The Wicca Woman

by David Pinner

  He studied the inscription, then lowered his eyes. A sprig of garlic lay on the grave bed. The stranger licked the blood from his gums and wondered. He bent down to pick the garlic up. A shadow crept along his spine and slid its icicle into the base of his skull. Another man’s shadow was freezing him. The stranger turned his head, skating his eyes along the ground. His tongue pricked on the roof of his mouth.

  A pair of black shoes were the first things he saw. A black gown hung one and a half inches above the shoes. The gown was belted, and was set off with a white circular collar at the throat. The face of Pastor White sprouted out of the collar. The stranger moistened his tongue again. The spikes of fear returned to his subconscious. It was only a God man.