The Nine Lives of Felicia Miller Read online

  “Now get out of here,” he snapped playfully. “I have important work to do. Someone had the audacity to plant a peach tree too close to their neighbor’s fence, do you believe that audacity? Now I’m arbitrating World War Three.”

  Felicia looked at him blankly again, oblivious to his legal humor. Then she gave him a peck on the cheek and hurried out the door. Anxious to run out to Granny’s to deliver the hopeful news.

  ***

  Felicia trudged the last fifty yards towards Granny’s house with growing trepidation. The place was dark and there was no smoke rising from the chimney. That was peculiar because the day was wintry cold and she knew the fireplace was the cabin’s only source of heat besides the old wood-burning stove.

  As she drew closer her heart skipped a beat. A chicken lay dead on the ground, its neck twisted and swollen like a thick braid of taffy.

  When she reached the cabin door her spirits plummeted further. A dog-eared Notice of Eviction was stapled to it. She tried the doorknob. The bolt clicked softly and the door creaked open with a ghostly groan.

  “Hello…?” she cautiously peeked inside, afraid of what she might find. “Granny…?”

  The place was dark and clearly vacant. No sign of Granny or Elmo. The cupboard doors hung open, emptied of the antique crockery and quaint stoneware mugs that Felicia had admired on her earlier visits.

  But more disturbing was what remained. Granny’s huge black caldron still hung in the kitchen fireplace, cold and abandoned. Felicia couldn’t imagine why Granny would have left that behind. It seemed a vital part of her lifestyle, always bubbling away above the fire.

  Damn, I’m such a selfish shit. Why did I drag my feet to help her? And where in the world is Granny?

  A sick feeling came over her as she spotted a glittering pile of glass scattered across the floor along one wall. Her eyes crept from the jagged shards up the wall to an old hand-painted frame. Fragments of broken mirror glass were still embedded around its wooden edges, like pieces of an unfinished jigsaw puzzle.

  Felicia took a step toward it. Her foot hit something that rolled noisily across the wooden floorboards.

  An empty malt liquor bottle.

  It was then that she noticed the evidence of a break-in and vandalism. Dozens of empty bottles and crumpled cans were scattered across the floor. Fast food wrappers and empty chip bags. Cigarette butts. Marijuana roaches. Wind whistled softly through several broken windowpanes. Crude graffiti was scrawled on the walls.

  Felicia looked back at the broken mirror and considered the implications. Is that why Granny and Elmo are missing? Her stomach tightened as she thought of them coming home from a night of roaming in animal form only to find the mirror shattered, preventing them from transforming back to human form.

  But if that’s what happened, where are they now? Are they stuck forever… as what… a raven…? and a bear? Out there… in the cold winter woods?

  She considered for a moment and realized there was only one thing she could do. One thing that could possibly help them, if she was right in guessing their fate.

  She searched the cabin for a suitable container but finally settled on an old bed sheet. Spreading it on the floor she starting collecting the broken mirror shards. She cut her finger on a small sliver, prying it from a gap in the floorboards, but didn’t waiver in her task, determined to gather every piece.

  Suddenly the cabin door flew open. A woman appeared in the doorway, silhouetted by the afternoon sunlight. As she spotted Felicia she shrieked in surprise and switched on a powerful flashlight.

  “Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?”

  Felicia looked up through the blinding glare and recognized town councilwoman Mandee Madisson.

  Behind her stood Tom McElhorne, a ruddy-faced local contractor with a bright red drinker’s snout.

  Mandee stared at Felicia as if she were a ghost. “I asked what you are doing here,” she barked. “This is private property. You have no business being here.”

  Felicia shifted from her knees to her feet but stayed in a crouch, somewhat intimidated but determined not to leave without the last precious pieces of the mirror.

  “Where is Granny Dola?” she asked, trying to sound undaunted as she casually gathered the remaining slivers of glass and dropped them onto the bedsheet.

  “What business is that of yours? And what are you doing? There’s no point cleaning up that mess. This place is going to be demolished.”

  “Granny’s my friend. I want to know what happened to her.”

  “Your friend?” A mocking laugh punctuated the question. “Well, your friend’s long gone, young lady. And good riddance. You have very poor taste in friends, I might add. Now I suggest you get your sweet ass out of here. We have work to do and you’re standing in the way of progress.”

  Felicia calmly unhooked the mirror frame from the wall and placed it on the bed sheet, then lifted the sheet carefully by its corners.

  “Honey, that crap is not worth carrying out of here but if you want it, take it with my blessing and go. You’d be better off taking those empty bottles and cans though. At least they’re worth a few pennies.”

  “Where did you say Granny is?” Felicia asked again.

  “I didn’t. Because I don’t know. And I don’t care. If you’re really that concerned, you might check with the nearest welfare office. I’m sure she’s on some kind of government hand-out, so they would probably know.”

  The mirror shards jingled as Felicia hoisted the sheet and edged toward the door. Mandee stared as she passed. Looking at her like she had two heads.

  McElhorne stood blankly. Felicia smelled whiskey on his breath as she squeezed past him heading out the door.

  “And don’t come back, young lady,” Mandee said fiercely. “I know who you are and I’ll have to inform the Sheriff if I catch you trespassing again.”

  Outside, Felicia took several steps, then quietly set her bundle down and snuck back near the open door to eavesdrop.

  Mandee huffed in exasperation. “Is it just me or are the kids in this town all a little flaky?”

  “More than a little,” the contractor answered, “But it’s all kids today. Not just in our town.”

  “You’re probably right. No values anymore. Not like when we were kids. You have to blame the parents. Now how fast can you tear this shit shack down?”

  “I can have it down in an hour… once I get the official go ahead.”

  “Great. My lawyers are on it as we speak. I want your crew on call and ready to go as soon as we get the final clearance.”

  “Where is the old broad anyway?”

  “Like I said, I don’t know and I don’t care. As long as she stays away until we turn this place into rubble. If worse comes to worst I’ll set her up in a nice new condo. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I’m trying to get the Mayor to exercise eminent domain.”

  “Well, like I said. My crew is ready anytime you are. As long as the ink is dry and your i’s are all dotted. I just hope the old lady stays put, wherever she may be.”

  “Don’t worry about her. It’s not your problem.”

  “How can I not worry? What with… you know… who she is… and all that.”

  “Oh Jesus, Mac. Don’t tell me you buy into that superstitious nonsense? If you’re afraid to do the job I can easily find another contractor from another county. Just make up your mind right now. Because if I bring someone in it’ll be for the whole deal. I’m not going to dick around piecing together deals with a bunch of greedy contractors just because you believe in witches.”

  “Okay, no problem. Forget I asked.”

  “If you must know, I hired some local punks to come out here to intimidate her. They told me she was gone when they arrived and they trashed the place while she was out.”

  Mandee saw the look of alarm on his face and quickly reassured him, “According to them, they never even saw her. They swore she wasn’t here and never turned up. I’m guessing she proba
bly came back later and saw the mess they left behind and was too scared to stick around. And with her reputation I’m sure she was too embarrassed to ask for anyone’s help in town. But you didn’t hear any of that from me.”

  “I wish you hadn’t told me.”

  “Then next time don’t ask. Fuck almighty. Live with it. Once this property’s cleared for development there’s going to be plenty of work coming your way. We’re talking more cash than you’ve seen in a decade. We’re going to tear things down and build things up. By the time I get through, no one will recognize this old hick town.

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  The Nine Lives of Felicia Miller

  34

  Felicia refused to take Nelson’s calls, informing her parents to tell anyone who called that she was locked in her room studying. And call he did, over and over, until it became clear to her parents that some kind of bleak teenage drama was transpiring between them.

  The truth was, Felicia was racked with guilt. She was also feeling emotionally vulnerable. Suddenly very much alone. She still had her parents and friends and most of all Nelson, if she wanted him, but no one to share her deepest darkest secret. First she lost Ruta. Now Granny and Elmo. She had no one to turn to if she had another problem, or needed help harnessing her strange new power.

  Worst of all, she was genuinely and deeply worried about Granny. Why didn’t she tell me she was leaving?

  How could she tell you? She didn’t even know where you live. You never even gave her your phone number.

  She could have found me… if she wanted to. It’s a small town.

  Right. An eighty-something-year-old lady should come searching for your lazy ass because you failed to help her in a timely manner like you promised her you would.

  All that big talk… and then when she really needed you…

  Felicia tried hard to concentrate on her homework, but the regretful dialog wouldn’t stop playing in her head.

  I’m such an asshole. I should have been there for her. She’s probably in some stupid nursing home. Probably hates me for being such an ingrate. After all she did for me. I’d probably be dead if it wasn’t for her.

  And what about poor Elmo? Did they send him to live with some stupid foster family? I could’ve talked my folks into taking him in. They would have liked him.

  Who am I kidding? I had plenty of time to help them and I failed.

  God, I’m such a loser.

  Such a pathetic loser.

  ***

  “Hey, come on, get in.”

  Felicia looked over to find Nelson driving slowly alongside her, but she ignored him and kept walking.

  “Come on, Felicia. Get in. It’s cold out there.”

  Felicia just kept walking. Staring straight ahead.

  “This is stupid,” he continued, “What is wrong with you? Are you mad at me or what? What the hell did I do?”

  “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself,” she said coldly, still not turning to look at him.

  “Well, that’s just crazy. Get in the car and let’s talk about it.”

  “I’ll see you in school. I have to go now.”

  Nelson was alarmed to see her turn and enter the Sheriff’s station. What the fuck…?

  A car horn honked behind him. He thought about pulling over and following Felicia inside to investigate. But he knew he might regret it, big time. Instead he peeled out, headed home in a hurry.

  Dude, you need to call Wally. If anything is up his dad will warn him. He might even give us a head start out of town. He may be the law, but he’s still Wally’s dad.

  Fuck. He might let Wally get away. But he’ll need to pop me and Sparrow as fall guys. To show the town he’s on the case.

  Calm down. Felicia said she’s not mad at you. Which means she doesn’t know you were there that night. The one holding her down.

  Or else she’s not letting on. Keep your enemies close… right?

  He thought about going home and packing a suitcase. It might be wise to blow town for a while. Lay low until the whole thing blows over. If it ever does.

  He thought of Felicia spilling her guts to Sheriff Sutter at that very moment. What the hell could she possibly be telling him?

  Relax. There can’t be any evidence for her to show anyone. Not at this point. Not against you, anyway. It’s her word against ours. Even if they scraped some dried jizz off her panties or something or found my DNA under her friggin’ fingernails, I’d have a solid alibi. I’ve been bangin’ the bitch, of her own free will. Half the kids at school know that. It might not exactly be true, but it’s what they all believe. What I let them believe.

  Haha. The joke’s on you, bitch. Yeah. I have an alibi. A rock solid alibi.

  Let her talk, the little cunt. It’s her word against mine.

  ***

  “I’m sorry, little lady. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of ol’ Granny since I posted the eviction notice on her door.”

  As much as Felicia wanted to hate the Sheriff for having supplied the seed that gave the world Wally, she found it hard to even dislike him. For one thing, despite his towering presence and rugged manner, he spoke in a humble monotone that reminded her of the animated character Hank Hill.

  “And that was no big deal,” he continued, “I just thought she’d do what any other person in her situation would do. Get a lawyer and cut a deal for a nice fat settlement. She could’ve moved out of that shack into a swanky condo or a nice clean old folks home.”

  Felicia cringed at the mention of a lawyer. If only I hadn’t dawdled…

  The Sheriff saw the look on her face. “Listen, sweetie. I wouldn’t worry too much about Granny Dola. She probably went off to live with some relatives somewhere. I’m sure she’s alright wherever she is. She always was a tough old bird.”

  Once again Felicia winced at his choice of words. Tough old bird indeed. But the Sheriff seemed sincere and Felicia had no reason to doubt him. “Is there any way you can find out where she went?”

  “I could certainly take a stab at it, for one of our rising young starlets. I saw you in those school shows and I’ll bet your folks are mighty proud of you.” And I’d trade them my good-for-nothing son in a heartbeat for a talented little filly like you.

  “Thank you, Sheriff. That would be great.”

  “Well, I do have to follow official protocol. I have a feeling there might be some folks in this town who might not be too happy if I brought the old girl back. Do you know how long she’s been gone?”

  “No. But her cabin’s been vandalized. Somebody broke in and had a party. There’s beer bottles everywhere and they smashed all the windows.”

  The Sheriff’s nerves flared but he didn’t betray his emotions. He had no doubt who was responsible for the crime she just described. Goddam little shit. What the hell did he do now? He blushed a little as he realized that Felicia probably knew who the culprit was as well. Bless her sweet heart for not saying so.

  “Well,” he replied, “Ask around town and if you still can’t find her by tomorrow, come in and file a missing person report. Then I can put it on the vine to other agencies and maybe we’ll get a hit on her whereabouts. But to be honest I think it’s a long shot. She probably just took off like I said to live with some relatives or something. Those Eastern European types take care of their own. She could be in Alaska or even back in Europe for all we know.”

  “I’m worried about her, Sheriff. I hope those vandals didn’t hurt her or something.”

  Oh Jesus, that’s all I need. “I wouldn’t worry about that. Most vandals are punks. They only do their thing when nobody’s around to see them.” He hastened to change the subject. “You might try calling social services at the state capitol building. An old lady like that must be on some kind of government aid. They would most likely know of a change in residency. Meanwhile I’ll head out there and take a look around. If I find anything I’ll keep you informed.” I’d better get out there and clean up any evidence. God knows what that moron and his pals might
have left behind.

  “Thanks, Sheriff.”

  “My pleasure. Can I drop you home on my way? It’s colder than a witch’s ti—eh… tomb out there.”

  “No thank you. The cold air will do me good.”

  As Felicia stepped outside a blast of wintry air blew through her like a load of frozen buckshot. She huddled in the doorway, imagining Granny stuck in the body of a raven, freezing her geriatric feathers off on some windblown tree branch. And poor Elmo… curled up in a winter den, hibernating. Nothing but muddy walls to keep him warm.

  Damn it! It’s all my fault. How could I be so stupid? So selfish? The icy air blasted her again. She stepped from the shelter of the doorway and started the brisk walk home. Despite the meager hope the visit to the Sheriff’s office had sparked, she was racked with guilt and kept turning the situation over and over in her head.

  Well at least I learned a valuable lesson. Never put off anything important. Not even for a minute. You never know what tomorrow will bring. Pulling her faux leopard coat tighter she quickened her step.

  Arctic cold front be damned. I will hunt tonight. And hunt again tomorrow. And not stop hunting until Wally and his crew are in their graves.

  169

  The Nine Lives of Felicia Miller

  35

  Sparrow couldn’t suppress an involuntary shiver. He knew it wasn’t just the cold, although it was the coldest night of the year to date. No, something else was causing his flesh to quiver and his bones to twitch as if they’d slipped a joint somewhere in his spine.

  His whole body shook as he reached the side of the garage and dropped the bag of trash into a can. Slamming the lid down he turned and ran back to the house. Only when the door was shut behind him did he start to feel safe again.

  “What’s eating you, ya little shit?” his father snapped, with his typical drunken mocking slur. Old man Jeffers was always ready to belittle his offspring, as if they didn’t deserve a nurturing home. “You look like you seen the boogeyman.”