The Haunting of Paxwood House

15: So Magic Is Real

Sunday, 19 May 2019, Afternoon

Paxwood, Whatcom County, Washington, USA
Eyewitness: Kerry

"So, magic is real."

I'd barely uttered these four words when two things happened.

First, the animated glass cat figurine found the edge of the antique store countertop and leaped to the far distant ground.

Second, the shop door chimed, signaling a customer.

With wide eyes, I dove like an outfield baseball player going for the game-winning catch, hands outstretched in a soft bowl for the fragile cat to land in. Even though I caught it, the cat was dead set on escaping. It hopped again, sparkling in the air before it landed with the softest sound of a tinkling bell and stalked further off into the shop.

I wanted to scramble after it, but Sly's voice snapped my attention toward the door.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Hugh." Sly used her customer service tone, formal, crisp, polite. "What brings you in today? A little antiquing while you're in town for all that Silphium business?"

I dusted myself off and got to my feet, trying for ease. Anyone could randomly crouch on the floor of an antique shop, right? It wasn't any more unusual than a vampire lawyer.

But said pale vampire lawyer threw a disdainful glower at me before flashing his pearly white smile to Sly.

"Tricia mentioned something about items that once belonged to John Paxwood's family floating around some of the stores in town, so I'm doing the rounds. My employers would be interested in reuniting those items with the house if things go the way we expect at the next city council meeting."

My heart raced as Mr. Hugh approached the counter, an arm's length away from me. Especially now that I knew about the reality of magic, I did not want to be this close to a vampire. I had no clue what parts of my research were accurate, and I had no desire to become the next teen vampire romance novel protagonist.

What if he had the ability to read minds?

What if he was reading my mind, right at that very moment?

But if he was, he wasn't reacting to me. His attention was on Sly.

The glass cat was getting away. I had to trust Sly.

"I'm... going to go explore?" I didn't mean it to come out sounding like a question. But Sly nodded to me, at least.

I tried to tail the animated figurine—difficult, and made more challenging because I also pulled out my phone to send a text to Mx. Cardoso.

Kerry: SOS. Animated glass cat. Vampire. Tristan's Antiques on Main.

Relief, when a reply came almost instantly.

Mx. Cardoso: omw

Now wasn't the time to doubt that this was Mx. Cardoso. I was so used to teachers using formal messages and disparaging abbreviations. Even though I wanted Mx. Cardoso to be on his way, I hadn't expected an omw.

While I waited for him, I had to...

What?

What could I do?

Not control the vampire. He had a high-profile job as a lawyer, plus who knew what supernatural abilities.

But finding the magical treasure and keeping it from his nefarious hands was in my power.

I was a panicked teenager in a world I didn't fully understand operating on instinct and altogether too many fictional stories, and the vampire's coincidental arrival right when the glass cat came to life felt too significant.