CACKLE- Book 1

Chapter Fifteen

Remi's tea cup was empty. It had been for some time. She wasn't sure if she should say something more, or remain silent.

Remi had told Anna everything. The entire story; her being an Elemental, the apocalypse, time travelling... blah blah blah...

Remi had watched Anna's expression change from surprise, to shock, then to horror. When all the blood drained from her face she looked out the window and just kept looking. Anna stayed like that until the sun outside began to set.

The clouds were ablaze with orange and pink streaks. The only sound in the room was the bubbling and simmering of Anna's cauldron.

Remi opened her mouth as if to speak, then decided against it. What more could she say? She reached for the cold kettle that sat between them. "I'll just get you more tea."

Anna didn't respond, she didn't move. Her eyes were glassy as she gazed, at nothing in particular through the window.

As Remi filled the kettle she looked around the little cottage. It was much larger inside than she had imagined it to be as a girl.

The walls were lined with shelves, from floor to ceiling. Each wall had its own ladder, and there were two lofts on either side of the space that overlooked the main room of the house.

The shelves were stuffed with books and various jars. Remi filled the kettle with water and set it on the hook by the cauldron's fire.

She looked back at Anna who still hadn't moved. While she wanted for the pot to boil she looked around at the little jars on a wall with a big wooden sign that read 'Apothecary'. Remi could identify some as herbs, while others were filled with more intriguing material.

Dark red liquid labeled grow fast had Remi wondering if that were perhaps some kind of animal blood... at least, she hoped it would be from an animal. A faint glow radiated from a green bottle with a pointed tip, the label read; clairvoyance.

Remi picked up a stout bottle with a rubber stopper, it was dark in color and the label read; liquid lies. She considered popping the top and taking a sniff, but knowing Anna's proficiency for elixirs, Remi decided it might be safer to avoid potential inhalation- in case that was the potions method of administration. She carefully returned the little bottle to its place on the shelf.

There were large containers of dried herbs crammed together along the bottom shelves. Remi knelt down to discern their contents. There was the usual, dried elderberry, wintergreens. There was also; phoenix feathers, hawk eyes hair of a martyr and a little jar of teeth that were most definitely not human. Remi had just gotten to a big jug of 'rusty nails in hexing salt', not to be mistaken for 'rusty nails in venom' the bottle right next to it when she wondered if the teeth and venom could be from the same unfortunate creature. Dried bags of mushrooms rested uncomfortably close to a black jug with a decaying cork top labeled 'liquid malice'. Remi poked a little pink bottle of 'luscious locks' and almost knocked it over as she heard the whistle of the kettle go off behind her.

She ran to the fire and pulled the kettle off its hook with an iron prong. The flames of Anna's fire were starting to dwindle beneath her cauldron. Remi placed the kettle on the floor and began busying herself with gathering some wood from the stack in the corner and poking the flames with the iron prong. She peaked into the cauldron, curiosity getting the best of her as it's light white glow illuminated the space around her.

Silver swirled and glimmered, an opaque glittery liquid bubbled away. Remi risked a whiff, wafting her hand in the air so as not to take in too much. It smelled silky and soft, fresh and a little minty. There was an empty jug on Anna's table with a pre-written label that read, 'protection'. A potion for protection. The irony wasn't lost on Remi, that while making a potion for protecting one's self, Anna received news of an all too impending doom. How fitting. She smiled to herself, picking up the kettles handle- which was now cool to the touch. She carried it to the table and plopped it in front of Anna. The herbs used to make their first pot had given as much as they could, so Remi helped herself to Anna's stock piles and made a couple bundles for their new batch of tea. She let them rest and poured Anna a cup.

"Drink." Remi said. Anna jumped a little at the sound of her voice, as though she forgot she was even there. Anna's eyes looked from Remi to the cup. Her lips puckered at the soft green color of her tea.

"I used nettles, for your nerves and a few odds and ends. Try it!" Remi tried to sound encouraging.

"I was never a fan of the taste of nettle. You always said hibiscus and juniper were your mothers' secret for disguising the taste. I popped in some lemon balm and lavender for some... stress relief. As well as some cinnamon of course." Remi gave a little laugh, "Always helpful for blending flavors." She hesitated, watching Anna's face.

When she finally looked up Anna said, "I wasn't fond of nettle as a child."

Though Anna's voice was wary, Remi felt it was a good start. So she smiled and clasped her hands together excitedly.

"You would also chop up strawberries sometimes and put those in my tea. I've never tried honey, no bees back home of course... but you told me I should try some when I came back. I especially loved when you cooked us eggplants or your fabulous veggie stew!" Remi gushed, her hands moving dramatically to emphasize her words.

Anna squinted at her, tilting her head to the side. Remi's smile stayed plastered on her face, wide and a little intense. Anna picked up the cup and drank the entire thing without another word. Remi wasn't sure if she had just burned her mouth or if she liked her tea boiling hot in this timeline.

Then she was on the move. Anna rose from her seat and filled her cup with something dark liquid from a jug on the shelf.

"I'm going to need something stronger than juniper." She mumbled to herself.

Remi took a seat and watched as Anna drank cup after cup of the dark red drink before she put her cup down, seemingly out of breath from the ordeal.

Remi picked at the skin around her fingernails, a bad habit to calm her nerves. She didn't speak. She felt like she had done something wrong. Maybe Anna had overestimated how her past self would have handled this news. Maybe she could have approached the more gruesome details in more of a delicate way... perhaps hearing the details of how her face melted was an overshare.

"Stop that." Anna said.

Remi looked up to see Anna staring at her. Remi looked down, the edges of her fingers were now puckered and red from her picking. "Sorry...you always hated when I did that." Remi's cheeks flushed pink and she clasped her hands together under the table. Her anxiety brought little green sparks to her fingertips but she suppressed the urge to let it free.

Anna hiccupped as she emptied the last of the liquid in the jug, into her tea cup. She frowned and pointed to a cupboard under her sink. "Can you please bring me a- *hiccup* another?"

Remi nodded and flew to the cupboard. It was full of jugs with dark red liquid. She figured two jugs would be better than one. When she placed them on the table Anna smiled. "You do know me well." She pulled the first jug towards her and struggled for a moment with the corked top. "This is my favorite variety of mead. Here, try a sip." She said, pulling the cork out of the jug with her teeth and sloshing a large amount into Remi's tea cup.

Remi grinned and took a big gulp, coughing and sputtering. That had been a mistake. It was bitter and sour. "What is that?" Remi's voice was hoarse as she stuck her tongue out, a look of disgust scrunching her face.

"Mead!" Anna cheered. "It's liquor my girl!"

Remi laughed and wiped her chin. "There's nothing like that back home."

Anna's eyes struggled to focus on Remi. "No mead? No wine? Nothing?" She asked.

Remi shook her head, "Nope."

Anna looked at her now empty teacup. "We can't let that happen!" She said, her tone very serious though her words came out in a mumbled mess. She slammed her fist on the table, eyes half closed as she went off on a rant, muttering 'no mead, no wine!'