Tricky Treats

27. Say It! I Dare You

CHAPTER 27 

"What?" Ms. Baker laughed with a snicker. "Serena's many things, but I doubt she's a witch."

Alice shook her head wildly. "No! I caught her dabble in magic a few minutes ago, throwing things into her cauldron." She hugged her chest tightly; her mouth couldn't fathom what she was saying. "Her cat and ferret talks! They had a conversation right before my eyes."

"Alice, I think your hair fall out has made you loopy." Ms. Baker swirled her index finger close to her right temple. She laughed as she poured the hot water from the kettle into a teacup.

"I'm not mad!" Alice gripped her aunt by her arms and shook her. The tea spilling from Ms. Baker's hands. "Serena is a witch!" her eyes were wild. "She's the one that made my hair fall out and gave you hives this morning. She used a hex on us! It's her. I heard her say it to her ferret!"

"Alice!" Ms. Baker shouted. "Stop this madness!"

Alice growled. "Aaargh! Come see for yourself!" she flared up her arms and grabbed her aunt's left wrist, pulling her behind her as they headed for the front door.

"Alice, let go of me! What are you doing?" Ms. Baker squealed as she tried to pull her hand out of Alice's strong and determined grip. "You completely lost your ever-loving mind!"

"No, you need to see." Alice pressed as she dragged her unwilling aunt to Tricky Treats.

Ms. Baker haphazardly shielded her face from the passing residents as they crossed over the street.

"Shhhoooo." Alice whispered as they slipped into the sweet shop unseen. Serena was still in the kitchen with her pets. Alice treaded softly to the door that was slightly open still. She waved Ms. Baker to follow her. Her aunt tiptoed behind her in a grumpy tone with her hand clutching her pearls.

Serena mashed strange herbs with a ponder in a clay grinder bowl. She and her cat were having a light conversation about what next stock of treats to make.

"Maybe peanut butter cups. It seemed the children liked it last time." Serena tapped her lip and her cat agreed.

The cauldron brewing chocolate bubbled away. Streams of golden light radiated from it as one whopping bubble burst. Serena moved to the cauldron and read unfamiliar words from an old book that rested on a stool beside the fireplace. Golden streams rose above the cauldron as Serena threw in the mashed herbs.

Alice turned to her aunt, whose face had turned white behind her redden rash. Her mouth dropped and her eyes twitching. Alice nodded with a twisted pout. She took her aunt's hand, and they moved quickly and quietly across the shop's floor and exited through the doors.

Ms. Baker dashed past Alice across the street to her home next to the pastry shop, sucking in gulps of air. Her throat whimpering. Two miners strolling home with pickaxes across their shoulders looked at her oddly as she and Alice closed their front door behind them with a panicked thud.

"You see! You see!" Alice yelled, excitedly. "I told you!"

Ms. Baker nodded her head in fright and slumped down onto the couch. "Yes — yes, I believe you now." She gasped and sat on the couch in the living room. "I can't believe it. Her cat talks and she was repeating strange words from a book?"

"A spell!" Alice added with wide eyes. "And probably that was her book of spells!" Agitation grew in Alice as she marched up and down across the carpet. "I didn't see her ferret in the kitchen. But he talks too!" Alice said. Mrs. Baker's eyes following her as she whisked from one corner to the room to the next, giving her aunt vertigo. "She's poisoning the town with her treats. They're all falling under her spell!" Alice held her scarf over her head. "We need to do something!"