Friday, December 20, 2019

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Part 18


Elise rose and walked toward the front door. Dorothea hurried to her side. “Elise, you haven’t taken your truth spell off the mayor.”
“I know,” said Elise with a smirk. “I think it’s high time our politicians had to be honest, don’t you?”



Chapter 6


Elise looked through her secret library in search of the Martin name. So far she hadn’t found anything to link it to any hunter or witch families. She also hadn’t been able to attach him to any of the founding families of Apple Hill. Even with the help of Rosemary, Dorothea, and Ernest they had come up empty handed.
“Maybe he just wants to live here,” said Rosemary. “Maybe he’s not magical at all?”
“The bell didn’t ring,” countered Elise. “Roark knows something is off with him and he seems to know I’m up to something.”
“Well, you are,” said Dorothea.
“Not the point,” said Elise. “It’s the way he looks at me.”
“Why not just ask him?” stated Rosemary.
Elise looked up from the book she’d been staring at. “Ask him?”
“If he’s a hunter, he has to tell you why he’s here, right?” said Rosemary. “It’s a code or something?”
Elise nodded. “That’s the way it’s always been done, but the last hunter who was here just wanted a safe place to rest. He came to me and said as much.”
“Like a professional curtesy,” said Rosemary.  “So why don’t you do the same?”
“Because if I’m wrong, then I’ve just told a complete stranger I’m a witch,” stated Elise.
“So make him forget it,” said Ernest. “If he’s just a mortal, then wipe his memory.”
Elise stomach rumbled with anticipation. What Rosemary was suggesting was a big step, but Ernest was right. If Cage was just a mortal, then she could spellbound him to forget, but if he was a hunter he’d know how to block her magic.
“That’s it!” Elise snapped her fingers.
“So you’re going to go talk to him?”
“Nope, I’m going to try to put a spell on him. If it works, he’s a mortal and I have nothing to worry about. If it doesn’t then I’ll figure out what to do with a hunter in my town.”
“I hate this plan,” said Dorothea as she faded into a book shelf as she always did when she was scared.
“Honesty is the best policy, Elise,” said Rosemary. “Trying to put a spell on him will just piss him off if he’s a hunter. You don’t want to give him a reason to hunt you.”
Elise shrugged. “He might already be here to hunt me. I don’t kill, but I do curse, and depending on the hunter that could be reason enough to put an end to me.”

The next morning Elise took the long way around town, making it a point to walk by the new bed and breakfast. From the outside it looked innocent enough. Fall mums made the wrap around porch look cheery and welcoming planted in front of the evergreen bushes.
It was the kind of place she would like to stay, if she ever traveled. She couldn’t though, leaving Apple Hill would leave it vulnerable to even more trespassers … trespassers like Cage Martin.


Witch of Apple Hill is taking a small holiday hiatus and will return on January 7th. 

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Part 17


Dorothea frowned. She was doing what Elise had asked of her and now Elise was making excuses for her haunting. Before she could do anything else thought, she felt a small tug on her sleeve and knew it was Rosemary gliding past her. Dorothea followed Rosemary’s trail into the small den where the mayor liked to watch TV as the mayor led Elise into his office.
“What’s going on?” Dorothea whispered.
“We think there’s a hunter in town,” said Rosemary, cutting right to the chase. “And he could kill us all!”


Elise followed the mayor into his office and sat down in the chair opposite his desk.
“Sorry I’m so frazzled,” he said. “Now how can I help you with Mr. Martin?”
“I want to know more about him,” said Elise.
“Why not ask him?” Mayor Garver folded his arms over his chest as if keeping a secret.
Elise smiled at the mayor. “Because I trust your judgement on people and I know you’re just dying to tell someone about this mystery new resident of Apple Hill.”
She waved her finger in a small circle. “Just the truth and you’ll be fine. I promise you won’t cross a line. But if you do, we’ll work it out, remember it’s you with all the clout.”
Mayor Garver’s eyes glazed over for a moment as the spell took hold and then looked at Elise. “You know, at first I wasn’t sure about him.”
“Why is that?” asked Elise as she felt Rosemary and Dorothea enter the room without showing themselves to the mayor.
“He didn’t want to go through the proper channels,” answered Mayor Garver. “You know we always bring up new businesses at the Town Hall meetings. I know I don’t have to do that, but I like getting the people’s input, but he brought up that he could open even without the town’s consent. It’s true, it’s just that we’ve never had anyone go against the town before. I mean, what good would it do a business to open if the town didn’t want it there?”
“So you gave him the permits?” asked Elise.
“I had to,” said Mayor Garver, “he was right. Legally, there was no reason to withhold them. The part of town he lives in is both residential and commercial, plus we’ve allowed in-home businesses for about a decade now. He had the proper insurance for renters and assured me that he’d see to it that his patrons were suitable and didn’t come and mess the place up. He really wants to cater to locals who have visitors, so I didn’t see the harm.”
“What do you know about him personally?” asked Elise.
The mayor shrugged. “He’s very charming, even when he was telling me I couldn’t stop him from opening his bed and breakfast, he was so darn nice about it that I didn’t want to stop him. Honestly, he made me feel as if we had been life-long friends.”
“This next question is going to sound a little strange,” said Elise.
“This whole day has been strange, Elise,” the mayor said honestly. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this and I’m just blabbering on, but I guess it doesn’t matter. I mean, I’m the mayor, it’s not like this information is confidential.”
“I won’t share, pinky promise,” said Elise. “After your meetings with Cage Martin, did you ever feel sick? A headache? Upset stomach?”
“Not at all,” said Mayor Garver. His cell phone rang and the mayor looked at it briefly. “I’m sorry I have to take this.”
“No worries,” said Elise, “thanks for talking with me. I’ll see myself out.”
Elise rose and walked toward the front door. Dorothea hurried to her side. “Elise, you haven’t taken your truth spell off the mayor.”
“I know,” said Elise with a smirk. “I think it’s high time our politicians had to be honest, don’t you?”

Monday, December 16, 2019

December Birthstone

It is December! 
If you were Born this month you are a Tantalizing Turquoise!
Turquoise  " The Stone Of Guidance"
I blend the energy of the Heaven and Earth.  I am the shaman’s stone who heals the spirit, and induces wisdom, trust and kindness.



Turquoise History & Lore



Turquoise has long been a magical stone in the eyes of our Native Americans. It is said that after a long drought when rain finally came it melded with the Indians tears of joy to form the tranquilizing blue stone known as Turquoise, The Fallen Sky Stone.

This stone is found in it's beautiful Turquoise color, but also can be found in greens and light blues. For over 7000 year this intriguing stone has been thought to bring blessings, good fortune, protection and long life.

It's positive healing was so strong that the Native Americans believed that if you were wearing Turquoise and it cracked the stone had taken the blow that was meant for you.




Friday, December 13, 2019

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Part 16


Mayor Garver shook his head as sat back down.
“You’re hearing things old man,” he said to himself as he sat down behind the desk again.
Dorothea felt a tingle of nervous energy flow from the mayor and knew it was time to kick it up a notch. She might be in love with him, but she was loyal to Elise. Her job now was to haunt, the mayor could fall in love with her later.
She walked over to the bookcase and looked at the globe. There were so many places she longed to see. Maybe she and the mayor could travel the world together once they were entwined as spirits. She focused her energy on the globe and made it spin slowly.
The mayor looked over and she let out another audible giggle as his eyes widened. Mayor Garver slowly got to his feet and walk to the globe. Dorothea floated back so he would step through her. That was a sensation that would send shivers down both their spines and she absolutely hated it when people walked through her.
He held up hand above the globe as if trying to find a current of air that would explain why the globe had turned on its own. Dorothea glided to the desk and brushed a stack of papers with her hand, sending them floating through the air and giggled again as the mayor’s face turned as white as his hair.
Just as she was about to make a pencil swirl around on his desk a brisk knock pounded on the front door, making the mayor shout out in surprise.
“Coming!” he yelled as if his life depended on seeing another person at his door. “Coming!”
Dorothea followed him to the front door, hoping it was another founder to scare and was surprised to see Elise standing there. She couldn’t see Rosemary, but she could feel her presents. There was only one reason Rosemary would leave the library and that was because she had to.
“Mayor, good you’re home,” said Elise. “I was hoping we could talk about the innkeeper, Cage Martin.”
“Of course, please come in,” said the mayor a little too quickly and Dorothea giggled again knowing it was because he was too frightened to be alone. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” asked Elise, shooting her eyes in Dorothea’s direction with a look that plead Dorothea to stop for just a moment.
Mayor Garver shook his head. “Giggling. I keep hearing giggling.”
“Oh,” said Elise with a smile, “the Anderson kids are playing hide-and-seek around the neighborhood. I bet you heard them.”
“Yes, of course,” said the mayor looking a bit relieved.
Dorothea frowned. She was doing what Elise had asked of her and now Elise was making excuses for her haunting. Before she could do anything else thought, she felt a small tug on her sleeve and knew it was Rosemary gliding past her. Dorothea followed Rosemary’s trail into the small den where the mayor liked to watch TV as the mayor led Elise into his office.
“What’s going on?” Dorothea whispered.
“We think there’s a hunter in town,” said Rosemary, cutting right to the chase. “And he could kill us all!”

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Part 15


She shook the sad thought away. She couldn’t worry about other magical families losing their spell books right now. If she had a hunter in her town, then she needed to be prepared.
“Elise, you have to talk to me,” said Rosemary.
“No, she doesn’t,” said Ernest floating into the secret library. “If there’s a hunter here she needs to get rid of him and fast. He’ll kill her and us, so to speak, if she doesn’t do something.”
“Then why didn’t he kill us the other day when he was in here?” asked Rosemary. “We were all off-guard, it would have been easy for him.”
Roark jumped onto the shelf and growled letting Rosemary know that he had been very much on-guard.
“You’re both right,” said Elise. “I’ve gotten careless over the years. The spells around the valley have kept paranormal beings, aside from witches, away, but nothing that prohibits humans, whether they be hunters or not.”
She looked through her shelves hoping that one of the many in her collection would have some answers for her.
“Hunters come when you give them reason to,” she continued. “I haven’t given hunters reason to invade Apple Hill and neither have you three.” She pointed to Ernest and Rosemary. “Where’s Dorothea?”
“She went to the Garvers,” said Ernest, “to haunt.”
“Oh no,” said Elise, “if she goes all poltergeist on him now, the hunter will have a reason to hurt her.”
“We all know Dorothea only went over there to be closer to the mayor because she’s sweet on him,” said Ernest. “She wouldn’t give the hunter cause to salt her.”
“That’s the very problem,” said Elise nibbling on a fingernail. “We don’t know why he’s here, so we don’t know what cause he’ll need. He might just be looking for a single reason and we can’t let Dorothea’s crush on the mayor be that reason.” She looked at her books, then shook her head. “I’ll have to research his name later. For now, we can’t take the chance. I have to go to the mayor’s house and get Dorothea before it’s too late.”


Dorothea hoovered over Mayor Garver as he worked at his desk in his home office. She was careful to be quiet and to not let her full apparition show.
She had been a ghost long enough to know how her energy worked. She could disappear when she wanted and appear when she wanted. As she watched the mayor with his thick white hair, cherubic cheeks with just a hint of a glow, and his brow furrowed just a bit as he concentrated she had to fight the urge to show herself.
She just knew if he saw her, he’d be smitten too. They could love each other for a lifetime and then some. Once he passed they could haunt City Hall together and help Elise as she rid the town of the founders.
Dorothea felt a frown cross her mouth. Would Elise let Mayor Garver stay as a ghost? Would he even want to be a part of a curse that had driven his ancestors crazy for almost a century?
She wasn’t sure about the last part, but her heart told her if the mayor saw her, he’d love her, just as she loved him.
The thought of love made her giggle and she let it escape on the air so it could be heard by the mayor. He looked up with a start and hurried to the window. Dorothea giggled again, knowing he was looking outside for a source of the laughter.
Mayor Garver shook his head as sat back down.
“You’re hearing things old man,” he said to himself as he sat down behind the desk again.
Dorothea felt a tingle of nervous energy flow from the mayor and knew it was time to kick it up a notch. She might be in love with him, but she was loyal to Elise. Her job now was to haunt, the mayor could fall in love with her later.

Friday, December 6, 2019

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Part 14


“Were any of the other ladies who got a new color today descendants of the founding families?” asked Mrs. Welch.
“No,” Heather answered weakly.
Mrs. Welch folded her hands and said matter-of-factly. “It’s the curse.”
The town hall erupted in mummers and Elise overhead both the words “crazy” and “she’s got a point” running through the crowd.
“That’s an awful big smile for such an odd situation,” Cage whispered into her ear and Elise swallowed the large grin.
“I just find it amusing that she believes in curses,” stated Elise.
“Now, I find that amusing,” said Cage.
Elise furrowed her brows at the man. He was so strange and she didn’t like it. It was as if he could see right through her. It was as if he could tell she was a witch. Her mind floated to what Rosemary had said about Cage being a warlock. She leaned in a little closer, trying to catch a whiff of magic, but felt nothing. He didn’t seem to be a warlock. Her mind raced with possibilities until one barreled to the forefront.
Cage Martin was a hunter.


Chapter 5


“You can’t possibly believe he’s a hunter,” stated Rosemary.
Elise had hurried out of the town hall meeting as soon as Mayor Garver had banged the gavel and declared the meeting over due to insanity and gone straight to the library. She couldn’t blame him, after Mrs. Welch’s speech, there was not going back to the normal itinerary. As she had fled out the door, she could hear Mrs. Welch ordering the founding families to lock their doors through Halloween and if they were lucky, they might just live to tell about it.
Elise had scoffed at the notice. Of course they would live, but they just might not enjoy that life, which was the point of the curse. She wanted them gone, all of them, founding families or not.
“I do,” said Elise, as she walked behind the circulation desk and pressed a button. She then walked into the small sorting room and pushed on the wall. A secret door opened revealing another hundred or so books. This secret room held Elise’s treasured grimoire collection.
Of course, she had her family’s trusted spell book, but she also bought every authentic grimoire she could find in used bookstores and off the internet. The sad truth was the family heirlooms were often sold in ignorance. Elise held on to each book and cherished it, hoping the owners were want it returned someday to carry on their own family’s legacy. The sad truth was, very seldom did she get requests for the grimoires to be returned.
She shook the sad thought away. She couldn’t worry about other magical families losing their spell books right now. If she had a hunter in her town, then she needed to be prepared.
“Elise, you have to talk to me,” said Rosemary.
“No, she doesn’t,” said Ernest floating into the secret library. “If there’s a hunter here she needs to get rid of him and fast. He’ll kill her and us, so to speak, if she doesn’t do something.”
“Then why didn’t he kill us the other day when he was in here?” asked Rosemary. “We were all off-guard, it would have been easy for him.”

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Part 13


Mayor Garver cocked his head at Ms. Welch and Elise had to stifle her laughter.
“That’s odd.” Cage leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I can’t imagine poor Ms. Welch being too hot. Half the folks in here are wearing sweaters.”
Elise shrugged.
“All those in favor of a party?” stated the mayor and a chorus of yeas flooded the meeting room. “That’s settled, we’ll have it one week from today on Halloween night!”
“Well look at that,” said Cage, “a party in our honor. Although I have a feeling it’s not really a goodbye.”
Elise’s eyebrow rose. “I assure you it is.”
“You’re far too young to retire.”
“You’re far too young to assume things,” state Elise. “Now, hush, I’m trying to listen.”
Honestly she couldn’t have cared less what the mayor was talking about, something about retrieving the recycling bins that had blown into the thorn bushes the night before. She hated that her gale had affected the recycling, but it could’ve been worse. So a few of the town’s people got a little scraped up retrieving them. That was hardly life threatening.
The door to the town hall burst open as a young woman wearing a scarf around her head let out a wail as she entered. “Something must be done!”
“What on Earth is going on?” stated the mayor as he slammed his gavel on the podium. “Pammy Nelson explain yourself this instant.”
Mr. King’s granddaughter Heather came running in right behind Pammy. “I don’t know what happened. I used the same color I always use. I’ve been doing Pammy’s hair for years and this has never happened before.”
“Someone explain,” demanded Mayor Garver as Elise tried to look concerned. By the way Cage was glaring at her, she didn’t think she was pulling off a very convincing look.
Pammy let out another sob as she took off the scarf exposing a mound of fried, frayed, neon orange hair. The town hall gasped and Elise fought hard to control her laughter, but this time she was far from alone.
“It’s the curse!” Mrs. Welch cried out. “Mark my words this is just the beginning!”
Everyone gasped as Mrs. Welch fought to stand. “And it’s too danged hot in here. That’s also the curse!”
“There is no curse,” stated Mayor Garver.
“There is,” snapped Mrs. Welch, “it’s time and you know it. The Garvers, Welches, Myers, Kings, and Nelsons all had windows blown out during that gale last night. Anyone not related to the founding families have damage?”
No one answered, confirming Mrs. Welch’s suspecisions.
“Exactly,” she stated, “yesterday, I had to go swimming. I mean I had to. The only time I’m not burning up is when I’m in the pool.”
“But you enjoyed it,” countered Mr. King.
“Not the point,” said Mrs. Welch, “I admit I did enjoy it, but I don’t want to do it every waking moment and until yesterday I had no inclination to do it at all. And you,” she pointed to Mr. King. “Your palms started itching yesterday and haven’t stopped have they?”
Mr. King shrugged as he scratched his palm. “I’m sure I just got into some late season poison ivy or have an allergy to something.”
“Right,” said Mrs. Welch, not sounding a bit convinced. She looked toward Mr. King’s granddaughter. “Heather, how many colors have you done today?”
“Four,” stated Heather, “and they all turned out perfectly, except for Pammy’s. I must have gotten a tainted tube of coloring.”
“Tainted or not,” cried Pammy, “how am I supposed to compete in the Miss. Apple Hill beauty pageant with this burnt out orange hair. It’s not only a god-awful color, but it’s fried.”
“Were any of the other ladies who got a new color today descendants of the founding families?” asked Mrs. Welch.
“No,” Heather answered weakly.
Mrs. Welch folded her hands and said matter-of-factly. “It’s the curse.”