Friday, April 17, 2020

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Epilogue


Epilogue


Thanksgiving
Elise walked up the walk to the Badger Hill Bed and Breakfast with a pumpkin pie in her hand and Roark on her shoulder. Rosemary, Dorothea, and Ernest followed behind her.
“That pumpkin pie smells divine,” said Dorothea.
“You think all food smells divine,” snapped Ernest. “We can’t even smell.”
“Of course, it does,” said Rosemary, “and I’m sure Dorothea is remembering the way food smelled when she was alive. Don’t be such a grump. This is the first community Thanksgiving dinner we’ve ever been invited to and you best mind your manners.”
Elise smiled as she heard the giddiness in Rosemary’s tone. The townspeople had insisted Rosemary, Dorothea, and Ernest stop hiding themselves now that the secret was out that they knew about Elise and her ghost-y friends the whole time.
Cage walked out the front door and smiled at his guests. “Hello, friends! Thanks for coming.”
As Elise stepped up onto the porch Roark crawled out of her pocket and scrambled up onto her shoulder. He crouched down and let out a low growl at Cage.
Cage furrowed his brow and growled back. Elise fought the urge to step back. She thought Roark and Cage had put their differences aside. She felt her fingers tingle, thinking of a spell to defuse the situation. Then Cage broke into a smile and she could fell her spider friend vibrating as if chuckling.
Cage held his hand out close to Roark as if waiting for a high five and the spider lifted a large leg and gave it a slap.
“You two,” said Elise shaking her head.
“Come on in,” said Cage. He opened the door for Elise and she was pleased to see him continue to hold the door open for Rosemary, Dorothea, and Ernest, even though he knew they could walk through it, and greeted each one by name. She thought she heard Dorothea giggle when Cage thanked her for coming. Even Ernest mumbled a, “Thanks for having us” after being greeted.
“Hello,” said Elise as she saw Ms. Welch, Mr. King, Mayor Garver, Pammy and her family, already seated in the living room having a sip of wine. They returned her greetings with hellos of their own.
“How is Heather?” asked Elise. The spell that Elise had put on Heather, meant that even though the townspeople knew what happened with the Mozath, Paul Campbell, and Elise being a witch, it was all still new to her.
“She’s poured herself into books and keeps asking me what’s real and what’s not,” said Mr. King. “She’ll be over soon and I’m sure she’ll pepper you with questions, even though I’ve told her not to.”
Elise smiled. “I’ll answer them as best as I can, but not even I know what all is real and what comes from the power of the imagination. It’s such a clever thing, that imagination.” She gave Mr. King a wink.
Cage came in behind the ghosts and rubbed his hands together. “The turkey should be ready any moment.”
As if on cue the smoke alarm in the kitchen started to screech. Cage’s eyes widened as he rushed toward the sound. Elise followed, stopping momentarily to place her pie on the table. She walked into the kitchen just in time to see Cage pull out a black turkey as smoke billowed from the oven.
She waved her hand in front of her face and stifled a chuckle as she pointed at the smoke detector. It shut off as she wiggled her finger. Cage sat the bird on the table waving his pot holders over it, as if that would somehow salvage the main course.
Elise hurried to the windows and opened them, then wiggled again at the smoke as if enticing it toward the open windows and out of the kitchen.
“Gosh darn it!” snapped Cage, glaring at the bird. “I was sure that oven was fixed.”
“Probably a problem with the thermostat,” said Mr. King from the doorway. “Don’t worry, we have plenty of food.”
“But we need turkey,” said Cage, sounding defeated. “I was really looking forward to the whole Thanksgiving experience, now I’ve ruined it.”
“Nothing is ruined,” said Elise, with a coy smile.
“Do you not see this turkey?” asked Cage.
Elise twirled her fingers around her back and quickly imagined a golden, juicy turkey cooked to perfection. “Looks fine to me.”
“Are you blind?” asked Cage throwing his hands up in the air, “it’s completely bur…” He looked down. “What did you do?”
Elise shrugged. “Magic. I am a witch after all.”
The End

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