Autumn must have realized that I needed a minute to calm myself down, because she hurried to the kitchen and busied herself by making some tea. I had no doubt it was probably honey chamomile and her intention would be to calm me down.
Once the tea was prepared, Autumn would quickly return to my side. I couldn’t bear to look her in the eyes as I told her the horrid part of my dream. Struggling with my nerve, I took a slow steady breath and blurted it out.
“
In my dream you were dead, and I think I murdered you.” The words tumbled out and I winced at the sound of them.
In the kitchen, the sound of porcelain combusting against the tile floor served as the dreaded response to my horrible confession. Trying not to chicken out, I let the rest out with a hurried pace.
“
God Autumn, it was awful. Your blood was everywhere and I was trapped. Then it was like I stepped into wonderland because I drank this cup of water and swallowed this pill and became terribly small. I found a panel and escaped the room only to be chased by a mob of angry Ferrell trolls I think and then I got caught by August and he was so angry.”
I paused but after no response, I continued. “He threw me against the wall and told me he couldn’t let me get away with it. Then you knocked and woke me up. I have never been so glad to see you in my life,” I exclaimed as I tried to suck in a breath.
To my horror, Autumn still didn’t respond. I was met by deafening silence. Finally, I heard her picking the pieces of the broken mug up and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. Unable to take the silence that stretched between us, I bolted up and rushed in to kitchen to face her.
Even with my salty tears flooding my eyes and stinging my wound with an uncomfortable pain, I could see Autumn’s pale expression looking up at me from the floor. I sank down to the cool tile and resigned against the kitchen cabinet in grief.
“
Maybe I am losing my mind. All I can do anymore is sleep. I am so tired all the time. Maybe it is all my wild imagination running away with me. The nightmare just felt so damn real.”
I gave a pregnant pause before I continued. “It seems like ever since Brad dumped me I am in a constant state of chaos. There is nothing certain and I am upside down. I feel like this has to be real as unbelievable as it is or I must be bat shit crazy,” I confessed in exasperation.
Autumn was clearly shaken. Her blue eyes looked dull and pained as she met my anxious green glassy ones. Her careful but shaky tone did little to comfort me when she replied.
“
Nells, this is getting really serious, really fast. I know you don’t believe in all the Wiccan ways I practice, but you should.”
I wanted to tell her it was nonsense, but I knew things were getting more serious. I wish I could just explain away what had happened, but I couldn’t. I had to take her seriously and listen to her explanation.
Reaching out, she grasped my hand in hers and led me up off the floor and into my bedroom. She looked haunted and hollow as she retrieved the still pristine crimson tulip from its perch on my dresser and examined it.
Placing the tulip in my palm carefully for effect, Autumn turned and collected the coin from its location on the dresser and held it up between us. I knew a lecture was coming, judging by the last conversation we had about the sordid silver coin.
“
This coin is high level magic. No ordinary practicing Wiccan could have created a charm with this much energy attached to it. The sigil on the front is for protection. This is used for dangerous situations only. If this really is Jared’s, then he is involved with serious magic’s.”
She looked deep into my eyes as if trying to drive her point further. “It doesn’t sit well and I am scared enough for both of us at this point. None of the pieces of this puzzle fit together without dangerous magic. Even I am not this deep into the occult. I shiver at the mere thought of the ritual used to procure protection this strong.”
Her face was now a pale mask and she seemed to mentally brush off the remainder of her thoughts. She let out a sigh and pulled me into a hug. Several seconds went by before she released me and spoke again.
“
Until I know more, I think you should spend the evening at the shop with me.” She held up a finger to cut off my objections.
“
Before you can object, I need to remind you that it appears that we are both in danger and it is in my best interest to keep us both as safe as possible. I have some low level wards and charms at the store that will keep some of the riff raff away.”
I was still about to protest but she kept going. “You can research books that might actually delve into topics you need to have at least a basic understanding of and the sooner the better. I can’t risk you falling asleep again and putting yourself in more peril.”
With an exasperated harrumph I nodded and gestured to the closet and my clothes. Autumn understood and excused herself to clean the rest of the mess from the broken mug.
Now that Autumn convinced me to come to work with her at the Green Vixen, I rushed to make myself presentable. I barely glanced at my reflection in the mirror as I shed my sweat sodden clothes and stepped into the shower. My mind was a rattling cage of chaos and too many thoughts were trying to escape at once.
If I could just steady my breathing and gather my composure, things would be ok. Dreams and nightmares were plaguing my thoughts and I wish I knew how to explain their sudden appearance. The dreams with Jared seemed like a blessed gift, but this experience had been more of a curse.
Whatever was going on, it was crazy. Brad was at least out of my system. The hurt and pain that had been there merely a week before had dissipated and was now just a whisper of a memory amongst the current insanity. After wrapping a towel around my shivering body, I rushed to my closet to get dressed.
Unconcerned with my disheveled appearance, I was ready just five minutes later. A brush ran through my brown hair and I pulled it to one side with a ponytail holder. I threw on a gray and black tunic atop my black leggings and simple black flats to finish dressing. I nestled my figure in a loose black wrap and moistened my lips in a rosy lip gloss.
Autumn looked surprised that I was already ready, but nodded in acknowledgement. She wrapped her arms around me and assured me it would be alright. I noticed her wincing as her gaze settled on my cheek, and she quickly broke away, disconcerted.
I followed her out, locking the door behind us with my purse clutched tightly in my grasp. My camel colored purse didn’t exactly match my black attire, but I didn’t seem to care at this point. I had placed the coin snuggled within the confines of my purse, safely so I didn’t lose it.
The Green Vixen was warm and inviting after the biting autumn air outside. The bells jangled as I shut the door behind me and followed Autumn through the racks of product. The store had a warm and soothing feel tonight. The calming uplifting scent of lemongrass clung in the air and a soft island melody was floating throughout. People were drinking tea and casually browsing the racks of product throughout the store.
As he caught sight of Autumn approaching, a look of relief shown across the face of the young scruffy hippie working the register. He bid the customers a merry part and merry meet again as he handed them a bag of purchases before focusing his attention wholly on Autumn. The gleam in his eyes clearly indicated respect and if I wasn’t mistaken, adoration as well. Autumn greeted him as if she hadn’t even noticed.
“
Hey Jimmy, how are things going today? How are the new oils selling?” Autumn asked as she pulled her jacket off and hooked it on the old wooden coat rack next to the counter before reaching for my wrap as well.
I quickly interjected before she has had a chance to grip my wrap. “Umm, I am still a little chilled from the nippy wind. I think I’ll keep it on for now.”
Her eyes met mine and she nodded before returning her focus to Jimmy and the day’s events. There was no mistaking the adoration he had towards Autumn with the flow of a very casual conversation that followed. I waited until he was in the backroom rummaging for an invoice before commenting.
“
That boy has it bad for you dear girl. He is crushing hard. Too bad for Jimmy, you finally hooked up with Augustine,” I said coolly.
“
Hmm, Jimmy, really?” she asked quizzically.
I simply laughed and shook my head knowingly. Of course she hadn’t noticed. It was Augustine that ruled her thoughts, all day, every day. Autumn had always been insanely focused and aloof to anything outside her direct line of vision.
At an attempt to change the subject, I inquired about reference material to read while she got to work. Her eyes lit up in interest as she perused the bookshelves, a sound of delight as she found each one before handing the intimidating stack to me. My eyes went wide as saucers at the volume of reading material she actually expected me to look at.
“
Umm, hope you mean these for me to skim, not read. I am smart, but not a super speedy reader here. It will be morning before I can get through all these,” I said holding the large and heavy stack of eclectic books.
“
Of course, silly, but I am super freaked out about the whole dream murder thing. Any information right now is a good thing even if we have to stay after close and sift through them together,” Autumn said in a tone that told me she was truly shaken by my confession earlier.
I sighed in resignation and carried the books to a table across the room. I sat them in neat stacks of three as I could finally see over them now and nodded to Autumn across the room. She winked in reply and headed to the back room to get that invoice I supposed.
I on the other hand, turned my focus to the first stack of uniquely shaped and sized books. They were so unlike conventional research books that I found it hard to believe they would yield me with any substantial information. I had my doubts but knew Autumns’ belief was true and even a night of fruitless research would go a long way to ease her frayed nerves.
I glanced over the titles before me, observing a random array of topics. An A to Z guide of divination sat large and thick on bottom, topped by a slightly smaller but equally as thick book about clairvoyance. Above that sat gold leafed and leather bound book about Pagan symbolism. A small plain book titled “Rites and Rituals” capped the first stack.
The second stack was started with a small, thin journal that looked to be a personal account of some Jacquelyn O’Tate. Not sure how that one was going to help in any way, I continued skimming the titles.
The next book was expensive and decorated with ornate drawings, displaying the title nestled in the middle. It was a thick volume on dreaming and dream meanings. At the bottom of the stack sat an ordinary reference guide to Wicca and witchcraft.
Moving on, I saw the third stack, was more of the same: precognition, Wiccan beliefs: modern and historical, Sex Magic, and Metaphysics. I forced my gaze back to the first stack with a reluctant sigh and started with the book on divination. I began skimming the pages, noting some more common types of divinations throughout the pages.
Hydromancy: divination by water
Necromancy: divination through communication with the dead
Oneiromancy: divination involving dreams
Pyromancy: divination involving fire or flames
There were several types of divination that were just bizarre and truly creepy such as:
Hematomancy: divination through blood
Ichthyomancy: divination involving the head or entrails of fishes
Scatomancy: divination by examination of excrement
Brushing off the involuntary shutter at the thought of what such divinations would entail, I skipped forward to the methods of divination. Here I noted some of the more commonly accepted methods such as astrology, clairvoyance, numerology, tarot and tea leaves.
Clairvoyance caught my eye and I filtered through its description. The divination attached to it was the gift of seeing. A strong clairvoyant could see the past, present and future. They could also enter the spirit world between realms.
Reading all of this just seemed to bring more questions to the forefront of my boggled mind. I wondered if Autumn had a divination. Since I never really believed or understood any of this, I never really asked about it. I then began to wonder how much of my best friend I had pushed and explained away. It became unsettling and disconcerting just to think about.
I looked up to find Autumn and then become quickly flustered when I notice how busy she was. There was no way I would be able to break her away for discussion anytime soon. I mentally reminded myself to check with Autumn about divination and common applications before I moved back to the stacks of remaining books.
I gave the titles a once over, then settled on the reference guide containing Wicca and Witchcraft. It was an encyclopedia of sorts and looked slightly worn from age. The grey marble pattern on the hardback cover was dented with scuffs from use and abuse.
The pages were all legible, but displayed used highlighting, underlining and bunny eared pages. The signs of such heavy usage looked promising.