Read Part 1

For many, waking up to heavy snowfall in the middle of the night is one of the most magical moments one can witness. There is a glow to the air from the lamplights. There is a hush to the world as snow blankets the ground. It’s as if you have transported to a new world.

To wake up late after a night of heavy snowfall is the furthest thing from magical. The snow that first fell and melted on your car has turned into a thick layer of ice; covered by inches of snow. This always happens on a morning where I have hit snooze on the alarm too many times. I couldn’t figure out an outfit. My hair refuses to cooperate. To open the door to see the behemoth of snow atop my car flares my anxiety to life.

“Why?” I mutter to no one in particular. The cold hit me like a ton of bricks. The temperature freezes the liquid inside my nostrils. I skate myself over to my car from across the parking lot, only looking half crazy. As I stare at the monster in white, that is my vehicle I can’t help shivering so hard my teeth might break.

Normally, I scrape my car off as humans do, but today I’m running too late. I can’t afford to be late to work again. I scan the parking lot and the nearby condos. As far as I can tell no one is looking. I snap my fingers and hope for the best. The snow drips from the car. Like a hawk, I keep a vigilant eye on my surroundings as the snow melts. My luck holds out, and I’m able to get my car clean with no notice. The door to the car pops open with the slightest pressure of ice still in the cracks.

I blast the heater, but instead of heat, ice cold air slams straight in my face. I grumble as I throw the car in reverse and speed my way to work. I work at a bookshop in downtown Omaha run by a very feisty warlock. I got to work, hitting eight billion potholes along the way. I take the morning as a win and settle into my lazy day of chit-chat and moderate labor on spells. Steve the surly warlock gives me a look of disdain as I walk in moments before being late.

“I see you hardly made it, again,” Steve says from the back of the store. He always looks like he’s eaten something bad. His face all scrunched up — a look of disdain plain on his features.

“But I’m not!” I sing as I whip off my coat and a cascade of melted snow showers him. I smile extra sweetly which only makes him even more upset. His wrinkled nose is visible from all the way over by the front door. Steve and I have worked together for the last few years. He always complains about me but honestly, I’m not sure how he kept the store before I got here. I’ve taken on most of the managerial tasks. He’s known in the magic circles as being hard to deal with. Yet, we have our special relationship that works.

One of the first things I did was to put a new layer of spells on the store. It makes the more occult items and activities unnoticeable to the humans who walk in. Humans know us as a new age healing and bookstore in the downtown area. We have doubled the number of paranormal shoppers since I’ve been on board. I love I get to spend time meeting people and getting paid to practice magic and learn new spells.

It had been a few hours with no customers, and I had set myself to working on a new complex spell. In shock, I scream, and I leap out of my seat shaking my hands. It feels like electric bees had attacked me all over my hands. I dance from foot to foot, and I waved my hands around trying to get the feeling back into my fingertips. I heard Steve snort before he appeared at my side. He peers at my notebook I had been scribbling in as I had been working.

“You are coming at it all wrong,” Steve says before setting into an hour-long lecture. All about the intricacies of the spell I had been bulldozing straight through. This is why I love my job. He might be hard to work with, but with magic, he knows what he is doing. We have spent days working through one complex spell after another — the door chimes after a few hours.

“Peyton!” I squeal. She works at a gym down the street and spends time with me when she gets a chance. I hadn’t known she was coming by though.

“You haven’t responded to the group chat!” She says. She gives a salute to Steve, and he nods his head at her.

“I’m sorry. Steve and I have been at this for hours.” I say waving a hand at the table where our notes, scraps of snacks, and bits of tinkering still lay.

“Finley wants to go the PAX tonight are you in?” Peyton asks. I break into a smile it might be the dead of winter. But I hadn’t been to the paranormal club in ages. It was witches night tonight, and magic, drinks, and shenanigans were sure to ensue.

“Yes! Get ready at my place?” I ask. I lived the closest to downtown, so we all gather at my condo and carpool from there. Peyton nods at me while checking her watch.

“We’ve put in some good work today. Do you want to get off an hour early? I can close up?” Steve offers. I smile sweetly at him. He was always in a good mood if you could get him out of his head and into a great magical problem.

“Thanks, Steve. I’d like that,” I say. That would give me time to clean up the house before everyone got together. Peyton had to run back to work, but I promised I would respond as soon as I could to the group chat with her and Finley. Before she was out the door, I had my hair up in a bun. My glasses on, and enthralled in the magical testing Steve and I had been at it before, once again.

—

That’s it for this week! Join us next week to see what happens at the magical club PAX!