The sound of jingle bells and the smell of baked chocolate cookies and hot coffee from Marjorie's café filled the air of Halcyon. Marjorie was preparing the big five-layered chocolate cake for the Christmas celebration at the town hall. Scented candles with the flavor of cinnamon and spices attracted the townspeople. Hazel and Natalie helped her with the never-ending orders from customers.
Snow fell on the roof of the town hall. The reindeer carriage owners stood in front of the town hall, giving rides to everyone in town. This event was arranged by the town selectman, James Whitefield. The town hall was an old wooden building constructed by the founding families. People began to arrive for the Christmas celebration. The seats were adorned with red ribbons, and a Christmas tree stood in the center. Stars were hung from the ceiling, and scented candles were lit.
The small shops of Halcyon sparkled with Christmas decorations, including colorful stars and luminous lights in shades of yellow, red, and green. People gathered in the gift shops, eager to buy presents for their loved ones. James Whitefield walked through the crowd, smiling and waving at everyone, wanting them to enjoy Christmas. He was doing his best to decorate the town and provide facilities for the townspeople.
"Finally!" Marjorie exclaimed as she placed a white star on top of the five-layered cake she had made with care. Hazel and Natalie admired her work, already knowing how delicious it would be without needing to taste it—Marjorie was the best cook they knew.
"They're gonna love it, Marjorie!" Natalie said. The trio hugged and jumped happily.
That evening, everyone gathered at the town hall. James provided each person with a Christmas hat and two candies. The townspeople wore red or green sweaters as Hazel, Natalie, and Marjorie sat in the back row, wearing their hats and smiling brightly. Although Hazel hated the snow, she loved spending time with her friends, which helped her forget everything negative—until James Whitefield entered. He knew they had stolen Sable, and he knew Hazel was a witch. Hazel and Natalie exchanged tense glances, but they were certain he wouldn't act against them in front of the whole town. Gregory Haywood, who belonged to the founding families, arranged the seats on the stage. Hazel noticed Clara was not present.
"So why didn't you ever marry?" Natalie asked, hoping to change the subject and gather ideas for her new chapter.
"My parents didn't allow me to marry my beloved. They moved here, far away from where I lived. I never had the chance to meet that person again," Marjorie said, tears welling in her eyes.
"That's sad. But you should know there are plenty of fish in the sea. You're still young," Natalie advised.
"She was not an ordinary fish. She was my lobster," Marjorie said with a smile, remembering every happy moment with her lover. Hazel and Natalie turned to each other, slowly realizing that Marjorie hadn't made any mistakes with her pronouns—her lover was a woman. They looked at her with genuine sadness.
"Our love was different. They said it was against nature. But for me, it drew flowers in my soul. I hope she is married and happy somewhere, living her dreams..." Marjorie missed her lover deeply, never stopping to think about her. Her love was profound and selfless.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" James announced through the microphone. "I have noticed every decoration on your houses. They look magical. Everyone who has contributed something to this town—not just money, but also spreading happiness—thank you!" He smiled widely. "I am getting old, and every year I see something new that adds beauty to this town. This year, we will open a library. Thank you to each and every one of you for coming!" He was so happy that his speech was a bit unstructured.
James presented gifts to everyone who participated in the Christmas games. "I must say I am impressed with the snowmen decorations. I am unable to choose a winner among you. Thank you, everyone, for your time and hard work. And tonight, I'll be playing your favorite movie, 'Home Alone,' in the park. I hope you all attend. You can borrow picnic blankets from my wife if you don't have one, and she has made cookies! I know many of the women here have helped her. Thank you so much!"
James invited the young Christmas choir, and they performed "Stacy's Mom," to the crowd's delight as everyone danced. James Whitefield wondered if it was an appropriate song for Christmas, but he was happy to see the townspeople enjoying themselves.
Now it was time for the cake. Everyone eagerly awaited it. Two men brought the large five-layered chocolate cake on a golden plate, covered with a green decorative cloth adorned with golden bells. When one man pulled off the cloth, someone screamed loudly from the outside. The crowd gasped. They turned to look outside, and when they looked at the cake again, there was nothing on the plate except thousands of chocolate-colored butterflies that flew away, leaving the plate empty. Shocked, everyone stood still.
James Whitefield rushed to the front. "Please stay calm, everyone!"
The men from the founding families closed the doors, and the crowd began to scream. The butterflies filled the air. Gregory looked suspiciously at Hazel.
"I told you they were plotting something about the cake!" an old woman yelled.
Marjorie collapsed to the ground. Hazel ran to James. "I can help you!" "I need your help!" they both yelled simultaneously.
Hazel pulled her wand from her jacket. She had taken to carrying it everywhere now because she was afraid of Andres. She waved it in the air. "Dormire!" she muttered. The townspeople, except for the men from the founding families and James Whitefield, fell asleep in their chairs. Some slumped to the ground, while the men placed them back in their seats.
"Do you have any part in this?" Gregory questioned Hazel.
"No!" she shouted, glancing at Natalie and Marjorie, who were also asleep.
"The people must not find anything related to magic. Small incidents can be overlooked, but this is significant. They have witnessed something extraordinary, and it will attract the real danger we must fear," he said, turning to Hazel. "I want you to make a forgetting potion. It will be available in one of Halsey's books. Gregory will accompany you. Will they wake up before you return?"
"They won't wake up until morning. I will come back as soon as possible." Hazel didn't want to travel with Gregory, but she was confident that the town needed her and that he wouldn't act against her.
Gregory and she walked to her house in silence.
"How is Clara?" Hazel asked, trying to break the silence.
"We are not friends, witch. My town needs you now, and I will be grateful for your help. That's it," he replied curtly.
They reached her home. "Since we are not friends, I don't want you to come inside. And beware of the cats!" she said, stepping inside and leaving him at the door. He sat by a tree, waiting for her to brew the potion. The town was silent, and he could hear the plants moving.
Hazel found her grandmother's spellbook on the shelf and quickly searched for the forgetting potion. She needed lavender, vervain, honey, dried rosemary, chamomile flowers, and honey. She also needed to add the sleeping potion at the end, which she had on her shelf. She made that potion to steal Sable, the black cat with blue eyes.
But the thing was, she needed a moonstone. She searched for it everywhere. It was a soap-like white gemstone with magical properties. It was perfect for memory alteration and was the most important ingredient.
She collected the chamomile flowers and lavender from her late grandmother's greenhouse and washed them properly. She gathered honey and dried rosemary from the shelf. One thing was missing, she thought. Vervain! It could be used against an Animagus, she read. If she found it, she could use it on Andres. The overuse of it could kill an Animagus if he was new. But she knew he was older than James Whitefield anyway. So the vervain wouldn't kill him, but it could make him hurt, buying her time to escape from him if necessary. She searched the whole greenhouse and tried revealing spells.
She collected the other ingredients, placing them near the cauldron on the greenhouse table. She was confused what to do next.
Knock, knock.
She sensed fear.
"Hey! It's me. Hello!" Gregory said, annoyed.
She went to the living room and saw Gregory standing at the door.
"What?" Hazel rolled her eyes, irritated at being disturbed in the middle of potion making.
"Thought you might need these," he grinned, pulling out a white gemstone and enough lavender for the potion from a plastic bag. Hazel looked at him suspiciously.
"We are the founding families. Your grandmother was not the only one with magical plants and antiques," he said, mocking her.
Hazel took the items from his hand and went to the greenhouse. She noticed he had only handed over the right amount of vervain. She grew suspicious about the founding families. The town carried more secrets than she had suspected.
She added chamomile flowers and dried rosemary to the boiling water and stirred it with her wand in an anticlockwise motion. When it turned a pale white color, she added vervain and lavender. The potion turned a pale lavender. She added the moonstone, and the potion began to heat and bubble. The water started to evaporate, turning into a white potion like whipped cream. In the end, she added the sleeping potion and poured the cream-like substance into a big bowl.
Hazel gave Gregory the bowl. The town was still silent as they walked to the town hall. They didn't talk all the way.
"Will it be enough for the whole town?" James Whitefield asked as they arrived.
"It is a balm-like potion. You just have to apply it to their heads to make them forget," Hazel said. Gregory stared in suspicion.
"I trust you," James replied.
The men started to apply the cream on the heads of townpeople and carried them outside the town hall.
"Where are they taking them?" Hazel asked.
"To their houses. They will wake up and remember they watched a movie and drank wine. We have altered their memory."
Hazel was confused.
"The moonstone. I touched it and already asked for a boon before giving it to you. It will make people remember only what I want them to remember. It's a delusion. It's dark magic. That's why I removed the moonstone from your house. I have removed nothing other than that. I promise." James explained.
"What about vervain?" Hazel asked.
"Your grandmother never owned it, and we will not discuss it. Thank you, kid, for your help!" he said sweetly and walked outside. She knew he owned vervain somewhere and wanted to keep it from her.
The men took everyone to their houses, carrying them on their shoulders, and put them on their beds or sofas. When they woke up the next day, they would remember nothing. They would just remember that they had been so drunk they forgot what happened after the choir. But they would remember watching the movie and drinking wine and heading to their houses.
It was early morning when Gregory arrived the west side. He was heading to his house.The cozy cottage stood on the west side of Halcyon, near the small bridge in town. The floor in that area was built with stones, but it couldn't be seen because it was covered by snow. There was a common well near the bridge, and snow was falling. The houses nearby displayed stars in front of them. Some were decorated with colorful lights and Christmas trees.
Snow blanketed everything.
The moody climate reflected the state of Clara Haywood, who stood at her cottage window watching the snowfall from her living room.
"Clara .." He called with love. She didn't respond.
" Talk to me.." It was painful for him to watch her like this.
" Clara...I'm sorry you were forced to quit. My mother just wants you here. There's no evil intention behind it. Women never worked in our family; they cooked, cleaned, did the laundry, and looked after the children. She doesn't understand the importance of your job." Gregory explained.
Clara didn't respond. She just stared at him. She felt depressed; her job had been her only source of happiness. She had lost a friend, her job, and a sense of purpose. Now, she spoke little and was always gloomy. Gregory left the room, casting a sad glance at her.
A black cat with blue eyes jumped onto the fence and made its way to their cottage, its eyes glittering in the dim light.
( To be continued)