Chapter 10

When they got back to the cabin, Alex said, “I need some time to think. I’ll be in the barn.”

She grabbed the bottle of whisky out of the saddlebags and a box of tissues from the bathroom, tucked both items under her arm, and went into the barn. Tears started to creep down her face. She grabbed the milking stool and carried it into Anna Belle’s stall. She set everything down and unscrewed the cap. “Here’s to my disaster of a life.” She held up the bottle toward Anna Belle then took a swig out of the bottle.

Anna Belle moved close.

The liquid burned as it slid down her throat, making her cough. “That’s strong stuff. I’ve never had it without a mixer before.” She took another drink.

Anna Belle leaned against Alex’s shoulder.

Alex rubbed Anna Belle’s side. “I lost my job today. It wasn’t like I loved it, but it was work. It paid my bills.” She took another drink. The tears came faster. “Then there are people like Peter who love what they’re doing. Why couldn’t I have a job like that? Everyone says you should work at what you love and then it won’t seem like work. Boy do I wish I knew what that was.” She grabbed a tissue out of the box, dabbed her eyes, and blew her nose. “This is the first job I’ve ever lost. It shouldn’t matter so much…but it does.”

She’d reached a crossroads. If she continued on the path she’d been raised up with, she would have to find some way to fit in the magical world. Could she ever find a wizard who wasn’t obnoxious about how much more power he had? So she’d decided to look elsewhere. For months she’d ridden an elevator at work with Jason, a normal, simply nodding to each other. They progressed to “good mornings” or the weather. The last few weeks they actually talked for the short ride. Then she got the nerve to ask him out for a Friday dinner, something she’d never done before. And he accepted. He had even smiled when he said yes.

If she picked someone normal like Jason or Steve, she would have to give up magic forever. Did she really want to go to this extreme? Regardless, she made the pledge to go thirty days without using any magic. If she couldn’t go thirty days how could she ever completely exist in the normal world. Trying to function well in both was wearing her down. There were her college and work friends that she had to continually be on her guard with.

The magical world had to remain secret.

It was the law.

Then there were her childhood friends who remained only in the magical world. She couldn’t figure out why she didn’t fit in. To give up the fight and fit in would be so much easier. But she wanted more. There was a whole world out there. Then she made the stupid pledge and ended up here. One advantage to being here was getting the time to find out what it was like to live without magic. She took some more drinks and blew her nose.

“You know, Anna Belle, now that I’m getting used to the work, I actually enjoy it. I like how my muscles respond while lifting the buckets. My body is getting in better shape than any of the exercise programs I’ve tried. Then there’s Steve. I’m attracted to him and he seems to feel the same, if that kiss was any indication.” She touched her lips, remembering the sensation. “I’d like to do that again, and maybe more.”

She remained silent for a minute. “I guess there’s one good thing that came out of all this. I’ll get the chance to decide what I really want to do.” She looked up; the henhouse door stood slightly ajar. The demon hen was standing in the opening, eyeball glued to her, as if she’d been listening. Alex waited without moving. The hen turned around and went back inside. Alex dashed over to the door and nudged it shut. The latch clicked and she let out her breath.

Alex ambled back over to Anna Belle. “That was a close one. Last thing I’d want to do tonight would be to chase that hen around the barn.” Alex rubbed Anna Belle’s neck. “You sure are a good listener.”

They turned their heads when the cabin door opened. Steve eased over to her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m doing better now after talking to Anna Belle.”

He pointed to the much emptier bottle. “You might want to save some for another day. As soon as I’ve finished the milking, I’ll fix dinner. You need to eat something or you’ll have a bad hangover tomorrow.”

She picked up her tissues and the bottle. “I’ll go wash my face. I’m sure it must be a mess.”

Steve reached out and stroked her cheek. “Not to me. You’re beautiful even when you first wake up and your hair is all over the place.”

She shrugged and headed for the cabin.

He watched her stagger toward the cabin, then started his milking. After he’d finished, he patted Anna Belle’s side. “Now she’s talking to the cow. What next?” He finished up and went in to fix dinner.

After they’d finished the dinner, he asked, “Are you feeling any better now?”

Alex nodded but remained slumped. “Sorry about that. This is the first time I’ve ever lost a job, and it isn’t even my fault.”

“Maybe you’ll find something better.”

“Maybe…I’ve been wanting to get a different job.”

“What are you interested in?”

“After college I was interested in becoming a book editor, or something related.”

“You need to meet the other residents. They might be able to help.” He reached across the table and took her hand.

Alex nodded. She’d take any help she could get. It was always easier to get another job when you had one, not when you really needed one.

The next day, she entered the henhouse and all the chickens flew down and approached her like they’d been doing ever since she started popping the corn. She reached in the bucket and felt a surge. All the kernels popped at the same time. They flew everywhere, all over the floor, the nesting boxes, all over her head and shoulders, and even on the hens. The hens pounced. Frantic chaos ensued as they tried to get as many pieces as possible. The demon hen paused and eyed her. Alex swiped at the front of her clothes, leaned over and shook her head, and brushed her shoulders off. Anything to get the popcorn off. She could just picture the hen jumping on her and searching for some plunder. As soon as she’d finished, the hen resumed its search and destroy of the other pieces. Alex breathed a sigh of relief. She checked her clothes one last time and removed a couple of pieces she’d missed.

After they finished with all the chores, Steve approached her and turned her around. He picked something off her back and showed it to her. “Where did you get this?” he asked, holding up a piece of popcorn.

She shrugged and walked back into the cabin. There wasn’t any way she could explain it to him. Maybe he’d forget about it or figure she’d brought some popcorn back from Peter’s. If he insisted on knowing, that’s what she’d tell him—it was from Peter’s.