The Whimsy Witch Who Wasn't - Donna Augustine Page 0,75
with a smile. I was sure the steady flow of coin swayed her opinion of me. She had our cocoas lined up in a matter of minutes and added on a complimentary bag of soft sugars, known as marshmallows in Rest.
I shoved them in my pocket for equitable distribution later and juggled the three cocoas, yelling back to Gilli, “See you tomorrow.”
As I stepped outside, it wasn’t only the cold that hit me. It was my new reality. I had a desk—or a table, and that was close enough. I’d asked Zab today where he got his hair cut because I was going to need a trim. I had cocoas in my hand for my coworkers, and I knew Musso was going to somehow end up with extra marshmallows, no matter how well I divvied them up. I had a spot in my room where I dumped my laundry. I wasn’t just here in Xest, visiting. I was living in Xest. When had that happened? How had a life here snuck up on me?
Glancing about this frozen tundra of a land, I realized if I wasn’t careful, this might become home. The wind was bitterly cold as a flurry of snow blew across the empty street. The fifth wind whistled and then growled. I couldn’t call a place with growling wind home, could I?
Whoa. Wait. What was that? Even in Xest, the wind shouldn’t make a growling noise.
I looked around and saw the things that were hidden in the snowdrift. At first they’d blended with the snow. The longer I stared, the more I squinted, the clearer I saw. It looked like a herd of small animals, no bigger than mice but a lot of them, all with white fur. They had disproportionately large fangs that protruded from their little jaws. Then one stood on its hind legs, and it had extra-large claws as well.
Had to be at least fifty of them, all with beady eyes fixated on me, and they were between me and the shop. I took a few steps blindly backward before I heard a growl from that direction as well. I glanced over my shoulder to see another herd of them, in between me and the Sweet Shop, whose lights had been turned off for the night.
There was a small gap in between me and where I needed to go. I dropped the cocoas and ran for it, getting only two steps before teeth pierced my pants. I shook my leg, throwing the first attackers off, but they were replaced by twice as many on my other leg. I was surrounded by them. They crawled up my legs, biting and scratching. My screams were buried in the gust of whistling wind as I threw them off.
And then, suddenly, they were gone.
I stood there, the snow around me a circle of bright red that was growing larger by the second, as the blood was pouring rivers down my legs. My pants hung in shreds from my thighs. My hands were shaking, and it seemed to be spreading, as my entire body began to shiver.
Without thinking, I walked back to the shop, stepping on blood and cocoa-stained snow. I was woozy but couldn’t tell if it was from shock or loss of blood. Maybe a combination. Hard to know when your mind was freaking out while you bled out. It could definitely be a combo.
Had to get back to the office. I couldn’t think of anything beyond that. Not the warmth flowing into my boots or the pieces of either flesh or pants that grazed my legs with each step. I couldn’t stop and think.
My hand slipped on the door, slick with blood from ripping carnivorous little monsters off me, as my hands shook and knees trembled. I stopped right inside. The place went silent. Belinda was gone, but Musso and Zab still had clients. Zab’s mouth dropped open. There were several gasps. It seemed as if time was slowing, and then stopped, as I stood there.
Musso acted first, getting up from his desk. “Everyone out! Shop’s closed.” He waved the remaining clients to the door. They swerved around me, gaping as they did and getting a good look.
I opened my mouth to talk but found I couldn’t quite speak yet. Zab tugged me to the nearest chair as Musso dropped the shades on the front window.
“What happened?” Zab asked, his hands reaching out to me but hovering in a lost sort of way.