I selected a few small gourds and began carving faces. When my mom padded into the kitchen an hour later I was putting on the finishing touches.
“You’re up early sweetie,” she said, stifling a yawn. “Big day at school?”
“Halloween art project,” I replied. “I kind of forgot about it until last minute. Hope you don’t mind I used some of your gourds,” I said gesturing to the nearly empty bowl. “I’ll buy some new ones today after school. I promise.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” she said, waving her hand in the air. “I’m just glad someone gets to enjoy them. We’re hardly ever home lately anyway.”
“Thanks mom,” I said. “Want me to put the coffee on?
“That sounds lovely, but first what is the dark green one supposed to be?” she asked. “A spider?”
“Yeah,” I answered excitedly. “Look, I made a little harness so he can sit on my shoulder. See, like this. His legs dangle and bounce around. Isn’t he cute?”
“He’s adorable,” she said, smiling. “Now where’s that coffee?”
“Coming right up!” I said.
I wore my spider the entire time and purposefully made the legs bounce and swing around as I reached for the mugs and ground the beans, which made my mom laugh. It looked like my little friend really could scare away evil spirits. Things seemed brighter already.
Chapter 7
October 22nd
I was putting the finishing touches on my ensemble when I heard the crunch of gravel announcing Calvin’s arrival. Checking in the mirror I was pleased with the overall look. I had added white face powder to my already pale complexion and lots of black eyeliner to frame my eyes. I was wearing all black and my spider gourd was perched on my shoulder. I also had a little white pumpkin which I carved to look like a ghost. Before leaving for work my mom had threaded a black ribbon through two holes carved on the sides so I could carry it like a purse. A little battery votive candle flickered inside making its eyes shift back and forth. I felt ridiculously happy as I skipped down the stairs and out to Calvin’s truck.
I climbed into the passenger seat careful not to jostle my spider. Cal looked at me quizzically, but then began to laugh.
“Just when I start to worry about you Yuki, you do something to prove to me just how strong you are,” he said.
“Strong?” I asked. “Don’t you mean silly, weird, wacky? I could go on.”
“Nope, not silly,” Cal said. “Yesterday you seemed depressed and I was worried that everything going on was just too much, but seeing you today I’m impressed. You look so happy and it makes me happy. I don’t know how you do it. You amaze me.”
You amaze me. With three little words Calvin could make me melt.
“It’s the power of the gourds,” I said, giggling. “Pumpkin power.”
“There’s a story there, isn’t there?” Cal asked.
“I got the idea from one of the library books on spirit wards,” I answered. “Back in the day, like way old school, there was this custom to carve turnips with faces and light them with a candle to ward off harmful spirits on Samhain.”
“Like jack-o’-lanterns?” Cal asked.
“Yeah, that’s where the tradition came from,” I said. “Later they started carving gourds instead of turnips and pumpkins became popular here in America. But the belief was that carrying these lanterns would keep the evil spirits away.”
“So that’s why you have a ghost gourd purse and spider gourd pet on your shoulder?” he asked.
“Well, that and they’re totally cute,” I answered, batting my eyelashes.
“On you, anything is cute,” Cal said, leaning in for a kiss.
*****
Not everyone in school agreed with Calvin. I received some nasty looks and stares as I walked the hall to class. I heard more than one cheerleader titter, “witch” and point at me. Whatever.
“Bit early for Halloween isn’t it, witch?” asked Jared Zempter, sneering.
Ugh! Just what I needed, the almighty J-team trying to ruin my day. Well, I wasn’t going let them spoil my good mood. Jared was a bully who was only nice to other jocks and cheerleader bimbettes. He had a nasty cruel streak and, oh yeah, he hated me. Jared, and his clone Jay Freeman, had been trying to make my life miserable ever since a ridiculous mishap in gym class freshman year. It didn’t matter that I had nothing to do with Jared falling on his face like an idiot. I tended to sit out when the jocks were getting all sweaty and had been sitting on a bench nearby when Jared tripped over his own shoelace. His friend Jay noticed the evil eye pendant I was wearing and so, naturally, blamed me. They’d been calling me a witch ever since. I so can’t wait for high school to be over.
“You know you just have a nasty case of gourd envy,” I said confidently and continued to walk to class.
Without his full entourage to explain to him what that meant he just fisted his hands in frustration and glared at me as I walked away. There is one good thing about the J-team. They are not very smart. Brains will win out over brawn every time baby.
*****
“Oh my gourd!” Emma exclaimed. “Those are so cute!”
Oh no, the bad puns were contagious. “Thanks, I carved them this morning,” I said.
“Have you named them yet?” she asked.
“I was thinking Legs and Boo, but I’m up for suggestions,” I said.
“I like Legs and Boo,” she said. “They are too cute and totally you.”
“Thanks,” I said. “One of the books I checked out of the library said these will help to ward off harmful spirits. There used to be a tradition of carrying them on Samhain.”
“Really?” she asked. “That’s awesome.”
“Yeah, even wearing masks and costumes for Halloween comes from the belief it confuses the evil spirits that come out Samhain night,” I said. “Reading all of that old lore made me wonder if there were more people like me back then. People who were, you know, sensitive to spirits.”
“Was there anything in that book about giving out candy?” she asked.
“Not candy exactly, but they did used to have these huge feasts,” I answered. “Samhain was a festival of the harvest and of the dead. Oh, and there was something called guising where kids would go door to door wearing costumes and masks and carrying their lanterns. People would give them apples and nuts and sometimes coins, but I didn’t read anything about candy. Why?”
“I knew it,” Emma said smugly. “It’s all a modern day conspiracy brought on by the candy corporations. I wanted to give out healthy snacks for Halloween, but do you know how difficult that is? There was this whole mass media freak out over razor blades in apples, so now if you give out fruit people think you’re crazy.”
“So what are you going to do?” I asked.
“I’m giving out those little boxes of raisins,” she said. “They’re individually packaged and sealed so there’s no way I put razor blades in them.”
“So you’re giving out zombie grapes,” I said.
“Yeah,” Emma said.
“Cool,” I said, forcing a smile. “I wish I could stay home on Halloween and give out zombie grapes.”
“Oh hun, that was totally insensitive,” Emma said. “I was forgetting about how stressful this really is. Don’t forget I’m there for you. I’ll even give up my plot against candy corporations and spend the night with you instead. We’ll figure something out.”
“Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?” I asked, getting teary. “Crap, my mascara is getting all smudgy.” I tried to blink my eyes rapidly to dry my lashes.
“It just adds to the look,” Emma said with a wink. “Very dramatic.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Don’t look now, but your boyfriend is on his way over here,” she said.
“Why shouldn’t I look?” I asked.
“Because his tray is loaded with nearly every species in the animal kingdom,” she said with exaggerated disgust.
Emma was a hardcore vegan, but s
he knew Calvin was a werewolf and therefore a meat eater. She had confessed to me she had actually come to accept that Cal’s carnivore tendencies were part of the natural order of things, but she still liked to give him a hard time. Emma loved a good argument.
I could tell Cal was stressed before I even saw him approach. The smell of wet dog was a dead giveaway. No wonder his tray was piled with meat. Cal worked hard to maintain self control, but under duress his wolf spirit came closer to the surface.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
Cal set his tray on the table and ran his hands through his shaggy hair. He took a deep breath, in and out, before sitting down beside me. I could tell he was trying to compose himself before speaking. Not good.
I sat quietly stirring my yogurt, feeling my good mood slip into the whirlpool within. Calvin was always easygoing. Something major must have happened for him to look this rattled. Even Emma knew when to leave well enough alone. The silence was oppressive and the smell of burning brownies was suddenly suffocating.
“Has there been another murder?” I asked.
Cal let out a sigh and looked at me with haunted eyes. “We don’t know yet, but I’m worried,” he answered. “One of our pack members is missing. His sister called me since we left word to report anything unusual. She said she wouldn’t even be worried yet if it wasn’t for the recent murder.”
“Have you called Simon?” I asked.
Simon may be annoying and a terrible flirt, but he had proven himself to be resourceful in the past. He had also been working with Calvin, helping him to control and communicate with his wolf spirit. If things became more stressful, Cal was going to need every ounce of control to keep his wolf spirit from taking over.
“I called him just a minute ago,” he answered. “He said he’d have my dad call the school to release me early today. I’m meeting with Simon at the cabin and then we’ll try to visit the places Sam usually hangs out. His name is Sam, by the way.”
“How old is he?” Emma asked.
“He’s our age,” Cal said, staring at his food tray. “On second thought, I don’t think I’m hungry after all.” He stood up and emptied his tray in the nearby trash bin. As he was setting the tray on the counter an announcement came over the intercom calling him to the office. Stuffing his hands in his pockets he walked back to our table and leaned down to kiss me on the forehead.
“Call me after school?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” I answered. “Should we all meet at the cabin?”
“I’m not sure what time Simon and I will be getting back,” he said. “Can we make plans later?”
“Sure,” I said. “Good luck.”
Cal nodded and walked away. I hoped that Sam was just out having fun. Maybe he stayed out late with friends or went for a run in the woods. Werewolves his age often needed to shift more often and it’s hard to phone home when you’re in wolf form. Please let this be a false alarm.
“Yuki?” Emma asked. “Earth to Yuki.”
“Huh?” I asked, still deep in thought.
“You can stop stirring your yogurt,” she said. “Most of it’s on the table now anyway.”
“Oops,” I said. I had slopped yogurt all over the table in front of me.
“I’ll go get paper towels,” she said, getting up to leave.
Too bad all messes can’t be cleaned up that easily.
By the time Emma returned with wet paper towels my mood had improved. The smell of wet dog and burning brownies had retreated with Calvin and I suddenly had the urge to do something productive after school.
“Do you volunteer at the shelter today?” I asked. Emma worked a few shifts now at the veterinary hospital, but I knew she still volunteered at the animal shelter.
“I’m free today,” she answered.
“Want to come over and teach me how to make vegan cookies?” I asked.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she said laughing. “We can have cookies ready for when the guys get back from their search. I bet they’ll be hungry.”
“Absolutely,” I said, smiling.
Just then the bell rang and we had to run to class. I swung Boo on her ribbon and Legs bounced around on my shoulder as I rushed down the hall. Who could stay sad when they had Legs and Boo?
Chapter 8
Stopping to collect Cal’s missed assignments from his teachers made me a few minutes late meeting Emma in the school parking lot. I looked around for her mom’s minivan, but didn’t see it anywhere. I was starting to worry when a huge SUV pulled out to reveal Emma standing smugly against her car. Her car! I ran over, Legs and Boo bouncing, and wrapped her up in a hug.
“Oh em gees!” I exclaimed. “Your car. It’s alive!” The last I said in my best doctor Frankenstein impersonation.
Emma laughed and gestured to the passenger door. “Get in,” she said.
I opened the door to the smell of upholstery cleaner and bubblegum scented air freshener. I settled into the newly cleaned seat and, with trepidation, glanced into the back seat. Please let the blood be gone. Please, please, please. There were no stains on the gray fabric and the seat belts had been replaced. I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“The car looks great,” I said as Emma got in behind the wheel.
“Thanks,” she said. “I just got it back this morning. Feels good to be driving my own car and not my mom’s gas guzzling monstrosity.”
“Where to?” I asked.
“My place,” she replied. “You are so totally going to learn how to make vegan cookies.”
I called Cal on the way to Emma’s house, but got his voicemail. I left a message letting him know where we were going to be hanging out and wished him luck in his search.
“Voicemail?” Emma asked.
“Yeah, it’s cool,” I said. “Hard to answer the phone with paws!” I was trying for levity, but my words came out flat. Awkward with a capital A.
“Let’s go make those cookies,” Emma said, ignoring my weirdness. “I’m starved.”
Walking into Emma’s house meant stepping into a wild menagerie where humans were a minority. The first thing I always noticed in the dimly lit entryway was the sensation of being watched and then the gleam of many sets of eyes from the adjoining living room. There were animals of nearly every furred and feathered variety and they perched and lounged on every surface.
I nearly jumped when a paw swept down to bat at Legs’ fabric legs. Many of the strays and injured animals Emma and her family fostered would eventually leave to return to the wild or go to a good family, but there were a few here who were long time family pets. The brave tom cat with one ear was one of these permanent fixtures in Emma’s home.
“Hey Van Gogh, you like Legs?” I asked, reaching up to scratch the cat’s good ear. I was nearly knocked off my feet by the other long-term resident, a huge Maine Coon cat with a jealous streak. “Don’t worry Chairman Meow, you’re next.” I made sure to give them equal attention, scratching and cooing until they purred like motorcycle engines, and moved on toward the kitchen.
Emma was setting out ingredients and I went over to scrub my hands at the sink. Amazingly the animals of the house didn’t cross into the kitchen. I wasn’t sure if this was due to the slippery linoleum floor or training, but I was glad we wouldn’t have to worry about pet fur in the cookies. Then they wouldn’t really be vegan, right?
*****
We were already eating from the first tray of cookies and waiting for the second batch to cool when I received a call from Cal. He and Simon hadn’t found the missing teen and were on their way back to town. We agreed to meet them at the cabin in thirty minutes.
Emma and I waited for the last cookies to cool and cleaned the kitchen. Her mom and dad would be home from work soon which was why we didn’t invite the guys over to her house. Simon didn’t play well with others. We left a plate of cookies wrapped in cling wrap on the kitchen table for her parents and a note explaining Emma would be back by eight o’clock. I hoped
the cats would continue to stay out of the kitchen after we left. Chairman Meow might be getting a plate full of vegan cookies for dinner.
On the drive over to the cabin Emma was fidgeting at the wheel and seemed distracted. We had been laughing and having a good time while baking, but now she looked anxious and little worry lines were beginning to pop out on her forehead. I tried to remember if I had said anything to upset her, but was drawing a blank. I even liked her cookies and had told her so. Emma fuming wasn’t good. I needed to do something to defuse the Emma bomb…and fast.
“So, are you okay?” I asked. I might as well be direct. We were only a few minutes from the cabin so I didn’t have time for subtleties.
“Oh sure, if by okay you mean totally freaked out,” she answered.
Okay. “Did I miss something?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed and put her turn signal on, pulling over to the side of the road. When we came to a complete stop she still held the steering wheel with a white knuckled grip. “Please tell me I’m not going crazy,” she said.
“Whatever it is, you are not going crazy,” I said. “You’re one of the most sane people I know.”
“Well, then why are snakes talking to me?” she asked. Emma turned to face me, her usual calm exterior shattered. “When I was locking up, as we were leaving the house, the snake in the terrarium by the door spoke to me.” She looked like she was going to be sick and her hands had started to shake.
“But I thought this happened once before at the clinic,” I said. “No big. Really. This stuff happens to me all the time. Granted it usually happens in my dreams, but I think there’s some weird metaphysical trickster who likes to mess with us and make us all experience these things a bit differently. I wouldn’t worry about it though. You are not going crazy.”
“When it had only happened once I thought I could just blow it off as a one shot trip to crazy land,” she said. “But when it just happened again it was like…like being told that I’m now a part of this. Like no matter how much I want to go back to being normal I am going to stay like this. I…I guess I just wasn’t ready for the big reveal.”