Casting Spells
Halloween
Our annual Halloween tradition was in full swing. My brother and I both flying back home to Colorado to take our kids to all the amazing Haunted Houses near my childhood home. I was always excited to see my old friends and go to all the great parties that went on.
Over the past few months I had been talking to an old friend who just moved back into her parents house after they passed away. My mother, now living beside her suggested she give me a call. The only question was...would we recognize each other after so many years had passed? Laney was a beautiful girl, of course when I was sixteen I thought most all girls were beautiful. I remember she had short, curly brown hair and beautiful brown eyes, and a personality that could light up the darkest room. But what made her stand apart from most girls was her mind, I don't think I’ve ever met anyone that could match up to her. My mother told me that after I moved to Hawaii to live with my father, Laney had graduated a year early, and she was valedictorian.
"Whatcha thinking about?" my brother asks on the ride from the airport to our mothers house. "Oh...just thinking about Laney. I cant wait to see her again. Do you think she'll recognize me?" I ask. Duane Lee just laughs and says "You're on TV, who wouldn't recognize you dumb ass."
"She wont think that’s important man. She's not like that." I say quietly as we pull into my mothers driveway. I found myself looking next door to Laney's parents house...well, her house now. I didn't know how they died, all my mother told me was, it was tragic. "Well its been almost fifteen years since you've seen her, you don't know what she’s like now." he tells me as we open the car door.
My mother greets us and the kids at the door. Always a smile on her face, she kisses the cheek of all the boys, including myself and my brother. "Hi Momma. We missed you." I say hugging her. "I missed you boys too, come in the house." She tells us and closes the door behind us.
Later that night we're all sitting on the back porch enjoying the fall weather that we didn't have in Hawaii. These were the times I missed living here. Maybe I would move back one day...maybe sooner than later.
"Leland have you been talking with Laney?" my mother asks. "Yeah, we've talked several times since you gave her my number. I was glad to hear from her. She seems to be doing alright since her parents death." I say looking over at my mom for more clues about what happened. She just smiles her motherly smile and doesn't say another word. I guess I would have to ask Laney when and if I got to see her.
"Momma, have you seen Laney today, is she home? I thought I might walk over there and see her." I ask trying to put up a brave front, but truly, I was nervous about seeing her. I had been in love with her as a teenager, I even remember thinking I was going to marry her one day. But I got into a lot of trouble and she stopped speaking to me. She was too good for me, she deserved better than what I was, I knew that much. I was a better person now. I hope that she could see the change I had made within myself.
"I haven't seen her for a few days, she comes and goes a lot...not sure why though." My mother says watching the kids carving their pumpkins on the patio table.
"Dakota is trying to carve a bat in his pumpkin, you might want to help him son. Speaking of...are you taking the boys to the big Haunted House this year, do you think Cobie is old enough to go?" She asks as we swing back and forth on the porch swing. "I think he'll be alright."
We continued talking and catching up. "You don't think it will be too scary, it is right beside the graveyard." She reminds me. "Don't worry Momma I'll protect him from the Ghosts and Goblins."
~~~~~~~~~
We had been in Colorado for two days and Ive yet to meet up with Laney. I couldn't believe she hadn't been home the whole time we were here. I tried to call her, no luck there either.
"Leland, I just got a call from Jason he's having a kick ass party tonight, do you wanna go?" Duane Lee asks walking into the bedroom my boys were sleeping in. I really didn't feel up to, I was too let down by Laney's mysterious disappearance to have fun.
"I don't know brah...-" "Oh ,come on it will be great. We'll get to see everyone from school, all of our old friends....think of all the chicks in their hot Halloween costumes...Maybe Laney will be there" my brother says punching me in the arm for good measure. "Alright, alright. I'll go and drink myself happy. And no, she wont be there, she's too...she's not like those girls" I say trying to help Cobie out of his Vampire costume he insisted he had to wear to the Haunted House we went to earlier in the evening. I'm glad Dakota didn't want to wear his costume.
~~~~~~~
Two hours later I find myself standing in Jason Smitherman's kitchen drinking my fourth corona. I couldn't recall the last time I had drank more than one. I swallow the last drop and toss the glass bottle into the trash. When I look up I see a chick dressed as witch walking into the kitchen alone. "My God" I mumble to myself as she walks right in front of me. "Hey baby" I say almost slurring my words. It wasn't like me to be this bold, especially with someone I didn't know.
She looks up from the punch bowl and winks at me, then leaves the kitchen. I stood glued to the floor, unable to break the trance she created. When I looked up again she was gone. "Damn it" I say cursing myself for letting her walk away. Just about that time my brother walks through the door with a girl on each arm. "What up shorty" he says almost giggling. Yep, he's definitely been drinking. "Look at these fine ass bitches I found. I've got a devil and an angel and their going to do very bad things to me...right ladies?" he says laughing, of course they nod in agreement.
Over the past few months I had been talking to an old friend who just moved back into her parents house after they passed away. My mother, now living beside her suggested she give me a call. The only question was...would we recognize each other after so many years had passed? Laney was a beautiful girl, of course when I was sixteen I thought most all girls were beautiful. I remember she had short, curly brown hair and beautiful brown eyes, and a personality that could light up the darkest room. But what made her stand apart from most girls was her mind, I don't think I’ve ever met anyone that could match up to her. My mother told me that after I moved to Hawaii to live with my father, Laney had graduated a year early, and she was valedictorian.
"Whatcha thinking about?" my brother asks on the ride from the airport to our mothers house. "Oh...just thinking about Laney. I cant wait to see her again. Do you think she'll recognize me?" I ask. Duane Lee just laughs and says "You're on TV, who wouldn't recognize you dumb ass."
"She wont think that’s important man. She's not like that." I say quietly as we pull into my mothers driveway. I found myself looking next door to Laney's parents house...well, her house now. I didn't know how they died, all my mother told me was, it was tragic. "Well its been almost fifteen years since you've seen her, you don't know what she’s like now." he tells me as we open the car door.
My mother greets us and the kids at the door. Always a smile on her face, she kisses the cheek of all the boys, including myself and my brother. "Hi Momma. We missed you." I say hugging her. "I missed you boys too, come in the house." She tells us and closes the door behind us.
Later that night we're all sitting on the back porch enjoying the fall weather that we didn't have in Hawaii. These were the times I missed living here. Maybe I would move back one day...maybe sooner than later.
"Leland have you been talking with Laney?" my mother asks. "Yeah, we've talked several times since you gave her my number. I was glad to hear from her. She seems to be doing alright since her parents death." I say looking over at my mom for more clues about what happened. She just smiles her motherly smile and doesn't say another word. I guess I would have to ask Laney when and if I got to see her.
"Momma, have you seen Laney today, is she home? I thought I might walk over there and see her." I ask trying to put up a brave front, but truly, I was nervous about seeing her. I had been in love with her as a teenager, I even remember thinking I was going to marry her one day. But I got into a lot of trouble and she stopped speaking to me. She was too good for me, she deserved better than what I was, I knew that much. I was a better person now. I hope that she could see the change I had made within myself.
"I haven't seen her for a few days, she comes and goes a lot...not sure why though." My mother says watching the kids carving their pumpkins on the patio table.
"Dakota is trying to carve a bat in his pumpkin, you might want to help him son. Speaking of...are you taking the boys to the big Haunted House this year, do you think Cobie is old enough to go?" She asks as we swing back and forth on the porch swing. "I think he'll be alright."
We continued talking and catching up. "You don't think it will be too scary, it is right beside the graveyard." She reminds me. "Don't worry Momma I'll protect him from the Ghosts and Goblins."
~~~~~~~~~
We had been in Colorado for two days and Ive yet to meet up with Laney. I couldn't believe she hadn't been home the whole time we were here. I tried to call her, no luck there either.
"Leland, I just got a call from Jason he's having a kick ass party tonight, do you wanna go?" Duane Lee asks walking into the bedroom my boys were sleeping in. I really didn't feel up to, I was too let down by Laney's mysterious disappearance to have fun.
"I don't know brah...-" "Oh ,come on it will be great. We'll get to see everyone from school, all of our old friends....think of all the chicks in their hot Halloween costumes...Maybe Laney will be there" my brother says punching me in the arm for good measure. "Alright, alright. I'll go and drink myself happy. And no, she wont be there, she's too...she's not like those girls" I say trying to help Cobie out of his Vampire costume he insisted he had to wear to the Haunted House we went to earlier in the evening. I'm glad Dakota didn't want to wear his costume.
~~~~~~~
Two hours later I find myself standing in Jason Smitherman's kitchen drinking my fourth corona. I couldn't recall the last time I had drank more than one. I swallow the last drop and toss the glass bottle into the trash. When I look up I see a chick dressed as witch walking into the kitchen alone. "My God" I mumble to myself as she walks right in front of me. "Hey baby" I say almost slurring my words. It wasn't like me to be this bold, especially with someone I didn't know.
She looks up from the punch bowl and winks at me, then leaves the kitchen. I stood glued to the floor, unable to break the trance she created. When I looked up again she was gone. "Damn it" I say cursing myself for letting her walk away. Just about that time my brother walks through the door with a girl on each arm. "What up shorty" he says almost giggling. Yep, he's definitely been drinking. "Look at these fine ass bitches I found. I've got a devil and an angel and their going to do very bad things to me...right ladies?" he says laughing, of course they nod in agreement.