Sweet & Spicy Lesbian Short Stories (GirlxGirl)

The Witch of Lake Erie: Part 2

By nine a.m., I'm dressed, my hair is brushed, I've got light makeup on, and I'm ready to go. I'm in a ridiculously short ivory dress that looks like it was made out of doilies—my bridesmaid dress for my friend's wedding two years ago. The cursed moths got to everything else in my closet, and this was the only thing that survived because it was safely in a garment bag.

And it's way too cold to wear in early spring in Canada.

"You owe me a new wardrobe, Callisto," I mumble.

I load Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's cage in the trunk of my hatchback, where they'll hang out and feast on fruit and vegetables during the three-hour drive.

Callisto lives in a farming town called Merlin on the coast of Lake Erie, where the land is sprawling and the houses are quaint. Fog casts a chill over everything when I arrive, obstructing the view of the lake and making me shiver before I even get out of the car. Her home is a white farmhouse with a rose garden in front and a dozen greenhouses in the back. When I visited her in the fall, she told me she uses the greenhouses to grow plants that can be used in potions. I think witches get tax write-offs for that sort of thing.

I put Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in my messenger bag and make my way to the door. The silence is chilling, especially after being in the city. My Vans crunch loudly over the gravel driveway, and my guinea pigs squeak softly by my hip.

The door flies open before I knock, robbing me of the chance to compose myself.

My heart leaps at the sight of her. She's in a floor-length black robe and strange makeup, with symbols painted below her eyes. A tiny vial dangles from a black cord around her neck. Her skin is as pale as I remember, her hair white, her eyes the lightest gray.

"Hi—Callisto—" I stammer, heat rising in my face.

Fine, I admit it, I totally have a crush on her. She's gorgeous, fascinating, gifted, and it takes a genius to run a business the way she does. After my last visit, I couldn't stop daydreaming about moving out here with her and making a job change from dental hygienist to lesbian witch assistant.

Callisto's gaze traces over my tiny, lacy white dress in a way that makes me self-conscious. When I put it on, I didn't consider that she would be wearing the total opposite.

"Angee. Come in," she says, as deadpan as ever.

I step inside and she shuts the door behind me.

The house is cozy, and from where we're standing in the living room, the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom are all within a few steps. It's just like I remember it—hot, humid, with the soothing smell of flowers and greenery. A fountain trickles on the coffee table, which is a tree stump that might actually be growing out of the wooden floor. It feels like stepping into a rainforest. Tapestries with symbols line the walls, and a large bookshelf holds neatly arranged jars of ingredients.

I clear my throat. "How have you b—"

"Pigs," she says, holding out her hands.

"Um, right." I reach into my bag and hand over my furry friends.

She sets them on the wooden dining table, where she's placed a bundle of parsley, and holds her pale hands above them while murmuring a few words.

"Does parsley enhance the spell?" I whisper, stepping closer.

She raises an eyebrow. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern trundle over to the parsley and start munching on it, purring with happiness.

"It's to keep the guinea pigs in place," she says, and I shut up.

She moves her hands and resumes murmuring. A gold aura swells around the piggies while they eat the parsley, oblivious to their situation.

"People who end up with a chimera in their house are usually cursed," Callisto says. "That sort of thing doesn't happen by accident. That's why I advised you against getting more pets. A chimera might not be the worst of it."

I hang my head in shame. "Sorry."

She moves her hands and murmurs for another minute, and the gold aura pulses softly, like lungs inhaling and exhaling.

"But," Callisto says, "since it was a shelter cat, maybe the original owner was the one with the curse, not you."

She drops her hands, and the aura disappears. The guinea pigs squeak and purr as they devour the parsley, which I'm sure is extra delicious since it was grown by a witch.

When Callisto meets my eye, the faintest of smiles pulls at her darkened lips. "The piggies are perfectly normal."

"So... I'm not cursed?" I say, heart lifting. "I'm allowed to adopt pets?"

She picks up Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and offers them to me. "It would seem so."

"Yes!" I say, taking them and hugging them. "Hear that, guys? You're coming home with mama."

They squeal happily.

Callisto turns away, and I'm positive she's hiding a smile. "I have to admit, your dedication to rescuing animals is... sweet."

Now it's my turn to hide a smile. I drop my chin, running my thumbs over the guinea pigs.

"Makes me wonder if I should get a cat," Callisto says. "Would make it less lonely around here."

A girlfriend would help fix the loneliness, I think, and then blush.

God, I'm glad she can't read minds.

Part 3 coming tomorrow! Read the full story right now on "Sweet & Spicy Sapphic Stories" at patreon.com/tianawarner. Plus you'll get early access to next week's story.