Magic and Mayhem: When You Witch Upon A Star (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Online Free PDF Page B

get to finish explaining.
    “Thanks for bringing him, Jessica. I’ll take him from here.” Rather abruptly, Zelda took the poor creature in her arms and turned back inside. As if on an afterthought, she turned around briefly. “Don’t tell anyone else about this. You and I will talk more later on.” She slammed the door shut.
    “Well, that was interesting. Do you think she’ll be able to save the raccoon?”
    “She wouldn’t have taken him otherwise,” Sophie replied, stepping off the porch.
    “Did I say something wrong? She seemed so… short with me.”
    “Have you ever been to a hospital ER?”
    “Yes.”
    “And I bet nobody at the ER invited you to have tea with them.”
    “Of course not.”
    “Exactly. Not the time or place. Zelda was obviously more concerned about the raccoon.”
    I glanced back at the door, then at my clunky old Suburban. Jesus. It looked like an old Russian tank. A tide of low self-esteem washed over me. Compared to Zelda, I looked just as bad as my old clunker. My outfit—old sweat pants and an oversized t-shirt—didn’t help matters much, but in my own defense, on long road trips I dressed for comfort.
    Just as Sophie and I headed back to the Suburban, Tiago hopped up on the edge of the open rear window. I squinted, trying to figure out what was dangling from his beak. I blinked once, then again, before my brain finally processed what I was seeing. Of course.
    “Nice.” It was my bra. I’d had forgotten until now that I’d set the sisters free an hour into my road trip. Time to feel even worse about myself. Let’s face it, Zelda was as beautifully kept as her house. And there I was looking just as bad as the half-dead raccoon I’d dropped off.
    On our way back to the motel, Sophie began the interrogation that I, as a stranger to the area, had fully expected to receive. In fact, I’d already rehearsed the scenario in the rearview mirror many times.
    “What brings you all the way from Chicago to this little wayside, Jessica?”
    “Oh, you know. Typical stuff for someone my age. I needed to get away from the city, spread my wings, and find out if I can make it on my own.”
    “I couldn’t help noticing those big plastic cases and trunks. I thought maybe you were a musician.”
    “Nope. Photography. It’s just a hobby, though. I figured West Virginia would be a nice scenic place to find wildlife and nature shots.”
    “Wildlife?”
    “Yeah, you know—deer, rabbits… a bear would be great. A wolf would be amazing.”
    Sophie’s tone suddenly turned ominous. “Let me give you some advice, girl.  Don’t stay any longer than a few days. People in this town are funny when it comes to strangers.”
    “Funny? Like ha-ha funny or…?”
    “Like we don’t want strangers poking their noses around in our business. That kind of funny.”
    Her little warning was music to my ears. It confirmed that the people of Assjacket had something to hide.
    “Oh, I’m not here to get into anyone’s business.”  I lied, dropping her off at the motel office.
    Sophie turned and leaned against the passenger side door. By the way she studied my face, it was clear she was judging my sincerity. “That’s good. Be sure to keep it like that. I don’t want to see you getting into any trouble with the locals.”
    “Squawk!” Tiago voiced his opinion as she walked away. He didn’t like her one bit.
    “She’s all right, Tiago. I think she honestly wants to be sure I stay out of trouble. Why don’t we take a drive around town, get familiar with it?”
    “Squawk!”
    “Music please.”
    Tiago dug deep in his mental archive and came up with an oldie by Dion, “The Wanderer.” It was one of Uncle Carmine’s favorites.
    “Great, lyrics to be a womanizer by,” I mumbled, but I let him sing away as I drove past the town square. “A bear statue, and half his face is missing. There’s got to be a story or hidden meaning behind that.”
    Then I spotted what I was looking for: a diner, a