The Haunted Hairbrush

The Shopkeeper's Tale

The next day I wake up with a scar on my neck. To cover it up, I dig deep into my closet to find the only turtleneck I own. I comfy, but having something hugging your neck feels weird, and I never wanted to get teased at school, so I never wore it. Now I couldn't care less.

In the kitchen, I see Granny drinking a cup of green tea. "Hello dear", she says, or rather squeaks. "Good Morning, Gran!", I reply brightly, hugging her and giving a kiss on the forehead. As I grab some milk and cocoa puffs, she asks, "Have you seen my glasses? I keep forgetting where I put them".

"They're on your forehead, Granny", I sigh, putting down the bowl on the table and beginning to eat. "Hey, that horrible Danny boy isn't still bothering you about colored pencils, is he? I ought to have a word with him...", she trails off, her attention elsewhere. 

I blink back tears, "That was in third grade, Granny. Danny doesn't even go to my school anymore", I inform her. "Oh! Right, right. I was just...um...joking", she laughs, embarrassed. I fight back tears once again and play along. "Alright, well, I have to get going, I'm going to be late for school", I say, glancing at my watch. 

I get up, rinse the bowl quickly and put it in the dishwasher, and prepare for yet another day at school. 

***

Somebody else died. Everybody was talking about it at school. It was a middle-aged man this time, Mr.Jones. Seems like a wild animal attack again, his skin was torn open and his guts were spilling out, but there wasn't as much blood in the woods where he was found as there should have been as if the animal had drunken it. 

Sandra seems to be avoiding Connor and me ever since I told her she might be able to see the demon. Now that I know about it, it seems obvious that Kendra brushed her hair. In fact, it must have looked even nicer than before because several people complimented her on it. 

However, Kendra still has a bad attitude and —to my surprise— red stuff inside her nails. At lunch, she didn't eat anything and never talked at all the whole entire day, which was unusual for her, even under the hairbrush's spell. 

After school, I meet up with Connor at the library and told him about the incident last night. "So that explains the turtleneck", he sighs. "I tried, Cecily, but I failed". "At what?", I ask him. "I tried to take the hairbrush from Kendra as soon as I found out what she'd done", he replies solemnly.

"It was right before I called you, but I wasn't quiet enough, so she woke up and slashed my arm with a dagger which she apparently keeps under her pillow", the memory makes him wince, holding his arm. "Woah. Ok. So. Have we got any new leads?", I question. 

"I don't think so, Kendra will make us bleed if we try to steal the hairbrush, and even if we manage to, there's no guarantee destroying it won't destroy Kendra as well. Not to mention everyone who ever had possession of the gem is dead, so they can't give us any advice or tell us what's going on", he says in one long breath. 

Something tugs in the back of my brain I quickly grasp it so I won't forget. "OhmygodImsuchanidiothowdidInotseethisbefore!", I say without pausing between the words since I'm so excited. My voice goes up a notch, and I feel like jumping up and down and down and squealing, but I take a deep breath to calm myself down. 

"There is one person who's had the gem but hasn't died...".

***

"Tell us everything I know you know something so tell us everything you know", I demand, glaring at the shopkeeper of the Fancy Raven. "Know what?", the old woman smiles innocently. I slap my hand on the table, "Oh don't play this game with me, I WANT ANSWERS, I WANT MY FRIEND BACK YE HEAR ME? I AM SICK AND TIRED OF-", Connor cuts me off a hand over my mouth. All the customers in the tiny shop are staring at me, but I couldn't care less.