The Witch is Back

Chapter Nineteen




The day’s classes were cancelled due to the incident that teachers were now calling “a misguided and unfortunate attempt at a prank.” We were instructed to use our free time to start researching our witch history projects, but most of us looked at it as a day off. Counselors also told us we were to make ourselves available to help find whoever had messed with the amphitheater. Apparently the adults were more than annoyed by whoever had rearranged the seating area and planned to punish the culprits if caught.

After my talk with Jinx, though, I decided to use the time to work a little magic of my own.

It was clear that Jinx was beyond stressed and needed a little help coping with the aftermath of our run-in with the Parrishables. And if there was something I could do to ease her mind, I would do it. My influence over her mood earlier had been effective in calming her down, but it wasn’t possible for me to be around her 24/7 to make sure it lasted.

I had to find a more permanent solution. At least, until Jinx could move on and heal.

Giving the situation some thought, it finally dawned on me what to do. And once again, my mom was going to come to my rescue. Well, her wisdom was, anyway. Back when she’d been alive, Mom had owned a shop called Scents and Sensibility, where she’d created custom perfumes for clients. Each concoction focused on the person’s individual needs. Mom would infuse perfumes with herbs, roots, and other elements that would bring out certain qualities in the wearer. Then she’d seal the mixture with a spell—a fact that the customers weren’t privy to. All they knew was, whenever they wore it, they felt good. And they smelled great, too.

I’d learned a lot about potion-making while working at the store after school, but my mom was a master at mixing. Watching her zoom around, picking out ingredients that would be perfect for each person who came in, was like watching an artist at work.

By the time I was a teenager, I recognized each of the ingredients my mom used and the powers they invoked. Every once in a while, Mom would give me refill orders to work on. That way, I’d learn how to infuse while still keeping her customers safe. She’d just begun to let me create perfumes on my own before Samuel Parris had killed her.

That had been the last time I’d meddled with potions.

Until now.

Now I wanted to create something for Jinx. Something to take the edge off until we found a more permanent solution for her nerves.

I changed into some woods-appropriate clothes—a long-sleeve, sheer white shirt, which hung off one shoulder and covered a bandeau bathing-suit top, paired with acid-wash shorts that made my legs look extra long. Completing the look with midcalf brown slouchy boots, I took off on my new mission.

Placing headphone buds into my ears, I pressed the button on my digital music player and let my favorite tunes fill my head. The woods were too quiet for me to think. I know it sounded weird, but I’d always studied better with music on. So, as I left the safety of our cabin, I turned the volume up on Taylor Swift’s latest album and began to hike.

I walked deep into the woods, looking for the ingredients I needed. It would take a lot of concentration to try to identify each of the items I’d need to make Jinx’s potion. True, I’d been around the elements my whole life, but I was out of practice. And I was used to looking at plants and gems while they were organized in my mom’s store, not growing out in the wild.

If I was even the least bit distracted, I would miss something. And I didn’t want to do that to Jinx.

Sun streamed in through the tops of the trees and cast lines of light in the air like rays through blinds. Everything around me was green and lush. Plants were growing everywhere, making it look as if I’d wandered into a wonderland of sorts.

It was calming to be surrounded by so much beauty and I felt myself begin to relax as I studied the plants and herbs along the way. I had my list of items needed for Jinx’s perfume, but depending on what was growing in the area, I understood that I might have to improvise and switch a few things up.

My mom taught me a long time ago that every living thing found in nature has a purpose and power assigned to it. Flowers, roots, and even gems and rocks can be used to help invoke a feeling or reaction within the human body or psyche. Most people were completely unaware of the kind of resources they had growing in their own backyards. If they understood, then they’d be able to save themselves dozens of unnecessary trips to the doctors.

Luckily, I knew the kind of power these woods held.

I saw the single delight first. A single flower protruded from a stemful of dark green leaves, thus the reason for its name. It was white and dipped forward as if it were looking down toward the ground. I plucked the flower and slid it carefully into a canvas bag I’d brought, and silently thanked Mother Nature for the gift it was giving to my friend.

The single delight helped to get rid of feelings of isolation and allowed for a better connection with those we’re spiritually linked to. Perfect for Jinx.


Next, I searched for the osha. This herb also grew in rich, moist soil and was a part of the same family as parsley and dill, so it had a sweet and strong celery-like fragrance. The root was often called “bear medicine,” because animals would use it to clean out their systems. And bears were notorious for intuitively using herbs for their own healing processes. Native Americans believed the osha root to have healing powers and often burned it as incense to ward off illness, as well as negative influences and thoughts. I snagged a few of the plants at the roots, so I could use all parts of the flower.

Then, there was the river beauty. This flower stayed true to its name and was as beautiful as it was powerful. The river beauty helped to aide in emotional recovery and encouraged those who were around it to start over after devastating experiences. It promoted cleansing and growth in people overwhelmed by grief, sadness or shock. Just right for what Jinx was going through.

Forget-me-nots were some of my favorite flowers, not just because of their magical properties, but because of their ability to brighten my day. The flowers were tiny and cute, usually bright blue, pink, or white with yellow centers, and grew in big patches. They were pretty common, which meant they’d been a go-to plant for my mom’s old shop. This small but lively flower helped to release fear, guilt, and pain from a person’s subconscious. And from my talk with Jinx, I knew that fear was practically holding her hostage.

I had to walk quite a ways into the forest to find foxglove and fireweed. Both plants thrived in areas of land that had been cleared or burned over. Almost as soon as I’d found the open space in the middle of the canopy of trees, I spied the two plants.

Fireweed is a willow herb that has purple flowers growing in abundance up the stalk of a single stem, and opens up to flattened flowers. It’s widely used to heal shock and trauma by initiating cycles of renewal and revitalization.

Foxglove flowers are shaped sort of like long, slender bells. I used to get in so much trouble as a kid, because I’d walk around Mom’s store with them covering my digits like fancy fingernails. The foxglove releases fear and emotional tension from the heart, and allows us to connect with the truth of a situation.

After leaving the clearing where I’d found the foxglove and the fireweed, I wandered back in the direction of the cabin, and before long, found a patch of carline thistle, a plant that looks slightly intimidating. Careful to grip the nonspiky section of the stem only, I snapped off a piece and added it to my bag. The carline thistle drew strength from those around the wearer, and was used for protection from harm.

I peered at the treasure trove of flowers, roots, and herbs I’d gathered and decided they were more than enough to create Jinx’s perfume. If I performed the spell and made the potion correctly, then Jinx would be left with a concoction that would help to get rid of her fear, anxiety, and pain, hopefully allowing her to finally begin to heal. I smiled as I realized I was sort of following in my mom’s footsteps, creating perfumes to help those in need.

Especially since Jinx was in her current predicament because of me. Because I’d been the target of some psycho evil witch and his crazy coven. I owed it to her to help her heal.

I looked at my cell phone and saw that I’d been gone now for over two hours. I’d missed lunch, but I wasn’t terribly starved and I’d seen some berries growing along the path that I knew were safe to eat if I got hungry on my way back. Turning in the direction of camp, I started to head back, considering the afternoon a success.

I’d only made it a few strides, before my whole world was turned upside down. Literally. I felt something pull tightly around my ankles and then I was falling toward the ground face-first. Before I made impact, I was lifted up into the air, upside down, and then hung there like a trapped animal.

“What the hell!” I yelled out, looking down at the ground where my bag now lay, overturned in the flight. A few of the flowers had escaped and were scattered nearby.

Before I could take stock of what had just happened, I felt something slither its way down my leg and toward my face. My first thought was that it was a snake, which was horrifying in itself, but as I brought my chin to my chest, I could see it wasn’t a reptile at all. What was coming toward me was brownish-green and plant-based.

And totally alive.

I started to cry out, but the vine wrapped around my neck and began to tighten. Almost as suddenly, I was being flipped right-side up again and pulled farther into the air. Frantically clawing at the vine around my neck, I tried to free myself from its dangerous grip. But I was only able to force my fingers underneath long enough to give myself a single breath, before it cut off my oxygen completely.

I was being hanged.

As many times as I’d experienced the feeling in my dreams of Bridget, nothing had prepared me for the real thing.

Knowing you’re about to die is the worst part about dying. I felt it firsthand through my dreams of Bridget Bishop’s murder. The fear of what’s coming is both paralyzing and terrifying, and no matter how imminent it is, you still wish there was something you could do about it.

And of course, that desire for survival often makes things even worse. Because it forces you to fight, which often makes death come sooner.

All of this popped into my head as I tried desperately to free myself.

My breath came out in gurgles and I could feel my eyes begin to bug out of my head. The thought came that I should try to use a spell to get myself down, but I needed one of my hands to be free to do it, and if I let go now, I might pass out before I could even think the words.

All I could do was jerk around as I waited to pass out.

Just before I gave in and closed my eyes, I heard a few branches snap nearby.

“Looks like we’ve caught ourselves a bitch—I mean, a witch,” a voice said behind me nastily.