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It takes about an hour for my cat to talk me off of my emotional ledge. He patiently therapizes me until I’m wiping my eyes and saying, “You’re right, Turkey. You’re right.... This is for the best. This is a good thing.”
“It is,” he agrees.
“I can live through this,” I say. “I’m going to be fine. In fact, I’m going to be better because of it.”
“Good girl,” Turkey says. “There you go.”
With great effort, I push myself up off of the floor. My morning has been draining already, and it’s only ten am!
I need some coffee.
I refresh my cup, and then eye my cold, abandoned pieces of toast.
Sure, they’re not as appealing as they were two hours ago, but I’m famished from all that crying, so I lift one up and start to eat.
I polish it off in a few giant, very unladylike bites, and move on to the second. Then I down a banana.
I’m not great at keeping fruits and veggies stocked, but I usually have a banana or two lying around.
The hit of potassium does my body good. Along with the caffeine and toast, I’m starting to feel ready to face the rest of the day.
I know it’s going to be a busy one.
Even though my break up with Chris still has me feeling raw, I also feel surprisingly clear-headed.
Turkey was right, the messy state of my relationship was taking up a lot of my energy.
I feel like I just cleared up some serious bandwidth.
I refill my coffee cup for the third time, and then open up my emails. I know they’re from my coven sisters, and I’m excited to see what they say.
I’m anxious to see them at our emergency meeting, and tell them everything I’ve discovered.
The first message is from Marley.
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To: Knitting Circle
From: Marley
Subject: Banishing Spell and Emergency Meeting
Hey gang!
I just finished practicing the Banishing Spell last night. It did not go well. I tried banishing the dust bunnies in my van. I moved my hands in the wrong direction—I got clockwise and counterclockwise mixed up—and the dust in my van multiplied! I’m talking big time.
Cora, can I borrow your vacuum?
Hope you all had better luck than me! Are we still on for our emergency meeting today? How about four? Penny, any new leads on the case?
Love and unicorn kisses,
Marley
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To: Knitting Circle
From: Cora
Subject: Banishing Spell and Emergency Meeting
Greetings all,
Marley, you are more than welcome to come over and borrow a vacuum cleaner. I have several. My little hand-held one might be the best option for you.
I also practiced the Banishing Spell last night. I tried to banish a small pile of summer clothes that I no longer wear. I figure since the seasons are changing, it would be a great time to clean up my closet space and make room for winter clothes.
But after I cast the spell, I went out into the kitchen and the clothes were strewn all over every surface! There was a pink tank top hanging off of the sink faucet and a pair of white capris on the kitchen table! I even found one of my wooden soled platform sandals in the freezer, next to my Lean Cuisines.
Needless to say, I think I need a bit more practice. Maybe my intention wasn’t strong enough? Or could it be a focus issue? I did start to think about what I was going to prepare for dinner, midway through reciting that ridiculous poem.
I think we should meet earlier than four. The sooner we come up with a plan to deal with these werewolves, the better. How about noon. All in favor?
Cora
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To: Knitting Circle
From: Annie
Subject: Banishing Spell and Emergency Meeting
Noon sounds good to me. I’ll be sure to have help at the cafe, so that I can join in on the fun.
My Banishing Spell did not go well either. You’ll find out why when you see me.
Annie
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To: Knitting Circle
From: Marley
Subject: Banishing Spell and Emergency Meeting
Cora, thanks for the vacuum. It’s working great!
I can be there by noon.
Penny, what about you?
Marley
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I sip my coffee and then begin typing my response. I tell the ladies that noon works, and then apologize for not practicing the Banishing Spell. I finish off by informing them that I have a lot of news to tell them.
After sending the email, I compose a text to Silas, asking him to meet me at the cafe at one. Then I go into the bathroom to try to make my hair look respectable.
It’s seriously a lost cause.
I try flattening it with some Moroccan oil that Marley gave me, but that only makes it look greasy. Next I try pulling it into pigtails, but it’s too short. The only way I can tie it back is in four separate little pigtails, and I’m sure you can imagine how ridiculous that looks.
I finally give up and fish a knit cap out of my closet. I can’t make this haircut look good, so I might as well cover it up.
By eleven a.m., I’m ready to take on the day... whatever it may hold.
Because I now know that Zeke may target me, I make sure that I’ve got my gun in my bag. Then I say goodbye to Turkey, throw on a puffy vest, and head out the door.
It’s eleven thirty by the time I reach the cafe. When I walk in through the cafe doors, I see Annie standing behind the counters.
She’s wearing a scarf around her head, and her face looks... odd. Different, somehow.
“Annie!” I say, approaching the counter. She’s placing slices of steaming hot coffee cake onto a platter.
“Penny!” she says. “Dear! You’re early! Just in time for a piece of coffee cake, too.” She serves up a piece of cake. As she hands it to me, I study her face.
Now I know what’s different. It’s her eyebrows. They’re painted on.
In addition, I don’t see any hair poking out from under her scarf. Annie never wears a scarf over her poof of white hair. Why today?
“You look different,” I say to Annie, after thanking her for the cake.
Annie reaches up and pats her head. “I know,” she says. “It was that darn Banishing Spell. I tried banishing my white hair. I wanted to go back to being a blonde.”
She shakes her head. “It was vain of me. I suppose I got what I deserved.”
“What did you get?” I ask.
Annie looks around the cafe and I follow her gaze. There are a few customers sitting at tables around the room. They’re all focused on their food, the newspaper, or each other. No one is watching us.
Annie reaches up for the scarf, and then sweeps it off of her head. She’s completely bald!
My eyebrows fly upwards.
“Ha!” I say, and then immediately feel bad about it.
Annie looks absolutely mortified. Her head is as shiny and smooth as a billiard ball.
“Annie!” I cry. “Your hair! It’s gone!”
“I banished my white hair,” Annie said. “I thought that would mean that I’d have my beautiful, long blonde hair back. No such luck.”
“I’d say not!” I say. I’m smiling. I can’t help it. If you saw her, you’d have trouble not laughing, too. I’m sorry, but she looks funny.
Annie frowns as I laugh, so I cover my mouth to stifle the giggles. “I’m sorry, Annie,” I say. “It’s just, this is all so ridiculous. Marley and her dust... Cora and her sandal in the freezer... and now you!”
I want Annie to laugh along with me, but she’s not.
So, to make things even, I reach up for my hat. I yank it off, releasing my curly, frizzy mop of hair.
“Oh!” Annie says, surprised.
Then, to my delight, she dissolves into laughter.
I dissolve into a fit too. My sides begin to ache.
Between giggles, Annie manages to speak. “I guess we both have new hairstyles,” she says. “What happened to you? Did you have a run in with a weed whacker?”
“Annie!” I say, feigning upset. Really, though, she can make fun of my hair all she wants. What’s important to me is that we’re laughing together.
When Cora and Marley walk into the cafe, Annie and I have each donned our respective headdresses, but we’re both giggly as all get out.
“What’s gotten into you two?” Cora asks. Then, studying Annie’s face, she says, “Annie, have you done something with your eyebrows?”
“I banished them!” Annie says with a laugh.
Marley is too busy staring at me to look at Annie’s brows. “Penny, you look different. Is your hair tied up under your hat?”
I shake my head. “I’ll show you soon. But first, I’ve got to tell you guys what happened to me last night.”
It felt great to release some tension with Annie, but now that the entire Terra Coven is present, I’m anxious to get down to business. The night’s festivities will start up soon, and I want us to be prepared.
If Silas is to be believed, Zeke might very well be on the prowl tonight. We don’t have much time.