Chapter 33
THIRTY-THREE
Morana barely slept. She was excited to spend some money and thought that the first shop she’d try would be Blackcraft on Essex Street. She needed some new tees and sweatpants. It was as good a place as any to see if her stash of cash was legal tender.
No matter how wide she opened the blinds the bedroom was still dark, even with all the lights on.
Either she needed new bulbs, there was a problem with the electrics or the darkness that was creeping into her life was something deeper than faulty wiring.
She ignored it, though and used her phone’s flashlight to get her winged eyeliner just right.
Walking past Mrs Danby’s apartment, Morana saw Mrs Danby’s daughter come out of the doorway with an overnight bag and realised that the old woman was still alive. Morana didn’t even acknowledge her but walked past, part shamed, part embarrassed by what she had done.
Outside there was a single white rose at the side of the road near to where the old busybody had the terrible accident.
As she walked past it her foot snaked out and stepped on it, her black boot crushing the soft, creamy petals.
She carried on walking as if she’d stood on a piece of trash and not a flower that had probably been left by the woman’s daughter.
Morana strode along Derby Street until she reached the Haunted Neighbourhood lit up with orange lights strung across the small street that were bright even in broad daylight.
This path would take her past the Witch Trials Memorial; she didn’t pause to pay her respects as she normally would.
It was full of groups of tourists all lapping up Salem’s dark history and usually she would blow a kiss the memorial’s way to acknowledge those poor souls, but today it didn’t enter her head.
She turned the corner and took her usual route past Charter Street Cemetery, which was also full of tourists, wandering the paths and gathering around the grave of the hanging judge, John Hathorne.
She did not stop as she usually would, did not give it a second look.
She was on a mission. Morana did not step aside for anyone.
She continued walking straight ahead, her gaze fixed under her dark sunglasses.
She even had the nerve to walk past the line already forming outside of Nocturne.
If Kim asked, she would hand in her notice.
She didn’t need a job for now as she had enough cash to last a couple of months and she could always get more by doing the money spell as many times as she needed.
Blackcraft was just opening up and there was a line, but she didn’t join it. Instead, she walked to the front and past the guy running it. ‘Is Addison in?’
He nodded. ‘She’s out back bringing the delivery in.’
No thank you, just cold hard indifference as she walked through the huge store to the small coffee bar at the back.
There was a closed sign in front of it, which she moved to one side, walked behind the counter and out the back to where Addison was chatting to a guy standing outside of the truck bringing the milk.
‘Morana.’ Addison grinned at her, and Morana just about managed to smile back. Addison looked a mess; her hair was badly in need of a refresh and her make-up looked as if she’d slept in it.
‘Rough night, Addison?’
‘No, excuse me. Did you have a rough night?’
Morana glanced at her reflection in the van’s window and shook her head.
‘I had a glorious night. Your hair needs colouring.’
Addison looked taken aback by her friend’s cold, rude behaviour.
‘And your attitude needs a little attention. What’s wrong with you? I don’t get paid for a couple of weeks, and hair dye is not on my list of priorities at the moment, not when I need groceries and bus fare to go see Travis.’
‘Well, it should be, you’re letting yourself go. I’m sure Travis wouldn’t approve. Do you need some money?’
The delivery guy pulled a face at Addison that Morana caught in the reflection of his van window, making her scowl at him. He hurried and got into the van, starting the engine.
‘That’s not cool, Morana, don’t talk to me that way in front of my friends.’
‘Ha, he’s not your friend, he’s not even a colleague. He just wants to get you into the sack so he can keep getting free coffees.’
‘Screw you, did you want something or did you come here to be a bitch?’
Morana paused, what was she doing? This was mean and uncalled for.
‘I…’ She didn’t know what to say.
‘You what? Are sorry for being so rude or what? Why are you here anyway?’
Morana shook her head. Why was she here? She couldn’t remember.
Addison continued, ‘Because if you don’t want something, some of us have work to do. Anyway, why are you not at work?’
‘I don’t need anything and no, I’m not at work either.’
‘Well, you should be. Kim has been worried about you. Are you ill? She said you were.’
‘I’m not ill, I just don’t want to go to work.’
Addison arched one eyebrow at her. ‘Well neither do the rest of us, babe, but we all got bills to pay and you were bitching about being broke a couple of days ago, so what’s different? Did you win the Powerball or something?’
Morana didn’t answer and Addison continued, ‘Kim deserves more, this time of year is crazy with the tourists, and you can’t just decide you don’t want to work.
That’s so not cool, she’s been good to you.
You should phone her and apologise, then while you’re at it check your attitude, Morana.
You’re acting like some kind of rich bitch when I know you are stony ass broke and it doesn’t suit you. ’
‘Screw you, who do you think you are? I don’t need you to give me life advice when your own life is so much of a shit show you can’t afford hair dye and come to work looking like that.’
A sharp pain behind Morana’s right eyelid made her blink a couple of times.
She felt confused about what had just happened, but she didn’t feel bad and that was not like her.
In fact, if anything she felt numb. Addison shook her head at her then turned her back on her and began to take the crates of milk inside.
Morana stared at her. Usually she would help her but not today.
She was too important to be carrying milk to the cooler when it wasn’t even her job.
She turned and continued walking. She knew Addison was watching her from the step, her arms crossed like she did whenever she was confused, and she didn’t care. She didn’t need a friend who couldn’t even take care of herself and had the nerve to talk to her that way.
Morana walked up to the corner of Essex and North Street in a daze. She paused outside of the iconic black Witch House, where tourists were already lining up to take photos outside of it.
‘Excuse me, could you take our picture?’
Morana turned to a group of four young girls and shook her head.
She carried on walking, hearing their whispers behind her, and still, she didn’t care.
No idea where she was heading to, she stopped at the Ropes Mansion and took the little path that led to the beautiful gardens.
They were quiet, a few people snapping photos and posing for Instagram.
She walked around until she reached the back porch of the house.
There was a rope stopping people from walking around, but it didn’t stop her.
She stepped over it and sat down on the steps.
* * *
It was cooler around here, not that the sun was burning hot yet, but it was warm for October.
She liked this place. Would visit whenever she needed to clear her head, but she didn’t feel as if she had anything to clear, she just wanted a moment to herself.
There was this numbness inside of her mind or was it clarity?
Addison could go screw herself siding with Kim; she should have sided with her.
As she watched a couple giggling at each other, she felt sick to her stomach.
Why did they have to give such a public show of affection like that?
It would be a shame if one of them tripped over and hurt themselves, that would stop the pathetic happiness.
She stared at the girl who looked nineteen maybe, pointed her finger at her and imagined her tripping over one of the low rope fences that guarded the flower beds from being trodden all over.
Suddenly the girl stumbled forwards, let out a cry and went smack bang into the middle of a patch of dead sunflowers with a loud crash.
Morana sat up straighter. Had she done that with the power of her mind or was it a coincidence?
The girl’s boyfriend was pulling her up, and she saw that her hands were scuffed and bleeding from the grit on the flower beds.
She was laughing and crying at the same time. Morana didn’t take her eyes off her.
The girl looked up at her and shouted, ‘Did you want to take a picture?’
‘Not of a clumsy little whore, no thanks. Did you ruin the flowers?’
The girl gasped and her boyfriend grabbed her elbow, turned to Morana to give her the middle finger and led the girl away.
Morana grinned to herself. She tried to reach inside of her heart to feel some horror about the way she was behaving and found that she couldn’t.
She really did not care and if she could make someone fall over, what else was she capable of?
This was too much fun. She heard a soft caw and looked up into the branches of the ancient silver birch tree next to her.
The crow was perched there watching her, it shook its head and she rolled her eyes.
‘You know for a common crow you have far too much to say for yourself. What are you following me for?’
‘Trouble.’
She laughed. ‘Yep, that’s right, you named me trouble so I’m just doing the right thing and honouring your choice of name. Don’t get all soft on me, aren’t you supposed to be out there pecking the eyes out of some dead bunny or squashed pigeon on the roadside?’
The bird was judging her; she could tell by the stern look on its face. That was Addison and a god damn crow looking down their noses at her, well screw them both. She didn’t need them.
She didn’t need anyone.