before heading into work.” He glanced at Raven, “Adam is my boss at the paper.” Silver didn’t wait for a reply, he smiled, waved and left the building.

  “Um wow, that was quite an introduction.”

  Alizon pulled her along the hallway to the manager's office “Silver lives with his boyfriend Cade above Cade’s shop. They are amazing and so much fun. Cade is a famous fashion designer, wait till you see his new clothes!”

  Raven couldn't keep up with the whirlwind Alizon, they knocked on the managers door and within moments, he was showing them a one-bedroom apartment that was on a month to month lease and fully furnished. Raven fell in love, right away. Month to month left her the freedom to leave if things got too rough in town or she couldn’t find what she needed here. Even better the manager said the town was paying the rent as part of her salary!

  “Alizon I think I owe you a drink, and maybe some food since I missed lunch and it’s getting late. Where can we go?” Raven really hoped Alizon agreed to go out with her, she wasn't sure she was ready to be on her own yet in Black Hollow. At least not out where the residents could talk to her. What if everyone knew who she was??

  “Let’s go to Thirst bar, I have my eye on a particular bartender and you can be my excuse to go in tonight.” Alizon cackled and Raven couldn’t stop herself from laughing along.

  Seven

  Derrick stretched his back, he never expected running a restaurant would take so much work, but he loved it and wouldn’t change anything. He glanced at the clock and saw he had about an hour until Seraphine stopped in for dinner. Just enough time to be available for the beginning of the dinner rush and lend a hand.

  He walked out of his office and up to the hostess stand, “Jenesa, please have a table reserved for two at seven. Seraphine will be joining me for dinner.”

  “No problem Derrick.” Jenesa turned to write it down and Derrick walked towards the dining room. He stopped to chat with the staff, and the early birds who came in to beat the crowds. The closer to Christmas they got, the busier they were. Everyone was out shopping and enjoying the sites. Once he saw everything was going smoothly, he walked into the kitchen to check in with Stephen. This was his favorite part of the day. He pulled up a stool next to the station Stephen frequented and they chatted while he worked. It was a great way for them to stay up to date and kept Stephen from going nuts on the staff as they worked.

  “How’s the steak going tonight?”

  Stephen glanced up and smirked. “So far so good, everyone’s enjoying it and having fun being surprised.”

  “Good, so... I met the new librarian today.” Derrick watched Stephen cook, his skill was amazing and most importantly he loved his job. He didn’t say anything just cocked an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, apparently she is descended from a long and powerful line of witches.” Derrick paused and contemplated how to tell Stephen the rest of the story. “She is the descendant of the wizard who cursed our family.”

  Stephen slammed a pan on the stove and slowly turned to Derrick. “Were you not going to tell the whole family? We all have a right to know.”

  “I just met her, you have to give me time. But that’s why I want you to hold a family meeting after the restaurant closes. We need to tell everyone what’s going on. They need to be prepared.”

  “Dammit Derrick, how did she come to be here in Black Hollow? Fate doesn’t work that way, she had brought her for some reason. You know as well as I do, you can’t just come to Black Hollow unless you are called here for a reason.” Stephen turned back to the stove and took a deep breath, “I am trying to remain calm, and remind myself she is not the person who cursed us. But to have a physical representation of our pain here... It’s a lot to ask.”

  Derrick couldn’t say anything, everything Stephen said was true, Raven was brought here for a specific reason. He just hoped it was to end their curse once and for all. “I don’t know if it helps but apparently her family was cursed at the same time. I don’t have the details, I honestly don’t know that I want to know them. But what if she was brought here to help us end the curse?” Derrick hoped it was true, every moan from Great Uncle Horace tore his heart up a bit more. If he could prevent one more family member from going through that. He would work with the devil himself.

  “I guess after the restaurant closes, we will talk with the family. Let them know the whole story and go from there. I agree though, she apparently has as much at stake as we do. She might be the missing piece we need to solve the curse after all this time. I have to admit, this is the most hopeful I have ever been.” Stephen turned back to the stove and started cooking.

  “Hey Derrick, Seraphine is here. I showed her to the table.” Derrick thanked Jenesa and walked toward the dining room. “Hey cuz, how about two specials?”

  As he walked out the kitchen door, he swore he heard Stephen mutter something about “extra special”.

  Across the dining room, Derrick saw Seraphine waiting patiently. He could imagine what she wanted to say to him but honestly, he worked it out himself. He knew he shouldn’t have stormed out this morning, he was just caught off guard. Derrick stopped at each table as he made his way across the room to Seraphine.

  “Excuse me ma’am is this seat taken?”

  “Yes, by a very handsome gentleman. You can sit until he shows up though.”

  Derrick scoffed and pulled the chair out. “That never gets old Seraphine. Before you yell at me, I am sorry for walking out on Raven, I will apologize tomorrow.”

  “Wonderful, I knew you would come around. Now, what are we eating for dinner?”

  Derrick waved over his nephew Jeff, “Whenever Stephen is done, we are ready to eat.”

  “Have you told the family about who Raven is?” Seraphine sat back in her chair with a serene smile on her face. Derrick wished he knew what went through her mind, but the thought scared him at the same time.

  “When we close for the night, we will get the staff together. Stephen will call those who were off to come in for a meeting.”

  “Perk of a family run restaurant you don’t have to wait for staff to leave. You are making the right choice. She can help you break the curse. You have to just be open to it.”

  “How could I not be open to it! I want nothing more than to end this turmoil.”

  Eight

  “Medusas Locks, seems pretty obvious. Medusa owns and runs it?” Raven tried not to get too excited, but to be in a town surrounded by creatures she’d read about, or knew of... It was amazing!

  Alizon smiled, “yep and she is amazing a
t hair. You have to stop in and let her pamper you sometime.”

  “So, tell me about the rest of the town, for instance Thirst bar is run by who or what type of creature?” Raven craved her neck from side to side as they walked through town, there was so much to see, and she wanted to know it all.

  “With a name like Thirst you would think it was owned by Vampires, but they own the Blood Bank, it’s fitting really. Yeti’s Ice Cream is run by Saroj, he can tell your favorite flavor as soon as he meets you. Plus, it’s the best tasting shit you will ever have. It’s an eclectic town and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.” They kept walking down the street talking about the different businesses.

  “Thirst was back there, I thought you wanted to go in?” Alizon glanced back at Thirst, “I can stop in later, the night is still young. I thought maybe we could get a bite of real food, instead of bar food. Something Italian….”

  “You want to take me to Derrick’s restaurant, even though he hates me, and with good reason?” Isn’t that adding flame to the fire? Parading around in front of him when he is mad, is only going to make it worse. Seraphine said the cure would be found here, and Derrick was affected by the curse, it stood to reason he was a part of it. So, making him madder wasn’t a good idea. Raven stopped in her tracks, up ahead she could see The Rotten Meatball. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Isn’t there somewhere else you could take me to eat? Like Scales and Tails, it’s right here, Derrick wouldn’t have to know I am even around right now.”

  Raven rolled her eyes, “you are going to have to talk to him sooner or later. Trust me, now is as good a time as any.” Raven pulled her closer to the restaurant and opened the door.