Spells and Jinglebells

by ReGina Welling

  The cat only meowed back at her. But Whitley knew it was Sophie. It was the exact kitten that had been in the picture! Her pulse beat wildly in her ears. Her sister had stolen Mrs. Everett’s cat? It didn’t make any sense! What would Esmerelda want with Mrs. Everett’s cat?

  She carried the cat back down the hall into her bedroom. The poor thing shook, even as Whitley held it tightly to her chest, cooing soft words to it and smoothing its soft fur. “It’s going to be alright,” she whispered. “I’m going to take you home to your momma.”

  “Like hell you are!” Esmerelda screamed from the doorway. “I found her, and I’m taking her back!”

  Whitley grimaced. “You stole Mrs. Everett’s kitten? How could you, Es?” asked Whitley, her eyes damp with tears. “After everything you’ve done to me and stolen from me. Now you’re stealing kittens too?”

  “I didn’t steal the dumb cat. I found her,” snapped Esmerelda.

  Whitley’s head tilted to the side. “Really? You just found her? How, Es? She was in a cage! She didn’t just wander off in her cage!”

  Esmerelda’s eyes narrowed. “One of the girls we went to high school with posted the cat on her Instagram story. I recognized the dumb thing from the picture Sebastian’s mom showed us. So I went and got it. I was trying to do something nice.”

  Whitley shook her head. “No, you weren’t! You were trying to solve the mystery yourself because you’re jealous of the fact that I’ve gotten attention for solving mysteries and you haven’t!” Whitley countered. She looked around. “Where’s Sebastian? I’m giving him Sophie to take home to his mother.”

  Esmerelda sneered at her sister. “I wouldn’t let him come in. I sent him home.”

  Whitley sighed. She was almost thankful that Sebastian hadn’t come in. There was just too much going on in her mind at the moment to deal with what had happened between Ash and her sister. Ugh, Ash and Esmerelda. The thought nauseated her. “How could you, Es? You’re my sister! How could you steal Ash from me?”

  Esmerelda rolled her eyes and swept her hands together in front of her. “You stole my dress; I stole your date. All’s fair in love and fashion.”

  Whitley’s tears came fast and hard then. “For years, I’ve taken care of you, Es. I’ve done everything you haven’t wanted to do. I’ve mothered you. I’ve been there for you. And you don’t appreciate any of it. You are the selfish one. You are the hateful one. Well, I tell you what, Es. I’m over it. I’m not doing anything for you anymore! I’m not making your food. I’m not sewing your clothes. I’m not driving you anywhere. I’m not even going to be your friend anymore. I’m done!”

  Esmerelda didn’t look the slightest bit concerned, and if she was, she was too stubborn to show it. “Fine by me! I don’t care!”

  Whitley caught sight of her wardrobe overflowing with the mysterious dresses. “And now that you solved the mystery behind Sophie’s disappearance, you can just solve all of these mysteries on your own too! I did my part. I made you a dress, and you ruined it! There’s no way I’ll be helping you with any of this mess either.”

  Esmerelda furrowed her brows. “Solve the mysteries of the dresses? I’m not solving any mysteries! I didn’t want those dumb old dresses! I told you to tell Dad to take them back! So you think I care that you’re not going to do it? Fine. Don’t solve them. But neither am I!”

  Whitley heard her father’s words replaying in her head. You let her get away with everything, Whit. It’s time you stood up for yourself! Whitley wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. “Well, I’m certainly not going to do it for you! I didn’t even wear a single one of those dresses to the ball because of you!”

  Esmerelda shrugged. “Fine, then the mysteries don’t get solved!”

  No sooner had the words come out of her mouth than suddenly the snow globe on the nightstand began to tremble, its feet rattling on top of the dresser. The girls looked over at it in astonishment. Neither of them knew what was going on. And then, out of nowhere, it began to snow in the bedroom.

  “What’s going on?” asked Esmerelda.

  The snow, which had begun as a light flurry, was now a full-on snow storm, just like the storms inside the globe. Whitley’s eyes scanned the ceiling. She had no idea what was going on either.

  Esmerelda reached out and took Sophie from Whitley’s hands. “That’s it. This is creepy. I’m outta here.”

  “Wait! I’ll take Sophie back…” began Whitley. Her words were halted by an earsplitting sound and a sudden flash of light radiating out of the snow globe. Whitley stood staring at it in shock, but Esmerelda and Sophie ran for the bedroom door.

  And then, suddenly, everything inside of Whitley’s bedroom magically appeared inside the snow globe. A replica of what was in her room was now inside the globe.

  Whitley rushed to look inside of it. Lifting the globe to her face, she stared down at the miniature furniture. Her sewing desk. Her bed. Her wardrobe stuffed with gowns. Everything was in there.

  “It’s my room!” she said in shock.

  Esmerelda stood in the doorway with Sophie still in her arms as another light burst forth and wrapped itself around Whitley’s body.

  “Es!” screamed Whitley as she saw the fingers of light around her waist. She reached her hand out to her sister for help, but before Esmerelda could assist her, Whitley was sucked into the snow globe!

  “Whitley!” Esmerelda called out, lurching to catch her hand. But it was too late. She was gone. And the snow globe that Whitley had just held seconds ago fell into the folds of material inside the cardboard box next to the bed.

  Suddenly, Esmerelda heard another cracking sound. Worrying that perhaps the sound would pull her into the snow globe next, she rushed to the door. No sooner had she stepped over the threshold of the bedroom than she found her own body covered in the same bright light.

  Her eyes blazed wild. “Help!” she screamed, scared for her life, holding the kitten up to her face to shield herself.

  The fingers of light grasping Esmerelda pulled her into the little grey puff of fur she held in her hands. As the kitten landed on the ground with a gentle thump, the snow in the room magically disappeared. The only light in the room was from the dim glow of the moon outside, and the whole house went silent—as if it had never happened.

  Chapter Eleven

  Later that night, Felix returned to the house with a bag of takeout. He saw his old truck parked outside and assumed that Whitley had returned. He hoped everything had gone alright at the ball.

  “Whit, I’m home!” he called out, running up the stairs two at a time. Poking his head in her bedroom, he found it empty. He poked his head in Esmerelda’s room next. It was also empty.

  “Huh,” he said. “Maybe they worked things out and brought the truck back.”

  Satisfied with that explanation, he went back into Whitley’s room. He’d forgotten to take the cardboard box he’d loaded up earlier out to the trash. Whitley won’t want to look at this dress anytime soon, he thought, folding the flaps together. Garbage comes tomorrow. I better get it taken out to the mailbox before it gets too dark. Maybe then we can all just forget any of this ever happened.

  Slinging the box up onto his shoulder, Felix didn’t notice the tiny grey kitten hiding beneath the bed. Nor did he notice the tiny grey kitten following him down the stairs and out the front door. And he certainly didn’t notice the grey kitten following him all the way down the driveway, where it hid behind a shrub until he’d gone.

  The minute he was gone, the kitten scratched and clawed its way into the box. Undoing the box flaps, it dug through the material until it found the snow globe buried inside.

  The kitten blinked her bright emerald eyes down into the watery world, where a miniature Whitley Snow stood staring back at her, pounding on the glass, pleading with silent screams to be set free.

  If you enjoyed the prequel, short-story Deal or Snow Deal…check out Snow Cold Case, the first full-length novel in the new Mystic Snow Globe Mystery Ser
ies by M.Z. Andrews

  About the Author

  M.Z. Andrews lives in the Midwest, United States with her husband. Together they have six children, three have flown the coop, and the other three are up and coming. Aside from writing, M.Z. enjoys gardening, canning salsa, KC Chiefs football games, and DIY projects.

  M.Z. writes cozy mysteries, both regular and the magical kind. If you enjoyed this story, please check out one of her many other works.

  The Mystic Snow Globe Mystery Series

  The Witch Squad Cozy Mystery Series

  The Coffee Coven’s Cozy Capers Series

  The Witch Island Series

  Follow M.Z. Andrews online:

  Website

  Facebook

  BookBub

  Amazon

  Authors’ Note

  Two Magical Bonuses From Us to You!

  We hope our stories bring extra enchantment to your holiday season! We had such a great time writing these for you that we decided to add two fun bonuses.

  A Magical Scavenger Hunt

  We’ve chosen a single holiday object and woven it into each of our stories so that it appears in every story at least once. Figure it out for a chance to win an Amazon gift card and free books!

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  Go to this page to enter both contests or visit our Facebook page to enter and spend the holiday season with us!