JINGLE SPELLS
A CyberWitch Press Short Fiction Anthology
Copyright © 2015 Heather Marie Adkins
Published by CyberWitch Press LLC
Louisville, KY
cyberwitchpress.com
[email protected] First edition, published January 2016
Individual copyrights retained by original authors: Solstice Flames © J. Laslie / A Midwinter Manifestation © Sammi Cox / The Witch’s Shoes © Sidonia Rose / Molly © Brittany White / Holiday Dreams © K. Laslie / The Witch’s Brew © Heather Marie Adkins
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited.
Disclaimer: The persons, places, things, and otherwise animate or inanimate objects mentioned in these stories are figments of the authors’ imaginations. Any resemblance to anything or anyone living (or dead) is unintentional.
Cover Art by CyberWitch Press LLC
Stock Photo Credit: “Christmas tree from light vector background (merry)” © ponomarenko13
Interior book design by CyberWitch Press LLC
Stories Included in Jingle Spells
Title Page
Table of Contents
A Note From the Editor
Solstice Flames
Author J. Laslie
A Midwinter Manifestation
Author Sammi Cox
The Witch’s Shoes
Author Sidonia Rose
Molly
Author Brittany White
Holiday Dreams
Author K. Laslie
The Witch’s Brew
Author Heather Marie Adkins
About CyberWitch Press
A Note from the Editor
There is nothing quite so magical as the holiday season. Something about the crisp scent of winter in the air, mixed with heady cinnamon potpourri and Grandma’s cooking. Add a covering of snow and the winking of a thousand December stars, and you have the recipe for a real magical experience.
What could make it better but adding witches to the mix?
Jingle Spells is the inaugural book for CyberWitch Press Short Fiction Anthologies. Though shorter than the editor would have liked, it is nonetheless a feel-good collection of witchy tales set during the holidays. From a solstice witch hunt, to an imp ruining Christmas dinner; a sparkly pair of shoes holding one woman’s destiny, to a broken young woman unaware of the powers she possesses. Add a teenage boy who holds the fate of the world in his hands, and a nosy witch whose lattes solve a mystery, and you have Jingle Spells.
Sit back with a mug of steaming hot chocolate, light up the fireplace, and enjoy these six tales of magic, mayhem, and love.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Marie Adkins
Solstice Flames
J. Laslie
Present Day — December 20th
Anya Sutherland wasn’t sure how her life had taken such a wrong turn.
She sat huddled in the corner of her dark cell. The frigidness from the stone wall she rested against seeped through her thin shirt, chilling her to the bone. There would be no trial, no jury. She was to be executed tomorrow morning before the first rays of morning light touched the stake of her funeral pyre.
Even though it was December, rain gently fell outside the high window, intensifying the dank smell that already permeated the air. Anya wrapped her arms tighter around herself to fend off the cold. A shiver wracked her just as a peal of thunder rang through the air.
She wiped at the tears silently trailing down her cheeks. Her tangled black hair clung to her face and neck. She’d spent three days in this cell with minimal food and jeers from the guard on duty. She’d been labeled a witch. Two police officers had shown up at her house, questioned her mother, and then knocked Anya out. She’d wound up here. She could still hear the insults and chants slamming around inside her head.
Witch
Devil Worshipper
Freak
Burn, burn, BURN!
The town of Meade Harbour, Massachusetts still seemed to be living in the past. They had several archaic laws. One such law included the burning of witches, even though this was the twenty-first century. The law didn’t apply to an everyday pagan. This one was for the truly magical variety. Meade Harbour hadn’t had a witch burning since 1842. No one suspected magic was real.
That was until Anya.
She wouldn’t get to spend Christmas with her family. Her parents hadn’t been allowed to visit her at all. The last time they would see her on this earth would be while she had flames licking up the length of her delicate flesh.
Her soft, quiet sobs turned to mournful wails as she imagined over and over how her pending fate would feel tomorrow and how it would affect those she loved. The horrific noises coming from her echoed off the walls and carried down the hall to the guard.
He was happy to hear her misery. He thought she deserved it. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. She would burn for her crimes tomorrow, and the town would be free of her vileness. The town needed to be clean and pure before the holiday.
Two Weeks Ago
Anya woke to the sunrise peeking through her blinds. She cracked open one eyelid, greeted by hues of soft pinks and blues blending together. She immediately threw the covers aside and raced for her closet. Today was the day! Anya heard from Valerie, who heard it from Kim, that Heath Lockhart was going to ask her to the Holiday Dance on Friday.
Heath was, by far, the hottest guy in school, and he knew it. Anya had no idea why he would even remotely have her on his radar, but she wasn’t going to say no. It would be a dream come true, and every girl in school would be green with envy.
Every year, the school planned a huge, Christmas-themed dance before school let out for winter break. They strung green and red festive decorations. Christmas trees and candy canes littered the gymnasium. Meade Harbour High made more fuss out of this occasion than the homecoming dance.
Anya tossed clothes out of her closet haphazardly. Why did she not own anything cute enough to impress Heath? He would take one look at her and change his mind.
Her hands finally landed on a pair of skinny jeans in the back of her closet with the tags still on them. She yanked them from the hanger and gave them a once-over. She’d bought these over the summer when she went on a shopping spree with Valerie Hawthorne, her best friend, who clearly had better taste in clothing than she did. Valerie insisted Anya needed to buy them.
Anya wondered how that particular pair of jeans ended up in the back of the closet. She ripped the tags off and peeled the size sticker off the front, then pulled them on.
The jeans fit like a glove. She buttoned them up and let out a sigh of relief. The only thing she needed now was a fabulous top to wear. Recent days had been unseasonably warm, but the forecasted high today was only in the upper forties.
Venturing toward the front of her walk-in closet, she skimmed the sweaters that lined one side. Her hands hovered over a pale green, lightweight cardigan. Before she could change her mind, she yanked it off the hanger and pulled it on.
Satisfied with what she saw in the mirror, Anya grabbed a brush from her vanity and wandered into the bathroom to do damage control.
*
Anya had a unique relationship with her best friend. She provided Valerie with wild berry Pop-Tarts, and, in return, Valerie provided her with a ride to school. Anya’s parents couldn’t afford to get her a car just yet, so until then, she would hitch a ride.
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“Sooo…” Valerie drawled out. “Are you ready for Heath to ask you to the Holiday Dance?” Valerie bounced in her seat at the stop light. Her eyes glanced from the stop light to Anya and back, waiting not-so-patiently for an answer.
Anya twisted her hands in her lap. “I don’t know. Are you sure he’s going to ask me out? Surely, he was talking about another Anya. He had to be.” She felt like such a plain-Jane with her long, straight, black hair and blue eyes. There wasn’t anything exotic or fascinating about her. She wasn’t ugly, but she wasn’t pretty like Valerie.
“Anya, you’re the only one I know at our school with that name. Duh! Of course he’s talking about you!” Valerie turned her blinker on and executed a right turn into the school parking lot. She weaved around until she pulled into her assigned parking spot.
Color spread across Anya’s cheeks. Sure, she wanted Heath to ask her out, but she could picture how clumsy she would be when he asked and how bad a fool she’d make of herself. She’d probably stutter, or maybe fall down for no reason. How had her excitement turned to trepidation?
Both girls gathered their backpacks from the backseat and hurried toward school. Their high school used to be a government building that had been repurposed long ago. Tall, marble stairs led to several sets of double doors behind large columns.
Despite the imposing face of the building, it was small inside. Meade Harbour had an approximate population of twelve hundred people. The town didn’t need a large high school. The inside held twenty rooms to divide amongst the four grade levels, which worked well for the small town.
A rush of warm air slammed into Anya and Valerie as they stepped inside the school. The faculty always thought it was a great idea to turn the heat on in the school when it got down into the forties and fifties outside, sometimes turning the heat up a little too much.
“Ugh, I’m going to start wearing tank tops under my jacket instead of sweaters when I come to school,” Valerie said as they made their way to homeroom.
“That’s not a bad idea, actually. We could wear a tank top, hoodie, and then our jacket over that when it gets really cold outside. We’ll dress in layers and peel them off as needed. I wonder what our teachers would think of that. Think we’d get written up for indecent exposure?” Anya laughed as they took their seats.
“Gah, I’m burning up!” Valerie peeled her hoodie off to reveal a gray sweatshirt with the school mascot: a huge, black raven with Meade Harbour Ravens emblazoned above it. She threw her hoodie over the back of her chair.
“Ditto. It’s going to be a sweltering winter for us while we’re in school.” Anya pulled her own hoodie off. She curled her fingers around the edge of the desk and used her other hand to fan herself.
A cold sensation crept under the palm laid on the edge of the desk, and Anya jerked her hand away, holding in a yelp.
Three tiny snowflake patterns rested on the desktop.
She put her finger to one of them, and the snowflake melted under her touch. The two surrounding snowflakes melted from the heat radiating from her fingertip.
How strange!
Anya glanced at Valerie, who was oblivious to the event. She had to be losing her mind! It was way too hot in here for snowflakes to appear on the desk. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs. Maybe she’d been studying too hard, and her brain had become delusional from the flood of knowledge. That had to be it.
From the seat next to her, Devlin gave her a weird look, continuing to glower. Anya gawked back. She couldn’t help herself. He was the nerdy kid in elementary school. Not anymore. He’d definitely grown up, but he’d never said two words to her. Had he seen what happened?
Yikes!
“Yo, space cadet! Earth to Anya!” Valerie waved her hand in front of Anya’s face.
“Wha’? Huh?” Anya snapped out of crazy town and looked at Valerie.
“You okay? You don’t seem yourself this morning. First off, you weren’t excited about the prospect of Heath asking you out. Yesterday, you were this bubble of energy when I told you. Now, you’re spacing out before Mr. Hammond has even walked in to take roll.”
Anya chewed on her bottom lip. Valerie would think she was crazy if she told her about the snowflakes on her desk. She sighed. “No, I’m good. I guess I’m just having an off day. I chalk it up to too much studying this weekend.”
Mr. Hammond came in, saving Anya from Valerie’s reply. They sat patiently while he took roll, and then listened to the school announcements. The principal reiterated that Friday was the Holiday Dance and reminded the student body tickets would be on sale in the cafeteria each day this week.
Valerie gave Anya a sly look and winked. She leaned over and whispered, “You’re going to have so much fun with Heath at the dance.”
Anya smacked Valerie on the arm. “Hush!”
Mr. Hammond glared her way. She slinked down into her seat and stayed quiet the rest of the class.
*
Anya remained scattered and unfocused as she waited for lunch time. Heath had her same lunch block, which meant it would be the perfect time for him to ask her out. The bell for her third period class rang, and she bolted to the bathroom to check her hair and straighten her clothes.
Valerie stalked in behind her. “You’re not bailing, are you?”
“No! I’m just making sure I look okay. I don’t want him to take one look at me and go running for the hills.” Anya pulled a mini brush out of a side pocket in her backpack and ran it through her straight locks to get any tangles out.
“Okay, good, because before I came in here, I saw Heath walk into the lunchroom. Deep breath! You’ve got this!” Valerie clapped her on the shoulder and exited the bathroom.
Anya gave herself a mental pep talk and then proceeded toward the cafeteria. She joined the lunch line and took a couple calming breaths while she picked up a tray and selected several food items. She stalled next to the desserts.
I will not freak out. She repeated this in her head like a mantra.
Heath gently slid his tray up against hers and gave her a megawatt smile. “Hey,” he drawled.
“Hey,” Anya said with a breathy sigh. Not exactly the response she was looking for. Total genius move, right? She placed a chocolate chip cookie onto her tray and proceeded to the register to pay for her lunch.
Heath pushed his tray down the line behind her and paid. He caught up with her while she walked to a table and fell in step beside her. “So, about the dance on Friday.” He cleared his throat, and an awkward pause hung thick between them.
Anya sat her tray down at an empty table. Valerie was nowhere in sight. Figures, thought Anya.
Heath plopped down in the chair next to her, finally finishing his thought. “Do you maybe wanna go with me on Friday?”
So the rumors Valerie heard from others were true. Heat crept up Anya’s neck, and she was sure the blush reached her cheeks. She shyly turned toward him, trying to think of a more educated response than the one she’d said moments ago.
“I would love to, Heath.” She could talk in complete sentences around him. It was a miracle.
“Great!” He seemed surprised by her answer. Was he nervous she would say no? Who wouldn’t want to go out with Heath? He couldn’t be the self-conscious type. He was always so self-assured and ready to take on the world.
Anya found herself at a loss for words. The oppressive air in the cafeteria clogged up her lungs. She hadn’t realized how hard she was clutching the lunch tray. She pulled her hands into her lap and gave Heath a smile. “So…”
“Soooo, I’ll see you on Friday? My shirt and tie are green if you’d like to wear something that matches. I’ll pick you up at seven o’clock that day, okay? Sound good?” Heath wiped his hands on his pants nervously, then reached for his tray.
“Sure thing! I think I might, um, have something that will match.”
“Good, good,” Heath said, more to himself. “See you then!” He stood and carried his tray over to the
table where all of his friends sat.
Anya’s heart thudded heavily in her chest. She couldn’t believe Heath Lockhart actually asked her out. She’d had a crush on him since the third grade but never had the nerve to really talk to him. He appeared just as nervous as her. Maybe he wasn’t used to talking to girls? Anya had never seen him with a girlfriend around school. He hung out with the popular people but never with anyone.
She couldn’t hide the smile that spread across her face as she picked up her milk carton and opened it, taking a sip. She looked up as Valerie took the seat across from her.
Valerie leaned over conspiratorially, pitching her voice low. “How did it go? Did he ask you? I’d say by the smile that’s plastered across your face, it’s a yes!”
Anya nodded, and Valerie let out a squeal that could be heard two states over.
Anya covered her ears and shushed her. “You’re going to embarrass me! He’s only a couple tables over, and you’re making a scene. Calm down.” She gazed down in embarrassment, her cheeks blossoming to a lovely shade of red. That’s when she noticed a thumb print on the side of her tray in the same place she had gripped it while talking to Heath.
She leaned down to inspect the print closer. It looked like her finger had melted through the plastic of the lunch tray, but that couldn’t be possible. She ran her thumb over the indention identical to her fingerprint.
“What are you looking at?” Valerie questioned. Her eyebrows scrunched together, and she leaned closer.
“Nothing,” Anya quipped. “I just thought I saw some dirt on the side of my tray. I’m definitely not hungry after that.” The lie left her lips easily as she stood up and took her tray to the trash. Strange things were happening, and she wasn’t sure how to explain it.
As Anya turned to head toward the exit, she caught Devlin watching her intently. That was twice today. His gaze followed her all the way to the door.
*
The week flew by, and before Anya knew it, it was the day of the dance.
Her mom had taken her shopping on Wednesday to pick out a shimmery, green dress at one of the local shops. She wasn’t sure it would fit her, but her mom had insisted she try it on.
Once Anya had the dress on, and her mom stepped into the dressing room to zip up the back, she stared in awe at herself. She turned this way and that, checking out her reflection in the three mirrors angled around her. The material caught the light and made her seem otherworldly. The dress was perfect, as if made just for her. She’d exclaimed to her mom how amazing the dress was, and her mother didn’t think twice before buying it.