Page 23 of A Silenced Midlife

"Looks like it. Any suggestions?"

"Can't go wrong with spaghetti," he offered with a shrug.

"Spaghetti it is, then." I chuckled, thinking that might just be the easiest route.

"Have a great day, ma’am," he said, handing over the receipt.

"Thanks, you too." So wonderfully mundane.

I grabbed the bags, the plastic handles cutting slightly into my palms.

"See you next time!" he called after me as I headed for the exit.

Stepping out into the bright daylight, I balanced the grocery bags in my arms, planning tonight's spaghetti in my head. The parking lot was full of people heading to and from their cars.

"Oof." The air whooshed out of me as a body slammed into mine, sending apples and bread sprawling across the asphalt as my bags went flying. "What on earth—" My annoyance vaporized when I saw a man's face contorted in agony.

"Help me... I can't stop it," he gasped, clutching at my shirt with trembling hands.

"Stop what?" But before the question fully left my lips, his body convulsed, bones popping and clothes tearing. Within moments, where a man once stood, now crouched a massive gorilla, letting out a guttural roar.

"Back up, everyone!" I shouted. People scattered in all directions, carts abandoned, children crying. And through the chaos, one thought hammered in my brain: What about the tourists?

"Hey, stay calm, please!" I tried again, but the pandemonium had its own momentum. "It's just—" But there was no use; the sight of a gorilla where a man used to be was too much, even for Shipton folks who now knew about magic.

"Okay, buddy, let's tone it down a notch," I muttered, reaching out to the gorilla with both hands. My fingers tingled as I pulled at the wild magic swirling around him like a tornado. With a few sharp tugs, the magic snapped back, and so did the man, now stark naked in the middle of the parking lot.

"Ah." He widened his eyes in horror for a moment before he clamped a hand over his privates and sprinted toward a beat-up sedan. He fumbled with the door handle, threw himself inside, and took off with tires screeching, leaving nothing but a cloud of exhaust and bewildered onlookers.

I couldn't help it. Laughter bubbled up from my chest, loud and uncontrollable. "Did you guys see that?" I gasped between fits of giggles, waving everyone closer. "Wasn't that a great PR stunt? There's a new costume shop going to open on Main Street."

"Ha, yeah, that was fantastic!" A familiar face joined in, winking at me. She’d been at the house when we had explained all about magic. "Man, was my freak-out believable?"

"You totally sold it," I said, still chuckling.

The crowd began to murmur, their tension easing into curiosity and amusement. "I can't believe how real that looked." one tourist exclaimed, shaking her head in amazement.

"That's Shipton for you," I said with a grin, shrugging nonchalantly. "You never know what'll happen around here. Its why people love vacationing in this town."

"Best vacation ever!" another tourist called out, and the crowd laughed, their earlier fear forgotten in the wake of a good story to tell back home.

"Here, let me help you with those," a kind voice offered as I knelt to gather my scattered groceries. Hands reached out from several directions, passing me cans and boxes until everything was back in the bags.

"Thanks," I muttered, my smile tight. As they nodded and moved on, relief washed over me. At least the immediate crisis was handled without too much fuss, but the frustration simmered beneath the surface like a storm brewing.

This had been the fourth, no, maybe the fifth incident in a few days. This was getting old, fast.

I stalked back to my car, Dia, bags swinging heavily at my sides. My anger grew as I drove home. The front door slammed behind me louder than I intended as I stepped into the kitchen.

"Whoa," Drew said, looking up from strapping his gun belt on. "Everything okay?"

"Call Mayor Brown. Tell him we’re having a meeting at the police station in one hour." My words were clipped, my tone brooking no argument.

"Okay..." Drew pulled out his phone, concern etched on his face. "What happened?"

"Another magic outburst at the store. A shifter this time."

"Damn. Did anyone get hurt?"

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