An Old Magic

The crisp October breeze grazed my slim neck as I walked down the back alley to the shop. Sliding through the door quickly, I turned the deadbolt to lock myself in, tapping the closed sign out of habit. The familiar scent of herbs and alcohol overtook me. This apothecary had been in our family for generations. So long in fact that our presence touched the history books of our quaint Pennsylvania town. Although back in the 17th century they called us witches and shunned us, while quietly sneaking in when their babies became sick. It was my choice to take it back to a more traditional standing apothecary. We sold natural remedies made with herbs and minerals that we prepared in-house.

Standing at my workstation, the sunrise peeked through the windows, showering the shop in a pink glow that revealed the dust particles floating in the air. I reached for one of the four work volumes. It was an older book that came with the shop. I used it frequently as it held the recipe for almost all of the classic remedies. My hands lingered in the space where one volume had been removed. Years and years ago an argument had broken out between the two sisters that worked in this shop at that time. No one could tell me about the fight, all anyone knows is that my great-aunt was so infuriated that she took the missing book and left, never to return to the family business.

I remember the first time I heard that story. My grandmother braided my long red hair in the corner of the shop, she told me all about my great-aunt and how she was overcome with anger. My mother, who had been speaking with a customer, caught the last of the conversation. A deep scowl crossed her face for only a moment, and Gram stopped talking. It was too late though, from that moment on all I wanted was the final book of this series.

I spent years searching. Reaching out to family members all across the United States. Most of them didn't even know we were related until they received my calls or letters. The problem was that no one seemed to know where my great-aunt went to. She just disappeared. I did however manage to find out more and more information about this book. I was told by many cousins and aunts that the final book in our family series is to hold the most powerful restorative recipes.

A light tap tap on the door brought me back to the present. Sarah was waiting to be left inside. Rushing down to unlock the door I noticed the blush on her cheeks, her mousy brown hair quickly pulled out of her face and a jacket barely thrown over her shoulders. Whatever she needed to say, she needed to tell me urgently.

"Callie, they found it! My sisters have tracked down the book." Her voice was barely a whisper as she stumbled through the door. Crossing the threshold into the shop her tiny body was shaking with excitement.

"You will never guess where though. We need to double-check of course but from all of our information the last book in the Wyncke family series is in London, in what used to be our great-aunt's home." Her words tumbled out as though one wanted to jump ahead of the other.

My heart raced and my stomach dropped. London, how could I possibly get to London? I ran this shop every day but one, I hadn't had a slow day for months, I would need to find a way, the possibilities this book held for the future of this business were unknown but endless. I had heard too many tales of miracle cures, and even my grandmother told me that her grandmother knew of concoctions so powerful they used to lock the book up so no one else but the family could use it.

Days later I found myself packing for what would be a short trip to London. By some miracle, the book never left our aunt's home. The home was passed from daughter to daughter, very similar to how our shop is passed here in the states. Our distant cousin was more than happy to talk to us. She invited us to stay and at least look at the book, although she was hesitant to allow us to do any more than that. My gut kept telling me that we could convince her to let it go.

Our plane was leaving in 3 hours and would arrive in London 7 hours after that. I was too excited to eat, although Sarah convinced me otherwise. My mother and sisters didn't blink when I asked if they could watch the shop while I was gone. They were always willing to help. This shop held such a proud traditional hold over our family.

The thought of us in a plane in just a few hours had my stomach clenching over and over again. Lightheadedness struck me and I sat down as the floor began to shift under my feet. A light sheen of sweat appeared on my forehead as a flash of heat warmed my entire body. A sudden realization hit, that whatever this was, it wasn't nerves. Something was wrong.

"Sarah....." Black edged my vision until it was dark everywhere. I knew my body had hit the floor although I never felt it.

***************************************

"Callie, can you hear me" a calm, strong voice broke through the fuzziness in my head. My eyes opened to a bright white atmosphere. Clean, scratchy blankets. I was in a hospital.

"No, no, no. I can't be here" I struggled to get up, only to feel my cousin's hands gently pushing me back down.

"Stop, please Callie something is wrong." Her eyes darted to the doctor, my mother with tears and mascara running down her face, and back to me. " tell her what you just told us, please."

He took a calculated breath. "Callie, we don't know exactly what is happening here. What we do know is that there is some form of disease in your bloodstream, we have never seen this before and so far none of our colleagues that we are reaching out to have either. Your blood cells are attacking the rest of your body, if we do not find some way to stop it, or to slow it down you are going to leave us." his hands shook and his shoulders dropped "I am so sorry, If we are careful I believe we have about another 24 hours to try and find a solution before it is too late."

My mind shut down. What did he just tell me? The voices in the room faded out into the background. My mother crumpled on the floor and Sarah pulling her into a chair was like a silent movie that I couldn't turn off. They were wrong I felt fine, it was a weird stress-related blackout. Even as that thought went through my head I knew I was wrong. I was going to die, something within me knew it and was calm and accepting of it.

I pulled at the IVs in my arm. Taking away the cords and the monitors. The sound in the room rushed back, the doctor rushed faster.

"Stop, sit back down, what are you doing?!" my hand gently laid on top of his and he stopped in his tracks, meeting my eyes, I firmly said "I am leaving. You have your samples, your tests, and your colleagues to reach out to. Go. Study. Try to figure it out to the best of your ability. I am getting on a plane and heading to London."

"Callie, your not thinking straight." Sarah came to my side her hand on my freckled arm

"Let her go, you cannot hold her here." Her voice strong, my mother's tears had stopped flowing and a wild, bold look formed in her eyes. "Sarah, you will stay with the girls and help them in the shop, I am going with Callie to London, give me the ticket." Her hand held out, Sarah didn't miss a breath before the ticket was in my mother's hands.

The doctor stood staring incredulously at the three of us. He looked at me and a sliver of fear touched his eyes. "If you leave this hospital you will die in 24 hours."

"I choose the book." I pulled the last of the monitors off and climbed out of the bed. Praying the book would hold the answers I needed.