Curse Strings

by Rebecca Regnier

Too late? Brule got here too late?

  “I don’t understand, call 911!”

  I kneeled down and put Joe’s head in my lap.

  “Too late to save his mortal life. I had to turn him.”

  “Turn him? What?” I looked down and saw how similar his skin looked to Brule’s. I put my hand on his cheek and it was cold.

  “Joe, wake up. JOE!” Someone was screaming, who was screaming? I needed to think.

  It was quite some time before I realized.

  I was the one screaming.

  It took me longer still, to stop.

  Joe did wake up.

  He opened his eyes. They were the same eyes that lit up when we adopted Bubba, that smiled when he completed a Lego project, and that beamed at his father when he’d scored a touchdown.

  That was something. That was a relief. It was still Joe. But he was a vampire, he was—my mind was in a full-on panic. I couldn’t process it. I’d lead them to Widow’s Bay, and now this had happened.

  “Mom, hey, I need you to dial it down.”

  That was what he said first, that I needed to dial it down.

  “Marzenna, I need to handle this.” Brule put an arm out to try to get me to stand up, to let go of Joe. I slapped it away.

  “Excuse me! Excuse me? You turned my son into a vampire!” Mad wasn’t the word. I was beyond mad.

  “To be fair, Mom, he saved me. I mean that woman stabbed the crap out of me.” I winced and looked at Amanda.

  “She was trying to kill me,” I said. I put together the moments before I fell and hit my head. I was out cold on the floor and she’d kept coming.

  “We came over here right before Beltane Bash was breaking up, and man, it was scary. She was going to stab you and Joe knocked her off you, but she got in a lucky shot, right at his neck.” Sam relayed what had happened, as I lay useless on the floor of The Frog Toe.

  I’d lead them into danger, into the path of this murderous waitress. I was supposed to protect my kids! Fine job of it I was doing.

  “Check it out. I remembered you could summon Yooper Naturals, so I thought, heck maybe I could too. I reached out and Mr. Brule was here, thank goodness. He knew what to do.” Sam had summoned Brule.

  The boys were acting like the world hadn’t just turned insane.

  “But, but he’s…”

  “I’m right here, Mom. I was dying. It wasn’t fun. And come to think of it, I still feel, uh, weird.”

  “Marzenna, you can yell at me later. Now, it is imperative that I get Joe to Samhain and to ground. I have much to prepare him for. If I don’t, the first days can be tragic.”

  “Yeah, I’m thirsty and it’s not for beer,” Joe said, and he shook his head back and forth.

  The last thing I wanted to do was let Joe go, not after whatever had just happened.

  “He will be safe at Samhain with me. I know how to handle this. You’ll see him in a few days.”

  “It’s cool, Mom. I’m fine, cursed as heck, but fine.” Joe stood up and he was fine. He looked strong and any stab wounds that he’d suffered were healing. Sam took my hand and we stood, gaping at Joe.

  “I will contact you when it is safe for Joe.” Brule turned and put an arm around Joe. Joe saluted us and they walked out.

  “It is up to the police, now.” I whipped around to find Mario lifting Amanda up by the arm.

  “I did it because I love you. Tatum was in jail, it was perfect, and then this Marzie started trying to date you. I know how you like witches, so she had to go too! Don’t you see they’re not right for you? I am.”

  “Man, dating sucks,” Sam said.

  “I will get her to the police. Tatum will be free soon. Thank you, Marzie. And your son, your Joe, he will adjust. You will adjust,” Mario added, trying to offer words of comfort.

  I didn’t have a word for what I felt. My son had died, but he hadn’t. He was changed but the same. Whatever he was going through, Brule, who had taken it upon himself to change him, had done it without asking.

  I felt so many things that, for a moment, it was difficult to remember what day it was, or even how to put one foot in front of the other.

  Sam was there, and he did remember. He helped me get home.

  Sam also went grocery shopping, fed the dog and cat, and did all the stuff of daily life that I simply could not manage.

  Managing my shock and worry was all I could do.

  And even that I did poorly.

  Chapter 19

  Several days had gone by. I’d had visits from my coven. I had Aunt Dorothy trying to coax me out. I had Sam, being sweet to his mama, and being wise beyond his years.

  What eventually moved me from my house to the outside world was Tatum. She was out, free, and she wasn’t taking my B.S.

  The police freed Tatum after Amanda confessed to framing her, out of some lovesick plan to have Mario to herself.

  Tatum marched into my house with food, beer, and an attitude.

  I was sitting in the den, looking out, wondering what next, where I went wrong, how I could have changed things. It was my new pastime.

  “Your son is alive, yes?”

  “Undead.”

  “Whatever. Both you and I know that an undead guy is a great guy to have around.”

  “But he’s so young, twenty-one!”

  “Can you imagine being in your twenty-one-year-old body forever? That kid won the jackpot.”

  “Tatum, I led my kid into danger. I couldn’t stop it. My number one job as a mother is to protect them.” My voice cracked with all the emotion that I’d been trying to keep in check.

  “You did. And you can’t. You know that.”

  “I’m so…I don’t know. Angry, and scared.”

  “I know, sweetie, I know.” Tatum pulled me in for a hug and a cry. She let me have the cry, and then she sat back.

  “Okay, that’ll do. Blow.” Tatum handed me a tissue. I blew my nose and wiped away the tears.

  “No more crying. You’re moving forward now. We’ll help Joe learn how to be a kick-butt vampire. That’s why we’re here.”

  “Sure.” Though I hadn’t seen my son since Brule lead him away, I understood that, to successfully become a vampire who could control his urges, Joe would need Brule to teach him. I knew that Brule would show Joe how to navigate whatever he needed to do to survive.

  I almost started crying again when I thought of him not being able to be out in the sun.

  Tatum pulled me back from my downward spiral, again.

  “Uh uh uh! I said enough. Hey, I need to thank you. You got me sprung. And I will not forget, ever, what you sacrificed for me.” Tatum took my hand and squeezed it. She knew that Amanda’s rage was the reason Joe was the way he was and the reason we were there, was for Tatum.

  “Okay, where’s the meeting?”

  “The Broken Spine. Put on a pair of leggings without holes and you’re good to go.” Tatum pointed to my ratty leggings. I literally didn’t know when I’d put them on.

  “Okay.”

  “Also shower. I’ll wait.” That got a little bit of a smile out of me. I walked up to the bathroom and took a look at myself in the mirror for the first time in days.

  I gasped. The white hair that had been sprinkling itself randomly like tinsel on a Christmas tree had organized and gathered into a shock at my forehead. I had a gone full Lilly Munster.

  I was surprised Agnes hadn’t pointed it out. Ha, she was sparing me her barbs right now; that’s how scary I’d been the last few days. I showered, which did do me a world of good, and put on clean clothes.

  Tatum drove me to the meeting, and there, at The Broken Spine, were my sisters. They offered hugs, support, concern, and help with whatever I needed. Tatum was the one who’d just gone through a terrible ordeal, but they’d all pivoted and rallied around me.

  I did my very best not to sink back into weepiness. I needed to be strong.

  Last to arrive was Aunt Dot and Maxine.

  “There there, dear. Our littl
e Joe will be just fine. I promise,” Aunt Dorothy said, and Maxine concurred.

  “I don’t know why you’re so upset. He will outlive us all, it’s a mother’s dream.”

  Maxine and Dorothy sat next to me and a shimmer in the air between them revealed that Frances was still with us. She solidified a little more and I saw her again, in her much younger visage.

  “This one is just rubbing it in, over and over, about how good she looks now.” Maxine pointed to Frances with her thumb and rolled her eyes.

  “Oh, also my hips are loose!” Frances did a little back and forth ghost swivel. Aunt Dorothy laughed at the both of them, and I had to admit it was good to be out of the house. It was good to be out of my head.

  “Good to see you, Marzie. I heard about your son. We’ve all had to deal with the downside of a curse. It’s not always this significant, but I did lose a sweetheart to it, that was in what? 1912? 13?” Frances asked Dorothy but Dorothy’s eyes were wide.

  “What curse?” Aunt Dorothy asked Frances.

  “The one with the nasty reporter, the coven fixed his wagon! He has nodules. Can’t speak.”

  There had been no Man Cave Dot News slam pieces since the moment we’d done our curse. I hadn’t had time to question how our curse had done what we’d intended. But I guess nodules on the vocal cords could effectively sideline you for a bit.

  “Oh Marzie! Why didn’t you all tell me,” Aunt Dorothy said.

  “Why? I mean, it worked. And well, nodules don’t seem too epic.”

  “Marzie, look at me. You know what I told you about curses. Someone always pays for them. Especially if you’re personally benefitting.”

  “I, me? I wasn’t. We did it to stop the slander against Tatum. You heard the stuff he was saying about her.”

  “Yes, but he was your competition. Your boss was here. Are you sure, in your heart, that you did it for Tatum and not, at least a little, to help yourself?”

  I felt a sick feeling in my stomach.

  “I did help myself.” Tears threatened to derail me again. Regret, doubt, and fear were working their way to the surface. My curse, my selfish curse, had come back around and literally killed my son!

  “We have to reverse it. You have to reverse it, immediately.”

  “Yes, yes.” I’d already paid the price for that curse, and it felt too high. I didn’t want to think about what else could have happened.

  “Gather your witches,” Aunt Dorothy instructed, and I was out of my chair before she finished the sentence.

  Candy hastily dismissed the rest of the meeting of the Distinguished Ladies Club. We all agreed to reconvene later to discuss future festivals and fighting back against incursions from Ridge and The Benevolent Order of The Bucks.

  The Beltane Bash had gone beautifully. I’d hidden myself away on the second day of it, but all reports were that the DLC should be re-instated as the main planner of all things civic and celebratory.

  Upon the announcement that the meeting was over it was clear the rest of the DLC was happy to get out early. They deserved to rest and revel in success. Even Morganna, who’d insisted doom was to befall us all if we didn’t properly honor Beltane, was satisfied.

  The DLC cleared out and my core six were left, along with Aunt Dorothy, Maxine, and ghost Frances. We adjourned to the secret library, and stood in a circle, ready to undo what we’d done.

  Candy, Pauline, Fawn, Georgianne, Tatum, and me. We were set to uncurse Weston Redman together, no subs or fill-ins. It gave me the confidence to be with my six and also have supervision from the OG DLC members.

  “All of you, focus tightly on peace and love for, what’s his name again?”

  “Weston Redman,” Tatum said through gritted teeth. She wasn’t filled with peace and love.

  “Look, this curse blowback could fling from Joe to any one of you next. We have to stop it. It’s my fault. I wanted to stop him because of Tatum, but also because he was my direct competition. He was trying to show me up, and I used our power for the worst reason. Please, we need to do our best.”

  My sisters nodded in agreement.

  We put our hands up, instead of palm to palm, like we’d done for the curse, we connected the back of our hands. Our palms faced inward.

  “You need to try to do everything in reverse if you have a chance at pulling this back,” Aunt Dorothy said. The older ladies took seats and let us begin.

  Frances wound in and out of our circle with encouraging little words. Of course, some of the words had nothing to do with uncursing. She told Fawn, who was standing next to me, that a special new werewolf had a crush on her. Fawn shook her head, and we focused on the uncurse magic.

  “Put it in the center,” Georgianne said to Fawn, who’d acquired a printed copy of the Man Cave Dot News.

  Fawn placed the paper in the center. The headline read, “Beltane Bash Clean Up Could Cost Thousands”. I was a bit confused.

  “Weston Redman’s taken to publishing this since he can’t talk.”

  We really had shut him up: no one reads print newspapers anymore.

  Georgianne looked at me.

  “Whenever you’re ready, whatever comes to you.”

  “Free your tongue

  And loosen your pen!

  Lies or truth make no difference

  We six here shall defend.

  You are released from the curse

  Tied no more to us or our purse!!”

  The paper, with no spark from us, burst into flame and was consumed quickly. We stayed, hands up and touching back to back.

  “I think you’re good, ladies. That should do it,” Aunt Dorothy said, and we dropped our hands.

  “I mean, flames? Up here with all the books? I’m not a fan,” Georgianne said and found a broom and dustpan from somewhere.

  “I liked what you did there with curse and purse,” Frances whispered as she blew past me and back to Aunt Dorothy and Maxine.

  I prayed that it had worked.

  “Is that it?” I asked Dorothy.

  “I think so. Just be very careful the next time you throw a curse out there. The only thing that protects you from dreadful consequences is being one-hundred percent sure that the curse isn’t wielded selfishly, or for your own gain.”

  “We did do it for Tatum.”

  “I know, dear. I’m just glad you’re here, and among us again.”

  “But Joe? I did that to Joe. We did it.”

  “You didn’t stab him, nor have anything to do with that disturbed waitress. And you’ve undone all you can.” But she didn’t tell me it wasn’t my fault. No one could tell me that.

  Aunt Dorothy, Maxine, and ghost Francine made their goodbyes.

  The coven all made various offers to hang out with me at home. Everyone was sweet to me, and it only underlined that I’d done something terribly wrong with that curse.

  A seed of doubt had taken root and was growing.

  I didn’t know how to use my powers the right way, and I wondered if I ever would.

  Worse, making a mistake could cost the people I loved. I begged off and pretended everything was fine with my friends.

  I didn’t want company, and I didn’t want anyone else worrying about me.

  I had caused enough trouble.

  Chapter 20

  “This reporter has learned that local vet, Dr. Fawn Campana, is experiencing an outbreak of canine influenza in her clinic. The outbreak has reached epidemic proportions and anyone who loves their pets should stay far away or risk them becoming ill or even dead. This latest development is representative of a disturbing pattern from the so-called medical professional. Several days ago, she allowed kittens in her care to be used, callously, for a shameless promotion. With this low regard for the rights of the animals in her clinic, it is no surprise that Dr. Fawn Campana would allow disease to break out in her facility. I will continue to follow the developments in this disturbing story as they occur. You’re watching Yooper Man, for Man Cave Dot News.”

  “
Wow,” I said and turned off the computer. Fawn, Garrett DeWitt, and I were watching from her office, an office that was totally empty.

  “I haven’t had a patient since yesterday morning. The upside is Savannah has us totally caught up on paperwork and restocking the exam rooms.”

  “What is he playing at?” Garrett DeWitt, who looked a lot fresher, was the one who’d rallied me from home. He’d insisted we go to work at Your U.P. News today. I had no argument for why I shouldn’t.

  “He’s back in action. I mean, the good news is that his nodules appear to be all healed,” Fawn said. “The bad news is that his nodules are all healed.”

  I felt a mixture of relief and outrage. The curse was likely gone, but now Yooper Man could spread his lies at will again.

  “I’ll set up the camera.” Garrett DeWitt had a tripod, and a light, and was ready to go. It practically looked like a live report from my old days at the television station.

  “Okay, let’s do this thing.” I took a breath, smoothed down my witch hair, and looked into the camera.

  “Dr. Fawn Campana says her clinic is safe, open to the public, and ready to treat patients.”

  I turned to Fawn, and she made her statement.

  “I want to reassure the public and my long-time patients that our clinic is clean, disease-free, and my staff and I are committed to providing the best care possible for the beloved pets of Chippewa County.”

  “What about rumors about canine influenza?”

  “There is zero canine influenza here. We had a single animal, a Shih Tzu, with an ear infection, totally non-contagious, who passed away after coming in. The Shih Tzu was fourteen years old, and the ear infection was just too much for him. We’ve tested all surfaces, cleaned all surfaces out of an abundance of caution, and I can guarantee the community that all is well here.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Campana.”

  I turned to the camera.

  “We checked in with the county health department and the state. Neither have any complaints or citations against this clinic now, or since its founding over a decade ago. The full statements can be read, and copies of clinic inspection reports can be viewed on Your U.P. News dot com. Marzie Nowak Reporting live.”