Page 8 of Whispers of the Elderoak (Daughter of the Earth #1)
F all was in full swing, and tonight Henry was taking Ava to Piney Hollow’s annual Halloween festival.
Ava had spent all day cleaning her house as a distraction from her nerves and now her house was spotless.
It had helped, and the anxiety was now a low buzz as she anticipated Henry’s arrival.
Cleaning always helped when she was nervous.
Henry had been coming over regularly to help with farm tasks and though it had been several weeks since their greenhouse make out session, nothing further had happened. They kissed a few times, and the flirting was much more intense, but she still hadn’t invited him inside.
The crunch of gravel outside announced his arrival, and she bounded down the stairs in her black jeans and cream-colored sweater. Her long waves cascaded down her back from her high ponytail, bouncing as she made her way outside.
Ava leapt down the porch stairs and Henry grabbed her hand and pulled her close. “Hello,” he said, voice low, as he enveloped her in his warmth and gave her the tightest squeeze.
“Hi.” She smiled back, heart fluttering .
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yes!” Ava said, trying to hide her nerves under her enthusiasm about this being their first official date.
She climbed into his vehicle and Henry grinned at her like a child excited to go to an amusement park as they pulled away. His eyes looked exceptionally blue against his black sweater, sparkling in the evening sunset as they headed down the drive toward town.
Twenty minutes later they were walking through charming booths lining the barricaded streets, with ebony awnings and purple twinkling lights highlighting the wares displayed on deep violet tablecloths.
Witch hats and bats were strung about, decorating each stall with a festive spirit, flowing together seamlessly as if all designed by the same person, the sellers and wares the only difference between each alcove.
Clusters of pumpkins and lit jack-o-lanterns lined the walkways, glowing in the fading daylight. Music resounded from the main stage near the town square, a local cover band playing renditions from festive popular movies such as Halloween and Hocus Pocus , adding an air of revelry to the night.
Children in costumes darted between the crowd, stopping at booths to trick-or-treat and collect their bounty of candy. Witches, goblins, cowboys and princesses dashed in front of Henry and Ava as they wound their way hand in hand through the crowd.
“This is amazing,” Ava said as she looked at Henry.
His eyes lit up as he replied, “Let’s get something to eat.”
Ava nodded and they continued walking toward the center of town to the food stalls. The green space in the town square had been converted into a giant haunted house, the sounds of shrieking children and adults alike drifting from the entrance .
She smiled at herself at the feel of Henry’s fingers interlaced with hers. The intimacy that small act created was something she’d been craving without even realizing it until he appeared on her property that fateful morning.
The food stalls were neatly positioned near the main square, also adorned with purple lights and dark fabrics, full of mouthwatering smells of pumpkin, turkey legs and apple cider.
“I’m starving,” she said, inhaling the scents as her stomach growled.
“Me too.”
They decided on a turkey leg to share and some cold apple cider for the time being, though Ava wanted to devour all the pastries and confections she could find, satisfying her never ending sweet tooth.
They sat on a bench near the lawn, watching patrons enter and leave the haunted house with faces full of excitement.
Henry handed her the turkey leg. “Thanks for coming as my date.”
Blushing, she fidgeted in her seat. “Thanks for asking,” she replied, taking a bite.
“We have a spring festival too. You should set up a flower booth next year,” he suggested.
“That’s a great idea,” said Ava. “You could help me build a display stand!”
“Only if you let me do the hammering,” he said as he took a sip of cider.
She rolled her eyes and laughed.
She imagined herself in her overalls, collecting and organizing flowers and transporting them to the town square.
She could see her booth, decorated with light purple fabric with bouquets for sale but also single stems for purchase.
The combination of pink tulips, white hyacinths and yellow daffodils would make a lovely display as she visited with the townsfolk who purchased her goods.
Maybe she would even create a ‘build your own bouquet’ station.
After they finished the turkey leg, Ava announced, “I need something sweet.” And led Henry to the stalls with the delectable dessert options.
She opted for a deep-fried pumpkin ice cream sandwich while Henry ate a fried apple pie, and they wandered toward the artisan stands as they munched their treats.
“This is so good. Try it,” she moaned as she held it up.
He took a bite. “That’s delicious.” Then leaning in, he whispered, “Save those sounds for later tonight.” He turned and faced her, stopping in the middle of the crowd, and his eyes dipped to her lips.
Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up. “I—Um. What?”
He took a step closer as he murmured, “We never got to finish what we started in the greenhouse.”
Butterflies erupted in her stomach as he turned and continued to walk, reaching around her waist and pulling her closer as they strode side by side.
Wandering through the crowd, they came upon a tent with a sign that read, Have Your Fortune Told. $10.
Henry noticed her looking at it. “Do you want to?”
“Sure, I guess. What’s the harm?” She shrugged as they turned and headed toward it, knowing it was all a ruse anyway.
They entered the small shelter and a woman rose from her folding chair in the corner. “Welcome, welcome! Which of you would like to have a reading?”
Ava didn’t recognize her from town. She was old, with cavernous wrinkles hiding her deep-set brown eyes. A turquoise floral scarf was fastened over her snow-white hair, and she wore brightly colored layers of flowing chiffon, her skirt billowing with deep purple and royal blue as she approached.
“Both of us,” answered Henry .
She regarded him, scrutinizing every feature. “I’m sorry, young man. Only one person at a time. My readings can be intense, and I insist my patrons have complete privacy. It’s their choice if they want their partners to know about what happens in my tent.”
Henry shrugged and looked at Ava. “You can go. I don’t really want mine done.” He handed a ten-dollar bill to the woman and exited the tent. “I’ll wait outside.”
Now it was the woman’s turn to inspect Ava, and inspect her she did.
She recoiled at the sharp gaze as the fortune teller regarded her, as if she could read each thought swirling through Ava’s mind.
Though she knew this was likely a scam, the way the old woman evaluated her had her questioning the decision to come in here.
Looking her up and down, she waved her hand. “Have a seat.”
Ignoring her unease, Ava sat in an old wooden chair at a small round table covered in a royal blue tablecloth sprinkled with silver moons and stars.
The inside of the tent was lined with bookshelves decorated with dozens of flickering candles, casting eerie shapes against the plum-colored velvet walls.
The ceiling rose, the fabric joining together at the apex with colorful glass lanterns casting a glow and contributing to the supernatural shadows.
The old woman sat across from Ava and yanked a piece of velvet off the table, revealing a crystal ball. Ava tried not to roll her eyes at the theatrics, and remained quiet, waiting for the woman to speak as she adjusted her sweater.
“You look nervous, girl,” the woman spoke in a hoarse voice.
“I’m not,” Ava lied.
The crone sighed and closed her eyes, gnarled hands hovering over the crystal ball. She hummed to herself for a while before opening her eyes and peering into the void. Ava saw nothing and tried not to laugh as she prepared herself for the cheesy fortune.
“You will find your true love soon,” she said as she watched her prop on the table.
“He will be handsome, kind and very powerful.” Ava stifled a giggle.
“You can trust him, and he will always keep you safe. Fate is bringing you together as we speak. He is part of your path forward.” She looked at Ava, watching for a reaction.
“Oh wow!” She feigned surprise, assuming the old woman invented this after seeing her walk in with Henry. “That sounds amazing,” she added as she began to rise from her seat. “Thank you for your time.”
The woman grinned wildly, revealing rotten broken teeth scattered throughout her mouth and shot her hand across the table, gripping Ava’s wrist firmly and forcing her to sit back down. “We’re not done,” her voice echoed, different now.
“I—” Ava tried to wrench her arm away.
“Be still and listen to me,” the woman insisted as she opened Ava’s palm with her other hand and traced the lines. “You must take this seriously, child,” she hissed in her ancient voice, volume rising.
Ava looked at her, wrist throbbing under the feeble woman’s grip as her heart started to race. “Let me go.”
The woman held tighter as her eyes bored into Ava’s. “You found the book.”
“What?” Ava whispered. “How the hell do you know that?”
It wasn’t possible. There was no way this random woman was an actual psychic. Ava didn’t believe in psychics.
“Shhhh…listen.” The woman’s voice changed, molding into something deeper.
Something supernatural. The candles flickered, flames guttering from an invisible force.
The hair on the back of Ava’s neck stood erect as the woman spoke, voice echoing nowhere and everywhere as her eyes glossed over.
“You won’t be able to run from the prophecy, young lady. ”
“Prophecy?” she whispered, as her hands shook.