Chapter 6
Waking up her body felt lax and tired like a wilted flower with no energy to continue for the witch, going through small cycles of things that had stayed the same for centuries with a sluggish movement to her bones like anything she did just weighed on her adding to an unbearable burden that had no reason to exist, she lived a normal life that was considered well off she ate every day she remembered, got sun, drank water a normal life in her books. The day just felt like it was one better spent in bed but without a doubt doing so would result in another day doing the same thing till her body could hardly stand the lifestyle and begun killing itself off and Casper would force poorly cooked rice down her throat, how he made it still puzzled her, but she was too tired most days to care. Casper not wanting to repeat the cycle began testing things to get her out the house; Playing with the jars, climbing on the ropes of flowers for no reason and going and digging in her garden till finally he bit her and begun dragging her outside until they ended up halfway to the city with her finally catching on to where Casper was taking her.
They walked and walked, the witch following almost mindlessly, till they reached an antique shop in an almost hidden corner. “Madam? Are you alright dear you look tired?” Rosemary greeted the witch with concern and underlying pity taking over from Casper and gently grasping the edge of her robe towards the backrooms call for her husband that Madam was here and needed help, Bruno just nodded and moved to sit the witch down careful not to touch her directly.
“I’ve got some tea boiled up stairs Madam, I’ll be back.” Moving upstairs and returning with two cups of lavender tea, he placed down in between the two on a small table which he grabbed a book from out under, taking a sip of the tea, he began to read not to loud not to quiet just enough to break the silence but show that talking doesn’t have to happen till she’s ready to. The words filter through her head, she vaguely recognises as a poetry book she brought to his family when Bruno was still young a means of protecting one of her favourites due to the family’s history of making doubles of books so that even if the original is lost to time the story can live on. Time passes slowly as each piece of poetry is recited and as each is everything gets a little bit better, not enough that its gone, she doubts that’s possible at this point, but enough to make a difference. Giving Bruno a knowing look word is no words are spoken as he nods and directs her the way to the café.
Casper and herself walk softly on the path towards the café, Casper getting tired part way through takes the opportunity to rest on her shoulders. However entering the café is like entering a rage room, screams echo in the small building only Rayne, the child, her mind supplies, is at the counter looking close to tears as this woman screaming her lungs out at the poor girl. Without thinking twice, the exhaustion in her body is as good as gone and she storms up to this woman eyes like a thunderstorm she pulls the woman up to face her, standing at her full height as she speaks her voice penetrates every corner of the building like a storm in the winter goosebumps travel up both Rayne and the woman’s body.
“You dare? She is but a child you dare yell at someone for something so trivial it won’t even matter in an hour. You dare scream entitled for what you are not entitled off? Show some respects to your youngers it is them who shall replace you it is them who will take the glory for achievements better than what you shall ever even think to accomplish, just because you are older does not give you the right to scream at someone who’s just doing their job. You are older you get respect by showing your age and what you have learnt why respect someone who acts like a toddler having a tantrum to someone younger than you?” Casper hissing at the woman as the witch says this.
The woman is shaking, her ears can hardly contain the words being spoken to them as a woman towers over her telling her that she is not entitled to voice her opinions about something that has wronged her. As her face is brought down, she regains a tad of her dignity announcing, “The deputies will hear about this you… you witch… YES THEY WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS YOU HAG AND YOUR RAT, YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS?!” Turning around the woman rushes out the door like a scared child eager to get away from the witch to their mother.
Taking a deep breath the witch turns to check on Rayne, the poor girl looks like a mess her eyes are red rimmed and she’s shaking. Moving to go close the store putting up the ‘we’ll be back later’ sign she directs the child to go and sit down out the back. By the time she joins Rayne out the back she’s back to calm and goes to grab a hairbrush from the locker and sits next to Rayne offering to brush her hair.
The repetitive motion of the brushing calms Rayne if her relaxing in the chair is anything to go by, soft chatter begins to join them with the witch teaching Rayne how to braid her hair to try and keep it less fluffy like it is when in the ponytail, after half an hour of this the store is opened back up and the witch dismisses herself tired after the mentally draining day both her and Casper are ready to just lie in bed till the next day and forget about the world for a few hours.