The Witch's Grave

Robin Kirby and Ariel Wright wove through the dense crowd in squashing humidity. Being jostled by obese and sweaty patrons would usually annoy them to silent

condemnation and early departure. However, the State Employees Free Admission

Night at the Delaware State Fair was the one extravaganza that filtered out all the bad and stroked the pleasure sensors to enjoy, forgive, and ignore all negatives.

"What do you think, Robin? Is this a greater attendance than last year? I don't ever recall so many people before."

Robin shook her head and felt her straight raven hair settle back. The hair annoyed her because she had few options for a different style. She could cut it, put it in a ponytail, or add color highlights, and that was her limit. It defied all attempts at curling and

wagged its hair tongue at professional perms.

"Neither do I, but I'd pay an extra $5 for admission if half the crowd was turned away at the gates. Like wow! Like yuck! I wish I were a porcupine for atleast long

enough to clear a path to the Cotton Candy Booth, like yum, folks. Excuse me. Pardon me. Did that hurt? My bad, now move out of my way."

She batted her bright blue eyes for added emphasis.

Ariel laughed and patted her cheeks. "That sounds like you, and don't worry, girl. I've got your back on that one."

They reached their goal, munched on the sweet cotton strands, and headed to their last stop for the night, the fortune teller booth, where Sister Stella was reported to give some excellent and accurate readings about the future from her crystal ball. Word of her skill spread fast when two positive incidents happened the day after the predictions.

Stella was new to the recent carnival. The former fortune teller, Sister Grace, the

anchor medium for ten years, died after standing too close to the lion's cage and being devoured after being ripped to shreds. The fatal error happened while the carnival was on a train, and the car holding Rexus the Killer Lion was locked, all three doors, yet

Grace was mauled and eaten.

Authorities never determined why or how the incident happened. However, two

days later, while setting up without a fortune teller booth, Sister Stella appeared seeking employment. The news of Grace's death disturbed her, and she wanted to take her place to help the Golden Helmet Carnival. She told the management what happened and what clothes Grace wore when Fate settled its account with her. She was hired with no

background investigation. Sometimes, fellow workers worried and wondered about her ability to tell the truth and make accurate predictions. However, noone challenged her, and she became popular so quickly with her clients that her longevity was assured by

management. After that, rumors and questions ceased, and praise commenced.

Eventhough it was near closing time, her tent was busy, and Stella had Ariel hold a sign alerting the crowd that she was the last to enter. That deterred a few, and people

tried to cut into the line and take the sign from her.

"Go away! Leave mealone!" Ariel slapped the last man'shand somewhat hard.

He blasted her with an insulting name and stomped away, threatening her, Sister Stella, and the carnival with punitive lawsuits for his lost fortunes.

Then they were inside the comfortable, inviting atmosphere and Sister Stella looked poised and ready to use her talents for their benefit.

"Welcome, you two beautiful ladies. Please approach my table and be seated."

Robin did a hasty evaluation of her face and upper body that was visible, and the results pleased her, but she still had to ask.

"How do you work such long hours and remain calm and collected?"

"Because I live right, my dear, and I seem to be blessed with supernatural stamina. Otherwise, I'd give in and curl up in a ball beside the one on the table, and people could not tellus apart."

Ariel's brow wrinkled. "Huh?"

"That'sa funny expression on your face. Almost had you there. At least I made you think. Thanks for entertaining me. Now then, which one of you wants to have your

fortune told? One of you doesn't strongly believe in me, so I need the guilty party to confess. Don't make me breakout the rubber hose and learn the painful way."

"You'restrange, Stella, but you're right. I'm your customer, and Ariel is my sidekick for tonight. I'm curious. She's not. I'm brave. She's not unless she'sstanding behind

me."

Ariel's temper flared, and she flashed Robina harsh stare as red-painted nails ran through her curly blonde hair. "You can stop now! I can be what I am without your

announcement to the world!"

Sister Stella clasped her hands before her shiny bluish crystal ball and ignored Ariel'shuff.

She held Robin's attention with piercing eyes. "Okay, young lady, what is your name?"

"Robin Kirby, I want you to tell me my future. I want to discover something about

me or my family that has remained hidden. I don't want it handed tome on a silver

platter. Easy things are too comfortable forme and, therefore, meaningless. I learn with more satisfaction if I do it the hard way or atleast in a semi-difficult way. Did I make

sense with that explanation?"

"Yes. You mean you talk a lot to say a little. However, I enjoy people like you as my last customer of the day."

She unclasped her hands and lay them palm up, one on each side of her ball on the green velvet mat.

"It'sup to you to expose your desire for knowledge, Miss Robin Kirby. Lay your hands on mine, and we'll commence."

Robin grinned and lay her young hands on top of Stella's dark ones.

On contact, the room lights extinguished. Simultaneously, a light from the ceiling spotlighted it.

The coordination and effects pleased Robin. "Awesome."

Stella squeezed her hands hard. "Silence! I see your life has been quiet until now. But that's about to change. First, you must goto Denton, Maryland, and stay until you cannot avoid the mystery and destiny waiting for you. You appear to be brash now, but what you will learn will shock and sober you. However, I dare to say before your

learning adventure is complete, you'll wish you had never entered my tent tonight or sought knowledge of things hidden. Somethings should be accepted without knowing why, and others should never besought for knowledge alone."

Robin gasped, and a blue spark of electricity jumped upward from the ball and

shattered the spotlight bulb. She jerked her hands free as glass shards dropped around the tabletop.

Stella squealed, shook her hands, and sat back in her chair hard enough to cause it to tip and fall. The wild attempt at recovery only served to dump her onto the floor in a heap.

Three tiny snakes emerged from the globe, faced Robin, and stopped when they were two feet long. They writhed and tried to reach her.

She tried to shutout their clear voices but could not succeed.

"I'm the vampire snake. I want your blood."

"I'm the viper snake. You'll not livelong after my bite."

"I'm the varicose snake. I'llclot your body and spirit. They will twist and fuse

together until you're not recognizable, and salvation is impossible. That's my specialty, and I LOVE doing that to any Kirby I encounter. You're all worthless bitches and

bastards tome!"

They each disappeared in a black, sour-smelling vapor, with an increasing gong sound for each one.

"Did you have to be so extravagant and theatrical?" she asked.

Stella stood, righted her chair, and glared tongues of fire at her.

"That wasn't planned, Miss Kirby! That was Karma showing its glee in helping you

along this path. Please give me $5 and go away! I was happy not having customers for

the reminder of the evening. Pay and depart my presence! I've had quite enough of you!"

"You didn't tell me what I'll learn. That's the deal I wanted and bargained for."

"I can't tell you that! That part of it is reserved for you and you alone. Pay up for my services and go with your unimpressive intelligence and babbling nonsense! You won't be this way long! Denton, Maryland, will wipe the smart ass from your life!"

Ariel had remained immobile but not through desire. She knew what had happened between Stella and Robin and finally found her voice and let it go.

"Hey, Robin! Stop it! Pay her, and let's get the hell out of here. You asked. She delivered. It's not her faultyoudon't understand or like the results."

"That's not the problem! Nevermind, I don't feel like fighting anymore tonight. It's my fault, so I'll pay!"

She opened her purse and laid a bill on the table. "Here you go. I won'tjoin the

crowd who speaks ill of you, but you've disappointed me tonight. I thought better of you. Come along, Ariel. We're overdue leaving."

"You don't have to be rude. Sorry, Stella. She gets like this when she can't have everything go her way."

"That's got nothing to do with it! She's all bogus tonight! No one in my family has ever lived in or near Denton, Maryland! I don't even know where it is other than people

mentioning it in passing, and I don't want to know! I thought my fortune or future

would be told, and it wasn't. So, I paid you for nothing. I could have used the money for a coffee and a bagel in the morning. Thanks, Stella. Let's go, Ariel."

Stella picked up the bill with a smile and tucked it inside her dress pocket. "Thanks, Robin. I told you about your future as far as I can, and you won't like it. You may end up with a fortune, but you'll pay a dreadful price to acquire it. Goodnight, and have

pleasant dreams while you can."

*

Robin walked into Billy's Donut Delight, where the 'o' was a photo of a blueberry

cake donut, and waited her turn inline. When she reached the counter, she remembered she had spent her last bill with Sister Stella.

"Oh, bother and a half! No cash and no ATM here." She looked helpless to maybe play on the cashier'ssympathy.

"Can I use my debit card? Please? I spent my last cash on my future in the State Fair last night, and I've not had the time to prepare for the day."

"Sister Stella got you, huh? Did she say, 'Give me a fiver and get out?' Well, Billy's

got you covered, sweetie. New technology makes it possible for you to do that. You'll just have to pay $.60 extra for the low transaction fee."

"No problem. Thanks so much. Billy's okay. Stella's not okay."

"So, I've heard."

Robin paid for her coffee and Old-Fashioned Glazed Cake Donuts and chose to sit and enjoy them in the shop instead of driving. She sipped the coffee with a sigh and

broke off a piece of donut with her fingers.

A strange man stopped beside her.

"Excuse me, miss. I couldn'thelp hearing about Sister Stella. Do you believe in fortunes and futures so much that you spend money on her prattle?"

"In general, I do, but last night ruined my faith. It was very generic and sounded like a cold bologna sandwich waiting to be bitten. Why? Don'tyou?"

"No, but I believe in my hurting goldfish. The cat bit him last night and wiped out

his tail. As a result, he'shaving great difficulty swimming until it grows back. Would you contribute some money to help pay his medical bills?"

Robin frowned and shook her head. "No. Save yourself some money, feed the rest of the goldfish to your cat as dessert, and get over it. You're just as strange as Sister Stella."

He snapped his fingers. "Except you paid her for nothing. Never mind. The scam

didn't work on you." He raised an invisible glass in a toast. "To your oh, so lousy future as the clever Sister Stella predicted. Puffers and Toodles, worthless trash that you are."

Robin watched him walkout the door, and the cashier stopped in his place.

"Was everything satisfactory today, miss?"

"Yes, do you know that man who stopped at my table? I mean, the one who just left? The tall man in the brown pinstripe suit?"

She scratched her bellybutton. "No, miss. We haven't had any customers like that this morning. Are you sure of it?"

Robin stood and tried to find him in the parking lot but failed to locate him.

"Never mind. I'm sorry to waste your time."

"You didn't. I'm still getting paid."

"Well, have a nice day. I'll dispose of the waste for you and catch you tomorrow if you're still employed."

She left the building and cursed at an advertisement stuck under the wiper blade on the driver's side of her car. She snatched it free and cursed again when she scanned the ad. She threw it on the ground and stomped on it. She glanced around to see if other

cars held the same thing, but none did.

"Why only my car? That's not right. Thanks, whoever did it, you little prick. I hope your nuts shrivel up to the size of bbs!"

She unlocked her doors with the remote tag, picked up the advertisement, and sat behind the wheel.

"Now I know why I was so uneasy when he stood beside me. His actions made me recall an undertaker I dealt within Harrington before. I wonder if he was, and was that why he chose only my car to advertise? Do they support each other?"

She read the entire brochure and could not find a person's name. It advertised a sale on cemetery plots in the Denton Cemetery, Denton, Maryland, and a phone number.

Someone scribbled the message on the back in a blank whitespace, "Buy one, Robin. You'll need it sooner than you think."

She folded it and tapped it against the steering wheel. "Stella, are you screwing with my mind from along distance? Will you keep it up until I'm jittery enough to pay you

off? Is that part of your fortune in my future? Did you hypnotize me and learn things I didn't want to share with you?"

With a nervous sigh, she laid it on the seat beside her and drove to work.

*

She shook off the jittery feeling and processed Motor Fuels Tax Permits until almost noon before Josie approached her.

"Do you want to sign this card for Paula? Her hubby died last night."

"Aw, man. That'srough." Robin took the card and read it inside and out. "How old was he?"

"Twenty-two. He was two years younger than her."

"Bummer." Robin picked up her pen.

Josie lay a hand on her shoulder. "Several girls said that same thing. I say the

asshole deserved to die. He overdosed on Oxycodone. Popped twenty-two of them for

his birthday party. Dumb ass! Left a wife, a kid, and one on the way, and no income for the mother than this job. And no, the insurance won't pay up for suicide. So, she's alone and at the mercy of every money-grabber waiting to make a quick buck."

"That sucks for Paula." Robin returned her pen and closed the card. "Is there a collection going on, wanted or not?"

"Yes. Do you want to contribute?"

"I do, but I'll have to catch you after lunch. I need to hit an ATM first. I didn't have time this morning. The fair drained my wallet last night."

"Been there, done that. It won't goto her until tomorrow. You can catch me this afternoon. Thanks, Robin."

"You're welcome. Where'she going to be buried?"

"In the Denton Cemetery. I didn't know until this morning that she commutes from there daily. That's quite a haul for her."

Robin grimaced and nodded. "I agree, but you take what you can get in this economy. Maybe her luck will turnaround, and she'll get a job closer to home."

Josie left her, and she sat gazing at the monitors on her desk without moving. "This is too weird forme. All this concentration about Denton? I don't think so, Sister Stella and all the spirits who work with her. My ancestors settled in the Dover, Wilmington,

and Newark areas. There were no Marylanders in the Kirby Family history. So there, Stella. Opting out of the burial is allowed, and I'll do it."