Page 43 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
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When Jasper hadn’t answeredthe door after three loud knocks within a ten-minute span, Violet was faced with a conundrum.
She hated to admit it, but she now shared Freddie’s concern. However, she absolutely, positivelywould notgo into his house uninvited again.
“So what now?” she said, then huffed out a breath in frustration. A rattling sound in the bushes made Violet jump. She watched, and just like before, out came the black cat with white paws. It strutted confidently now, the bandage on its front paw gone. But it had something firmly lodged in its mouth. Violet drew back, recoiling when she saw the long rodent tail and the small limp, unmoving body it was carrying.
“Ick.” The cat ignored her and moved toward the back of the house. Violet followed.
The wind was bitter and blustery, making her nose burn as she walked against it. When she reached the back of the house, the cat scurried off in between the orchard trees with its prize. Violet turned her attention to the garden door, which gaped open, quietly banging against the frame in the winter breeze.
Looks like we didn’t get this fixed yet.Technically, going into the backyard wasn’t the same as breaking into the house. She’d just have a peek into the kitchen and go from there—maybe call the local police.
The garden was exactly the same as before, but a little less sinister in the overcast daylight. As she focused on the double French doors, she tripped, forgetting about the small step there. But she caught herself, took a breath and moved closer to the house.
At first, she didn’t see anything. Just an empty, shadowy kitchen like always. But something on the floor caught her eye. She sucked in a breath, her mind bending and frantically trying to make sense of what she was looking at… What on Earthwasshe looking at? Was it even from Earth, or from some other planet or universe entirely? She was perplexed and shaken by it. As if in a trance, she reached up slowly and knocked against the glass, willing the form to move. When the thing twitched, Violet started. Her entire body shuddered with fear and unknowing.
Without thinking, she stepped back. Of course, she hadn’t remembered the small step there, so when she missed it completely, there was no opportunity to catch herself in the fall.
She tumbled backward, barely seeing the world sweep and turn from underneath her as she fell. She hit the ground cold and hard.
21
Then
The surrounding woods were silent aside from Jasper and Violet’s feet crunching twigs, gravel and underbrush as they walked along. The occasional call of a raven echoed across the sky. Violet looked up. The trees were tall and imposing in the late afternoon light, standing strong like nature’s guardians.
Jasper held her hand firmly, pulling her along. Determined.
“Jas, what are we doing? You know we’re not supposed to go to Poppy Bridge by ourselves.”
“Gloria made that rule when we were six. That was three years ago—”
“But still. And it’s getting late. Why right now?” The sun was already setting, pinkish and yellow with light streaming in between the thick tree trunks. The sky reminded her of cotton candy.
“I don’t know,” Jasper said, soldiering forward and gripping her hand tightly. “I just… I want us to go there again. It’s our favorite place, right?”
Violet nodded, keeping pace behind him with her eyes focused on the back of his head.
Jasper sighed. “Things are getting weird at home.”
“Is this because of the itching?” Violet asked. “You said your mom took you to the doctor, and they said that everything was fine. You even had tests done.”
“Yeah but it still hasn’t gone away. It’s getting worse and it feels like spiders are crawling all over the inside of my body. Dad is really quiet about it. He doesn’t sayanythingand just keeps looking at me like he’s about to cry. And Mom is freaking out. I—I don’t know what’s going on, but it doesn’t feel right.”
When the path opened up, Jasper stopped. Violet stood beside him, her eyes sweeping over the tall, yellowed, flowerless grass of the clearing. The trees seemed even darker here, lining the perimeter of the glade like an army closing in on its enemy. Now, it was totally silent. Violet’s heartbeat drummed in her ears, her breath shallow as it passed in and out through her mouth.
Jasper let go of her hand and walked to the arched stone bridge. It stood like a beacon, with a tiny stream of fresh water trickling underneath, winding its way through the clearing and then deep into the forest. Sometimes, the water didn’t even flow and the brook was dry. But with all the rain they’d had over the summer, it flowed smooth and steady.
At the top of the bridge, Jasper leaned with his palms against the side, looking over and into the narrow stream. Violet followed and stood with him.
“Where does it itch the most?” Violet asked.
“It’s just all over. It feels warm, too, but I can’t scratch it.”
Violet moved behind him, scratching her fingers against his shoulder blades. Then up to the tops of his shoulders before trailing down his spine. “MaybeIcan?”
Jasper laughed, squirming. “No, when you do it, it just tickles.” When she moved to his lower back, he wriggled a little more, hunching his shoulders. Violet smiled and looked up at the very dark swirls of his hair. She really wanted to put her fingers in it. Jasper’s hair was always so shiny and clean-looking, and his mother kept it very neat—but Violet dropped her hands. She shouldn’t mess that up, probably.
