milk & honey • jensoo one-shots

73. I'll put a curse on her and you

Jennie stood in the kitchen with big red gloves covering her hands. As soon as she opened the oven, the whiff of burnt pie crust flooded out.

She peered into the oven and cursed under her breath. Her attempt at baking a pumpkin pie resulted in another burned mess.

"Ah, not again!" She muttered, frustration evident in her voice.

"What's up?" Her mother, Hyuna, walked in, her eyes widening as she saw the burned, black pie.

Jennie sighed and muttered, "I wanted to make a pumpkin pie for aunty... Since she's coming over later to celebrate Halloween, like always. But I started napping and forgot about the time again..."

"Oh, darling, the pie is perfect just like this." Hyuna chuckled at her daughter's adorable pouty expression.

Jennie frowned, not amused by her mother's comment.

Just then, Dawn, Jennie's father, entered the kitchen carrying a bucket of dead fish surrounded by ice cubes in his hands. He glanced at the pie and smiled, praising his daughter for preparing their final ingredient.

"Sweetie, you've outdone yourself! It's perfect, this crispiness and dark colour, wow! Let's use it right now." He said with a grin.

"But, dad, I wanted one normal Halloween!" Jennie protested.

Her parents didn't seem to listen. Instead, they gently pushed her toward the garage. Jennie sighed, surrounded by buckets and bowls of ingredients. She picked up the charred pumpkin pie and stared at it for a moment.

"Do I really have to be the one to do this?" She asked hesitantly.

"Sweetheart, you do it every year. Your aunty loves your candies, didn't you want to make something for her?" Hyuna ruffled her hair, encouraging her to go ahead and not be shy about it.

"Okay..." She let out another sigh before letting the pie drop into a greenish mixture. Then she added ice and the dead fish into the massive cauldron.

Next were eyeballs, bat wings, spider blood and dragon scales. She stirred it all with a long wooden spoon.

The concoction bubbled and sizzled, emitting a green and orange glow. She sprinkled candy into the mix.

As she stirred the cauldron, the ingredients melded into one bubbly brew. Whenever the bubbles popped, faint screams could be heard.

Jennie's parents gave her proud smiles.

"It's ready." Hyuna whispered.

Dawn nodded and together they carried the cauldron back into the house. Afterwards they heard the sound of hooves from outside.

Jennie already ran to the door and opened it, knowing who was coming.

A grand, black carriage, drawn by horses as pitch black as the night itself arrived. The carriage came to a halt, its wooden wheels creaking on the cobblestone driveway. The carriage door opened and her aunty, Suzy, stepped out.

She stepped down onto the path, her cloak billowing around her like the wings of a raven. The horses, having served their purpose, continued onward, pulling the empty carriage into the darkness from where they came.

Jennie quickly hugged her with a bright smile. Suzy patted her back, yet her gaze fell upon the cauldron as a grin played on her lips.

"Ah, my dear Jennie, you've outdone yourself once again." Suzy judged by the smell alone. "Want to finish the candies now?"

Jennie nodded eagerly, her smile widening. To receive such praise from her aunty, the one with the most recognition in their entire coven, was an honour beyond words.