by Fiona Starr
Another shelf contains baskets of soaps and tins labeled, “for the bath”. There are oils, and candles, and powders and more, all arranged in tidy displays. Tall wooden bookshelves fill the back corner of the store, with a pair of upholstered chairs and a sofa creating a little seating area.
At a table behind the glass check-out counter, a dark haired woman is working. Behind her, an antique wooden cabinet with hundreds of tiny drawers fills the wall. The woman whispers something to someone and then puts down a tool she was using. She wipes her hands on her apron and glances up at me.
“Hi there. Welcome to my shop.” She smiles broadly and steps out from behind the counter.
When our eyes meet I feel like someone punches me in the gut. Her long dark hair frames her olive skinned face. Her eyes are deep and hazy green. She seems a little sad but I can’t stop looking at her eyes.
“Hi… I… I saw… in the window…” I am aware as I fall over my words that she’s watching me, a half-smile on her face, patiently waiting for me to tell her why I am here. I close my eyes and try to clear my head. “You make tea?”
“Oh! Yes. I have lots of tea. Do you know what kind you like?” She turns toward the back of the store and leads me to a table near the bookshelves.
I follow her and we stand in front of a rather elaborate tea display. “Not really. I usually just buy regular plain tea from the grocery store.”
“All right. That’s usually a blend of black teas. We can start there.” She eyes a few tins and then looks at me as if sizing up my tea preferences at a glance. “Do you have a few minutes? I am happy to make you some tea to sample.”
I have all the time in the world. “Sure.”
She picks up an electric kettle and heads back behind the counter. I hear water running and I take the time to check out the books. It’s a lot of New Age stuff and a section on the history of witchcraft. Another shelf is devoted to making tea, and there’s two shelves of cookbooks. One of the shelves has a framed photo of Grandma Gertie with the shop owner. The two ladies are smiling like they had just finished laughing.
The picture brings a smile to my own face. “You know Gertie Hutchins?” I ask as the woman returns with the kettle and plugs it in.
She smiles again. “Oh, yes. She and I are old friends. I’m sad that she moved away. How do you know her?”
“She’s my grandmother.”
“Oh! Really? You know, I thought you looked familiar. The picture Gertie has of you and your brother is clearly out of date.” She offers her hand. “I’m Hazel.”
“Jamie,” I say. And as soon as I take her hand I see stars behind my eyes and a flash of a scene fills my head.… holy shit! Hazel goes stiff as if she’s feeling an electric shock. Then her eyes roll back and she passes out cold.
HAZEL
Gertie’s grandson is tall, dark, and has a set of blue eyes that feel like magnets to mine. I have to force myself to look away. I offer him my hand. “I’m Hazel.”
“Jamie.”
The instant I touch his hand it’s like I’m transported through a dream.
I see him—Jamie—laying in the dirt… no, it’s not dirt, it’s a thick bed of pine needles. He’s in the forest… it’s night and he’s lying on his back, looking up at the full moon over the top of Devil’s Crown. He’s breathing heavy. Something stirs to his right. There’s a low shriek. Then Jamie looks at his hand… oh my god, is he bleeding? It’s hard to tell in the dark. I sense that something’s wrong. He’s in pain. I have to…
I open my eyes and find myself sprawled out across the couch in the back of my shop. “What happened?” I remember touching Jamie’s hand and then… it all goes fuzzy. Did I have a vision?
“Here, take a sip of water.” Jamie lifts a cup to my lips and I drink, letting the coolness soothe my throat.
“Thank you. I… I don’t know what happened.”
“You passed out, that’s what happened. I’m glad I was here to catch you.” He smiles and his eyes draw me in and threaten never to let me go.
I feel my face flush with heat. “Sorry. I… Thanks.” I smile and just go with it. There’s no point in pretending I didn’t totally pass out and fall into the arms of a complete stranger.
“You were out for a good minute there. I would have called an ambulance except your dog threatened me whenever I touched my phone.”
“That’s Skip. He’s very protective of me.”
“I can see that. Hey, Skip.”
“Bark!”
I sit up and get my bearings, making sure I can get to my feet. “I think I’m all right, now.”
Jamie places the glass of water on the side table and stands next to me like a gymnastics spotter. After a moment, I am on my feet.
“You do have your color back. Are you sure you’re feeling all right? Is there someone I can call for you?”
I wave him off. “No. no. I’ll be fine. I just need to eat something.”
“If you’re sure… I don’t mind staying. Old Gertie would never forgive me if I didn’t make sure you were taken care of.”
I smile and think that I sure could use her right about now. “Don’t let her hear you calling her old. I know she’s your grandmother, but she’s the definition of a spitfire.”
“Isn’t that the truth!” He laughs and it’s like warm water rushing through the air. I want to hear that sound again, make him laugh over and over.
When I turn to look at him, I see him flicker and flash. One moment he looks normal and the next he’s writing in pain, his hands balled into fists. I blink and things go back to normal again and then flash again, the pain and agony. I grip the arm of my chair as a vision washes over me, filling my mind and my senses.
I hear him panting. I see the full moon through his eyes. I hear something howling through the trees. I taste his blood in my mouth and the scent of it fills the air. I know that I’ve seen this before. I know that this is what came to me when I fainted. But then, that means I didn’t actually faint.
Jamie doesn’t seem to notice how distracted I am.
And then the vision fades like it never happened. I pull myself together. “With Gertie gone, what brings you to Diablo Falls?” I ask. I turn on the kettle and get the water boiling. A cup of tea sounds like just the thing.
“I’m moving in. Gertie still owns the house. She didn’t like the idea of it sitting empty so she offered it to me.” He shrugs his broad shoulders and it makes him look like a little boy. “I’m ready for something new.”
“Really? That’s great. Welcome, neighbor. I wish we had something to toast with.” Then I remember where we were before I passed out. “Oh! Your tea! I am so sorry.” I hop out of the chair and pull open the cabinet under the kettle. “Let me put something together for you to try.”
“No. Don’t worry about—”
“I insist. It’s the least I can do after what I’ve put you through.” I don’t see what I want in the cabinet so head to the back of the shop where I store my main inventory. I grab an empty tin and load it up with an assortment of black tea blends that I had already packed into little mesh tea bags.
We visit for a few more minutes with him fawning over me and me insisting I am fine until I am able to assure him he’s free to go. I escort Jamie to the door and see him out.
“Bark! Now, he smells delicious,” Skip says.
I watch Jamie until his pickup is out of sight, then I flip the shop sign to closed and turn the little clock to say I’ll be back in an hour. In the back room, I pull my notebook out of my bag and leaf through the pages looking for Gertie’s new number. She doesn’t have a cell phone and I know she gave me her grandson’s number before she left.
I hate to bother her but I need to talk to Gertie. Maybe she can help me decipher the vision and explain why it happened in the first place.
I pick up my cell phone just as it starts ringing. The caller ID says, unknown caller.
I tap the green button. “Hello?”
Relief washes over
me as Gertie’s voice fills my ears. “Hazel Bishop, I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into but you need to tell me exactly what’s going on. I was fast asleep when you appeared to me in my dream. Now, you know that I love you and your pretty face, but seeing you like that I just about wet my pants.”
“Oh, Gertie. It’s so good to hear your voice. Where do I begin?” I don’t stop the tears as they fall.
“At the beginning, of course. What did I miss?”
I fill her in on everything that’s happened in the weeks since she left, starting with me leaving the coven, and about my magic not working, Skip’s barking, and Marissa’s curse. Then I tell her about meeting Jamie and the vision touching him brought to me.
“Mmm hmm,” she says.
“Why don’t you sound surprised?”
She sighs deeply. “I have been having visions about that boy since he was a baby. It makes me feel comforted that touching him brought one on for you. Thank the goddess he’s there, now you can watch over him.”
“What do you mean? The vision was real? Is he in danger?”
“Well, clearly something is going to happen—and I bet it will be soon,” she says like I am a child who should know better.
“What should I do? Should I warn him?”
“Noooo! Don’t you dare. If you warn him and he changes his plans, the consequences could be dire. That’s forbidden, Hazel. You can’t interfere in any way. Don’t tell him anything.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
“Be ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“You’ll know when the time comes.”
The sound of children squealing fills the phone. “I have run, Hazel. Keep me posted on Jamie, would you?”
“Gertie, wait! What about Skip and my magic? What about Marissa’s curse?”
“What about it? You know what to do. Send it back to her. I am sure all of that other stuff is related.” Her attitude gives me hope.
If Gertie’s not freaking out, then I shouldn’t either. “But… nothing I do is working. Should I risk it? What if my attempt at undoing the curse causes Marissa harm?”
She scoffs. “Karma’s only a witch if you are, sweetie. There’s no other way. You must restore the balance and the rules are very clear when it comes to curses. Marissa should know better. You get back what you give. It isn’t your fault that she chose to give you this. Woman up… Don’t let anyone suppress your amazing gifts. Take back your power, Hazel. I believe in you.”
JAMIE
The drive up to Devil’s Crown should have cleared my head, but I can’t stop thinking about Hazel. When our hands touched, I saw stars and then had a flash of… us. Together. Naked.
With Hazel passing out the way she did, I didn’t really have time to think about it much, but now, I can’t stop my mind from playing and replaying it over and over.
Hazel is leaning against a wall and I’m kissing her neck. In the vision, I watch the two of us and feel her against me all at the same time. Her skin is warm against mine. She has one leg wrapped around me as I thrust into her slowly. Hazel smells of strawberries. She moans my name. It’s so fucking hot, but it’s also… tender and passionate. Not like wild lusty humping… this feels… connected.
I keep asking myself if I imagined it… but I don’t do that shit. I don’t walk around undressing women in my head and picturing us banging. And besides… it seemed so real.
Grandma Gertie used to talk about seeing me in her mind. Every time I spoke to her she mentioned whatever random thing I had been doing before she called, where I was, who I was with, things like that. She never did that with my brother, just me. But it’s not something I have ever experienced myself.
I should call Grandma Gertie and ask her what it means, but I don’t think I want to tell her exactly what I saw. Besides, I lost cell signal miles ago.
If I close my eyes I can still smell Hazel, feel her skin against my skin.
A horn blast shakes me back to reality. I was weaving over the double yellow and almost caused an accident.
“Shit. Get it together, man,” I mumble to myself.
I spend the day hiking and working hard to not think about Hazel. Any time she appears in my head, I start running, which gives me no choice but to focus on the path or else I’ll fall. Now I’m exhausted and full from dinner and it’s time to get some sleep.
The not-quite-full moon rises over the top of the Devil’s Crown. My tent is pitched on the grass along the lakeshore. Pinecones crackle in the fire as I lay back on my sleeping bag and watch the stars. The roar of the waterfall drowns out most of the forest sounds so it feels like I’m the only man on the planet. When I start to doze off, Hazel fills my mind.
Her mouth is warm on mine. Her skin is soft in my hands. She smells of strawberries and heat. I cup my hand under her bare bottom as she wraps her leg around my back. She’s trim and muscular, and every part of her is smooth as she writhes against me, riding my cock as I move down to kiss her neck.
My cock hardens as I lay next to the dying fire. I slide my hand into my sweatpants and take hold of my throbbing stiffness. There’s no denying that Hazel turns me on, but I want her in a way I haven’t wanted a woman before. I want to take her, sure. I want to fuck her like an animal. But I also want to have her. I want to be with her. I want to know her and have her know me.
I imagine myself inside her, feeling her pussy on my shaft as it plays over and over in my head. I push my pants down over my hips and let the heat from the fire warm my skin, pretending the heat is from Hazel.
Suddenly, being the only man on the planet feels rather nice.
HAZEL
I toss and turn in my sleep, my mind a jumble of everything. I think about Marissa and her curse, and just how much she must truly hate me to have pulled that off. Gertie’s advice rings in and makes me afraid. If I try to send the curse back to Marissa—which is one way to get rid of it now that I know who sent it—and my magic fails, I could cause the spell against me to become even stronger. Or, I could injure myself. Or, if I sent it back using my own faulty magic, I could injure Marissa. I don’t take that as lightly as Gertie does. I mean, I’m all for people getting what they deserve, but I don’t condone violence.
And then there’s the vision with Jamie this morning. What was that about? Gertie says that it means I can watch over him, but why? And what in the world am I supposed to do if he gets hurt in the middle of the forest? Gertie says I’ll know when the time comes, but how can I help if I can’t rely on my healing magic while this curse hangs over me?
“Bark! You’re a ball of nerves,” Skip says, sidling up to my bed.
I roll onto my side and punch my pillow in frustration. “Sorry. I can’t sleep.”
“You’ve got too much on your mind. Place your hand on my head, I can help.”
I slide my hand out from under the covers and Skip slips his face into my palm. Within moments I feel totally relaxed and at ease. “Thank you,” I murmur as I start to doze.
Skip barks softly and whimpers as he curls up next to my bed.
I feel myself slip into sleep as Skip, Gertie, Jamie, and Marissa all float away into the ether.
Jamie is breathing heavy. The moon shines on his face, which is contorted in pain. He hisses as he writhes on the forest floor, a fire crackling next to him throws odd shadows that obscure my view. Above him, the falls fill the night with the roar of water crushing down into the lake. Jamie’s hand presses against his abdomen while the other is balled into a fist. He calls my name, though his voice is barely a whisper. “Hazel…”
I wake with a start and sit up in bed, clutching the sheets to my chest. The vision was so clear, so urgent. I could feel his heart racing.
“Oh my god.” Is the vision coming to me in real-time or has this already happened? Is it about to take place? I never asked Gertie for clarification on her own visions and I feel stupid now for the oversight.
“Bark bark?” Skip calls from the flo
or. There were no words that time.
“I have to go to him.” I can’t believe what I am saying. I pull my jeans out of the hamper and slip them on, then grab a tee shirt and hiking boots. I don’t waste time looking for socks. I have to go. I have to go to him. Jamie needs me—I feel it in my bones.
When I get in the car, I don’t have to think; I know exactly where to go. Jamie’s camping up near the lake at the base of Devil’s Crown. There are only a few places around the lake to check. The ride out to the park takes several minutes. I follow the two-lane road around the lake, passing the trailheads and grassy places popular with campers. There’s nobody at the first three, and when I come around the bend to circle the lake, my headlights catch the reflectors on the back of his pickup. I floor it, and race to him, hoping he isn’t too badly hurt already and that I still have time.
When I arrive at the campsite, Jamie’s pickup blocks the access and I have to leave my car on the road. I hurry up the hill. Clouds obscure the moon and the forest goes suddenly dark. I wish I had grabbed a flashlight or taken my phone with me. As I crest the hill, I see him.
Jamie is lying on his back, next to the remains of a dying fire. He’s holding his belly, his face contorted in pain. He inhales sharply and though sound of the rushing waterfall across the lake muffles all sound, I can hear him call out. “Hazel…”
Oh my god, he sounds so weak. He can’t even shout. “I’m right here! I’m here! Don’t worry, Jamie. Everything’s going to be all right, now.” I drop to my knees at his side, and begin checking for injuries.
Jamie’s eyes go wide as I touch him. “What the fuck?”
“Lay back, it’s all right. Are you badly hurt?” I try to recall which side was injured from my vision, but it’s foggy and unclear.
“Hazel? What the? Why are you here…?”