Funk-N-Fiction

Loving our second flash fiction of the day, from urban fantasy author Carolyn Cross! Be sure to check below the story to find out how you can win a cool bookish prize!!

Bewitched
by Carolyn Cross

It was Halloween night, and as Ellie and Meg walked into the ice cream shop, the bell above the door jingled. They’d come for the pumpkin spice. As expected, the place was packed.

“They’ve got that special going on again,” Ellie said gazing over shoulders at the display of over two dozen flavors.

“Yes, for pumpkin spice,” Meg commented.

Ellie was fixated on the walnut double fudge delight. She would have totally pressed her nose to the glass if she could have, and just salivated like a child. But at twenty-two, that might have been just a tad odd. She hovered around the people, leaning forward, her long blonde hair spilling over her shoulders, pale green eyes glued to that chocolate.

“Fudge…” Ellie said under her breath.

Meg had to yank her back, pulling her best friend to her senses.

“Chill, we’ll be up there soon enough,” she said sharply. Meg’s dark brown eyes narrowed to slits. Her attitude was as sharp as her razor-edged bob, a bright shade of violet. Rocking torn jeans, combats, and an old one-hit wonder tee heralding a big hair band from the 80’s, she slapped a hand on her hip.

Ellie pouted. “Fine,” she said, puckering out her lips like a child anyway. “Alright, alright!” She waved her hands, the sleeves of her oversized pink cardigan flapping. Turning back, she instead examined the seasonal flavors. There were some cute ones this year: monster mocha, boo-berry, blood red velvet cake, and of course, good ole pumpkin spice.

For Meg and Ellie, this was more than just two friends going out for ice cream on a random Wednesday night. It was Halloween, and this was their tradition every year to make time for the special occasion, and they’d been doing so forever. A CliffNotes version of an otherwise longer story, it started several Halloweens ago when they were back in high school. Ellie had a bad breakup and Meg’s best idea was to be the shoulder to cry on, and treat Ellie to ice cream,—a pumpkin spice milkshake in particular—to cheer her up. After that, they went for pumpkin spice milkshakes the next Halloween and before they knew it, it became one of their “things.”

As one of the best ice cream shops in Wickermore, Meg and Ellie had to make that their spot. Wickermore was a small port town off northern Florida’s historical east coast. It was said to have once been overrun by pirates centuries ago.

At last, the crowd cleared down to one other person—not a typical thing for Halloween night. Shrugging at their luck, it looked like they’d actually get a good table this year. Soon, it’d be Meg and Ellie’s turn to order. Once the last customer in front of them was gone, the store owner Julia wandered over. She was a short, jovial woman with warm brown eyes and a genuine smile that always touched those eyes. “Meg and Ellie! Happy Halloween! The usual?”

“Yep! Two pumpkin spice milkshakes,” Meg said quickly before Ellie could interject for something different. Julia shook her head with a grin. They always bickered and joked about this every year. The tradition was endearing to her.

“Comin’ right up!” Julia said.

“And it’s my turn to buy this time,” Ellie said.

As the shakes were being blended, they grabbed a high-top near the front window.

“I love this time of year,” Meg said gazing out at the quick setting sun.

Ellie perched her chin in her palm. “Same. And I love Halloween. It never gets old.”

They laughed over small talk about the rare cold front passing through Florida this year, and how cute the trick-or-treaters would be. Another part of their tradition was to go back to Ellie’s and watch horror flicks with a vat of popcorn till midnight.

“Two Pumpkin Spice Shakes,” Julia said and set them on the table between both friends before stepping away.

“Cheers,” Meg said and tapped her lid to Ellie’s. For the moment, they just enjoyed their tradition.

The bell above the door jingled again as another customer walked in. And it was someone no one recognized. And as soon as she walked in, the whole shop atmosphere changed. For an instant the lights flickered, and the air grew strangely cooler. Julia immediately caught sight of the visitor and a chill ran down her spine. Suddenly the blender behind her turned itself on and she jumped. Rushing to it, she flipped it off. Strange. Then again not as strange as the person making their way to the counter.

The visitor moved slowly as she crossed the shop. Long dark hair covered most of her face, save for the edge of a scowl stretching across her thin lips. One of her legs was a wooden peg, causing her to move forward in an uneven hobble, even with her cane to help her. The peg looked dirty and old as though it had been fitted countless years ago, well behind the times of prosthetics now. The sound of the cane followed by the peg leg thumping against the tile floor left behind an ominous echo with each step.

The woman’s clothes were ratty, her outfit a mess of tattered layers. She wore loose brick red pants and a single calf-high worn black leather boot on her good leg. The pants were held up with a thick black belt, the silver buckle long tarnished. Her faded white wide-sleeved shirt was half tucked in, barely covered by a flimsy gray shawl. But the oddest thing about her attire was the hat. It was a tricorn hat, decorated with frayed feathers and loose frills marking the signature look of a pirate’s hat. Slowly, the woman lumbered, at last reaching the ice cream display.

“Looking for anything in particular?” Julia asked hesitantly from behind the counter.

“Just a little somethin’ murderously good,” the woman said, her voice low and gravelly.

“Uh, murderously?” Julia repeated. “Well, the cookie dough is really good. Some say it’s to die for.” She laughed nervously at her own joke, but the mysterious woman just stood there considering. Then she suddenly glanced to Meg and Ellie, dark beady eyes widening from behind the numerous strands of hair. Turning back, the woman pointed a gnarled brown nail at the one on the end among the seasonal flavors.

“Pumpkin spice,” she said.

Julia swallowed and forced a smile. “Of course,” she said quickly. “Scoop or milkshake?”

“Milkshake,” she said looking in Meg and Ellie’s direction again.

The word had the friends freezing as they stared back at the stranger. They sat silently, watching the bizarre event unfold before them.

“Absolutely,” Julia said, moving quickly from the counter.

Meg glanced around. At the moment, it was just the four of them in the shop. She wished more people were there. “Creepy,” she whispered to Ellie who looked petrified from behind her shake.

“Yeah,” Ellie agreed. “Who is she? I’ve never seen her before!”

“I have no idea. Neither have I, and it doesn’t look like Julia has either.”

“Think it’s someone in a costume? It is Halloween after all.”

Meg grimaced. “I don’t think so, and if they were, they’re pretty damn convincing!”

Ellie sucked in a quick breath. “Something’s not right about that woman. I can feel it.”

“Same.”

Slowly, the woman moved over toward the register. Once she was done with the shake, Julia sat it on the counter and told the strange woman the price. Crooked fingers shaking, the visitor dug through her filthy coin purse for several seconds. Struggling to find the right amount, she simply dumped its entire contents out onto the surface. After further counting, she at last pushed a few thick rough-edged coins toward Julia. “This should do it,” she rasped.

Julia stared at the coins, perplexed. “I’m sorry ma’am, but this isn’t U.S. currency. Do you maybe have quarters or dollars? We also take credit.”

The woman tilted her head, confused. “I’ve none of all that. Take this.”

“But I don’t recognize these coins,” Julia responded.

The woman glowered at Julia. “I’ve paid you fair ‘n square, lass.”

“Uh well,” Julia mumbled.

“Best to take that money, now. I could have put a spell on you,” the woman warned.

Julia pursed her lips, watching the woman for a moment before smiling again. “Of course, thank you ma’am. Please enjoy the shake,” she finally said.

Without a word, the woman snatched her cup and made her way, slow and steady back toward the door. As she neared Ellie and Meg, the woman paused to stare at them. She craned her neck out, those beady eyes peering through that curtain of stringy hair. “Bewitched!” she called out, the word startling both women. They recoiled in their seats, Meg huffing with surprise while Ellie covered her mouth, eyes wide. Then returning to her business, the woman pushed out the door, into the twilight.

Julia, Meg, and Ellie all stared after the figure through the window. The mysterious woman walked a few more steps, before vanishing into thin air. Meg gasped, hopping from her chair, to peer closer past the glass. “Where did she go?” she said, panicked. “Did anyone else just see that?”

“I-I did,” Julia stammered.

“So did I,” Ellie whispered.

Thoroughly creeped out, Ellie and Meg lost their appetite for their milkshakes, a first ever in their tradition. That Halloween night, the thought of what that strange woman had said haunted them to no end.

Bewitched.

Why did she say that?

One year later…

On Halloween night, Ellie and Meg walked into the ice cream shop, ready for pumpkin spice. As expected, it was packed. Meg paused to look at Ellie. Their eyes met as the mutual chill crossed over them. They immediately thought of that woman from last year, unable to get her out of their minds. Patiently, they waited until it was their turn to order. Julie was there, her brow furled as they approached. She looked fearful too.

“Meg, Ellie, Happy Halloween,” she said hesitantly. “The usual?”

The women nodded, this time looking around warily. “Anything weird tonight?” Meg asked in a whisper. Julia shook her head. “Not yet.”

Just as before, the shop cleared—again a rare thing to happen on Halloween night, and it was just the three of them now. When the lights flickered, they froze. Then came the sound of thumping along the floor. It was that distinct echo of a peg leg and a cane. But the door hadn’t opened, and no jingle had come from the bell. The three women stared at one another silently, the air impossibly thick. The sound drew closer and closer until it was at each of their backs. Somehow, they each felt breathing along their necks, coming from all directions. Out of the corner of their eye, the air distorted around them but there was no figure.

“Bewitched…” a voice whispered and all three gasped.

Just then the bell jingled, and the women all jumped, looking reluctantly to the doorway. But it wasn’t the creepy woman. A collective sigh of relief came. It was just a couple, tourists from the look of them.

“Ooh honey, seasonal flavors!” the female tourist beamed. Together they moved closer.

“Welcome,” Julia said as they stepped up.

The couple smiled. “This is a cute place. That woman was right to suggest it,” the male tourist said.

“And her outfit was so authentic and interesting… a pirate and a witch!” the other said.

Meg creased her brow. “Did you say pirate?”

The woman nodded. “Yeah, great costume too! She recommended we try the ice cream here. She said the cookie dough was ‘to die for.’”

“And that the flavors would bewitch us!” the man added. The couple laughed.

Meg felt her heart drop. She, Ellie and Julia all stared at each other in horror.

“What’s wrong?” the female tourist finally asked. “You all look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

Hello bewitched readers!
Subscribe to my newsletter (then leave a comment here on this post to let me know you did) to enter for a chance to win a signed copy of the first book “Immortal Descent” from my Immortal Series!
Stay witchy, my pretties!

Click here to subscribe! Thank you!

Contest starts today, and goes through midnight (Pacific US time) on November 3rd. Our winners will be chosen from all eligible entries on November 4th and notified, and then announced in our wrap-up post.

Good luck & Happy Reading!!