Morgan smiled and then slowly turned her back to us and faced the Christmas tree. “Come on,” she said, looking over her shoulder she waved us forward to follow her towards the back wall of the restaurant. “I’ll show you.”
“But…” Jax began with confusion. “That’s a wall!”
Morgan didn’t respond; she was already halfway through the wall. My jaw dropped as I found my feet moving against my will and following her forward towards the wall behind the Christmas tree. Jax, Sweets, and Holly were following her as well – as if they were in a trance. Even Alba’s stiff legs were moving, carrying her forwards. When I got to the wall, I closed my eyes. My feet kept moving – no hard surface stopped me! Shocked, I opened my eyes, and the wall was gone. I looked to my right and my left. The rest of the girls were all lined up next to me.
It was dark and cold. We were outside, but not outside of Habernackle’s Bed, Breakfast, and Beyond. In fact, we weren’t even on the ground. We were suspended high in the sky. I looked behind me. The building that I had just been in was gone. There was only a navy blue starry sky behind me. Street lamps illuminated the world below, but I didn’t recognize the street.
“We’re not in Aspen Falls anymore,” Jax whispered to me as I felt her fingers lace themselves in mine.
Wordlessly I nodded.
Morgan, who floated ahead of us, descended towards the street. The yellow glow cast from the street lights onto the street below highlighted the fact that a gentle snow was falling.
“Where are we?” Holly asked, looking around.
“You’ll see,” Morgan responded cryptically.
I looked up at the tall buildings around us as we moved through the city streets until finally, we stopped at the steps of an enormous brick building with wide stone steps and a front porch the width of the building. I heard Jax’s breath catch in her throat.
“I know this place!” she said as she exhaled.
I looked down at her face. She’d gone completely ashen as the blood drained out of her face, making her look like a ghost herself.
“Where are we?” I asked her, squeezing her hand.
“This is my boarding school. This is where I went to elementary school!” she looked ahead to Morgan Hartford, panic filling her thin face.“Why are you bringing me here? I don’t want to go back here!”
I squeezed Jax’s hand again. “It’s ok Jax. Relax. She’s not leaving you here. We won’t let her. Are you alright?”
Jax took a deep breath and let it out slowly, nodding. “Yeah, I’m ok.”
“Were they mean to you here, Jax?” Holly asked, taking a tentative step forward onto the steps.
Jax shook her head. “No. They weren’t mean. I just like my life so much better now. I don’t want to go back.”
I smiled at her softly. “Do you want to show us around?”
Jax swallowed hard and led us up the front steps. She turned back to look at Morgan. “Can we go in?”
Morgan pointed inside. “Of course you can. That’s why we’re here.”
Jax put her hand on the large brass knocker, but her hand went right through the door.
Morgan touched Jax’s shoulder lightly. “No need to knock or open doors here. Just go on in,” she said quietly.
“Through the door?” Jax asked incredulously.
Morgan nodded and pointed inside again.
Jax tentatively took a step forward, looking down at her feet. I watched as the top of Jax’s head went through the door first. Then as she took another step, her entire body pushed its way through.
Holly’s jaw dropped as did Sweets’. Trying to appear braver than the rest of us, Alba followed Jax swiftly through the door. I went next with Holly and Sweets close behind.
The lobby of the boarding school was festively decorated. Garland draped the dark, wood-trimmed doorways and a wreath hung on a door that had a Principal Myer placard on the wall next to it. The hallway was dim though and quiet as a mouse.
“Look!” Jax exclaimed. “Principal Myer is still the Principal! She was the Principal when I went to school here, too. I wonder why it’s so quiet in here. I don’t remember it ever being this quiet in the lobby.”
In her gentle way, Morgan Hartford touched Jax’s shoulder kindly. “It’s Christmas Eve. All the children have gone home for the holidays.”
Jax’s head bobbed as a smile spread across her face. “Of course! I forgot the date for a moment. Well, come on girls. I’ll show you where my room was!” She waved a hand to us, beckoning us to follow her around the corner, then up the stairs, down the hallway, and to the door on the right.
She stopped and looked at the dark, wooden, six-paneled door. Jax placed a flattened palm against it, but again, her hand floated through the door. She held it steady as if she were really touching it. “This is my old room.”
“Let’s go in!” Sweets suggested excitedly.
Jax looked to Morgan for approval. When she got a small nod, Jax smiled broadly. “Yay!”
We all walked through the door and into the room. Surprisingly there was a small girl sitting at a desk with her back to us. She had short, spunky brown hair and hugged one knee to her chest as she worked, humming Christmas carols to herself and rocking slightly.
“Someone is still here!” Holly said with surprise. “But it’s Christmas Eve!”
“Hello,” Jax called out gently. “Don’t be scared.”
The girl didn’t move, but continued coloring her picture of a reindeer and humming the chorus of a familiar Christmas song.
“She can’t hear you or see you,” Morgan said lightly. “We’re all ghosts to people here.”
Holly sucked in breath. “We’re ghosts? Are we dead?”
Morgan smiled. “No, you’re not dead.”
Holly crumpled against Sweets’ side. “Well, that’s a relief!”
Suddenly we heard the clicking of heels on the tile floor outside the room. The small girl at her desk stopped moving to listen to the sound. When it stopped outside of her room, she turned excitedly. The little girl squealed and jumped up excitedly when she heard a knock at her door. Quickly she turned and sprinted for the door. We all sucked in our breath. It was Jax! Sure she looked younger, but by golly, it was a young Jax!
Jax’s mouth dropped. “It’s me!” she whispered ever so slightly.
We watched as the young girl answered the door. Throwing it open with gusto she prepared herself to launch herself at the person on the other side, but when she saw who it was, she came to a screeching halt. Her face sobered. “Oh. Principal Meyer. I – I thought maybe it was my mother coming for me.”
The woman’s face dropped too as she cast her green eyes downward. “I’m so sorry, Jax. I tried calling her. No one answers. I’m sure she knows what day it is.”
Young Jax’s face fell before she turned around to face us. “She probably doesn’t know what day it is. She doesn’t celebrate Christmas. She just forgot to pick me up again.”
Principal Myer’s head fell forward. “I need to lock up, Jax. All the other children have left for the holidays. I can’t leave you here. Do you have your things packed? I’ll go downstairs and close up my office. You’ll come home with me for the night, and we’ll try and get a hold of your mom to come for you tomorrow.”
Young Jax bit back tears as she nodded. She was probably only eight years old. Barely old enough to understand why her mother hadn’t come for her. “Ok,” she whispered hoarsely.
Principal Myer turned around and headed back down the hallway to pack up her things. Her high heels clicked on the tile floor, fading as she disappeared down the hallway.
My heart lurched in my chest. Young Jax was trying to be brave, but everyone in the room knew it was just a front. I turned and looked at my roommate – the seventeen-year-old version of the little girl. She also bit back tears. “I remember that Christmas,” she whispered.
Just then there was another knock at the door. Young Jax turned around and opened the door. Standing in fron
t of her was Sorceress Stone, looking down her long thin nose at her small daughter. The little girl sucked in a deep breath. “Momma!”
12
Young Jax threw her skinny arms around her mother’s hips. “You remembered me! Merry Christmas, Momma!”
Sorceress Stone frowned as she looked down at her daughter. “I’m sorry I’m late, JaclynRose. The time got away from me. Are your things ready?” she asked woodenly.
My heart sank as I noticed that Sorceress Stone made no attempt at hugging her small daughter. She gave her no happy greeting, no kiss on the cheek, or an inquiry as to how she was doing. She simply asked her if her things were ready.
Young Jax didn’t even seem to notice. She nodded her little head enthusiastically. “Yes, they are ready. Oh, I’m so thankful you’re here! Principal Myer thought I was going to have to go home with her because the school was closing. I was getting worried,” Jax admitted while she gathered her bag and pulled on her winter coat. “I’m so thankful you came, Momma. Carolyn’s mother came yesterday. But it’s ok; I know you have a school to run, too. I wish I could go to your school. Then I’d get to see you every day!”
Sorceress Stone tapped her foot impatiently while Jax rambled on. “JaclynRose, dear. It’s really time to go now. You must hurry.”
“I’m hurrying Momma,” she called out. “Did you and Auntie Beth put up a Christmas tree?”
With her back to her mother, Jax didn’t notice the appalled look on Sorceress Stone’s face as she shuddered. “Of course not dear. Whatever for?”
Jax, who had just begun zipping up her coat, paused. “Oh. Well, Momma, it’s Christmas! All my friends are going home to houses with Christmas trees and stockings. They’ve told me all about it. I want a Christmas tree and stockings. We’ve never had one before.”
“JaclynRose, dear. We’re a family of witches. Witches don’t celebrate Christmas. I bet none of your friends are witches, now are they?”
Young Jax looked down at her pointy-toed black shoes. “I don’t think they are, Momma. You told me not to talk about witchcraft to my friends, so I’ve never asked anyone if they were witches.”
Sorceress Stone nodded. “Good girl. At least you can listen. Come along. It’s time to go. Auntie Beth promised to have dinner waiting for us. She’s anxious to see you.”
Jax’s eyes widened with her smile. “Did she make us a Christmas dinner? Carolyn said her family is having a Christmas ham! And my other friend, Alisa, was so excited to go home and make Christmas sugar cookies in the shape of reindeer and stockings. It sounds like so much fun!”
Sorceress Stone laughed haughtily. “Good gracious, JaclynRose. I have no idea what BethAnn is cooking, but I can assure you it’s not a Christmas ham.”
Jax’s bottom lip poked out. “But Momma! I wanna make Christmas cookies!” Jax cried, crossing her stubborn little arms across her chest and stomping down her little leg.
I couldn’t help but smile. Jax might have grown taller and stronger, but she hadn’t outgrown her ability to pout.
“JaclynRose. We will do no such things. Celebrating Christmas is not what our family does. Now stop being insolent and let’s go.”
Jax threw back her head and let a jumbo sized wail escape her lips. She screamed with all her might. “I want to make sugar cookies in the shape of reindeer and stockings!”
Sorceress Stone frowned at her daughter. “JaclynRose!” she cried out. Reaching down, she grabbed young Jax by her shoulder and shook her until she stopped screaming. Then she took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m exhausted JaclynRose. Please don’t make me punish you.”
“But Momma!”
Sorceress Stone looked pained. “You don’t want to spend winter break locked away in the tower, do you?”
Jax looked down at her toes again. This time I saw a tear rolling down the smooth round swell of her cheek. “No, Momma. I don’t.”
“Alright then. Hand me your bag. I’ll carry it for you. Is this all you’re bringing home?”
Jax nodded silently as she took her bag off of her bed and handed it to her mother dejectedly.
“Shut the lights off,” she instructed Jax.
With a heavy heart, Jax flipped the lights off and turned around to look back at her small room one last time before shutting the door behind her, leaving the rest of us behind in the dark. It only took seconds before seventeen-year-old Jax followed her former self out into the hallway. The rest of us followed behind closely.
Sorceress Stone took long fast strides down the hallway, and little Jax struggled to keep up with her mother. “Wait, Momma!” she cried out as she raced after her mother.
Morgan and the Witch Squad stood at Jax’s doorway, watching her go. Sweets spoke first. “Jax…” she began.
Jax held a hand up as a tear rolled down her cheek. “Please don’t say anything. I really don’t want to talk about it. You already knew what kind of mother I grew up with. This doesn’t change anything.”
I swallowed hard. No, it didn’t change anything, but it made me understand why Jax was so hell-bent on having a special Christmas. I looked at the faces of the rest of the Witch Squad. I could tell Sweets wanted to throw her arms around Jax and hug her. Holly gave Jax a sorrowful look, but the way she looked after Sorceress Stone, I could tell she wanted to murder her. Alba wouldn’t meet my eyes. I didn’t know what was going on in her mind.
I put an arm around Jax’s shoulder. She looked up at me bitterly then shoved my arm off of her.
“I said. It doesn’t change anything,” she said. Her words bit at my soul. She stepped forward and looked directly at Morgan. “Can we go now?”
Morgan nodded. “Yes. How about we go somewhere a little more festive?”
Holly glanced at Jax anxiously. She let out a deep sigh. “Yes, I think that’s exactly what we need!”
“Good, hang on!” Morgan called out. With a wave of her hand, the floor dropped out from beneath us. The roof opened up, and the house just fell away. When I looked down, I could see the building folding in upon itself like a pop-up cardboard house being closed into a book. As Jax’s boarding school was whisked away, a house was constructed around us. It amazed me to watch the walls unfold, and suddenly a roof dropped over our heads, encapsulating us inside a warm and cozy home.
A fireplace sprung up behind us, with stockings hung around the hearth. A fully decorated tree with twinkling lights stood in a corner and festive holiday music filled the air with the warm, delicious scent of a Christmas feast enticing us towards a kitchen.
“Where are we?” Jax asked curiously, as she fingered the stockings lightly, pretending to be able to feel them. She read off the stockings aloud. “Arnold, Claudette, Benjamin, Patricia, Mildred…” Her voice trailed off as she spun around to face Sweets.
Sweets already knew where she was. The tears in her eyes proved it. She nodded when Jax looked at her. “It’s my house. I’m home!”
13
Holly laced her arm through Sweets’ and squeezed her excitedly. “Oh, Sweets! We get to meet your family!”
“Come on. I can hear them! They’re in the kitchen,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes with her fingertips. She pulled Holly forward with her. The rest of us followed them.
The noises coming from the kitchen were that of a big family. I had to admit; I was really looking forward to meeting Sweets’ family. She rarely spoke about anyone back home, but I knew she was close with her mom.
As we came around the corner, we were met by a tall, gangly boy with a flat top haircut in army fatigues leaning against the wall in the hallway talking on the phone. It seemed funny to see him talking on a landline receiver with the old fashioned curly cord wrapped around the wall.
Sweets sucked in her breath. “Arnold! You look so young!” she gasped. She tried to throw her arms around his skinny shoulders, but they went right through him. “There’s no meat on your bones! What happened to you?”
“Sweets,” I whispered. “We’re in the past. Just
like when we were at the boarding school.”
Sweets nodded, but I could tell that it was difficult for her to wrap her mind around the experience of seeing her brother so differently. “I don’t remember Arnold ever being this young. It seems like he’s been an adult since I’ve known him!”
A slow smile of infatuation spread across Arnold’s lean face. “Yeah, Sarah, I just got in. I’m at Mom and Dad’s. I know it’s Christmas Eve, but Mom said you could come over if it’s alright with your parents.” His smile seemed to widen as whatever she said on the other end of the phone pleased him.
“Who’s Sarah?” Holly asked, looking Arnold up and down appreciatively.
Sweets widened her eyes and pulled her head back, shaking it slowly. “I have no idea!”
“Ok, I’ll see you soon,” said Arnold. His eyes gleamed as he released the receiver from his ear and followed the cord back to wherever its cradle was.
The six of us followed him towards the kitchen where people filled every corner of the room. A heavy-set woman with an apron had her back to us while manning the stove. A pair of teenagers played cards at the kitchen table while a younger girl watched them enviously. An extremely tall, broad-shouldered man with a beer in his hand was teasing a portly little girl with ringlet pigtails while visiting with another woman chopping vegetables at the counter. Tins of cookies, candies, and a variety of holiday treats filled the counter.
“Mom! Dad!” Sweets cried excitedly, as tears filled her eyes. “They look so young! I can’t believe this! What an amazing Christmas gift!”
I pointed towards the tall man. “That’s your dad, Sweets? He’s so tall!”
Sweets nodded gleefully. “I know he is. That’s where Arnold and Benjamin get their height from. The one chopping vegetables is my mom. Isn’t she beautiful! Oh, I’ve missed her so much!”
“Who’s the little girl with the pigtails?” Holly asked, peering over the counter.
The little girl’s round cheeks dimpled when she smiled up at her father.
A Very Mercy Christmas: A Witch Squad Holiday Special (A Witch Squad Cozy Mystery Book 5) Page 7