Caitlin's Book of Shadows.

~Chapter 1~

~1~

Caitlin worked the afternoon away in Kameko’s Print Shop, packaging a new order when the door opened. Hofter stepped into the shop. Caitlin froze. Hadn’t Arianrhod insisted she’d “taken care of him”? How, exactly, when there he was, flitting here and there amongst the customers, smiling, brandishing his claw-tipped fingers.

Caitlin narrowed her eyes watching him, unsure of what her eyes told her. He can’t be here.

She tried to will the unwelcome vision away but Hofter refused her silent order to leave. He approached one gentleman waiting in line. Hofter’s claws flashed. The man yelped and cursed.

Had he cut the gentleman? At least that’s what she thought she saw. She dropped the bundle of fliers she’d been carrying and screamed.

In the next second, Hofter disappeared but she couldn’t stop screaming.

Calvin sprinted out the office door. “What’s going on here?”

Hofter was gone and yet, she kept on screaming.

Calvin took her by the arms and shook her. “What is it, Caitlin?”

She pointed to the crowd. Hofter had disappeared and she knew though Calvin’s gaze followed the direction of her finger, he saw nothing.

“Maybe you need to take a break. Go on. Mark can handle things for now.” He turned and shouted over his shoulder, “Mark?”

The student assistant slinked into Caitlin’s spot at the counter as she tried to keep from running out the door.

Hands shaking, she pulled her purse from her locker seeking her cell phone to call Beryl.

“Sweetie,” Beryl said, “are you sure it was Hofter?”

“I saw him, plain as day.” Her mouth was so dry and heart pounding so hard she could barely get the words out. “There’s no doubt in my mind he’s not as imprisoned as she promised.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Yet, it seemed to take forever for Beryl to arrive. When she did, Caitlin stood back trying to do her work as she watched Beryl scrutinize the afternoon crowd of customers. She couldn’t stop shaking.

Beryl finally sauntered up to the counter and shook her head. “I don’t see him, Cait. I don’t even feel any remnants of him.” She reached out and ran her hand down Caitlin’s arm. The touch calmed her—a little. Not as much as she would’ve liked it to. “Sweetie, why don’t you go home and get some rest?”

Caitlin nodded to a watching, curious Calvin. “I would if I could, but I’m stuck here until closing.”

Beryl waved him over and proceeded to flirt with him. Caitlin didn’t know how she did it, but she managed to talk him into letting her leave. Driving her to Dr. Austin’s office herself, Beryl waited until Caitlin reformed from the puddle of sobbing goo she turned into. How she didn’t tell Dr. Austin the true nature of the monster she dealt with, how she managed to stay out of the nuthouse, was beyond Caitlin’s power to discern.

Even when she closed the door and the drapes that night, she could’ve sworn she saw Hofter hanging in the air outside her windows, grinning his evil, impish smile.

“Are you okay, honey?” Trevor asked.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Liar. She slammed the drapes shut. Go to Hell, Hofter! And stay there!!!

At least, she supposed, he didn’t invite himself to her party—yet.

No, better not to think that.

Christmas was coming. Things could only get better—right?