The Witch Within

by M. Z. Andrews

  Alba beckoned us to follow her. “This way,” she whispered. She led us around the back side of a long windbreak of lilac bushes along the length of the hill. When the overgrown shrubs ended abruptly just yards shy of the back corner of the house, we realized we’d have to put in some tummy time in the long grass if we were going to finish our trek unseen. I was thankful I hadn’t seen any snakes along the way, or I might have given away our positions with a scream.

  When we reached the side of the house, I heard one of the little girls squeal and then the young woman chastising one of the children. “Merrick, stop poking your sister with that stick!”

  “Merrick?” whispered my brother, who had flattened himself against the side of the house next to me. “I can’t believe it. That little boy is my father?”

  We peered around the corner at him again. The little boy was probably no more than seven years old. He had an olive complexion and dark black hair that hung in his eyes. Armed with the knowledge that the boy was Reign’s father, I turned my eyes onto the rest of the children. There were three girls, two of which I realized had to be SaraLynn and BethAnn, but the one that caught my eye had a shock of bright red hair that blew around her shoulders angelically as she climbed the slide. She couldn’t have been more than four or five.

  “Be careful, Linda,” chided the woman. “Your mother will be angry if you come inside with a broken leg.”

  “It’s Auggie,” whispered Alba. “Looks just like her daughter does now, except she’s thicker.”

  I nodded wordlessly. I couldn’t take my mind off the fact that I was staring at my mother as a little girl! And there she was playing side by side with SaraLynn, BethAnn, and Merrick! It was too crazy for words.

  With the group of us smashed against the side of the house, Alba silently waved us ahead like a platoon leader signaling his troops. A porch sat at the front elevation of the house and an old pickup truck sat in the dirt driveway, just a yard or two in front of a garage, if you could call it a garage. It looked more like a makeshift barn with a lean-to attached to one side. Several fishing poles leaned against the doorway of the lean-to, a lawn mower rested on its side and a variety of tools were spread out on the ground around it.

  Alba cranked her head back to look up at the porch. “We’ll have to get up there if we want to see in any of the windows.”

  “But what if someone sees us?” whispered Sweets. “There’re so many of us!”

  Alba nodded. “You’re right. Seven people standing on a porch is sure to catch some attention. Red, it’s your family. You and I should go. You all stay here. The rest of you, why don’t you go hide behind those trees over there?” After pointing to a small stand of birch trees, she beckoned me to follow her.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is my family too,” said my brother. “And those are my parents back there! And my grandmother and my aunts. I have a right to go.”

  Alba shook her head and whisper-hissed at us, “Three’s too many. We’ll be spotted for sure.”

  I put a hand on Alba’s shoulder. “You’re right.”

  She sneered at my brother.

  “Three is too many. Sorry, Alba, but you might have to sit this one out.”

  “But…” Her mouth hung open, shocked that I’d taken Reign’s side. But the fact of the matter was, she was speechless because she knew we were right. This was something that Reign and I had to do for our family. This was about the feud between the Stones and the Habernackles. And while I appreciated Alba getting us this far, I knew the rest was up to us to handle.

  “Are you ready?” asked Reign, looking down at me.

  I took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. Then my eyes swung up to meet his. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  27

  Squatted down low on the porch, with our noses pressed against the windowpane like puppies begging to be let in, we gazed inside the modest home. Even though the boxy furnishings were simple, the house exuded a feeling of coziness, warmth, and family.

  When we were sure the place was empty, Reign tried one of the windows up and, finding it unlocked, slid it all the way open. Seconds later, a door slammed from somewhere inside and then, just like that, I was looking at a young man that I’d only known through pictures.

  “Granddad!” I breathed. The man had brown hair that looked as if it had been intentionally parted on one side, but had gotten mussed while working. He was tall, with big beefy arms and legs and thick, muscular hands. I couldn’t believe I was seeing him in person.

  Reign’s brows lifted as he stared at the man. “That’s him? That’s our grandfather?”

  I nodded.

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yeah, I’ve seen pictures of him. Oh, but he’s much more handsome in person.” I stared at my granddad, starry-eyed, and then looked up at my brother. “You have his jawline and his mouth.”

  A slow smile crossed Reign’s face as we both turned our attention back to our grandfather, who stood in the middle of the living room. “Phyllis!” he shouted gruffly before pulling a blue shop rag from the back pocket of his grimy-looking pants and cleaning grease from his fingers. “Phyllis!”

  A young woman appeared in an interior doorway. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Clark. Must you yell?”

  I grinned. My granny looked so different! Of course I’d seen pictures of her with my granddad when they were young, but I’d grown up seeing her in a whole different light. She had always been old in my memory. She’d always had wrinkles and wiry white hair that she wore pulled back in a bun. Now she had smooth, wrinkle-free skin, and shoulder-length red hair that curled up around her face, and was pinned back at the base of her jaw. It was clear that one thing hadn’t changed about my grandmother—her attitude. She sounded just like she had my entire life.

  Granddad inhaled deeply as he stared at her.

  “What?!” she bellowed. “Why in the world are you looking at me like that?”

  “Phyllis, how long are Auggie and her children staying with us?”

  Gran looked taken aback. “How long are they staying? Clark, is that why you tromped your greasy shoes all the way from the shed into my clean living room? Hell if I know. Why do you ask?”

  My granddad shook his head as if he were worn out. “Phyllis, this house is too small for so many people. We only have two bedrooms. I’m tired of Linda sleeping with us. She needs to get back to having her own bed and her own room.”

  “Well, that’s where Auggie and her kids are staying. Do you expect me to put them on the sofa?”

  “No! I expect you to let them be on their way!”

  Gran shook her head and wagged her finger at him. “Clark, now you know they have nowhere to go. After Samson left her for that younger witch, Auggie found herself broke and without anywhere else to turn!”

  Granddad looked exasperated, like they’d been over this before. “I understand that. And we helped. We gave her a place to stay until she got over the trauma. But she’s feeling better now, and that’s not our problem, now is it?”

  Gran’s mouth opened and then snapped shut again just as quickly. She looked back over her shoulder, like she could see Auggie and the kids out a window in the back of the house. “I didn’t want to say anything, because I knew you’d get mad,” she began uneasily.

  “Oh, here we go,” he sighed, running a hand through his wavy hair.

  Gran held up a flattened palm. “Now just hold your horses.” She sucked in a deep breath before continuing. “One of Auggie’s friends from back home called her this morning with some news.”

  “Okay…?”

  “There was a wedding announcement in the paper yesterday.”

  “A wedding announcement?” He looked confused. “What’s that got to do with anything? There are always wedding announcements in the papers.”

  “Yes, well, this one just happened to be the wedding announcement of Harlow Crandall and Samson Smith.”

  My granddad threw his head back. “Oh, for Pete’s sake.”
<
br />   “Auggie didn’t take the news well.” Gran admitted while wringing out her hands in front of herself. “Of course she’s trying to keep it together for the children.”

  “I just don’t understand this, Phyllis. I thought after what she did to break you and Samson up, you’d never forgive her! I thought you didn’t like her anymore.”

  “Well, she apologized for that,” said Gran. “And she was such a good friend to me in college. And now look at where we are in life, and look at where she is! I’ve got you and Linda, and we’ve got our home together. My life is great. Auggie didn’t make out so well. She’s got three little ones and no husband, no job, no money, no place to live. How can I cast more stones at her when she’s already down so low?”

  Granddad shook his head. “I understand, Phyllis. And your big heart is one of the many reasons that I fell in love with you.”

  “And your ability to be compassionate is one of the reasons I fell in love with you!” said Gran, her voice softening. She strode over to my granddad and gave him a hug despite his filthy clothing.

  When they’d parted, Granddad put a hand on her shoulder. “But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s time for Auggie and her kids to go.”

  “But, Clark!” breathed Gran, and then we heard the back door slam shut. Gran looked over her shoulder before turning back to my granddad and whispering to him. “We’ll talk about this later.”

  “Yes, we certainly will,” he grumbled under his breath.

  Auggie breezed into the living room then and fell onto the sofa dramatically. “My goodness, it’s getting hot out there! If this is springtime weather around here, I think we’re in for a scorcher of a summer.”

  Gran nodded uneasily. “Yes, yes, I think you’re right,” she said stiffly, glancing up at her husband.

  Auggie looked from Gran to my granddad and back again. “Oh. I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something?”

  Gran shook her head and patted Granddad’s arm. “No, no. Not at all. I was just telling Clark I need to run into town. We’re out of everything. Would you like to join me? Maybe getting you out of the house would do you some good.”

  Auggie let out a chortle. “Oh, no. I’m beat. I probably pushed the children a thousand times on those swings. I’ve had it. I feel like I could sleep for days.” She leaned back against the sofa and closed her eyes.

  Phyllis lifted her brows. “Well, then, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t I take the children into town with me so you can get some rest?”

  Auggie’s eyes popped open. “Oh, would you really do that for me, Phil?”

  “Of course I would. It’s crazy how much small children drain your energy. Especially when you’re going through something as you are. I’m so thankful I’ve got my Clark to help out with Linda when I need a break from time to time.”

  Auggie’s smile disappeared. “Yes, the children are especially draining right now. Especially after the news this morning.” She shook her head sadly. Then she looked up at my granddad, her eyes big and serious. “Phil, you’re so lucky. You wound up with the greatest man of all time. I’m jealous, you know.”

  Gran wrapped an arm around my granddad’s thick waist. “Yes, I am a lucky woman. I do love my Clark.”

  Granddad grunted as if the praise from the two women had embarrassed him. “I have work to do in the shed. I still haven’t been able to get the damn lawn mower to start.” He turned around and disappeared the same way he’d come in through a side door. From outside, Reign and I heard the door slam and then watched as Granddad shuffled across the dirt driveway to the detached garage.

  From inside, Gran spoke again. “Sorry about that. I think he gets a little embarrassed by the praise. Listen, just let me get my purse and my keys and then I’ll run out back and get the children. Then you can have the whole house to yourself for a little R&R.”

  Auggie smiled at her old friend. “Oh, Phil. You’re such a sweetheart. I’ll just go lie down in the bedroom now. I really do owe you so much, and I’m so thankful that you forgave me for everything that happened all those years ago.”

  Gran waved a hand as she hugged Auggie. “Water under the bridge, old friend. Water under the bridge.”

  Once Gran had left to get the children and Auggie disappeared into another room, Reign and I decided to meet up with the girls to give them the scoop on what we’d seen and to regroup.

  Alba pounced the second we snuck back around to meet them. “Well, what’s going on?”

  “We saw our grandfather!” I said excitedly.

  “Yeah?” Alba’s eyes were wide and her mouth curved into a genuine grin. For once she actually looked hyped about something. “For real?”

  “For real,” said Reign. “He’s tall. And has broad shoulders and dark hair.”

  “But he’s still alive?”

  “Yeah, still alive.”

  Alba nodded. “Alright, well, that means Auggie’s gotta be giving him the potion soon.”

  My head rolled back on my neck. “Oh no.”

  “What?” asked Sweets.

  “Gran just volunteered to take the kids into town so Auggie could get some sleep.”

  Holly sucked in her breath, covering her mouth with her hand. “You think it’s going to happen now?”

  “She’ll be alone with our grandfather,” said Reign. “It makes sense. Especially if the wormhole took us back to the day he dies, this is probably her only shot to get him alone.”

  My heart raced and my limbs suddenly went shaky again. This was too much. I’d only just laid eyes on the man. I didn’t want him to die. “We have to save him.”

  “Obviously,” said Alba. “It’s the only way to undo this curse. We have to make it so it never happened. That means doing whatever we have to do to stop Auggie from giving him that potion, because your grandfather cannot die today!”

  I threw my arms around Alba. It was something I rarely did—to her or to anybody, but in that second, I felt an onslaught of emotions overwhelm me. “Thanks, Alba. Thank you so much.”

  Alba pretended to push me away. Hugging wasn’t her thing either, but despite her protests, she allowed me to thank her. “Quit, you’re making a scene,” she grumbled.

  Unexpected tears spilled down my cheeks. The idea that everything was about to change overpowered me. I was about to grow up with a grandfather in my life! My mother was going to have grown up with a father! Jax was about to become a witch. It was all finally happening!

  “Yeah, thanks, Alba. You made all of this possible,” said Reign, throwing his arms around both of us. “Our family owes you a lot.”

  It took only a second before Sweets threw her arms around Reign, Alba, and me. “Oh, you guys! You’re making me want to cry!”

  “See? This is why I don’t hug!” barked Alba as she squirmed out of our embrace for real that time. “Everyone gets all mushy and it makes me wanna vomit. Listen, we’ve got real work to do. As soon as Phil drives away, we gotta be on Auggie like a second skin, got it? We can’t let her out of our sight.”

  “How are we supposed to do that from outside the house?” said Reign. “She could be making the potion anywhere. In her room, in the kitchen, in the cellar…”

  Alba nodded. “Fine. Then the second the car leaves, we spread out. Everyone, find a window and get eyes on her.”

  We didn’t wait long. Less than five minutes later, Gran strode out to the car holding both my mother’s and BethAnn’s hands tightly. As she placed the three little girls in the front seat of the pickup truck, she hollered at my granddad. “Clark! We’re leaving! We’ll be back in an hour.”

  Granddad appeared from the shadows in the garage just as Merrick climbed into the bed of the truck. He pointed a calloused finger at Merrick. “You stay seated back there, you hear me, son?”

  Merrick’s mouth set into a tight line, and his dark eyes blazed. “Don’t call me son! You’re not my father!”

  “No, that’s right, I’m not,” agreed Granddad patiently, “but if he were here, he�
�d say the same thing. Now just keep your butt on the bottom of that truck bed, or my wife will make you sit up front with the girls.” Then he pointed at his wife as she climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut. “Drive safe, watch that clutch.”

  She stuck her head and left elbow out the window. “Don’t you worry about me, Clark. I know what I’m doing.” She waved as her tires sent a puff of dust up into the air.

  Once Gran’s taillights disappeared and Granddad ducked back into his workshop, the seven of us spread out around the house. Alba and I each took a corner of the back deck, where we quickly discovered a sliding door that led into the kitchen and a window that looked into a small bathroom.

  We were silent as we watched, patiently waiting for anything to happen. Time ticked by slowly, making me begin to wonder if perhaps the wormhole had put us on the scene far too early. Perhaps we’d be waiting for days before Auggie made her move on Granddad. I took the empty minutes to daydream about what it would have been like to have grown up with both my grandparents in my life. They seemed like such a loving, happy couple that I couldn’t help but get excited about picturing my childhood with a grandfather that would have taught me how to fish and to tinker with cars and lawn mowers. It would have been great.

  A noise inside caught my attention. My daydream faded as Auggie surreptitiously slipped into the kitchen. From the window above the kitchen sink, I watched as her eyes darted towards the sliding door on the back porch, making me sink lower in my position, but her eyes never met mine.

  She dropped a cloth bag onto the table and then set about unloading ingredients and candles onto Gran’s small wooden table. It was then I knew that we’d been brought back to the right moment in history. This was the very moment that Auggie prepared the potion that would kill my grandfather.

  28