Free The Memory Witch by Heather Topham Wood Page B

my stool in the workshop, I was permitted to take my studies outdoors. The pier of the pond was one of my favorite places to sit and read. I could dip my feet in the water and feel a part of nature as I read about all that nature was capable of. I was smart enough now to slather on plenty of sunblock before venturing outdoors.
    I came to love the Chadwick House. There was a primal beauty about the rolling valleys and hills that dotted the landscape. Flowers bloomed in the oddest of places and I was certain there was magic involved. I had started picking blooms and keeping them in a vase on my dresser. I ran through the fields and dived in the pond whenever I was given a free moment.
    Stella never warned me away from the woods around the Chadwick House, but I never ventured further than the tree line. My recent nightmares made my fear about the forest multiply tenfold. My imagination warned of tendrils of darkness consuming me as soon as I passed the threshold. I felt silly for my trepidation and rationality told me that anyone would have nightmares staying in a creepy old house and learning to be a witch.
    Mason still remained a mystery. Besides a few glimpses and snatches of conversation here and there, Mason kept away from me. I thought that would change after the day at the pond. Later that night, I found Cheez Doodles, Gatorade, and Tylenol resting on top of my quilt. I tried to thank him, but he brushed me off. I decided to not pursue a friendship and made peace with the fact that my months would be spent mostly alone.
    The conversations with Tanner and Amber grew more strained with each passing week. I was shocked to find that even with only a single day to talk to Tanner, I had little to offer in way of conversation. He didn’t know the truth about my reasons for staying in Lima, so I let him talk about himself the entire time. He didn’t spare my feelings as he described how much fun he was having with our friends over the summer. He had also begun preparing for the move to the dorms in a few short weeks. This was the hardest thing for me to hear. Our phone calls were getting shorter and I could feel Tanner distancing himself as he became immersed in pre-college activities.
    In mid-August, Stella decided it was time for a change in our routine. The sky was overcast and I had just returned from watering in the greenhouse. She thrust out a wrinkled hand and beckoned me into the hallway outside of the workshop. I hurried forward and waited for her instructions.
    “You will sit in on a client meeting with me this morning.”
    I was equally surprised and thrilled. Some days dragged as I spent hours upon hours researching. It would be wonderful to see Stella actually practicing magic in front of me. I had not seen her cast a spell since she put me to sleep in the car ride to her home. It renewed doubts into my mind about whether or not her abilities were real or not.
    She led me to another locked door towards the front of the house. I wasn’t surprised by this discovery. I had tried opening several doors on both floors, only to find them padlocked. Stella had a keychain that she kept with her at all times. I had to wonder if the locks were a new addition since she determined I would be living with her.
    The room was what I guessed a psychic’s parlor would look like. There were overstuffed chairs decorated in rich deep hues of red, purple, and orange. The shelving displayed an odd assortment of mystical items. Crystals were placed haphazardly over the room next to oddities such as an animal skull, black candles, silver chalices, and aroma lamps.
    The drapes were heavy and the only illumination came from oil lamps that Stella must have lit before fetching me from the workshop. I walked into the rooms and felt the gooseflesh erupting on my arms. The residual magic in this room seemed to speak to something dormant inside of me and the feeling reminded me of my nightmare when I called the darkness to me.
    I gave Stella a