Page 29 of Charmed, I'm Sure
Nyx side-eyes Miles as he walks past him as the toad just stares as they pass. I’m really struggling to not laugh because Miles looks so confused.
“What is happening?”
I keep walking as he just stands there.
“Wait…” He runs after me. “Why does it feel like your fox is judging me right along with the toad? What even is the toad?”
We head along the cobblestone path back towards the heart of town. The crooked brick building is on the corner. The sign above the door sways gently in the breeze, the painted letters faded, but still legible: The Whisper Post, our local post office and one of the most haunted places in town. Don’t ask me why, but once the squirrels pass away…they kind of stay in the post office? We have yet to figure out why, so we have all just accepted it as part of our world.
“Is that a doggy door?” Miles asks as he points to the tiny wooden hinged door at the bottom of the wall. There is an in and an out door for obvious reasons. He watches as squirrels continue to run in and out.
“Wow, they really are fast.” His eyes round as he watches the flow of traffic.
“Come on.” I hook my arm through his, pulling him inside. We will never get this list done at this rate.
“You know that’s the second time you’ve touched me onyour own. I think I’m getting somewhere. No hexesandphysical touch.Ow,” Miles yelps when I zap him.
“Don’t get too cozy, Dog. I just want to get this show on the road, and you are gawking at every single thing today.”
Miles pushes the door open, holding it for me to walk inside. The air is cooler, heavy with the scent of old paper and lavender. There’s a flutter of sound between the squirrels who are alive and their ghost counterparts chittering. There’s easily a thousand squirrels running around in here.
“Do all post offices smell like this?”
“No,” I say. “Just this one. And don’t touch anything with a red wax seal unless you want to start receiving your mail from the afterlife.”
He pauses mid-step. “You’re serious.”
“As a heart attack.”
A haunting voice curls around the corner near the sorting table. The room falls silent. “Not all of the letters are bad…some are just overdue bills.”
Miles freezes. “Tell me you heard that.”
Sitting down on the bench, I say, “Congratulations.” I pull out my notebook and begin writing our next clue. “The Whisper Post has chosen you.”
“What does that mean?” He’s frantically looking around as if something is about to snatch him and drag him away.
“It means that you will receive mail from the afterlife. Welcome to the Ghost Pen Pal program. I don’t recommend opening them, but it might be too late for you now.”
The toad croaks. Nyx chuckles.“Yeah, he’s doomed.”
“Yeah, he is for sure. But that’s his problem.”
“Who do you keep talking to?”
I don’t bother answering, only continue to write the clue. This one is rather simple, keeping in line with the last two. I’m not even sure why Elora insisted on us doing this, she practically did all the work herself. All we are doing is the tour she wanted me to give him the first time around.
As much as I don’t want to admit it, it is cute to see how he reacts to everything. I’ve lived here my entire life, so all the things he’s pointing out are normal to me. But, I forgetthat he didn’t have things like this in his day-to-day life. It’s refreshing to experience my town through fresh eyes. All the things I walk by, he admires.
By the time I finish writing the third clue, the ice in my coffee has melted, and the toad has claimed a place on Nyx’s back like it’s a hammock. He’s even crossed his legs and arms with his eyes closed. Miles is still glancing around as if one of the ghosts will come rushing from the back any second now to snatch him.
I snap the notebook shut. “Alright. Next.”
The rest of the afternoon is a blur of cobblestone paths, stops at landmarks, and Miles stopping every five steps to point out something else that fascinates him or catches his attention. It’s like he’s never seen a floating candle before. Geez. We check off the remaining locations, jotting riddles in between his hundreds of questions about magical landmarks, and the commentary from Nyx and Toad.
By the time we cross the square again, the enchanted lanterns are softly glowing, and I’ve got all the clues that we need. I have a headache, my patience is gone, and I think he’s memorized our town’s entire history. My bag smells of cinnamon from when he insisted we stop for cinnamon rolls, but quickly moved to the roasted almonds after we bought them. My legs are aching—not from walking but from resisting the urge to kick him.
Regardless, I did what Elora asked. All the clues are chosen, we asked permission from the ones she highlighted, and everything is ready to go for the scavenger hunt. I’m done. Finished. Ready to escape back to my house.