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“Because it’s impossible. Like that time your cat got hold of your mom’s yarn. Remember the tangle?” It zigzagged all around the house.
“Guess we’re pooched.” Annie sighed in dejection.
“Hold on, let me try something else.” Mindy dug her fingers into the soil and did her meditation thing where she breathed in and out, nice and slow. With lots of help from witch forums and books from the library, Mindy had been learning how to access her power and commune with her goddess. Her mind emptied and the soil warmed as she reached out to Mother Earth.
She felt a tingle and murmured, “Hello, goddess.”
Magic flooded into her body, letting her know she’d connected.
“Sorry to bother you, but I’m trying to find an old tree with some moonflowers. Do you know where it is?”
This way, daughter. The Mother spoke inside her head. A startled Mindy fell on her butt.
“Dude!” Annie’s favorite new word. “What in the clumsy is going on?”
“Um, I think my goddess spoke to me.” A first.
“Really? Lucky duck. Wish I had powers,” Annie grumbled.
Mindy popped to her feet to give her a hug. “You do have a power. Super BFF. Always prepared and ready to help when there’s a crisis, whether it be for math homework or a smelly boy.”
“You’d do the same.” Annie scoffed.
“We both know I would have never thought to bring holy water and a stake.” Mindy indicated the backpack Annie carried.
“Always be prepared. I’ve got rope, a knife, and matches too. I’d hate for us to get dropped in a pit with the undead and not have a way out.”
Her forward-thinking awed. Never mind the undead didn’t actually exist. If it ever did happen, Annie would be ready.
“The goddess told me to go that way.” Mindy pointed and without question, Annie struck off, fearless and determined.
Wishing she were home baking cookies, Mindy followed. She didn’t know if her goddess guided them or they simply got lucky, but they entered a clearing with an epically large and gnarly tree. Even from where she stood, she could see it ailed via her headlamp. Many of its branches were barren. Those with leaves showed sick spots.
Annie stood at its base and huffed. “Wow. Look at it. It’s got to be like a thousand years old.”
“Close. More like a few centuries, which is surprising. It doesn’t look healthy.” Mindy’s lips pursed. Something about the tree repulsed. An ache started in her head.
“Moonflowers!” Annie’s attention shifted as she pointed.
Indeed, the lovely blooms had opened and emitted a gentle fragrance. “Let’s grab them and go. I’m craving ice cream.” Mindy wanted out of here. Something about the tree didn’t feel right.
“Ooh, chocolate ice cream and pickles.” Annie smacked her lips.
Mindy didn’t gag. She was used to her friend’s odd food choices.
She crouched and before she trimmed the blooms asked permission from each plant. All but one agreed to let her have the flower. She tucked them in her bag and stood, noticing Annie stood with her ear pressed to the bark.
“What’s up?” Mindy asked as she approached her friend.
“Can you hear that?” Annie murmured.
“Hear what.”
“The voice.”
Mindy cocked her head and listened. “I don’t hear anything.”
“Weirdest thing. I’d swear it came from the tree.” Annie turned round eyes on her. “Do you think it’s a dryad?”
