by Tonya Kappes
Darla had written in the journal and one entry in particular talked about her friendship with Eloise and how they had told each other their deepest and darkest secrets. When I first asked Izzy about Eloise and where I could find her, she played it off like Eloise was not a major part of my life and told me Darla didn’t know her.
I knew if Darla had written about Eloise, then Eloise had to have been a big part of our lives in Whispering Falls, even if I was a baby and didn’t remember it.
I was right. Eloise was magical on the day she had come to me. Her emerald eyes glowed. Beautiful fireflies surrounded her and her red hair burned bright like the sunset. She was gorgeous. And I could see where Oscar had gotten his good looks after we had discovered his relationship with her.
Needless to say, Eloise was not a dark spirit, only her lineage. She helped Whispering Falls every day. But she loved her oasis built between two trees in the woods and I didn’t blame her.
Mr. Prince Charming darted up the wooden stairs that led up Eloise’s two-story house with the cozy wrap-around porch. There weren’t any lights on, which told me Eloise was probably tending her garden where she grew all of her incense on her own. Plus it was nice and quiet out there.
I walked around the side of her house and Mr. Prince Charming stayed on the porch. The lanterns hung from the trees leading me to the gravel pathway which led to the back of her house and enchanted garden. I always enjoyed it here. There were beautiful flowers planted on both sides of the pathway. I ran my hand along the vibrant purple, green, red, orange, and yellow flowers. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the wisteria vine canopy over my head. It was the same type growing on the pergola at A Charming Cure since Eloise had helped Darla grow it.
The sweet humming voice of Eloise’s I loved drifted through the air. My heart leapt and my soul filled with overwhelming joy, bringing a smile to my face when my eyes took in the rows and rows of herbs in her garden before me.
Out of nowhere, Mr. Prince Charming dove and disappeared into the honeyswell clover. Only his tail danced happily above the magical herb. It was like catnip to him and he loved it.
At the beginning of each herb row was a small wooden sign where Eloise had painted the name. Rose petals, moonflower, mandrake root, seaweed, shrinking violet, dream dust, fairy dust, magic peanut, lucky clover, steal rose, spooky shroom were just a few that I held so dearly to my heart. Each of these had somehow played a little part in my potion making. They also played a little part in someone’s life outside of our magical village.
In the distance, nearer to the house, the twinkling lights strung around the gazebo shone down on a table that was set for four. Eloise must’ve gotten wind that Aunt Helena was coming.
“Hello.” Eloise called out from underneath the singing nettles. “I’ll be done in a minute.”
The singing flowering plant hummed right along with her. She stood up and used her fingers like a conductor’s stick. “Hmmmm,” she held the hum for a few seconds to get them geared up.
I stood silently with my hands clasped in front of me to watch the show.
“Laaaaleeeee.” A happy tune came from Eloise’s mouth. Her brows lifted, her cheeks drew in and her fingers slowly swayed over the singing nettles.
“Laaaaaleeee,” the nettles repeated in harmony.
“Leeeeelaaaaalooooo,” Eloise’s sweet voice filled the vacant space and the singing nettles chimed in. Each growing a tad bit more as they continued with the harmony. “Leeeelooooleeeelaaaa,” the entire group harmonized while Eloise’s pointer fingers swayed to the music. Her eyes were closed and her head swept side-to-side in a fluid motion.
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath, letting the sounds of the nettles and the aromas of the herb garden fill my insides. It was like a cleansing to my spiritual soul.
Magic boiled inside my veins as little shocks of lightning jumped inside me, making me blissfully happy, fully alive, and leaving my heart singing with delight.
Marrying Oscar had to be top on my list. Deep in my intuition, I knew this was the right place to be and this was my top priority, not some big national store and stress free lotion.
“This is a double-day leaf.” Eloise lifted a long, thick leaf up in the air. It hummed out in delight. “I’ve been trying to come up with something for baby Orin. Goodness gracious, Petunia won’t give that baby a pacifier. If she keeps feeding him, he’s going to be as big as a house.”
“So this is a singing pacifier?” I asked and studied it.
“It sure is.” She brought it back down and looked at it. She smiled. “Petunia is going to love it because it’s natural and not bad for baby Orin like she thinks sucking on plastic is. And when you and Oscar have babies, I’ll be ready.”
“Don’t fall for it,” a husky voice broke the sweet melody floating through the air. “She just wants to make sure that everyone gets what is coming to them with this union.” Aunt Helena’s icy eyes flashed a gentle yet firm warning my way.
“Oh get off your high horse and let these two finally be together like it’s written in the spiritual stars.” Eloise’s emerald eye pierced the space between the two dueling aunts.
“I was afraid this was going to happen,” Aunt Helena swept across the garden as though she were floating on air. “That is why I brought a mediator.”
“Gus?” I questioned when Gus had teletransported near the drowsy moon flowers.
He picked one up and held it up to his nose before he stuck it in his mouth and ate it.
“Mmmmm,” he licked his lips. “Very delicious Eloise.”
“Oh, Gus.” Eloise crossed over the rows of herbs and took Gus into her arms. “Helena, you can’t possibly think this child could be an observer of such a union.”
“Union?” I laughed thinking these two were ridiculous. “Oscar and I are simply getting married. That’s all.”
Rowlll! Mr. Prince Charming curled up on the tips of his claws and howled up to the sky.
“Have you all gone mad?” I plunged on carelessly, “Oscar and I are just two people getting married. Two people in love. Childhood friends that found happiness.”
“June, dear.” Eloise flew to my side.
“My June dear.” Aunt Helena nearly knocked Eloise over trying to get closer to me. “Your mother and father,” she started.
“And Oscar’s mother and father. . .” Eloise gulped.
“Had our marriage arranged.” Oscar stood underneath the pergola with the last bit of the day’s sun glowing like a flashlight around him.
His gaze traveled over my face and searched my eyes as if I knew something.
Then it hit me.
Oscar had known all along that we were bound by a prearranged marriage and not destined to fall in love as I had thought.
“Why do you think she hasn’t answered either of you when you tell her to plan a date?” Aunt Helena turned toward me. A spark flew from her eyes. “Your intuition is right. You cannot get married when the sun is not transitioning between Taurus and Libra. You know that.”
“That is by your calendar.” Eloise tsked, referring to how the Good-Siders tend to use the astrological calendar on the timing of things. “According to ours, the moon is almost in prime position for a partnership event.” She gestured between Oscar and I. “Like the marriage of two people in love.”
“Calendar, moon.” I shook my head. “Who cares! You all have ruined this for me!”
“June! June!” Oscar yelled out into the night air. There was no sense in me hanging around and listening to them argue. Nothing was going to get solved.
The moonlight dotted the ground leading my path out of the woods. I didn’t have to stand there and listen to the three of them go on and on about how much Oscar loved me and that no matter if there was an agreement or not, our lives were destined to be one.
I knew that. I knew that from my intuition churning inside. But it was still hard to hear and made me mad to think about it.
“June.” Oscar caught
up to me and grabbed me by my arm.
Hiss, hiss. Mr. Prince Charming stood up on two legs and batted his paws at Oscar, claws out.
Mr. Prince Charming had always had a jealous nature about him when it came to Oscar. Before I knew I was a spiritualist, I thought Mr. Prince Charming was just wanting my time instead of hanging out under the big oak tree in Oscar’s front yard eating Ding Dongs and any other junk food Oscar’s uncle kept in the house since Darla never let me eat any thing unhealthy or sugary, unless it had a manager’s special sticker on it.
After I found out Mr. Prince Charming was my familiar fairy-god cat, I knew he was only trying to protect me like he was now. Only I didn’t need protecting from Oscar.
“Mr. Prince Charming,” I scolded and drew my eyes back toward Oscar.
He had changed out of his Whispering Falls police uniform into a pair of baggy jeans and form-fitting white tee shirt. He took my bag from around my shoulder and set it on the ground.
Oscar’s eyes searched mine for answers I was holding deep down; only I didn’t even know what those answers were.
“I love you. You know I love you. Arrangement or not.” Oscar’s large hand took my face and held it gently. “We can move away from here and try to live a normal life like my parents. I don’t care.”
“That wouldn’t solve anything.” A brief shiver ripped through me, sending my intuition on high alert. “But Aunt Helena is right.”
There was no way I was going to start a marriage off on a bad feeling. It was hard enough trying to turn off my internal witchy side and live in the world around us, but I just couldn’t ignore the strange feeling brewing inside of me.
“We can do whatever it is you want.” He gathered me into his arms, snuggling me tightly. “I’m not a Dark-Sider like Eloise. I’m just plain old Oscar Park from Locust Grove, Kentucky who happened to fall madly, deeply in love with his childhood neighbor June Heal.”
“And when did you just so happen to fall in love?” I giggled, feeling a little safer in his arms. The wind whipped and I nuzzled my head deeper into his chest.
“The day I got the call from Mac McGurtle about you blowing up your shed.” His lips pressed into the top of my head. Slowly he put his hand on my chin and lifted my face up. He moved his arms to wrap around my midriff and cuffed his hands on the small of my back. “I’ve never looked back. Through all the good, the bad, my memory loss. Nothing.”
The touch of his lips on mine was a delicious sensation.
“Please don’t stop.” I smiled from ear-to-ear longing to have his warmth embrace around me.
“I’ve got to work the night shift in Locust Grove tonight.” As he talked, my eyes froze on the softness of his lips. “I was hoping to have a nice quiet dinner under Eloise’s gazebo and discuss your first day at Head To Toe Works.”
“Well, I have to go back tomorrow.” I snuggled a little closer knowing my time was limited. “There was a bit of a mix up.”
“Like what?” He pulled away to look at me. His eyes shone bright in the pale light of the moon as it was peeking out for the night.
“Nothing for you to worry about.” I shirked it off. If Oscar knew what I was going to do tonight, he would tell me to forget it. He’d tell me that it’s only a couple hundred bottles—where I seen it as a couple hundred people I could help. “I will see you bright and early tomorrow.”
“And we can discuss the wedding later.” His words put comfort back in my heart. I knew I was going to be Mrs. Oscar Park, I just didn’t know when. I was going to have to rely on my witchy senses to tell me.
Chapter Eight
I knew this wedding was going to be a big deal and if there were a way around it, I would do it. I was envious of the couples that could do a destination wedding by going off to some exotic island or the couple who could simply go to the Justice of the Peace and get married in a small room at the courthouse.
Not in the spiritual community.
Weddings were a big deal. Especially when two spiritualists come together. Petunia and Gerald had showed me how big their wedding was and I wasn’t looking forward to it.
Since my parents weren’t here, I knew Aunt Helena was going to make sure it was done the Heal way and that included the spiritual side of events.
“June.” Aunt Helena sat at my kitchen table when I got home after saying my goodnight to Oscar. “I had to come straightaway.” She stood up and unfurled her arms. The sleeves of her cloak hung nearly to the ground. “Come.”
“No. I’m fine.” Her voice was bland. “I’m not a pawn in this little game between you and Eloise.”
“It’s not a game.” The words dripped out of her mouth as if she really meant them. Only I knew better. “You are my only remaining niece and I have to see to it that you have the wedding of your dreams. A proper wedding that includes all the Order of Elders, all the Presidents of all the villages, all the dignitaries throughout the different colleges, and the teachers. . .”
She rambled on and on about all the fancy people who I didn’t know but I let her and took out Madame Torres.
The globe glowed fiery red. Streaks of purple and yellow burst throughout the glass in little waves of lightning. Madame Torres appeared. The lime green turban propped on the top of her head. Her eyes grew large and liquid, melting into a wavy scene playing out at Head To Toe Works headquarters in the factory near the new conveyor belt. As the scene played out, it showed Burt in some sort of argument with someone—a shadowy figure. The person’s back was to me but one of my bottles was visible in the clutches of the person’s fisted hand and another in Burt’s hand.
I grabbed the globe and put it back into my bag.
“Aunt Helena, you must go.” I reached my arms out to the side and created a big fake yawn. “I’m tired and we can talk about this in a couple of days.” I pointed to the clock. “Look at the time. It’s late and I have to work tomorrow.”
“We all work tomorrow.” Her brow cocked as she watched me suspiciously. “The wedding isn’t causing all of your strange behavior. What is really going on with you?”
“Nothing.” I opened the door and secretly thanked the world for the spiritual laws. Rule Number One in particular. It deemed that no other spiritualist could read another spiritualist. Meaning Aunt Helena couldn’t try to figure out what was really bothering me.
Those bottles and me getting there to put a spell on them.
“No need for a door.” She crossed her arms around her and in a blink of an eye and a puff of blue smoke, she was gone.
I took Madame Torres back out of the bag.
“Tell me who seeks me.” I gave her a specific order. Could the shadowy figure have been Tiffany and there was an argument between her and Burt about me, otherwise they wouldn’t have been holding the bottles.
Madame Torres’s globe stayed black.
I set her on the kitchen table and with a loud voice demanded, “Show me Head To Toe Works Headquarters.”
“I tried earlier,” Madame Torres spoke with an attitude. “Phewt, phewt. Wasn’t important to you then so it must not be important now.” Her face rippled as it floated inside the liquid globe.
“Are we really going to have to go through an argument?” I planted my hands on my hips. “I’m in no way, shape or form wanting to worry with you. I will throw you in the bottom of my bag until further notice.” Nothing happened. Her ball stayed black. “Or I can drop you off at the Locust Grove Flea Market tomorrow and let someone else take you home.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” She appeared. She glared at me with a burning, reproachful eye.
“Oh, I would.” I knew that one would get her goat.
She was my crystal ball and she was created specifically for me. If she was taken or given to someone else, she would spend the rest of her life suspended in the unknown and simply be a snow globe.
“Fine!” She spat and showed me the inside of the headquarters, sort of like a virtual tour.
There was nothing there and everyon
e had seemed to go home, even Burt and Tiffany. I was sure I would hear about their spat in the morning during one of our meetings, but for now, there was one thing for certain. No one was there and it was my signal to drive over there and put the spell on those few hundred bottles before they were shipped out.
Chapter Nine
The Head To Toe Works shopping bag with my uniform was still on the floorboard of the Green Machine. I wasn’t looking forward to wearing the outfit tomorrow, nor was I looking forward to putting the little extra oomph in all of those plastic bottles tonight.
The security station had a faint light on and when I pulled up, I noticed a different security guard from this morning. It wasn’t Ronald. Too bad I couldn’t just get through because the guy had his feet propped up on the desk, hands folded, and hat over top of his eyes.
I beeped the Green Machine’s horn and he nearly fell out of his chair. He slid the window open and I rolled mine down.
“They are closed.” He cleared his throat.
“I work here. I’m June Heal, the new employee. Ronald knows me.” I smiled happily.
“They aren’t open at nights. There is no reason you should be here.” He didn’t budge.
“I have to get a new size for my uniform in the morning.” I grabbed the bag off the floor and held it up. “You know how Tiffany and Burt can be if things aren’t just right.” I laughed nervously and used my other finger to make the crazy sign around my ear.