for?”
“Taking notes. Momma Sue makes fun of me for doing it, but I can’t remember everything she tells me when she teaches me spells and stuff.” She turned to Sammi. “Are you ready?” Sammi nodded and Fred said to the rest of her friends, “We’ll see you in a few hours. Jamie, don’t forget about us.”
“I’ll come get you around five o’clock.”
Fred took Sammi’s hand and led her to the doorway. Sammi gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as she passed through, until she felt soft grass beneath her feet, then she looked over her shoulder and watched the magic portal wink out. She blinked at the place where it had been and turned to Fred, who barely shrugged.
They were standing in the front yard of a rambling, one-story house with a rusted tin roof, white paint peeling from the wooden siding. A porch stretched across the front, and the roof sagged over it like a tired old woman.
They walked up the steps and the front door eased open on its own. Sammi gasped but Fred chuckled. “Momma Sue’s showing off for you, Sammi.” They went inside, the worn wooden floor creaking under their feet, and Fred called, “We’re here, Momma Sue.”
“I know, child. We’re in the other room.”
“We?” Sammi said.
“I think Mrs. Malley is with her,” Fred said as they passed through the front room to an open doorway on the next wall. Sammi’s head was on a swivel as they went, but Fred walked too fast for Sammi to take it all in. She saw shelves covered with books and plants, and strange knick knacks were everywhere, some hanging from the ceiling by bits of string.
They entered the adjoining room, and at the far end by the window, sitting like queens in matching cushioned chairs, were two old women. One, wearing a flowing, bright orange blouse and a multi-colored, billowing skirt, was Momma Sue. The other was a gray-haired woman in a brown woolen dress, a slight smile on her lips.
“Fred the Firecracker,” Momma Sue said with a wide, yellow-toothed grin. She turned her attention to Sammi. “And you must be the Shadow Witch. Got such pretty, dark eyes, don’t you? Look like wide slices of midnight.”
Sammi was too nervous to answer, her mouth suddenly dry as dust and her heart fluttering like hummingbird wings. Fred said, “This is Sammi Price.” Fred gestured at the other old woman. “Sammi, this is Mrs. Bella Malley. She’s from Eddan’s world. How are your eyes, Mrs. Malley?”
“Good as new, since your boyfriend fixed them.” She smiled and winked at Sammi.
“Your hair looks fuller. Did you do something to it?”
“I made a rejuvenation potion, I did.” She patted her scalp gently. “It’s coming in darker, too. And my voice is stronger. I don’t sound like a rusty old hinge anymore.”
“She makes a good potion,” Momma Sue said. “We been tradin’ recipes, since Jamie made us a doorway.” Her gaze turned to the far wall, and Sammi followed it to see a glowing portal inside of a regular, wooden door that looked freshly painted white.
“That’s new,” Fred said. “Who built that?”
“My grandson,” Mrs. Malley said and looked at Sammi. “That’s my house on the other side of it, on my world, the one you call Eddan’s world. Jamie made a permanent magic doorway so Sue and I can visit whenever we want.”
“We’re practically roommates now,” Momma Sue said with a short laugh. “But we got her grandson to put us in a real door over it so we can close it from time to time and get some privacy.”
Mrs. Malley gestured with her thumb at Momma Sue. “This old hag gets on my nerves sometimes, she does.” Her face was dead serious as she stared at Sammi, then she winked again and Sammi felt herself smile.
Momma Sue laughed and waved one hand, then looked firmly at Sammi and pursed her lips. “So, you are a Shadow Witch, I hear.”
Sammi nodded, but Momma Sue frowned. “Can’t you speak?”
“Yes ma’am,” Sammi managed to say in a small voice.
Momma
“Taking notes. Momma Sue makes fun of me for doing it, but I can’t remember everything she tells me when she teaches me spells and stuff.” She turned to Sammi. “Are you ready?” Sammi nodded and Fred said to the rest of her friends, “We’ll see you in a few hours. Jamie, don’t forget about us.”
“I’ll come get you around five o’clock.”
Fred took Sammi’s hand and led her to the doorway. Sammi gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as she passed through, until she felt soft grass beneath her feet, then she looked over her shoulder and watched the magic portal wink out. She blinked at the place where it had been and turned to Fred, who barely shrugged.
They were standing in the front yard of a rambling, one-story house with a rusted tin roof, white paint peeling from the wooden siding. A porch stretched across the front, and the roof sagged over it like a tired old woman.
They walked up the steps and the front door eased open on its own. Sammi gasped but Fred chuckled. “Momma Sue’s showing off for you, Sammi.” They went inside, the worn wooden floor creaking under their feet, and Fred called, “We’re here, Momma Sue.”
“I know, child. We’re in the other room.”
“We?” Sammi said.
“I think Mrs. Malley is with her,” Fred said as they passed through the front room to an open doorway on the next wall. Sammi’s head was on a swivel as they went, but Fred walked too fast for Sammi to take it all in. She saw shelves covered with books and plants, and strange knick knacks were everywhere, some hanging from the ceiling by bits of string.
They entered the adjoining room, and at the far end by the window, sitting like queens in matching cushioned chairs, were two old women. One, wearing a flowing, bright orange blouse and a multi-colored, billowing skirt, was Momma Sue. The other was a gray-haired woman in a brown woolen dress, a slight smile on her lips.
“Fred the Firecracker,” Momma Sue said with a wide, yellow-toothed grin. She turned her attention to Sammi. “And you must be the Shadow Witch. Got such pretty, dark eyes, don’t you? Look like wide slices of midnight.”
Sammi was too nervous to answer, her mouth suddenly dry as dust and her heart fluttering like hummingbird wings. Fred said, “This is Sammi Price.” Fred gestured at the other old woman. “Sammi, this is Mrs. Bella Malley. She’s from Eddan’s world. How are your eyes, Mrs. Malley?”
“Good as new, since your boyfriend fixed them.” She smiled and winked at Sammi.
“Your hair looks fuller. Did you do something to it?”
“I made a rejuvenation potion, I did.” She patted her scalp gently. “It’s coming in darker, too. And my voice is stronger. I don’t sound like a rusty old hinge anymore.”
“She makes a good potion,” Momma Sue said. “We been tradin’ recipes, since Jamie made us a doorway.” Her gaze turned to the far wall, and Sammi followed it to see a glowing portal inside of a regular, wooden door that looked freshly painted white.
“That’s new,” Fred said. “Who built that?”
“My grandson,” Mrs. Malley said and looked at Sammi. “That’s my house on the other side of it, on my world, the one you call Eddan’s world. Jamie made a permanent magic doorway so Sue and I can visit whenever we want.”
“We’re practically roommates now,” Momma Sue said with a short laugh. “But we got her grandson to put us in a real door over it so we can close it from time to time and get some privacy.”
Mrs. Malley gestured with her thumb at Momma Sue. “This old hag gets on my nerves sometimes, she does.” Her face was dead serious as she stared at Sammi, then she winked again and Sammi felt herself smile.
Momma Sue laughed and waved one hand, then looked firmly at Sammi and pursed her lips. “So, you are a Shadow Witch, I hear.”
Sammi nodded, but Momma Sue frowned. “Can’t you speak?”
“Yes ma’am,” Sammi managed to say in a small voice.
Momma
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