The Accidental Witch by Jessica Penot Read Free Book Online Page A

the shack. I left the spell book and the other items I would need later in the cabin and began the walk home.
    It was cooler than it had been in a long time that morning. It was overcast, with thick clouds blocking the sun, but it wasn’t raining. I enjoyed the walk back. I took in the scenery. Wild roses bloomed along the trail and butterflies flitted in and out of patches of flowers. As soon as I stepped onto the large white porch that surrounded my house, the sky opened up and the rain poured down in sheets. I watched it fall for a minute before I stepped inside.
    I looked around. It almost looked like a real house. The wallpaper was up and the paint had been finished. I walked through the house, turning the lights on and off. The wiring was done. The house was cool, a sure sign that the air conditioning was actually working.
    My phone rang in my pocket and I jumped. People didn’t call me anymore. I didn’t have many friends and the few I did have, knew I didn’t like talking on the phone, so they texted me. I answered.
    “Hi,” a deep voice said.
    I said, “Dr. Becket?”
    “It’s not too early, is it?”
    “It’s 10 a.m.”
    “Yeah. Is that too early? I’m sorry I didn’t mean to bother you.”
    “No. I just didn’t think you’d really call me,” I said.
    “Why wouldn’t I?” he asked.
    “I don’t know,” I said. “How are you?”
    “Good,” he said. “It’s my off day, so good.”
    “Mine too,” I said.
    “Really?” he said. “Would you like to grab lunch or something?”
    Lunch. That was a bad sign. At least the numerous chick flicks I watched on a regular basis said it was a bad sign. The truth was I had no idea what it meant, but I liked to imagine that the screenwriters who wrote chick flicks knew more about dating than I did. Of course, they didn’t seem to be right about anything else, so who knew.
    “Sure,” I said.
    “Can I pick you up?” He seemed hesitant.
    “Yeah.”
    There was an uncomfortable silence.
    “Where do you live?” he asked.
    “Oh,” I said and then I gave him directions.
    “Would noon be okay?” he asked.
    “Sure,” I said.
    “See you then,” he said.
    “See you then,” I replied as the phone went dead. I stared at the phone for a minute. I certainly hadn’t seen that coming. He had asked me out, but I was under the impression that the likelihood of things like this actually coming to fruition was about one in a million. Maybe I was just bitter.
    I looked down at my red dress. It was dusty and covered in muck. I had slept in it. I looked at my watch. I had two hours. I sprinted up the stairs and stripped down naked as I ran to the shower. I rinsed the funk off of me, did all the usual girly things women did to preserve their youth and make themselves pretty. I was never really sure any of these rituals worked, but they were like magic. The ritual felt good and the hope they provided created a relief to the daily anxiety of being a less than perfect woman.
    Finally, I stood in front of my closet wrapped in a white towel. I stared vacantly at my disheveled wardrobe. There was nothing I had worn in the last year that would be even remotely appropriate for this date. I really had no idea what would be appropriate, but I knew my usual collection of baggy dresses wasn’t going to cut it. I dug around for a while until I came to a collection of clothes that were still in the wardrobe bag in the back of the closet. I unzipped the bag. Memories flooded over me. Shit. I knew there was a reason I hadn’t opened that bag.
    Pressed suits and black evening gowns filled the bag. Bits of wreckage left over from the days when I had been full of potential. Remnants of a life that had gone up in smoke and fire. I looked through the bag and found what I was looking for. A delicate tank top and a pair of jeans that fit like a second skin. I squeezed myself into the pants and pulled on the loose shirt. I couldn’t believe the jeans still fit, but it was a very