“Good evening, Mind Blowing Mushroom, carryout or delivery?”

     “You’re doing this?” Brennan asked.

Sara held the phone against her chest and whispered. “Yes, I don’t believe the hype about this place.” She gave the man their address and ordered one large mushroom pizza.

     “Do you want the special blend of four-twenty-spices?” The man asked. 

     “Indeed.” She replied.

“There in thirty minutes or the next trip’s on us.” He laughed.

     Brennan paced the floors until he heard a knock at the door. He paid the driver and brought the pizza to the table. “I swear he winked at me and…. I could hear it!” Sara giggled at her boyfriend’s silliness. 

     “The first piece is yours.” Brennan waited for her to dig in.

“Dang it, a mushroom fell.” She bent down to find the lost vegetable or fungus, whichever.

     “Get up!” Brennan yelled. Sara, sprawled out on the carpet, began snoring loudly. He rocked her body back and forth trying to arouse her but with no luck. 

     ~Time went by~

     “What the heck!” He took a slice and munched on it. 

     ~More time went by~

     Brennan fell from the sky into a forest filled with the greenest of trees and little mushroom houses, a peaceful haze covered the land. “Where are we?” 

     Sara danced across a wooden bridge woven into the grove. “The sign over there reads WELCOME TO EUPHORIA.” She pointed. “Come on.” The two held hands as they spun around like little children. 

     “You can’t stay here forever.” A voice spoke from the clouds, neither heard it. 

~Even more time went by~

     Back at home, the kitchen spotless, no sign of their dinner. Sara suggested they place another order. 

     “Bad idea!” Brennan said. Sara begged, he agreed and went to get his money.

     “Sara, have you seen my wallet?” 

~Silence~

“Let’s have a baby,” you said. “It’ll be fun,” you said. “We can still practice witchcraft, nothing will change,” you promised.” Martee ran to the sink with her four-year-old son. Craig stared at his wife in disbelief, frozen with no ideas on how to help.

She abruptly turned towards him while little Randy projectile vomited in his direction. “You know what my favorite part of this is?” Psychotically, she laughed. “Last year, you insisted we make him a Easter basket because you wanted him to be like other children. You grabbed the little blue egg candies from the store shelf, tossed them in the cart, exclaimed how you loved them as a kid and what a magnificent treat it would be for our Randy. I see the boy’s confusion! He didn’t know any better. But you! You are a piece of work!” She yelled at her spouse while splashing water into the toddler’s mouth, trying her best to wash out what was left of the shells and their contents.

“I’m pretty sure he swallowed some.” She gagged then gritted her teeth to keep from cursing.

   “Maybe you could call poison control.” Craig slowly rubbed his hand across the top of the kitchen chair, keeping his head down.

   “Oh yes, marvelous idea!” Her hand formed an imaginary phone. “Hello, poison control. My four-year-old son just ate some Robin eggs that I’m using in a little……sorcery. Do you think he’ll be okay?” She tossed the child in her husband’s direction. 

   “They’re eggs, Craig. I would imagine he’ll be fine. Mark my words, I’m going to figure out how to turn you into a frog……You are no prince.” She grabbed her spell book, ran into their bedroom and slammed the door behind her. 

The End…. possibly, of it all. 

She donned a black dress, flowing past the knees. A sweater covered her delicate shoulders, forewarned about the weather before her journey across seas. Her heel caught between two stones on the pathway to her destination. She let out a dainty scream in frustration as she twisted her leg around to free herself.

    A familiar voice spoke from a distance. “Sprichst du Deutsch?” 

   “Nein.” She responded, both fluent, chuckled.

   “How have you been, Chloe? I’m surprised to see you here.” Estranged since high school.

   “I owe this much to Frau Hicks. If it weren’t for her, I would’ve never made it past twelfth grade or at all.” She lowered her head. “Jeremie Faircloth, what brings you here?” She solemnly looked back towards him with a slight smile.

   “She was an excellent German teacher – learned a lot that year.” She knew the ending of his subtle remark was intended for her.

   “I made the best decision by letting Frau adopt our baby. I wasn’t ready to be a mother.” Her eye contact showed no remorse. 

“I deserved a choice in the matter. I knew nothing about your plans until Frau informed me before moving back here.”

“I should’ve told you.” Reaching for his hand, he jerked away.

   “I suppose you’re here to see our daughter.” 

   “And pay my respects to Frau Hicks.” She reiterated.

   “This should come as deserved karma. You will find her obituary reads Frau Faircloth. I married her, we raised Shelby together. I always intended on doing the right thing.”

Chloe placed her hand on her stomach, queasy from the news.

“Shelby’s at the church with her siblings. I suppose that’s where you’re headed. We can walk together.”

   “You had more children?” Chloe asked.

   “That was always your problem, you never realized life existed beyond you, Chloe.”

He slammed his hand on the table, nearly sending all its contents to the floor. 

She didn’t budge from her seat.

“You think you’re going to bring her back with witchcraft?”

She kept her head down.

“Incense, spells, and God only knows what these things are.” He held up the cream-colored bulb for a closer look and then hurled it at the wall.

“You’re good for nothing! You couldn’t keep our daughter safe! My mother told me not to marry you, yet here I am —- full of regret.”

He bent down, his face parallel to hers, spit particles littered the air with his every word. 

She remained silent.

“Why? Why would you turn your back on her, for even a second? A helpless four-year-old, in a park filled with strangers? Cars coming and going…. Why?” His words drawn out, tears gushing from his bloodshot eyes. He balled his fists, pulled his arm back and prepared to take a swing. 

She didn’t flinch, only twirled her wooden spoon around the bowl once more before placing her hands in her lap.

“You’re not worth the pain I want so badly to inflict on you!” He fell to his knees.

“My baby! My baby! You lost my baby!” He screamed out. His forehead now resting on the hardwood beneath him. He sobbed, out of breath, out of patience, out of life, his empty soul perishing from within.

“For three long years, you’ve done nothing but sit in this chair, at this table breathing the air that belongs to me!” He inhaled, moving his lips inch by inch, sucking in, pretending to steal every life saving breath. “I promise to end your life or die trying.” His sorrow transformed him into evil.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

“Daddy.” A small voice called from the foyer.

“No Jeffrey, momma told us not to go into the forest.”

“Jackie, we’re not. This is just a dream.”

Jeffrey and Jackie both lay tossing and turning in their twin beds, separated by a red shag rug. Jeffrey, only minutes older than Jackie, was the dominant brother.

Jeffrey’s nose began to twitch. “Do you smell that?” 

“You know I do.” Jackie eliminated the aroma by using his thumb and pointer finger to pinch off the scent. 

“There it is! The forbidden tree of happiness.” Jeffrey described the large glowing tree with a tiny door allowing entrance to the trunk. “Let’s go in, just this once.” He pleaded with his sibling. 

Jackie slid his feet quickly back and forth on his mattress before raising both legs and letting them fall back onto the bed, causing a thump so loud it could be heard throughout the house.

“Only this once but if we get in trouble, you’re taking the blame.” Jackie gave in – again. 

“Don’t I always?”

“No!” Jackie screamed.

“Ahhhhh…. Just look at this, would ya?” Miniature ovens filled with treats outlined a kitchen designed for the likes of an Elf. Jackie ran to the small, short counter and stuffed his mouth full of Fudge Stripes!

“And you think I’m always out of control.” Jeffrey laughed. “Oh no! It’s mom, I hear her calling.” Jeffrey pulled Jackie by the arm.

Their bedroom door flung open.

“Boys, there are three people out here to see you. Their outfits are hideous, their names even worse, Ernie, Elwood and Fast Eddie! I have no clue where you find your friends!”

The boys gazed strangely at one another.

As their mother left the room, she turned to look at Jackie. “Wipe that chocolate off your mouth – midnight snacks better cease in this house!”

“By appointment only!” The crystal gazer removed her hands from the sphere, her long and purple fingernails reminiscent of the sign out front; READINGS.

Two teens stumbled drunkenly through the door. The tall lanky guy reached his palm out towards her. “How ‘bout you just squeeze me in?” Both boys laughed, one fell into the other. The largest of the two pushed his friend back upright.

“Call to schedule another time.” She stood from her sitting position at a small round table covered by a red silk cloth. Her current customer took to her feet and excused herself past the intruders, leaving Madame Violet alone.

“Okay, fine. What is it that you would like from me?” The psychic kept eye contact with both delinquents.  

The short chubby boy pointed towards her tarot cards. “Tell me my future.” His loudness subsided as his sidekick reversed himself towards the exit. 

“Sit.” She pointed to the now empty chair. 

He maneuvered his backside around until he was comfortable.

She shuffled the cards, placing three in a row. “This is your past.” She flipped the first one over. “Present”; the second one. “Future”; the third.

Suddenly, she grabbed his wrists with a tight squeeze. “Don’t do this!” She begged.

“I wondered if you were legit.” He pulled away from her, reaching towards his leather boot and pulling from it a shiny blade.

“Where’s the money? I know there’s plenty of it around here.” He nervously moved his knife in closer to the woman, visibly shaking.

She pretended to reach for her cash drawer but instead retrieved her revolver. With her life in danger, she had no choice but to pull the trigger. When questioned by the police, she realized. “I could have never seen this coming.” The closed sign went up that night….for good.

“Step right up! You sir.” Huckleberry pointed at the tall guy with glasses. “You’re a big fella, let the famous Huckleberry guess your weight.” The man laughed and approached the stage. The Clementine estate hosted a fair every fall to fund it’s upkeep, odd how the place still looked run down.

He hit the nail on the head with two hundred-sixty two pounds. Huckleberry offered the participant a trip to the green tent placed behind them. “Half man, half wolf back there. Let ya’ view him for a buck.” The man dug deep into his pocket and handed Huckleberry two. “Gotta take my new lady friend with me.” The man and the woman disappeared.

Huckleberry dropped his mic and turned the dial on the clock sign to 6:30, gone to lunch it read.

“This never gets old.” The man whispered to Huckleberry. The two were familiar with one another having hustled people in the carni life for sometime now.

The wolf-man grabbed his cage, shaking the metal bars until they broke loose. His hairy paws reached for the girl, missing her by less than an inch. She ran and the three followed. Her only chance of escape was to run into the abandoned Clementine mansion that sat on the property.

Huckleberry and his friend stopped as the freak of nature caught up to her on the inside. Out of breath, the two money hungry fools slapped their knees and laughed eerily as the blonde headed beauty ran by each window with a wolf following close behind. It was an entertaining sight.

“Over there, no there, down there! Uggggh… Gross!” Their final remark when Wolf-man caught up to her on the bottom floor in front of the half shade covered glass.

“You bring him back to the tent.” Huckleberry walked away.

It’s sails waved quickly, carrying its passengers through the midst of the sea.

Taking us from a land haunted by something that couldn’t be.

We barely escaped with the clothes on our back.

Whatever was spared, we placed in woolsacks. 

The dark skies followed with each wave we rode.

Was it a storm or the monster – like the stories we were told?

He had taken our crops, our supplies, and much worse. 

The first-born babies of the maidens were cursed.

Tossed in the water as the journey went on.

Their eyes filled with blood, all except for one.

He spoke his first words, loud and clear, as he excited the womb.

He painted a picture of our impending doom.

For months we travelled to reach the opposite shore.

Something beat us there; our new home was prepared for the gore. 

The settlers before us, carrying torches, yelled towards my people.

“You murderous filth, we hold no place for your evil.”

The well captain begged and pleaded, explaining our truth.

They set fire to our boat, killing us at our roots.

We were disease stricken; but they would never know.

Our journey had nothing to do with food that could not grow. 

The fever we carried changed all of our lives.

Reality distorted, trying just to survive. 

We weren’t murderers, just sick, not knowing our minds lied.

We hadn’t been on that boat at all, we actually died.

“Where did they go?” I followed Malachi through the newest and most profound living area for those who practiced Luciferology. A fake and created religion named after Lucifer, adding the ology to make it official.

The mark of the beast – painted in red jumped out at me. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t fallen for Malachi when we met at church last month.

“Why do you know about these places?” This was the fourth lair we visited today. I probably should’ve asked this earlier. Each camp normally exceedingly full by his expectations, now empty, not a single soul in sight.

“The lady that lives upstairs from me lost her daughter to this. I’ve been watching from the sidelines trying to figure out exactly what it is. The other night, the girl was kneeling in front of her mother’s door, crying, though she hadn’t seen her in months. I tried to speak but she ran.”

He stopped and looked around. “There.” He pointed. “Do you see the ABI painted in black?” 

“Yeah.” I was creeped out.

“That’s what they call him, ABI father. He’s returned and taken them.”

“Why would you believe that? Who would willingly go with the devil?” 

He pulled me close, my stomach filled with butterflies. “The same reason you’ll go. He’s beautiful, attentive and every woman’s dream. Weren’t you just thinking how in love with me you are?” His laugh was high-pitched as we descended upon a locked cage door. Screams and panting filled the air. He pulled a set of brass keys from his pocket. He couldn’t unlock the vault. His fiery red eyes gazed at me. I called upon the name of the Lord. I fell from his arms as if I were poison to him – Freed by truth.

He pushed me through the door, the knob hit the glass so hard that it shattered. All I could think was that he had finally ruined the one place I found solace: my safe-haven. I didn’t scream, it was pointless. How many times before had I begged for mercy having not done anything that required forgiveness.

He shoved me to the floor. I quietly moaned, not giving him the satisfaction of knowing the pain I felt every time his shoe connected with my ribcage. I placed my hands on the wooden slats and lifted my head enough to peer through the gaps. A small bug crawled across the dirt. How I wished I were it.

I knew he was finally walking away by the sound his feet made against the pallets I had broken apart, creating a deck to build my planthouse. He was satisfied when I saved money. 

I pulled myself over to the refinished chair, covered in a floral pattern to match my blooms. Too weak to lift myself, I reached for the pillows, allowing them to topple over and down, sliding them underneath me. I would have to lay here until my strength replenished. 

I squinted my eyes when I heard the trees rustling outside, scared he had come back for more. 

“Dear?” I recognized the voice. My best friend was exactly twice my age at seventy-two. “Oh, dear.” Her knees popped when she bent down beside me. She rubbed my hair back away from my face and sat with me for hours until I was able to move. 

She returned the next day with a get-well plant, and the secret to a better life. “You’ll prepare his favorite food. A dash of this deadly nightshade will do you both good.” Her thin lips created a smile.