Sweet Menace (8 page)

Lilly grabbed my hand and we both started walking outside. I told them to continue the party while we finished the cake. Nobody needed to know this had happened. I promised them to be ready in less than thirty minutes. Inside the van, I opened the coolers after waving my hand. I invited Lilly inside and she took a seat to play with many little pony decorations that maghikally appeared.

Taking three fluffy naked cakes off of the coolers, I cut them horizontally to add cream in between. The top tier was chocolate with fudge swirls, white chocolate in between. The middle one was pink velvet with strawberry buttercream in between. And the last tier- the biggest of the three- a rainbow cake. Quickly, I covered the whole cake with a light buttercream and applied the marshmallow fondant I know kids like so much. Because, let’s be real. Normal fondant looks very classy but it tastes horrible- depending on the confectioner, of course. But kids love marshmallows and I have an outstanding secret recipe for it!

A pink sugar castle made the perfect topper and from one corner of the castle, one sumptuous and cloying cascade of white chocolate descended to the bottom of the cake. From behind the sugar castle, a sugar rainbow bridge jumped until disappearing in thin air. A pond of blue piping gel gave the ponies a perfect oasis. Some plastic ponies were scattered around the cake, but I managed to accommodate them in playful and unusual poses, making them special edition toys. Lilly asked for some more sprinkles in the bottom layer and of course I indulged the birthday girl.

Lilly was so absorbed playing with a silicone spatula and the remaining of frosting that I started playing with my own toys to create a nice gift for her. With a few minutes to spare, I cut another cake, shaping it like a pony and, before covering it with frosting, made a hole in the center. Filling it with chocolate candies, I managed to finish it before Lilly saw me doing my tricks.

“Look, Lilly!” -Extending my hands, I gave Lilly a Little Pony cake and she held it like a purse. -“Is a cake, for later.”

“Thank u!” -She yelled in never seen before wonder while slightly shaking it. -“It rattles!”

“That’s because it has a surprise for you inside.”

Twenty five minutes later, Lilly and I walked back with the awesome cake to the climax of the celebration. Lilly jumped by my side, the pony cake moved in her hands as a ragged doll and I feared it wasn’t going to make it.

“Best cake ever!” -Lilly yelled when we entered through the front door to where Mamma was resting. Her glasses fell from her face while she tried to stand up from the couch. -“Aunty Morgan is magical!”

I laughed trying to minimize what Lilly had just said but all of them looked at me like if I was a monstrosity. Long seconds passed and their awed faces warned me to run, escape and never come back.

“What?” -Elizabeth said while entering from the door that led to the party. -
“
Wo
w
, Morgan! Look at this beauty! Oh my God! You really have magic! Let them see this art! Oh my God. Lilly is right. Best cake ever.”

They all stood and walked to me. Sam’s face of astonishment was both a compliment and a censure. Maybe I had let myself be carried away trying to be liked.

“I’m speechless, Morgan!” -He said at last. -“What a hand you have. Look what you have done in half an hour!”

“Is that a praise? Because I cannot read your face well now. I don’t know if you’re flattering me or if I should climb in my van and disappear.” -I whispered.

“What? Of course is praise. Why would
I
fee
l
otherwise? This is a glorious cake.” -Holding the fat mirror in which I had accommodated the exuberant cake, Sam helped me to carry it between the crowd.

“Well, Lilly is a great helper. I’m gonna hire her. She’s my official Sprinkle Fairy.” -I complimented her and we shared a high five.

Echoes of wonder didn’t disappoint me and people started talking about the cake’s beauty right when we passed by their side. Soon we were singing happy birthday songs. Thanks to Uncle Sam the Jam we sang birthday remixes too.

“Thank you!” - Silently, he mouthed the words without making any sound.

People ate cake and repeated when a new tier was cut. I received hundreds of praise for the delicious taste and many moms came to ask for my phone to order their own cakes for their kids’ parties. My marshmallow fondant was a hit and kids licked it many times before chewing it like bubble gum. Lilly’s pony cake was the envy of other little girls and they all wanted one and came to me almost in tears and making pout.

“Sorry, girls. That’s a treat for the birthday girl.” -I apologized to them while they clutched to my legs like cute koalas. Their silliness made me smile inside. Kids are so cool they worry just for the candies they cannot eat.

Lilly started opening the many gifts while I helped Elizabeth and Mamma to clean the tables. I shuddered when someone hugged me from behind. A kiss in the nape of my neck made my knees weak like pistachio pudding.

“It’s me.” -Sam whispered in my neck. -“I’m so happy thanks to you.”

“Your family is lovely.” -I said escaping from his bear hug. It was true. That day I had received more hugs than in my whole life. Lilly’s hugs in particular had a very special meaning. My heart felt a warmth that had never existed in me before. I could sense her sincerity and love. And all those people treated me like family, not looking at me with despair or weird curiosity or shame. An idea surged suddenly. I can move here. Leave behind the silly retrograde town I would never call home. Cadence, the town of conservative and male chauvinist ideas, could stay in a forgotten past. Making a real life in a place as cool as this, with people as darling as Sam’s family... That sounds like a perfect dream.

No, Morgan. They’ll find out. They’ll discover you. As soon as they realize your secret, you’ll be doomed. There is a pyre with your name engraved.

“I forgot to mention a girl asking for you outside.” -Sam said and I made a curious face. Someone looking for me? Here? -“She looks kind of distressed.”

Sam guided me outside to where the mysterious guest was waiting. I was laughing hard as Sam was a natural clown. To my disgrace, Edora was standing in the green grass close to my van. She was standing looking at the street, her back to the house and yet I could recognize her evilness floating around.

“Need me?” -Sam asked.

I thought for a moment. No. I was better if he just left.

“I’m okay. I’ll be back in a second.” -I assured him and Sam pulled me in a strong possessive hug before leaving me. Walking to Edora, I watched back making sure Sam had returned inside the house. This girl’s face was disgusting today. She was exactly the same, trying to pass for someone who she truly wasn’t. That had been clear just a day ago. -“What are you doing here?”

“Easy, missy.” -Was her answer while she raised her hands as white flags of peace. -“So, now you hang out with them?”

“What are you talking about? You have no right to be here.” -I snapped angrily.

“The witch mixing with the hunters. That’s something interesting to see.”

“Hunters? Who’s a hunter?” -Curiosity attacked me again.

“Mamma has the innocence of Lara Croft and the disability of Mary Reed. Don’t let them fool you with love stories. They’ll kill you while stealing you a kiss.” -Edora said. My heart told me she was just trying to scare me. Just one day ago she was talking about Sam and dreaming on marrying him. But my brain, my rational part, told me she was telling the truth.

I couldn’t believe what she was telling me. I knew Sam was a cop, thus some physical abilities are needed, but a hunter? Really, a witch hunter?

“No later than midnight you have to go to the house I showed you yesterday. Someone is waiting for you there.” -Edora said as delivering a message.

“Are you out of your mind? I’m going nowhere close that house again. I know what you are planning.”

“Oh you do? You don’t have the slightest idea of what’s happening in your life.” -She mocked.

“I don’t care. I’m not going.” -I assured her, crossing my arms protectively in front of my body.

“Yes you are going. The bad witch is going to take the little girl if you don’t obey.” -Now Edora was threatening with kidnapping Lilly. She was seriously out of control. First steal my van and now invent lies and threatens Lilly’s safety. -“Poor little thing! Don’t you know she’s the only ungifted one of the entire family?”

“What I have to do to end with this?” -Defeated, I asked her.

“Midnight. Don’t be late. And make sure to send your boyfriend home tonight. Once and for all.” -Edora said before vanishing in between two passing cars.

My palms sweated more than a cross fit athlete. Just thinking on how I was going to send Sam home tonight I wanted to die. This was seriously getting out of my hands and soon I would be unable to control it. I watched my wrist watch as soon as we parked in front of my house. Eleven fourteen. I had just forty-six minutes to be there. Not even riding an imaginary broom I would be able to make it on time.

Before Sam had the chance to open my door I was out of the van already, slamming the door way too hard. I was angry at myself. Not at him. If I hadn’t given him the chance to enter my life, this would have never happened. I’m so sure of it. Right when my life stops being the boring life of a tedious spinster, this happens. Yeah, is right. Shit happens sometimes.

“Is very late.” -Sam whispered when I was wrestling with the key to open the door. -“I’m sure I can crash on your couch again.”

Finally I found the key. It had been a hard task. I stuck it in the door but it didn’t give away, as if it was held with nails from inside.

“Let me help you.” -Sam offered while taking the keys away from my hands. The traitor door opened smoothly when he put the exactly same key inside. -“You seem kind of distressed. We can talk about it if you want.”

“Sorry, Sam.” -I said, pushing him away gently. -“I have so much to think about.”

I thumped the door in his face and let some tears ran down my cheeks.

“Wha
t
doe
s
that means, Morgan?” -Sam asked in high, nervous voice. -“Are you in doubt about me? Us? It was bad to take you to my family’s? Too soon?”

“Good night, Sam.” -I yelled, hoping for him to go away. Cruelly, I turned all the lights off.

After his taillights disappeared in the night, I climbed in my minivan and drove as fast as a possessed demon trying not to get lost. The road seemed twisted at times and I was as accustomed as a gorilla to drive out at night. I’m not sure if the reason why I turned the radio on this time was to recall the memories of Sam doing it or just to relax myself, but I did. I feared to fall asleep, perhaps that was all. Stepping hard on the gas, it was fully down already. Clock displaying eleven twenty seven and I knew I wouldn’t make it.

“Slow down, damn clock!” -I yelled, hitting hard the clock display screen.

Looking back at the road, I was lucky to dodge a band of wild horses that were in the middle of the way. They kicked violently and their hooves slammed against my van. Like a fragile doll, I jumped from side to side before steadily holding from the drive wheel. Managing to put distance between them and me, I overlooked a giant tree in the roadside. Smoke filled the van while I tried not to cough and open the door but I had to resist the idea. One of the horses had its rear legs ready to hit my window.

The air bag exploded in my face a few seconds after the collision and I lost the breath I was holding so dearly. Even I was coughing hard, I managed to move the shifter to reverse and hit the gas pedal. The van skidded on the wet mud and shook from side to side until it finally moved backwards. Breathing was hard now that my lungs were suffocated with the strange stink coming from the broken air bag.

Unpleasant surprises. Never in my stay in this town I had found wild horses or any other big animal marauding in the roads, except maybe iguanas. Resuming the march I noticed I had less than twenty five minutes to be in the creepy candy house. My van was going forward with difficulty and I was certain that it wouldn’t work without a quick fix.

Watching around I didn’t found any wild animal so I stopped the van and got out of it waving my hands wildly to repair every broken part. It would have been easier to do if I could be concentrated but tonight I was just nervous and worried about Lilly. The work wasn’t perfect but what mattered was for the van to run fast like an awesome racing car. A stifled neigh bellowed right behind me and I ran to get in my van, getting tangled with debris from fallen branches and garbage scattered around. I imagined the fall before feeling it, but men! It hurt so badly.

While my face sweated and my hands slipped from the wheel, my foot was hitting the gas hard. It was midnight already when I drove by a street I recognized as the one Edora had guided me. I parked in a side of the street and walked directly to the house, fearing what was going to happen. My watch wrist beeped, notifying me it was twelve sharp. It was so dark and the cold was so excruciating that I regretted not having a coat with me. Fog was dense and it was hard to see just a few steps ahead. Despite the fear, despite my worries, I kept moving forward until I touched the fence.

At my touch it melted away and animals came in stampede straight to me.

“Edora.” -I called trying to be heard over the noises of the brawling of animals. -“I’m here.”

The beep of my clock stopped. Midnight. Plus one minute. Nobody answered my call and the silence forced me to walk deep into the property. There it was.
The
house. I hurried to the front door but before I could knock, the candy house vanished right in front of my eyes, turning to a normal old shack.

“Edora?” -I called again, this time with fear beyond recognition. -“Where are you?”

Soon it hit me. It was a trap. I had left them all alone and the witch had taken this chance to take anyone of them. But who was her first victim tonight?

Trying to rewind Edora’s words I had just two possible victims: Lilly, because Edora said she was ungifted; and Sam, cause Edora told me to send him away.

Edora. Everything summarizes in her. She is the only real threat I have. No. Jerome had said something about an adult witch too. This was so confusing. I started retreating to my van but soon Edora appeared in between the blurry fog left behind by the vanishing house.

“Don’t go, Morgan. Not yet.” -Edora’s whispered words gave me chills. This was a bad feeling. A very bad one.

“I was here on time. What happened?” -I asked deep in uncertainty.

“You didn’t make it to cross the house threshold as she was expecting. So the bad witch got tired of waiting and left.” -Edora hissed.

“Tired of waiting? How much did she waited for me? Like thirty seconds?” -I argued with rage. -“Now is one minute beyond the deadline.”

“Oh, don’t worry. She’ll give you another chance.” -Edora said as if her words could sooth me somehow. -“You just have to send Sam away.”

“I sent him away already.” -I protested.

“You know what I mean, Morgan.” -She said in a mocking tone. In a wimp her face changed to display evil. -“Send him away forever.”

It was hard for me to understand why Sam was suddenly the center of Edora’s and the witch’s concerns. Was it maybe because his supposed hunter status?

“If I refuse?” -I asked defiantly.

“You’ll brace the consequences.” -She replied with a childish twist of lips.

“Is this just because of him?” -I wondered not just in my mind. Tears gathered, bulging my eyes like broccoli mallets.

“Or because of you, Morgan.” -Edora answered after a long pause. -“Maybe she knows more of him than what you do.”

I just wanted to run all the way home. Lose my skin, tear up my whole body and break my soul in love in tiny pieces.

“I’ll give you her instructions soon. For now, work the spell you were planning to do before the hunter appeared. And stay away from Sam Whilhey. That’s an order.”