Aiden waited on the explanation.
“You see, it helps the soul leave the house as soon as possible. You know, Rose’s soul.”
Aiden’s head hurt. “O…kay, I’ll leave them open. We wouldn’t want her soul hanging around.”
She smiled and scratched her head. “You know what? You should go ahead and close them. Diesel isn’t here, and I’m taking Mom upstairs. It’s silly. Go ahead. Really.” They heard Granny call again.
“I’m coming, Mom,” Lucy said as she headed back into the dining room.
Aiden read the recipe as he walked through the living room, instead of the dining room, to get to the kitchen. After his mom and Granny had cleared out of the dining room, he went in and gathered all of the dishes and took them to the kitchen.
He closed the cabinets, ready to run if Rose’s ghost manifested and pointed a long finger at him while moaning, “It’s your fault. Now I’m stuck here forever.” The kitchen was still warm from dinner and even felt a little cozy. The cabinets matched the grayish-brown, large-planked wood floor. The sink held one large, white basin, and the countertop was well-worn butcher block. He actually felt more comfortable than he had since they had arrived.
He set all the dirty dishes on the drain board, looking for the dishwasher. “Oh man, you’ve got to be kidding me,” he whined after realizing there wasn’t one.
After Aiden had washed all the dishes by hand, he read the recipe again.
Silverweed Muffins
2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 c milk
¼ c Silverweed leaves
“Silverweed Leaves? What the hell is that?”
A large pantry, located by the kitchen doorway, was lined with jars of cucumbers, beans, jam, and okra, plus some other jam jars filled with flour-looking, powdery stuff. However, he didn’t see anything that resembled leaves. He searched the cabinet, and the refrigerator, before checking the freezer.
He stared at the bags and bags of frozen leaves with the word “Silverweed” penned on them in black permanent marker. He grabbed one and opened it up. The leaves were long, thin, and green with a silvery white tint, and they smelled like fresh cut grass.
He read the handwritten directions. Boil leaves for 30 seconds. Dice and put with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Stir.
“All right.” Aiden nodded then took the Silverweed over to the counter where he’d placed the other ingredients and got to work.
By the time he had poured the batter into the muffin pan, his mom walked into the kitchen. “How’s it going?”
“I’m almost ready to put them in the oven.”
“Good. She asked for them.”
“Has the sun set?”
They both snickered.
“Not yet. Good thing I made a ridiculously early dinner.”
“Right.” He put the muffins into the oven and turned the knob, hearing it whoosh on and getting a brief whiff of gas.
Lucy leaned against the counter. “She’s upset about Diesel leaving.”
“I figured.”
“She’s worried he won’t come back. I hope this doesn’t cause her to get sick.” Lucy picked up the bag of leaves. “What’s this?”
“Apparently, Silverweed leaves.”
“What are they for?”
“They went into the muffins,” Aiden said.
“Are you sure they go in there?”
After he handed her the recipe, she read over it. “Huh. Maybe it’s like medicine. Rose is… was very holistic. This reminds me that I need to look for Mom’s doctor’s number and find out what medicine she takes and whatnot.” Lucy put the recipe on the counter. “Hey. Why don’t you go on to the guestroom and get settled in. It’s on the other side of the foyer. I put your bag and some fresh sheets in there.”
“Thanks.”
“There is no central heat, but there’s a radiator.”
“Radiator?”
“A heater that runs on water. I already turned it on, so unless you get too hot, you should be fine. Now go on. I’ve got these.” She nodded toward the oven.
The guestroom, which was freezing, had a large, white iron bed and one window that faced the driveway. As Aiden took a long breath, releasing it through sputtering lips, he sat on the pink and light blue handmade-looking quilt that covered the bed. The bed faced a white dresser and file cabinet. He didn’t bother retrieving his laptop from his bag since he doubted the existence of internet service.
After a moment, he stood up and explored the room. He looked in the closet and opened the top drawer of the dresser, which looked like a mismatched sock drawer. He tried to open the file cabinet, but it was locked. He sat back down on the bed.
He felt homesick, missing everything and everyone. Opening his phone and falling backwards on the bed, he noticed Summer hadn’t called. How had she reacted after arriving at his house and finding out that he had left on a trip with his mom? He closed his phone, thinking maybe she finally got the hint.
He pulled his folded notebook out of his coat pocket and flipped through it, stopping when he found the poem he had written on the airplane:
It was the only way; I had to be nasty and cold.
I feel as if I’ve lost myself and lost all control.
I had to make certain my betrayal wasn’t discreet.
My heart hated, but my head decided deceit.
Trembling lips and heavy breaths did unfold.
Heat and anger caused the hurt hate to grow.
Freckled cheeks, soft vanilla hair, so sweet
Turned soured, wounded, ultimately beat
It was the only way…
I had no other choice but to be so brutally cold.
She wouldn’t have understood anything but bold.
But afterwards something burned when I watched her weep.
I didn’t mean to make the wound so bloody and deep.
Now Summer thinks I’m horrible, dirty, and low.
Wasn’t it the only way?
Aiden threw the notebook across the room and balled up his fists over his eyes. Was this regret? He knew his reasons for doing what he’d done. After graduation, he wanted to leave Texas to travel around the country, perhaps even the world. It didn’t fit into Summer’s dream, her future plans that she had talked about since they had met. She wanted to get married, have three kids and a dog. Lately, she had even been planning Aiden’s future: go to Texas A&M and then work for her dad after graduation.
Since they wanted different things, he had thought the time had come for them to go their separate ways. But every time he tried to bring it up, she said they could compromise, which he had interpreted as “hog tie”. They’d needed time apart. They’d needed to break up, but he hadn’t wanted to be the one to say the words.
He stood up and walked to the window. The wind whistled through the tiny openings around the frame. Although it was dusk, and the window was covered in old dirt, he could still make out the trees as they swayed almost continually.
His jacket was no match for the cold in the room, even with the noisy radiator trying to do its job. He went to the bed and, without bothering with the clean sheets, got under the quilt. From where he lay, he could see the notebook curled up on the floor like a wounded puppy, too afraid to make a move.
When he closed his eyes, he saw Summer’s face and her expression after he had done what he thought he had to do. Summer had looked so shocked, almost dazed, and then she seemed to actually be in physical pain.
His head pounded, and an overwhelming sorrow caused his muscles to tighten. Now as he allowed everything to sink in, he understood what he had truly done; he had broken the heart of the one person he cared most about in the whole world.
Chapter 4
I Will Be Careful
Saturday: Morning
Aiden woke to the sounds of thumping and gurgling. He located the source, the radiator, with sleepy eyes. Despite the noise,
it had failed to warm the room to a comfortable degree, so he groped for the quilt he had kicked off during the night and snuggled under it. He could have gone back to sleep even with all the racket, but his need to pee wouldn’t allow him to stay under the warmth of the covers a minute longer. Thankfully, he had fallen asleep fully clothed.
The restroom was located next to his room. He decided to shower, so he would be ready to roll, whenever. After getting dressed in jeans, t-shirt, and his jacket, he opened the door to the smell of bacon. He followed his nose to the kitchen and found his mom. “Morning,” he said.
Lucy jumped. “Aiden, you about scared me half to death. I didn’t see you standing there.” She continued putting steaming biscuits in a basket without a “Good morning” or a smile. Her entire body drooped, like she had left her spunk and spirit in bed.
Aiden knew something was wrong.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“Always.”
“I guess we won’t sit in the formal dining room this time. Will you help me set the table?” She pointed to the small, round breakfast table by the bay window.
Aiden grabbed the serving dishes heaped with scrambled eggs and bacon and walked toward the table. Looking out the window, he said, “It’s snowing!” He didn’t mean to squeal.
“That’s right. I forgot you haven’t really seen it snow. You might actually see more than your share. A snowstorm, possibly even a blizzard, is headed this way.”
“Is that what’s bothering you?”
Lucy brought a pitcher of orange juice to the table and sat down. She stared out the window. “Have a seat,” she said.
“What about Granny?”
“I’ll get her in a minute. Right now, there’s something I need to discuss with you.”
He sat down and poured himself a glass of juice. “What’s wrong now?”
“I talked to your dad last night.”
“Right,” Aiden said.
“Riley’s sick, and he’s sick, too; they have the flu.” She shook her head and touched her face. “He told me not to worry about them, but he’s in no shape to take care of himself, much less a sick two-year-old. They have fever, chills, and can’t keep anything down. I can’t just pack Granny up and hope she’ll cooperate. I don’t have time for all that. We can’t leave her here alone, either.”
When Lucy stared out the window, it dawned on Aiden what she was getting at, and he felt a little sick to his stomach.
“I’m going to buy a ticket home after breakfast. It’s up to you whose name is on it. Do you want to go home and take care of them or stay here and take care of Granny?”
He eyed his orange juice as he swirled it around in the glass, trying to overlook his mom’s puffy eyes and red nose because he knew which choice she preferred. But staying with Granny would be really uncomfortable. Take care of Granny. He didn’t know anything about taking care of an older person.
He began to think about what a handful Riley could be even when he wasn’t sick. And barf. Ugh. He and vomit didn’t get along at all; one glimpse and there would be three people to clean up after instead of two. Most importantly, he knew his mom needed to go take care of her baby. It had been difficult for her to leave him in the first place, and knowing his mom, that was probably one of the things she was beating herself up about right now. And there was another reason: He wasn’t sure he was ready to face Summer. “Go on,” he said. “I’ll stay here with her.”
She stared at him for a second, pressing her lips together as tears formed at the corners of her eyes.
“Don’t cry, Mom. It’s fine. We both know it’s the only thing to do. They need you. You should go and take care of them.”
“Just a couple of days,” she said wiping tears from her flushed cheeks. “Maybe Diesel will come back, you know. He probably just needed a little space.”
“Well, I’m not going to count on him coming to my rescue.”
“Like I said, a couple of days to let your dad get over the vomiting and diarrhea.”
“All right. All right. TMI.”
“Are you sure you’ll be all right? I really hate leaving you when that storm is coming. You’re not really used to taking care of yourself. There’s the fireplace, and—”
“Mom, I’ll be very, very careful. Don’t worry. I’m a big boy.”
She nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Just so you know, I asked her about a doctor, and she doesn’t have one. All she does as far as medicine is eat those muffins.” She shook her head. “The first thing I’m going to do when she moves in with us is take her to Dr. Stanley. Oh, and don’t worry, she’s self-sufficient. You don’t have to help her to the bathroom or anything.”
Crap. That hadn’t even crossed his mind.
“Taking care of her shouldn’t be that terribly dreadful,” Lucy said. “All you have to do is cook and bring her down to eat. If you need anything like meat, there should be some in the deep freeze in the basement.”
“Basement? Just when I thought this house couldn’t get any creepier.”
“If she needs you she’ll—” They heard a buzzing sound coming from the wall. “Buzz you.”
“Right,” Aiden said.
“I guess I better go get her. I can already hear her complaining about the cold breakfast, you know. So? Are you sure about this?”
“Yes.” No. “When are you leaving?” he asked as she stood.
“There’s a flight at noon.”
After breakfast, another awkward eating experience with Granny, Aiden walked out back. The cold air immediately filled his lungs. The snow flurries fell lightly, and he ventured beyond the covering of the porch and let them drop on his face. He smiled.
Snow had started to stick to the ground and had accumulated around the bases of the skinny tree trunks. He made his way toward a stream that ran down a distant hill, passing a nice-sized garden, most of the vegetation cleared or dead.
There was something magical about the atmosphere. He didn’t know if it was because it was so different than what he was used to or if people who lived in this sort of climate always became happier when it snowed. He found himself wishing he could tell Summer about it and about his crazy cousin and their strange house. He also really wanted to tell her he was sorry for doing what he’d done.
Thinking back, his face flushed with shame. He had asked Summer’s best friend, Candi, over to his house under false pretenses; he had also invited Summer. At the precise moment, when the door handle jiggled, and he knew Summer was walking into his bedroom, he’d kissed Candi.
He pulled out his cell phone, checking it again. Still no calls from Summer. The message she had left the day after he pretended to cheat on her indicated that Candi had told her what happened and that she had no idea what was going on, that before that moment, nothing had ever happened between them. Apparently, Summer had believed Candi and wanted answers as to why Aiden would pretend such a thing.
Aiden didn’t pay much attention to the sudden gust of wind that sent settled snow flying. He stared at his phone, Summer’s name highlighted; all he had to do was press call.
“Aiden!” his mom called from the back door.
He tucked the phone back into his pocket and ran to the house.
“I called a cab,” Lucy said, suitcase in hand. “It should be here any minute. Here.” She handed him the car keys. “I know I’m not supposed to, but I’m leaving you the rental in case of an emergency. Don’t go anywhere unless you have to. It can get really bad out, real fast. Try and stay put. It’s possible that you might lose power, and the phone lines—”
“Mom… Mom.” Aiden followed Lucy through the living room and into the foyer. “Please stop. I’ll be fine.”
“You’re right. You can ask Granny if you have any questions. She’ll know what to do.”
“Just hurry; that’s all I ask.”
She nodded and set her suitcase down long enough to give him a hug. “I will. I love you.”
They heard a horn. “Tw
o days tops,” she said as she opened the front door. “You’re the greatest son a mom ever had.” She smiled sadly.
“Don’t worry, please. I’m fine. Go.”
They walked outside, and Lucy stepped inside the taxi. She waved as it drove away.
Chapter 5
Half A League From The Village
Saturday: Night
Grabbing the red bikini she had bought at the end of last season, Scarlet yanked the tags off and threw it into her already stuffed suitcase.
“Are you sure you packed the right clothes for me?” Diesel sat on Scarlet’s bed, hands above his head holding onto the headboard. He wore his black shirt again, even though she had packed him several less mournful ones.
“You can buy you some board shorts and flip flops when we get there.” She jumped on the bed and crawled onto his lap. “Cancun! Beaches and sunshine, Baby!” She had been disappointed when she had found out no seats were available until that night. Since then, they had bought their tickets online, and all they had to do now was get to the airport within the next couple of hours. For the first time in her life, Scarlet foresaw happiness in her future.
“And we’ll be all alone,” he said.
“You like, huh?”
She recognized a small part of her “pre-dead-mom Diesel” as he arched his eyebrow and gently pulled her toward him and kissed her.
As he pulled her closer, she felt something press against her chest. “What’s that?” she asked, sitting up. They had been together for over a year, and she had never known him to wear a necklace. She put her hand inside his shirt and pulled out a chain that hung from his neck with a piece of paper attached to it that read:
ABRACADABRA
ABRACADABR
ABRACADAB
ABRACADA
ABRACAD
ABRACA
ABRAC
ABRA
ABR
AB
A
Silverweed: a supernatural fairy tale Page 3