Globe Soup had a week long writing marathon. My category was Magical Realism. This story wasn't a winner, however it is something I am proud of because it is not in the genre I am most comfortable writing. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know in the comments what you think.
photo taken from Pinterest
Friday night Lucina Norwood sat in front of her mini cauldron. The kitchen table held all the ingredients for her recipe. Looking at the ancestor’s grimoire, she followed the instructions carefully.
8 ounces of pineapple juice
½ lime, juiced
2 frog hearts
2 dried rose petals, ground
2 sorrel leaves
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp dried coriander seeds
She placed all the ingredients in the pot and added 3 ounces of water. Brought the mixture to a boil. Boiled for 10 minutes before removing from the heat and allowed it to cool.
***
Eli Silverstein was the owner of the local grocery store. He always planned on taking classes for a business degree. Sadly, his parents died before the fall semester began. He dove into the grocery store business that was initially his parents’ dream, to keep it running in their memory.
Lucinda’s near daily trips had always been a thing since the day he took over. She held a major crush on Eli since high school. Saturday was the only day the woman did not go to the store. Eli had always thought it was because her holy day fell on Saturday. He’d never asked, and she didn’t volunteer any information. The actual reason she didn’t go shopping on Saturday was because her coven met on that day every week.
***
When Lucinda woke up on Saturday morning, she transferred the cooled ingredients into the blender to be sure everything stayed mixed well. Inhaling deeply, the smell of her brew impressed her. Dipping her finger in to taste it, she realized it needed something to help with the flavor. What it needed, she wasn’t sure, but she was certain someone in the coven could help.
They always gathered in the same location. One mile past the old grange stood the remnants of a chimney left from a house that burned down in the 1960s. Ursula’s mother had lived in it growing up and into adulthood. Ursula is the high priestess who holds the power of her deceased ancestors. Three family/coven members burned to death that night; the ground holds their power now.
The coven installed a metal grate over the top, made a fire in the base, to use the heat for cooking up magic potions and their Saturday meal. They spent their entire day there; from 10 am until sundown they worked together. This was when the teenage girls learned magic. Then, after lunch, the adults would stay and the teenagers would go home.
When Lucinda brought out her mixture. She explained to Ursula what she was proposing and showed her the grimoire with the recipe in it.
“The problem is, it tastes horrid and after the spell is complete, I won’t be able to get him to drink it unless it has good flavor. I’m not sure what I can add to this to make it taste better.”
“Oh Luci, that is easy, sugar. You go grab me 3 TBSP of sugar and I will heat this. When you get back, we can add the sugar and the thirteen of us can cast the spell. We won’t include the girls in this one. We don’t want them all cheating to get men. Although for this spell they would need the entire coven to make it work; or one powerful sorcerer could do it.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Lucinda, pleased that the coven would indeed help her with this, took off toward her home to collect the sugar. Ursula poured the mixture into the enormous cauldron that was always used by the coven, heating the potion a little slow, so it didn’t boil a second time.
When Lucinda arrived with the sugar, they added it. Another dip of the finger for a taste test, and Ursula was correct. It tasted just fine with the sugar.
The coven gathered in a circle around the fire and chanted.
We cast this circle round about
So that love, Lucinda, won’t be without
We ask for this loud and bold
For loving words, love will hold
As they began the next part, they moved clockwise around the fire.
We cast this circle once again
To find true love. Let it come in
Lucinda, herself, is the one that moves
Her words and deeds need not improve
Next, they moved counter clockwise.
We cast this circle three times three
Eli forever changed to be
Words and acts both good and kind
Forever will his true love bind
They stopped before raising their hands above their heads as they continued the last part of the spell.
Give them comfort that love will bring
Spirits change them to allow this thing.
Ursula took the hot potion and placed it in the container for Lucinda to bring home with her.
***
Sunday morning Lucinda got up and went to town. She brought the potion with her and invited Eli out to the table in the back to have some fried chicken and potato salad with her. She also brought some of her own pineapple juice, so she was drinking something similar. The two sat and talked for well over an hour.
When Eli had finished his food and drink, he asked, “Lucinda, would you like a ride home? I would love to bring you and it looks like it is about to rain at any moment.”
“Oh, thank you Eli. That would be very kind.”
She thought, this spell works already. In the past 4 years, he had never offered her a ride home. When they arrived back at her home, she invited him in, which he accepted. They sat for hours talking until the store called and needed him.
He drove her home, two Sundays in a row, and they had lunch together at her house. Then the time came that he asked her out to dinner and a movie on Friday night. She agreed as long as they could go see the Harry Potter movie that was showing two towns over. He agreed.
When the two of them started getting together 3 or 4 times a week, she was ecstatic. Then one day, he asked her a very serious question. “Lucinda, we have known each other for a long time now. I have grown to care about you very much and I was hoping you would do me the honor of becoming my bride. Will you marry me?”
For 50 years, the two of them were together. They had two children, a boy and a girl. Ethan and Esmerelda, they called her Mare most of the time. Lucinda taught Mare everything she knew about witchcraft. What she was unaware of was everything Lucinda taught Mare got passed on to Ethan. Ethan became a stronger, more powerful warlock than the entire coven of witches.
***
On the 50th anniversary of the day Lucinda gave Eli her magic potion, she took sick. Her breath was shallow and heart was fluctuating between slowing down so much that Eli feared she was dead, to beating so hard and fast he thought it would burst from her chest.
On the day before their 50th wedding anniversary, Ethan approached his mother. Sitting by the side of her bed, he took his mother by the hand. He noticed for the first time how frail his momma felt now. He leaned down real close to her ear and whispered, “Momma, I have a secret to tell you, but if I tell you mine—.”
She knew what he was going to say. Deep down, she knew and had always known the truth.
“What is it Ethan?”
“I, I have been reading the grimoires. If I had known, before the day you got sick, I might have been able to counteract things, but I can’t. Did you read the footnote on the spell you created 50 years ago?”
“What spell Ethan?” She whispered.
“Oh Mom, please, I am not a little boy anymore. I have a granddaughter now. Please don’t tell mistruths. Did you read the footnote? You would have had to go to the back of the book.”
“No. I don’t remember any footnote, but please don’t tell your father what I’ve done.”
“How have you two been married 50 years, and he still does not know you are a witch?”
“It just never came up. We were happy, and that was all that mattered to me. He had the store to keep him busy. I had both of you kids. The other coven members were just friends in his eyes.”
“Do you know I am stronger than the coven?”
“I sensed it, but I wasn’t sure how. That makes your mom very proud.”
“Mare taught me everything you taught her. But why didn’t you ever tell Mare how Dad fell in love with you?”
Her eyes filled with tears and she mumbled, “I was ashamed that I had to cheat to get him to fall in love with me. I never wanted you both to know. Even as I was teaching Esmerelda, I tried to keep that spell hidden as she was growing up. Then you two got older, and I had less control. But I couldn’t bear to destroy the grimoire. I don’t want your dad to know… ever. I couldn’t handle the thought of him hating me for it after all these years.”
“I don’t think he could ever hate you, but I won’t tell him. You know the spell broke the day you took sick. He still loves you. Even now the spell no longer exists. Mare doesn’t know either, and I will let you take that secret to your grave. Now, back to that footnote. There is no easy way to say this, Mom, so I’m just going to spit it out. Tomorrow night, you are going to die at 1159. There is nothing I can do to stop it. What I can do is make sure that it is a peaceful and painless passing.”
“Thank you Ethan, I’m glad I will have time to say goodbye to your father. Have Mare come here too, please. I want everyone to come see me in the morning so that in the afternoon I can spend time with Dad.”
“I will also come over at say 9 o’clock tomorrow night, and help you fall asleep and then when you pass you will cross over peacefully.”
***
They spent all day together with their family, and her “friends.”
Late afternoon, Lucinda asked Eli to lie on the bed next to her.
“Of course I will, my love.”
As they laid together, holding on to one another, she broke. “Eli, I have something I need to tell you. I did something terrible a long time ago.”
“SHSHSH.” He told her as he leaned over and kissed her lips. He noted the smell of her perfume when he got close. “No, sweetie, you have nothing to tell me, because I already know what you’re going to say, I already know.”
Confused, she looks at him and asks, “What do you know?”
“I know about the spell, the coven, the kids... mainly for this purpose, the spell and its repercussions. It’s why I haven’t wished you a Happy Anniversary, because there is nothing happy about knowing the day you are going to lose the love of your life.”
“But…”
“But nothing. Regardless of how we got here, I have loved you for 50 years and it will not be easy to say goodbye to you. By the way, sweetie, give me some credit when you get to the other-side, I’m not as daft as you let yourself believe I am.”
“I’m so tired Eli. I love you more than anything in this world.”
“Oh, darling, I love you more than anyone could imagine. Spell or no spell.” He paused, then continued, “Ethan will be here soon, but I will stay right here and hold you until the end.” Tears filled his eyes as he choked out the last three words.