Total Eclipse of The Hunt

by Mandy M. Roth

  Kelsey’s eyes widened. Someone had been taken against their will and forced to watch television? “Hostage? Worm sandwiches?”

  Petey waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t worry. Wilber didn’t leave a scratch on the boy. He just couldn’t have Jake running around town accusing his granddaughter of a double homicide. But she didn’t do it. It was Sigmund. And Hugh didn’t eat the sandwich. Well, he almost did eat it. One bite doesn’t count.”

  Double homicide? Sigmund, as in the man Petey thought would be her perfect match? Petey wanted her to go on a date with a homicidal maniac?

  She thought about what else he’d said. “Wilber owns this cabin? Is he safe to rent from?”

  “Sure. If he was doing the renting. I’m doing this as a favor to him—to show him this old cabin can be a real moneymaker.” Petey patted his chest proudly. “We’re old friends. Go way back. Of course, he tried to kill me a few times, but hey, who hasn’t he tried to kill?”

  “He does know I’m going to be here, right?” she asked, confident the man had to be joking about Wilber being a murderer.

  Petey rubbed his whisker-covered jaw. “Pretty sure I told him. Why do you look so worried about him? Did he kill someone from your family line too? He’s probably got a lot of bad-witch kills under his belt.”

  Killed someone from her line? Bad witch? “You think I’m a bad witch?”

  Petey snorted. “No. They got a certain funny smell. You don’t have that. You smell real pretty. Like Polly and like Anna.”

  She wasn’t sure what to say. She’d never met anyone who believed in witches before. Though, Petey didn’t seem exactly right in the head.

  Petey motioned for her to follow him. She did, walking up the small, dusty path toward the cabin’s front porch steps. Petey pointed to the railing. “About an hour before you got here, that had something toxic rubbed all over it. I keep telling Wilber to stop the pranks.”

  “Pranks? Toxic?” she asked, fear racing up her spine.

  “Don’t worry. It’s only toxic to ghouls. Or was it ghosts? Was it girls? Darn ‘G’ words. Might have been shifters, or sea monsters, or salesmen. Hmm, ‘S’ words get me tripped up too. Um, to be safe, how about you not touch there, okay?”

  Kelsey stopped dead in her tracks, one foot on the front step of the cabin and one still on the ground. Was Petey serious?

  Petey eyed her and then frowned. “You’re extra pale now, and let’s be honest, you already looked like you haven’t seen the sun in a long while. You okay? Do you take enough vitamin D? Wait. You a vampire and a witch? I’m not judging. Vampires are people too you know. I even voted for one to be on the city council. He’s great, but all the meetings have to happen at night now. That’s okay most of the time, but nights of a full moon can be tricky for some of us at certain times of the month. I like to call it wolf-strating.”

  This was all too much for her.

  Petey continued to stare at her, his face drawn in. “Should I call a doc? We have more than just Dr. Prescott and Dr. Magnus now. We’re like a sprawling metropolis. Penelope tells me the new doctor is quite the looker. I wouldn’t know. I’m not into doctors. I’m just into Pollys. I like my women hard to get.”

  Confused, Kelsey simply looked at him. The man’s ramblings were nothing someone sane would say. She felt like she needed diagrams and road maps to follow them. Even those probably wouldn’t help.

  “Not much of a conversationalist, are you?” he asked, but didn’t leave her room to reply. “Well, no bother. Come on, and I’ll show you around the cabin. You’re going to love it.” Pausing, he motioned to the side of the porch. “Don’t step over on that board. If you do, bad things will happen. And whatever you do, do not go out the back door unless you want to be staked.”

  She glanced at the seemingly innocuous board, seeing nothing out of sorts with it. Before she could ask more questions about the spot, Petey was moving again, talking more. Reluctantly, Kelsey followed close behind Petey as he walked over the creaky porch of the cabin. When he opened the front door, it fell off its hinges and hung cockeyed to the right.

  There was a high-pitched screech, followed by a black cat shooting up and out from behind a loose board on the floor of the porch, making Kelsey yelp and jerk back slightly. The cat hissed at Petey and then sat near the edge of the porch, giving Petey the stink eye.

  Petey blew it the raspberries and then glanced over his shoulder at Kelsey. “Jumpy one, aren’t you?”

  “The cat startled me.”

  “That is Artemis. She calls the place home when it suits her mood. I guess she’s back. Went missing for a long while. Wilber never seems to worry about her. Says she’s got nine lives.”

  The cat seemed to size up Kelsey from afar.

  Petey gave her a side-eyed look. “You’re not scared of cats, are you? Thought all witches liked them.”

  She cleared her throat, already tired of the witch topic. “Petey, I’m no witch.”

  He laughed. “Okay. I’m normal too then. I totally don’t get extra hairy once a month. I like this game. Come on, I’ll show you the cabin.”

  She couldn’t help but stare at the door, wondering if it would fall off entirely soon. Somehow, it managed to hang on by a thread.

  Petey hurried her through the small cabin, glossing over the fact it didn’t look as if anyone had been living in it for decades. Cobwebs were in nearly every corner, not to mention there was a layer of dust on most of the furniture. Though there was a chair that looked totally dust free. There was an old television in the corner of the room. Ropes lay on the floor near the chair, making Kelsey wonder what had gone on in the cabin. Had Petey been telling the truth about someone being held hostage there?

  When Petey got to the kitchen, he grinned from ear to ear. “There’s tea and stuff like that over in that cabinet. Some stuff isn’t for eating in a meal but is great for mixing potions and whatever else it is you witches like to do.”

  She held in the grumble that wanted to be free.

  “Oh, I forgot, we’re pretending to be normal.” He kept going. “I fixed the faulty plug to the old fridge here myself. Works like a charm now.”

  He opened the door to the old fridge, and Kelsey nearly gagged as the smell of fish overpowered the room. The light inside the refrigerator flickered, and she wondered how well he’d actually fixed the thing.

  Petey held a bucket out to her and water sloshed, splashing the top of her boot. “Brought you some of the fresh catch of the day. Like it?”

  She paled more as she glanced into the bucket to find a number of fish in it. “Uh, thanks.”

  Frowning, he put the bucket back into the fridge and closed it, masking some of the odor. “You’re a hard one to please, aren’t you? Fancy city girl, huh?”

  She merely stood there, soaking in everything, unable to comment as he then launched into a lengthy explanation about working the stove. He grabbed a tin can of matches from a shelf above the stovetop and handed them to her. “And you just turn the gas on like this and light a match. Easy as can be. Just shut off the gas later. I once burned down one of my fishing cabins forgetting to do that. Wilber and Hugh say I’m a menace, but I’m not. I just forget things sometimes.”

  He lit the burner and then walked off, leaving it going. She hurried to the stove and shut off the burner, not wanting the cabin to be Petey’s next casualty. The cabin wasn’t much to look at, but it was where she’d call home until she could figure out another option.

  “I think that is about it,” said Petey, pride evident. “The place has got running water. There’s a tub over behind that door there. Water doesn’t get hot on its own. So if you want a bath, you gotta heat it up on the stove and pour it into the tub.”

  Of course. Why not? Could it get any worse?

  “Your other business needs to be done in the outhouse. It’s out back. But like I said, don’t use the back door if you want to live,” said Petey.

  Kelsey held her tears in. She’d have to use an outho
use?

  Yes. It could get worse.

  Petey continued on. “But if a freeze comes, I’ll need to bring bales of hay out to put around the bottom of the cabin to help insulate it and keep the pipes from freezing. To be safe, you’ll still want to leave the water dripping during cold days, or the pipes might freeze up. There’s an old hand-washing machine on the back porch and a clothesline. Or you can take your dirty unmentionables into town to the Laundromat. Your choice. I left important numbers by the phone. Oh, the phone here doesn’t work just yet. And cell service is spotty at best. I got a call into the phone company. Jake doesn’t live too far from here, so I put his number down in case you get into a pickle.”

  “He’s the hostage?” she asked, trying to follow Petey’s delusion.

  He cast her a sideways glance. “No. He isn’t a hostage anymore. That was weeks ago. And he was tied to the chair in the other room. Didn’t you see the ropes? Touchy subject with him still, so don’t bring it up if you can avoid it. Ask him about his racy calendar photos instead.”

  “Noted,” she said, avoiding the urge to laugh at the odd older man.

  “Okay, that’s about it for me. There’s a table at the Magic Eight Ball with my name written all over it. I mean that literally. Carved it in the table myself one night after too much whiskey. So, I got to get to getting. I’ll let you get settled in.” Petey headed toward the front door that was still only partially attached. “Sleep tight.”

  FIVE

  KELSEY HELD her bag from the general store with one hand as she walked down the sidewalk on Main Street. She’d been in Everlasting for three days and had managed to get the cabin de-webbed and cleaned to the point it felt almost homey, so she’d decided to head back into town to restock on supplies and get some cat food for Artemis, who had become her constant companion at the cabin. It turned out the cat was quite the expert mouse hunter.

  Which came in handy there.

  Kelsey had gotten as used to the outhouse as one could hope to get. She’d even managed to heat enough water to take two warm baths. The pride she felt at doing things outside of her comfort zone was immense.

  I’m way braver than I thought.

  Petey had come by each day to check on her, and she’d found him incredibly sweet, yet very odd. He lived in his own reality—some made-up world in his head that had witches, goblins, were-creatures, and anything else he could dream up. She indulged him, letting him tell her stories of townspeople who could supposedly change into supernatural beings, or who had special powers. Petey was sweet, and she found his stories funny and heartwarming.

  Most of the time.

  He still referred to her as a witch, and she’d stopped bothering to correct him.

  He’d given her a ride into town, so she could do some shopping and hopefully see about finding work. Several places in town served food, and she intended to stop by each and fill out applications. Waiting tables was what she knew and what she was good at.

  If she worked hard enough and managed some decent tips, she could afford a small apartment in town. While she’d not spent a good deal of time in the town itself, it was starting to grow on her. She was already closer to Petey than she’d been to anyone else in her life.

  She spotted him parked out in front of Chickadee’s Diner. A rusty old bike was in the back of his pickup truck that hadn’t been there earlier when he’d given her a ride into town. He stepped out of the truck and lifted a hand, giving her a smile that lacked all its teeth.

  “Kelsey!” he shouted loud enough to draw attention from everyone in the area.

  She grinned and ignored the stares as she crossed the street to meet Petey. When she’d last seen him, he’d mentioned being on the hunt for the perfect gift. Whatever that was. “Did you get your errands done?”

  He nodded and patted the truck bed. “Look at that bike. She’s a beauty, isn’t she?”

  The rusty bike looked like it hadn’t been ridden in years. She wasn’t even sure it could be ridden. If someone were courageous enough to try, they’d want to be sure they were up to date on their shots. “Yeah. Almost as nice as the cabin.”

  He nodded vigorously. “I know, right? Can you believe someone threw it away? Who wouldn’t want it? It’s cherry.”

  Cherry? She nearly laughed.

  “Are you planning to ride it?” she asked, trying to imagine the man on a bike.

  “No. I’m gonna fix it up and give it to my sweetie. Read a study that says a person lives longer if they exercise. I want her to live forever.” He thumbed in the direction of the diner. “You hungry? Today’s special is chowder and apple crisp. I love me a good apple crisp. Melts right in your mouth. Betsy always fixes me up an extra-big helping. She’s a real sweet girl.”

  “Sounds delicious, but I was going to check one more store to see if they have any long underwear,” she said with a smile.

  Petey frowned. “It’s too cold for you out there, huh? I’ll come by tonight with some more firewood for the wood-burning stove. That will warm you right up. Maybe you could fix me more of those yummy peanut butter sandwiches you make.”

  “That is really kind of you. And how about I make us some homemade soup? I have everything you brought me yesterday still, and it will make a delicious soup.”

  His eyes widened, and he patted his stomach. “I love me some soup.”

  “Then it’s a date,” she said.

  He tipped his head. “No offense, Kelsey, but you’re not my type.”

  She held her laughter in. “Noted.” The man had undoubtedly grown on her. She reached out and gave him a quick hug. “Thanks, Petey.”

  “You have any luck finding a job yet?” he asked. “Curt is probably hiring at Warrick’s Surf & Turf. It’s close to my bait shop. I’d hire you myself, but I close up shop for the cold months. I can hire you on in spring if you want though.”

  “Thank you, that’s a sweet offer.” She reached out and fixed the buttons on his jacket. He’d buttoned it all wrong. “No luck just yet, but I’ve only checked one place so far to see if they were hiring.”

  He stood still, letting her mother him. “You could also try over there at the antiques shop. They got a sign posted for help.”

  She grinned. “You better be on your way now. I don’t want you forgetting to eat lunch again today.”

  He nodded. “I sometimes forget things. Happens with age, and boy do I have a lot of years under my belt.”

  “Eat some extra apple crisp for me.”

  “Will do.” Petey turned to go to the diner and a small book fell out of his back pocket. He stopped and grabbed it quickly, but not before Kelsey saw what it was.

  “Petey, why do you have a book on trivia?” she asked.

  He pulled his knit cap off and held it to his chest, along with the trivia book. “I’m brushing up so I can win second prize when the Magic Eight Ball hosts its next big trivia night.”

  “Second prize? Not aiming for first?” she asked, already knowing the man was adorably odd.

  “Oh no,” he grumbled. “That’s tickets to see Gilbert the Ghost. It’s a band. Terrible name. I’m boycotting anything to do with ghosts.”

  It took everything she had to keep from laughing. “I see. What is second prize?”

  “One of those big toy, stuffed lobsters. That’s what I gotta win.”

  “Well then. Good luck with your trivia brush-up,” she said, sending him off in the direction of the line that was forming outside of Chickadee’s.

  He looked back at her. “Tell Wil at the antiques shop that I sent ya.”

  “I will, and thanks again,” she replied before heading toward the antiques shop.

  A steady stream of people filtered in and out of the different businesses on Main Street. It was impressive, because from her understanding, most downtowns across small-town America weren’t thriving. Mom-and-Pop stores had been edged out by big box stores. But not Everlasting.

  It was as if the town was untouched by modern over-commercialization.
Almost like a Rockwell painting. She’d grown up longing for something similar. Wanting to belong to somewhere, anywhere. Instead, she’d been shuffled around, never really laying down anything close to roots, but never leaving the city. It was as if she’d been afraid to spread her wings and fly. Afraid to venture away from Boston. It had taken a week from hell to get her to finally take the plunge and do something totally out of character.

  Maybe she really had found her bravery after all.

  As she continued down Main Street, a tiny piece of her wished she’d have had divine intervention happen sooner. At least to some degree. Though she’d have liked to have a job still. She had just enough savings to get by for one month if she watched her pennies and didn’t splurge on fancy coffees.

  Her weakness.

  Already she missed Dunkin’ Donuts. Since she was saving her money, it was for the best that the town didn’t have one.

  Just as Petey had said, Hunted Treasures Antiques & Artifacts had a sign in the front window announcing they were hiring for seasonal help.

  Perfect.

  A bright red candy machine was near the large green door, as well as a newspaper vending machine. She stepped onto the welcome mat and grabbed the brass knob. The minute she opened the door, a small bell above her rang, announcing her arrival.

  “Just a second!” shouted a woman from somewhere in the back of the shop.

  Kelsey waited in place, noting just how crowded with antiques the place was.

  A woman walked out who looked to be around the same age as Kelsey. She had long dark hair and royal-blue eyes. There was a huge cat knitted on the oversized sweater that hung to the woman’s knees. She wore a pair of tights that had various pictures of cats all over them and knee-high brown boots. Somehow, the outfit actually looked stylish.