“What are your plans for tonight?” William asked. “What do you normally do on Halloween? Any special traditions?”
Marie shook her head. “Nothing job-related, no.” She smiled. “While I do love Halloween, it’s not like I get on a broomstick and fly around. You know, there are so many misconceptions about witches.”
“Not just for witches. For me, too.” William said. “But then, why do you have that broom logo at your shop?” They made sure to speak with their voices low so no one could pick up on their conversation.
She laughed. “Well, we’re associated with brooms. But I think it fits perfectly. My job can get messy. All those dried up herbs, spices, all that mixing. You need a broom to clean it all up.”
“Really, that’s why you chose it?” he asked, poking fun at her.
“Well, yeah. I mean, I like it,” she said, smiling. “What about you? Is there a myth that you just despise?”
William shrug. “It’s all just really amusing, honestly. All of it. And there’s no truth to any of it, except garlic, which I just don’t like. But we can go out in the sun. Both you and I can, we just choose not to because of long-term sun damage, right? And I still have mortal desires and urges. I still have to shave every day, just like everyone else,” he said, motioning towards his day-old stubble.
“Well, there might be some truth to folklore out there, just not in the way that you think,” she replied, thinking about the garlic. She knew it wasn’t just him that didn’t like garlic, most vampires didn’t. He must not realize what it did to his system. It was the same for witches. They were more alike than he realized, she thought.
He shrugged. “You know, you seem to be pretty well rounded through all of it, though. Your ‘job’,” he said in air quotations.
“I love it, honestly. And I like my lifestyle. It’s quiet here, and I can pretty much do what I want.”
“You mentioned this morning not having been close to a man in a while. How come? You’re very beautiful. You could land a man easily.”
Marie blushed at his comment. Usually, she was cooler around men, and more collected, but something about the fact that it was coming from him made her feel a little more vulnerable at times.
“I don’t know. No one has really inspired me. Have you looked around? Everyone is either too young, or too old,” she said with a laugh. “The men close to ‘my age’ are babies in my eyes.” She looked at him as she said it, her eyes twinkling. “What I need is someone like you. Someone who has been through it all and who I can relate to.”
“Oh, I doubt you can relate to me, darling,” William said, correcting her.
“You know what I mean. Someone who’s been around as long as I have. It’s too bad your kind isn’t exactly dateable.”
“Vampires could settle down if they wanted to.” He looked down into his tea and grew melancholy. “I used to want that. Settle down, start a family. Buy a house and grow old with someone. I was such a bleeding-heart romantic. All that changed when I turned.”
Marie nodded and could feel his pain. She had an idea suddenly. Something she had wanted to show him.
“Are you planning on staying at your own hotel room tonight?”
William shook his head. Finally, the food arrived, and Marie dove in hungrily. William had ordered eggs over easy and a couple of slices of toast while Marie ordered an omelet and hash browns. Even though it was nighttime, it was still considered breakfast for them.
He took a bite of his toast, then answered. “No, I’ll drop you off and then check out of my hotel. I can come stay with you, right?”
“Yeah, sure.” She tried to answer as calmly as possibly, but inside, her stomach was doing summersaults. It was exactly what she was hoping he’d say.
“We might as well get used to being around one another for the next few weeks, or however long the rest of my life is going to take,” he replied.
She nodded, then finished chewing. “There’s something I want to show you later. And then maybe we can watch a couple of Halloween movies.”
William laughed. “Sure, as long as they’re not vampire movies.”
“Off limits?”
“Big-time,” he said and smiled.
MARIE TOOK A LONG HOT shower when William dropped her off, and changed into a warm pair of leggings and fuzzy socks. She threw on a cream-colored knit sweater and prepared a recipe for mulled wine for later that evening.
When William arrived, he brought in his new suitcase and set it down in her living room. He was still wearing his new hoody, but he had changed into a black V-neck T-shirt which he wore with the same dark jeans from earlier.
He looked around her small house. Nothing unusual, nothing witchy that stood out. Nothing a mortal would be able to pick up on, anyway. Whatever scent he had picked up at her shop, it was the same here. She also had a lot of books, movies, and a lot of decorations and paintings. All in all, the place was tidy and cozy. She kept the lights on dim as he came in, and she was feeling a little nervous now that he had arrived.
Before he had arrived, Marie had been prepping for a spell. She was rather excited about what she wanted to show him and hoped he would have a positive reaction, but you never knew when it came to these things. She brought out two mugs without handles and handed one to him.
“What’s this?” he asked, sniffing the warm liquid.
“I want to show you something.” She motioned for him to follow her and he did. Marie handed him her cup to juggle as well as his as she unlocked a room past the kitchen. The room was dark, lit only by white fairy lights. There was a red sofa against the wall, a coffee table, and a dark blue sofa across from the red one. A large crystal ball stood on its base in the center of the table. Marie moved the blue sofa further out.
“Sit cross-legged on the floor and drink the potion.”
“What’s it for?” he asked, curious.
“I’m going to show you a memory of mine. But it’s crucial that we both drink.”
She took large a sip of her mug and set it on the coffee table, sitting on the floor with her back against the red couch.
William took a sip of the drink and winced. “It’s not very good,” he said.
“It’s not supposed to taste good,” she replied, in full witch-mode. “Just drink it.”
He nodded and chugged the rest, while she did the same.
“Breathe, relax, and try not to focus on anything. I want you to just look at the crystal ball. The images won’t appear right away, but I can assure you, they will come.”
She looked into the crystal ball and took his hands across the coffee table. While it wasn’t part of the ritual, it sometimes helped those participating to feel more present and less distracted.
“Breath long and deep breaths. You will soon see images appear. Do not speak, do not move, just keep your eyes on the crystal ball, lest you break the spell.”
William only nodded.
Marie looked into the crystal ball, putting out as much energy into it as she could muster. Not too long afterwards, images could be made out in the crystal ball.
At first, William didn’t know what he was looking at. He saw images in a blue hue. A crowd appeared. The floor littered with popcorn and hay. Then he saw a man he swore he recognized, ushering guests in, an old co-worker of his from when he worked at the circus. He looked at Marie then, confused. But she stared intently at the crystal ball. He redirected his focus. More popcorn this time, a bag held in impossibly small hands. Buttery, warm.