Legend of Witchtrot Road

chapter 6

I survived the remainder of my classes by fantasizing about the long, hot bath I was going to take as soon as I got home. Missing my morning shower had made me feel icky al day and the afternoon school abduction left me feeling violated and dirty. I felt contaminated by the J-team’s negativity. Being dragged through grimy supply rooms didn’t help. I don’t think the school washed those floors.

Ever.

It seemed weird to go back to class as if nothing had happened. I would have loved getting the J-team in trouble, but we didn’t report the incident to the school faculty. After the events of homecoming and Samhain we had al agreed to lay low until graduation. Discovery of our paranormal double-lives could be disastrous. Unfortunately today’s kidnapping had the potential to attract a ton of scrutiny, so I spent my final classes trying to act like I hadn’t just spent a half hour at the mercy of the school’s meanest, cruelest psychopaths. It was hard to push away my stil -raw feelings of hurt and anger, but I held onto the blissful dream of sliding into a scalding hot bubble bath.

When school final y ended, Cal walked me to the parking lot, but it was Emma who drove me home. I think they both knew that I was at my breaking point. Simon was also there in the distance. He nodded to Cal and continued his surveil ance of the school grounds without coming closer. I felt like someone had stamped ‘handle with care’

on my forehead. My friends were treating me like I was made of glass. Normal y that would have irritated me, but I was too worn out for anger. There had been too much anger already. Al I wanted now was to feel clean and safe.

Cal helped me into the passenger seat of Emma’s car and kissed my forehead. He slung my school bag into the back seat. I hadn’t even realized that he had been carrying it. Maybe I was a little out of it.

“I’m just a phone cal away,” Cal said, reaching in to squeeze my hand.

“I know,” I said. “1-800-Dial-A-Wolf. Who needs a cel phone when you can communicate by wolf spirit?”

“Actual y, I’m curious about how you managed that, but it can wait,” Cal said. He grinned, but his blue eyes looked worried. “We can talk about it when you’ve had a chance to recover.”

“Recover?” I said. “You make it sound like I’ve been through a major trauma or something. I’m okay, real y. I’m just tired.”

Why was everyone so worried? Today was scary, but we’d been through crazy stuff before. I mean, I might have a mild Bunsen burner phobia now, but the school year was already half over and then I’d never have to see one again.

No big.

“Sweetie, you have been through a trauma,” Emma said. “You probably just haven’t realized it yet. Let’s get you home.”

Wel , I was real y tired. My eyelids had gone on strike and were closing early. Maybe I should just go home and get some sleep.

“Okay,” I said. I turned to Cal who stroked my cheek through the open window. I pressed my face into his hand and breathed in his wonderful wet dog and sunshine scent.

He smel ed of love and happiness. The touch of his hand was like returning home. “Love you.”

“Love you more,” Cal said. “Sweet dreams, Princess.” Emma drove me home without saying a word. No curious questions about my abduction. It was unlike her to stay so quiet, but it was kind of a relief. I didn’t want to think about my day and al of the terrible what might have beens.

When we reached my house, Emma seemed to instinctively sense my vulnerability and fol owed me inside and up the stairs to my room. She went into my smal bathroom and turned on the tap. I could hear her opening the bath salts and knew she was adding scoops of scented salts to my bathwater. Emma always knew what I needed most. It was amazing that I was the psychic one in our friendship.

I gathered my softest pajamas into my arms and joined her in the bathroom. The smel of the bath nearly blocked out the smel impressions that had been plaguing me al day. I was grateful for that.

“You roxors my socxors,” I said, smiling.

“Girl, get in the tub,” Emma said.

“I stink,” I said.

I started to giggle. Emma went to sit in the doorway facing out into my bedroom. My own personal bodyguard.

It wasn’t like I was real y worried that someone would try to break into my bedroom and bathroom, but the gesture made me feel safe. I slid into the hot, sudsy tub and my giggles turned to sniffles. It wasn’t long before my sniffles grew into sobs.

Emma let me cry it al out. She was good like that. No words could have made me feel better. I just needed the tears and bath water to wash al of the pain and fear away.

After a long soak and a good cry, I was final y fabulously, gloriously clean.

“There are fresh towels on the rack behind you,” Emma said.

She hadn’t turned around so she must have guessed I was done by the lack of crying. No condemnation for being a crybaby or drama queen. Emma real y was the best. I wrapped myself up in the towels and got out of the tub on shaky legs. Putting on my pajamas took longer than usual.

My shoulders and wrists were bruised and it felt like I was moving through quicksand. When I was final y dressed, I walked up behind Emma and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Thanks,” I said. “You are made of awesome.”

“I know,” Emma said.

She helped me into bed, but didn’t leave. Once I was tucked in, she climbed onto the bed and held the comforter around me like a shield to protect me from scary dreams and evil jocks.

“You’re the best,” I whispered.

“You already said that,” Emma whispered back.

“Nope, I said you were made of awesome,” I said.

“Good night, Yuki,” Emma said.

“Good night,” I mumbled.



*****

I woke up feeling stiff and sore. Sun was streaming through the window and for one panicked moment, I thought I had overslept. I turned to my Edgar Al an Poe calendar and let out a sigh of relief. Oh yeah, today’s not a school day. My school worries were quickly replaced by confusion. Where the heck was Emma? Maybe she was in the bathroom?

“Emma?” I croaked.

There was no answer from the bathroom or anywhere else. Weird.

I went to my closet to find a row of empty metal hangars that jangled as they swayed into each other like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. Oh, right, laundry. I closed the closet doors and turned to scoop up piles of dirty clothes and place them in the overflowing hamper.

I opened my bedroom door and flicked on the hal light.

No sign of Emma, or my parents. The hal was empty and the house was silent as the grave. It wasn’t unusual for the rents to be at work early on Saturday morning, but I was stil perplexed by Emma’s disappearance. Emma was here when I fel asleep. Hadn’t she stayed the night?

Stepping back into my room, I lifted the overstuffed clothes hamper and trudged down the stairs. I went to the laundry room and fil ed the washing machine with dirty clothes and soap. Fortunately for me, my laundry was al the same color. Wearing al black definitely simplified the task of sorting laundry. Easy peasy.

I dragged myself into the kitchen, bare feet squeaking against the cold linoleum tile floor. Maybe things would make more sense after coffee. Something on the table caught my eye and I made a detour to check it out. A black paper origami cat crouched on the edge of a penciled note from my mom.

Your father and I had to go to work, but please call us if you are still feeling sick. Emma told us about your migraine yesterday and said to let you sleep in. She is such a sweetheart. You have a good friend there. Emma was worried about you, but had to leave early to work the morning shift at the animal shelter. She said that she would call you on her lunch break.

Gordy also stopped by and left this little black cat for you. What a nice boy. He said he hoped it would cheer you up.

Are you sure you’re okay, sweetie? You’ve been getting a lot of migraines lately. I blame your father’s mother. You never met Grandma Stennings, but she always suffered terrible headaches. Maybe your father can remember what remedies she used.

Hope you are able to get some rest and enjoy this lovely sunny Saturday. Perhaps Calvin will come over to check on you?

Love,

Mom

Gordy stopped by? I hope he didn’t run into Emma.

That would have been majorly awkward. I fingered the origami cat and decided to make thank you cards for my friends while waiting for the laundry to wash and coffee to brew. Today was going to be a good day. I could feel it in my bones.



*****

I cal ed Cal around noon hoping that we could hang out and maybe do some reconnaissance of Witchtrot Road.

Something fishy was going on surrounding Dylan’s death and I was sick of being blamed for it. Maybe we could uncover something before I had to return to school on Monday. A girl can hope, right?

“Hel o?” Cal answered.

He sounded flustered and his voice was muffled.

“Cal?” I asked. “Is everything okay? I can barely hear you.”

Something crashed and Cal let out a low growl.

“Stop, now!” Cal ordered. “Nobody move. Simon, that means you too.” Cal let out a huge sigh. “Sorry, Yuki, I don’t mean you. I’ve been trying to keep these two from kil ing each other and it’s not working.”

“Are they fighting?” I asked.

“Always,” Cal said. “The crashing was actual y an attempt to get them to work together. I asked Simon and Gabriel to help me clean the cabin—which they are trying to accomplish by throwing furniture at each other. I don’t think the cabin wil survive much more of this.”

“Anything I can do to help?” I asked.

“Not after yesterday,” Cal said softly.

Cal was stil worried about me. His soothing voice was like a warm embrace. I closed my eyes and pictured his strong arms wrapped around me. Yesterday was horrible, but I couldn’t live my life in fear.

“I’m fine, real y,” I said. “If I just sit here, alone al day, I’l go crazy.

“Wel …” Cal began.

“Come on, spil ,” I said. “Anything I can do to help is better than hanging around an empty house.”

“Okay, but you’re not going to like it,” Cal said, final y giving in.

Cal was right. I didn’t like it. Not at all.



*****

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday and I was spending it sitting beside a sulking werewolf. I definitely drew the short straw. How did I end up babysitting The Brat?

When I asked Cal if there was anything I could do to help keep Simon and Gabriel from kil ing each other, I hadn’t expected to be put on Gabe duty. No, I was thinking more like distracting them with pizza or ice cream.

Unfortunately, things had escalated since yesterday and tempers had gone from fiery to nuclear.

According to Cal, Gabriel had confronted him regarding Simon’s status as pack Lieutenant. Apparently he wasn’t too happy about Simon’s new role as Cal’s second in command. Gabriel wanted to chal enge Simon to some kind of werewolf deathmatch—a duel fought with tooth and claw, rather than guns and bul ets.

Cal needed to spend the day going over pack law with Simon. They both wanted to come up with an alternative.

Simon may not like Gabriel, but he wasn’t thril ed with the idea of fighting his dead girlfriend’s kid brother. Cal also wanted to avoid unnecessary death and injury.

Cal cared about every member of his pack and wanted to change some of the old ways, but was wise enough to know that too much change too soon could cause more harm than good. Cal needed to find a solution that demonstrated respect for the old ways while working to change pack law. He may have been born with the Alpha wolf spirit, but it didn’t guarantee that others would fol ow his leadership. Cal couldn’t risk turning some of the more conservative pack members against him. If that happened, he could lose the pack…and his life.

So I ended up babysitting The Brat. Oh, joy.

“I don’t want to go to a library,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel sat in the driver’s seat of his SUV with his arms crossed over his chest. He was sulking again. No surprises there. His parents probably spoiled him after his sister Meredith died. Gabriel acted like a bratty little kid most of the time. He had sulked the entire way to the library and now that we were parked on the road out front, he was grumbling about smel y library books. The Brat never stopped complaining. Ever.

“Library books do not smel like old cheese and feet,” I said stubbornly.

Okay, actual y some of the older books did smel like ripe cheese, I had made the same observation to Emma more than once, but I needed to salvage what I could of the day. I had to find information on the history of Witchtrot Road before the J-team tried something again. Plus, a trip to the library seemed the most likely way to get Gabriel to quit bel yaching. If he didn’t stop whining, I was going to rat him out to the librarians myself. His sensitive werewolf nose would just have to deal. It wasn’t like I was complaining about smel ing ghosts.

“Can’t we go visit Emma instead?” Gabriel asked.

“No way, she’s at work,” I said. “Why would you want to go visit Emma? You hardly even know her.”

“Her golden hair is like gossamer strands of corn silk,” Gabriel said.

“Wow, that’s real y poetic,” I said.

“Thank you,” Gabriel said. “I’ve been practicing for when I propose to her.”

“What?” I asked. I was draining the last of my latte and nearly choked. “Propose?”

Maybe the word meant something different where Gabe was from?

“Of course,” Gabriel said. “When I ask Emma to be my mate.”

It was a good thing I had cast my coffee cup aside. I stil gagged a little. Gabriel and Emma? No way. It just wasn’t happening. Emma would never date a spoiled rich kid who drove a gas guzzling, planet kil ing Hummer.

“Have you bothered to see if she even likes you first?” I asked.

“I wil make her like me,” Gabriel said.

I couldn’t believe this guy. Was he for real? He was total y crushing on the wrong girl. No one ever made Emma do anything. Gabriel might be a werewolf, but Emma would eat him for breakfast. Wel , you know, if she wasn’t a vegan and everything.

“Um, yeah, good luck with that,” I muttered. “Let’s go inside.”

I real y needed to get out of Gabriel’s SUV and into the library where I hopeful y wouldn’t have to hear him speak.

His smug voice was making me queasy. Ugh. There was no way this spoiled brat was going to date my BFF.

I climbed out of the Hummer, trying not to fal to my death, and raced up the library steps. Gabriel continued to complain about going to a library. He made it sound like the lamest most boring place ever. I hoped he protested like that in front of Emma. She adored libraries and thought that research was exciting. I waited impatiently as Gabriel trudged up the stone steps, hands thrust sul enly in his jacket pockets.

When he final y reached the top, I shook my head and opened the door for him. Babies first. Gabriel didn’t even acknowledge me standing there holding the door. In fact, he acted like people always did this for him. Maybe they did. It total y wouldn’t surprise me to find out that Gabriel had servants at home waiting on him hand and foot. It would explain a lot.

Katie was working at the front information desk. Cool.

She had been the one to tel me about the curse of Witchrot Road and the events that gave the road its name. Maybe she could help me locate books about the road’s history.

“You wait here,” I said to Gabriel.

I didn’t stick around to see if he obeyed. How much trouble could he get into in a public library?

“Hi Katie,” I said. I made an attempt to smile, though my face always ached in sympathy when I looked at Katie’s permagrin. “Do you have a minute?”

“You remembered my name!” Katie said. “You have, like, no idea how happy that makes me, Yuki. So what can I do to help?”

Katie always ran her words together in a way that made me feel breathless and left my head spinning. How could someone have that much energy and enthusiasm? I couldn’t help examining her desk for evidence of caffeine, but, of course, the librarians didn’t al ow coffee or soda in the workplace.

Cal had once told me his theory of energy vampires—

people who sucked the energy from other people’s auras—

and I wondered if that was how Katie maintained her level of intensity. It just wasn’t natural.

“Um, yeah, I was hoping you could help me find some books about that curse you were tel ing me about,” I said.

“Maybe some history books that tel more about the local man who was accused of witchcraft?”

“Oh yes, I am sure I can find something,” Katie said.

“Are you and your friend going to be working upstairs in your usual spot?”

“Yeah, should we wait up there?” I asked.

“Yes, go on up and I’l bring your books up in a jiffy!” Katie said.

A jiffy? Who says that? Katie was already rushing off into the stacks so I walked over to where Gabriel was standing. He was staring intently at Katie’s receding form.

With a quick flip of her red hair, Katie disappeared behind a row of shelving.

“Come on, Loverboy,” I said. “Let’s go wait upstairs.”

“Loverboy?” Gabriel asked.

“Wel , you are staring at Katie like you’ve never seen a girl before,” I said, heading up the first flight of stairs.

“No, I only have eyes for Emma,” Gabriel said. “It’s just that that girl never blinked once the entire time you were talking to her. Is that a human thing?” Nope, it’s just a Katie thing.

I just sighed and shrugged, leading the way to the study area. Explaining human girls to Gabriel was not how I was going to spend my day. Plus, I real y didn’t have an explanation. I was always pretty baffled by Katie.



*****

We waited nearly twenty minutes before I began to worry. What if Katie fel or fainted in the stacks? She could be lying under a col apsed bookcase, buried by a mountain of dusty books, as we sat doing nothing.

“I’l go see what’s taking her so long,” I said. “Maybe she needs some help carrying the books up.” Gabriel just gave me a pouty look and turned away. He was stil mad about being at the library and had asked repeatedly if we could just leave and visit Emma. After saying no a gazil ion times, we had final y reached the silent treatment phase. Fine by me.

I found Katie in the local history section…kissing a boy. Her frizzy red hair was unmistakable and for a moment I wondered snarkily if she smiled while kissing.

The boy looked familiar, but I couldn’t see his face…for obvious reasons. He had a slight build and was wearing dark, tight-fitted jeans with Converse sneakers and a “Pugs Not Drugs” t-shirt. I only knew one person with that shirt.

“Gordy?” I asked. “Is that you?”

It just slipped out. I swear. I raised my hand to my mouth as though I could push the words back in.

The couple broke apart to reveal a red faced Katie and a slightly embarrassed Gordy.

“Oh, Yuki, I forgot about your books,” Katie said. “I got distracted. Gordy can be really distracting.”

“That’s okay,” I said. “I just started to worry that maybe you fel off a ladder or something. It’s cool. I can go find the books myself.”

“No way, that’s my job,” Katie chirped. Her face was flushed and she was overflowing with enthusiasm. Maybe she real y was an energy vampire. “I’l bring your books right up. See you later, Gordy.”

Katie said the last with a wave and a smile that made her dimples show.

Gordy stared intently at the floor and smoothed his asymmetric side-swept bangs down over his eyes. I recognized it as a nervous gesture. It was kind of sil y, since Gordy’s bangs were only long enough to hide behind on one side. I cleared my throat and tried to think of what I could possibly say to ease the tension.

“So that was awkward,” I said. Might as wel be direct.

“Sorry to interrupt. I real y was worried about Katie. She’s nice by the way.”

“Yeah, she is,” Gordy said, pushing his bangs out of his eye. “I didn’t realize you two knew each other. Katie doesn’t have a lot of friends from school.”

“Wel , we’re not friends exactly, but we both spend a lot of time here at the library,” I said. “Is this where you two met?”

“We met in Group,” Gordy said, looking even more embarrassed. “I missed some school after the Emma break-up and the school counselor put me in group therapy. Katie was there because she used to struggle a lot with an eating disorder.”

“Wow, I had no idea,” I said.

“We’re al pretty secretive about Group,” Gordy said.

“It’s not real y something we want everyone to know.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tel anyone,” I said. “Cross my heart.”

“I’m not worried about you knowing,” Gordy said. “I should have told you sooner.”

“So are you guys dating?” I asked.

“I guess so,” Gordy said. “We were just hanging out as friends at first, but when she found out I was into anime and manga she told me about the library’s manga and graphic novel section. I started coming by a lot more after that.

Today was the first time we kissed though.”

“I feel like the biggest jerk,” I groaned.

“No, you just have real y bad timing,” Gordy said, grinning.

“Speaking of timing, I real y have to motor,” I said. “I’m supposed to be babysitting this kid from out of town. Catch up with you and Katie later? Maybe you can show me the manga selection after school this week.”

“That would be awesome,” Gordy said. “And Yuki…”

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Be careful,” Gordy said. “I know you think you’re invincible like the chick in Ghost in the Shel , and most of the time you are, but the J-team real y have it out for you.”

“Thanks Gordy,” I said. “Oh, here.” I pul ed an envelope covered in colorful drawings from my backpack.

“Thank you for yesterday. See you Monday!” I left Gordy holding the construction paper thank you card and walked quickly to the second floor where I had left Gabriel. I just hoped that he was stil there.

I needn’t have worried. Gabriel was sitting exactly where I left him, fast asleep. With his cherubic face relaxed in sleep, a line of drool trickling down his chin, Gabriel looked innocent and peaceful. Too bad he wouldn’t stay that way.

A stack of books rested on the table beside Gabriel, with a sticky note smiley face on top. Definitely the work of Katie. Even her notes smiled painful y.

Now that I knew a little bit about her past I could understand Katie’s desire to appear happy al the time.

When you had a problem like an eating disorder, you might get better, but your friends and family would always be watching with an eagle eye wondering if you’re starting to slip. They did it out of love, I understood that, but that kind of pressure could explain Katie’s constant need to please everyone.

It used to bother me that Katie tried so hard. I was al about being yourself and not worrying about what others thought, but now I knew that in Katie’s case she wasn’t doing it to be popular. She was trying to avoid making the people who cared about her worry. That was something I could completely relate to. When your friends knew that ghosts haunted you, they had a tendency to worry.

I slid the books across the table, careful not to wake Gabriel. Most of the books were histories of the Salem Witch Trials. Katie had also located a sheaf of documents that, according to the attached note, were the property of the Berwick Historical Society, but were temporarily in residence at the Wakefield Public Library while the other organization’s building underwent repairs. The papers were yel owed and dusty, and yes they did in fact smel like cheese, but I stifled a sneeze and set to work.