He could almost hear a round of applause come from the audience within the crystal ball. He could feel the excitement. The ball grew darker, and then he saw it. He saw himself and let out a gasp. He was expanded on a tight-rope, performing an act it had taken him years to perfect. He was in his old acrobatic circus costume, and he was magnificent. He could see that now, see it through her eyes. He watched himself perform his old act as tears formed in his eyes. Magdalene was there and so was Anna. They were his old team. He watched for five minutes, until the crystal ball faded into nothing. It was clear once again. William didn’t say anything; he just continued looking into the ball. His eyes were wet with tears.
Marie could see the profound effect it had had on him, so she let him have his moment.
Finally, William cleared his throat. “My God, Marie. That was absolutely breathtaking to watch. I’ve never seen myself like that. All that hope, the future that was ahead of me. It’s all gone.” Tears fell from his eyes as he spoke the last line. He quickly wiped them away.
Marie rushed to his side and knelt on the floor. “Look, I hadn’t planned on talking you out of anything, but William, you don’t have to take this route. There are other options.”
William laughed a deep angry laugh and shook his head. “Don’t you do that. Don’t you take that away from me. Do you know how long I’ve been searching for a way out?”
She nodded and rubbed his arm. “I know. And I still plan on helping you,” she said, feeling conflicted. William was starting to grow on her and she hated that he felt so lost and alone. She wished he’d snap out of it and find a will to live.
He took a deep breath as Marie stood up. “How about we get out of here for a bit? We can go out for a beer or something. Let’s unwind,” she suggested.
William nodded. “Sure, that’s fine. Let’s go out,” he said, feigning enthusiasm.
Marie took him to a nice place she never would have chosen for herself. But she didn’t want to be recognized with an engagement ring and wedding band on. How would she explain William if she ran into friends?
The wine bar she had chosen was on the outskirts of town.
“They mostly serve wine, but I’m pretty sure you can order rail drinks and beer, too.”
When they arrived, William smiled when he noticed a woman dressed in a witch’s costume, followed closely by a man dressed in vampire costume leaving the establishment. He put an arm around Marie as he entered, a smug smile on his face. “Is that what we look like?” he asked.
Marie shook her head. “Nah, we look much better,” she admitted, a pinkish hue reaching her cheek at William’s close touch. Was she ever going to get used to him, she wondered? Her constant reddening was starting to annoy her.
The bar was chic and very crowded. There was a costume contest being held, which ended at midnight. William and Marie sat at the bar, their backs to the Halloween shenanigans.
“Let’s not talk about work tonight,” Marie said as soon as they sat down. “Maybe try and be loose,” she said. “Can you do that?”
William nodded. “Oh, I can be loose, alright.” He ordered a beer while she decided to order a gin and tonic.
William nudged her after the waiter walked away. “Look at how many witches are here,” he said and laughed. “You sure have found the right spot to lay low. Maybe I should have stayed hidden in Transylvania this whole time.”
Marie gave him a hard look.
“What?” he said, defensively.
“No work,” she said, but she couldn’t help it and broke into a smile.
“How can we not talk about witches and vampires on Halloween night in Salem, Massachusetts?” He laughed into his beer.
Marie grew serious. “I don’t know, I thought maybe we could have a normal night. I don’t want you to have to be down and out all the time.”
“Honey, down and out is my middle name.” He took another sip of his beer. “I’m feeling better these last few days, though. I don’t know, maybe Salem suits me.”
Marie nodded. She was feeling good, too. “Honestly, I just like not having to lie all the time. It’s nice to know someone who knows me for who I am.”
“Do you ever hang out with other witches? How many of them are there, anyway?”
“Roughly one for every continent. Europe has two. It used to have three, but mom moved to New York from France in the early 1900’s.”
“So, eight in all? And you don’t get together once or twice a year for a convention or ritual or anything?”
Marie shook her head. “The only one I see is my mom. She’s the bookkeeper and she has all the books in Vegas. I know it sounds crazy that she’s in Vegas, but it’s such a mixing bowl of people from all over going in and out. No one pays any attention to her there. I stay with her sometimes for a few months or longer.”
“She could have stayed in New York City, or moved to Los Angeles Why Vegas?”
“Well, I was born in New York City, and that’s where she met my dad. But, my mom didn’t exactly love it. When Vegas was getting its big start in the 60’s, she decided she wanted to give the warm desert air a shot.”
“A bookkeeper? How interesting.”
Marie nodded. “Our family have always been the bookkeepers. Eventually, that role will fall to me one day.”
“And what are some of the other witches in charge of?”
Marie shrugged. “One has very rare and hard to find herbs that one might need for a difficult or challenging spell. Stuff that’s almost impossible to get.”
“And where is she?”
“Asia.”
“What about some of the others?”
Marie shrug. “Most of us are just busy doing our own thing. I’ve never met another one, but I haven’t been avoiding it either. It’s not something any of us feel we need to do.”
“It’s the same with vampires, I suppose. But there’s a fierce competitiveness that comes from some of the newer vampires. I don’t like many of them,” he admitted.
Marie allowed herself to watch him briefly. His face was serious as he spoke, his eyes dark and mysterious. When he smiled, the darkness was erased and his eyes danced. Seeing him smile was intoxicating.
Marie nodded towards two women in matching witch costumes, complete with the large fake nose and green make-up. “You guys get all the sex appeal. We witches haven’t been as lucky in pop-culture.”
“What? Oh, come on? I would say it’s about even. I mean, Dracula has never been handsome, and he’s our main guy.”
Marie shook her head. “I don’t know. I think Bela Lugosi is kind of sexy,” she said, laughing into her drink.
“Oh, that’s just wrong. No wonder I look good to you.” He put a hand on his mouth in mock shock. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those?” He thought back to when he had first met her. She had been reading Dracula. “Wait, you think vampires are sexy, don’t you?”
Marie opened her mouth in protest but closed it when she realized she had nothing.
“Well, you’re definitely not too shabby and you’re a vampire. So yes, some vampires are sexy. And when you kissed me this afternoon, I have to admit, that was pretty hot. I can’t say I’d feel that way Lugosi,” she admitted. Marie smiled into her gin and tonic. She had said way more than she had planned to but couldn’t take it back now.