Continued from the previous post.
Dara traced the sketch with her index finger. This
had to be a gag. Although the emergency room doctor had convinced her at the
time that she’d had an allergic reaction at her bridal shower, after bits and
pieces of the day came back to her in dreams, she’d suspected it’d been
something else.
And this sketch proved it. Or did it. What if Ris
knew she overheard her and the old guy at the café and planted this manuscript
for her to find? She wouldn’t give the Walker sister that much credit to come
up with this elaborate of a ruse.
Dara lifted the manuscript into the light. The
artist or Sir what’s-his-face had drawn the Tea Haven and everyone sitting at
her table the day of the shower. The woman who resembled Dara floated off the
ground, her feet pointed toward the floor. The woman drawn next to her resembled
her mother-in-law to an alarming degree.
She wanted answers. The mayor’s birthday dinner
would have to wait.
Dara shoved the manuscript in the bag and rushed to
her car. Standing in front of her driver’s side door was the creepy old man who’d
taken up residence in her café.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Hello, Dara,” the man said. “I’m Sparsh and you seem
to have acquired something that wasn’t meant to be purchased by anyone in this
town.”
She pulled the bag to her stomach. No way would she
give up her newfound prize. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Get away
from my car.”
A woman approached her as if from out of nowhere.
She had flowing white hair and wore a dress that shimmered. She placed her hand
on Dara’s shoulder. “Dear, you really must give that manuscript to my husband.”
As if she couldn’t control herself, Dara held out
the bag and handed it over to Sparsh. What
the heck! That’s not what she wanted to do. “That’s was a gift for the
mayor,” she said, the words coming out on a whine.
The woman gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You’ll find
a better gift in one of the shops on the square.”
Dara nodded in agreement. “I’ll find a better gift,”
she repeated.
Sparsh walked away and after he’d turned the corner,
the woman released her shoulder and walked in the same direction.
“What just happened?” Dara said to no one and anyone
listening. She blinked hard over and over and wondered back into her café. She
sat in the first booth she came to and waited for the brain fog to lift.
This
has to do with the Walker sisters. Witches! She was sure
of it now and those two had been their cronies.
Maybe it was time she paid more attention to what
they all did in their spare time.
The End
I hope you enjoyed the first prompt short story!! Stay tuned for more from the side characters that you've come to enjoy. Remember, Book 1 of Lost Souls ParaAgency is only .99 or Free to read with the Kindle Unlimited program. CLICK HERE TO GRAB YOUR COPY
Good for Sparsh. He definitely keeps on top of things. Dara is still going to be trouble though.
ReplyDelete