W.I.T.C.H. Fan Fiction ❯ My Niece ❯ Day 6 ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

I woke up the next morning to the sound of dog food clinking against the bottom of Sven’s food bowl. By now it was so usual that I barely noticed, but I knew that it wasn’t; by the end of the week it would be all over.
After getting myself adjusted, I strolled out to see Wilma washing her hands in the kitchen sink. I decided not to implore on it, since it probably dealt with dog food dust. I simply went over to the fridge and took out the milk and juice. I then grabbed the cereal from the cabinet and brought the three items to the table. I then turned to Wilma, who was sitting down at the table, and I said, “Don’t worry about the other stuff. I’ll get them.”
“I wasn’t too worried about that.” Wilma said. She seemed a bit tired, but as with her washing her hands, I decided not to ask about it.
I instead just concentrated on breakfast, which I noticed was starting to shrink in terms of supplies. I guess I need to head back to the Co-op. I thought as I poured out the cereal and milk into my bowl. Hmm, maybe that should be another place for Wilma to have a job shadow, but only if she wants to. I should ask her. So I turned my attention to Wilma and asked, “You know Wilma, I was thinking that I would need to head off to the Co-op to get some more foodstuffs. Maybe you wouldn’t mind having a job shadow over there.” After she kind of glared at me, I then added, “If you want to, of course.”
Wilma soon softened, and said, “If you want to get something set up, go ahead. I don’t care.”
“Are you sure? You didn’t look like you liked the idea.”
“What other ideas do you have? It’s not like there’s too many better places out there.”
“OK. I just want to make sure before I do something you disagree with.” I then returned back to my cereal, and probably got just a bite when Wilma asked, “So, just in case I didn’t get accepted to the job shadow at Orin’s place, where should I go?”
“Hmm. That’s a good point, Wilma. I think it would be best if you return here.” I answered. “Normally I would say just go off to Connections, one of the RCAs, or the library, but I think you’d generate a lot of suspicion.”
She nodded in compliance, though I could also sense that she didn’t exactly liked being patronized in that fashion. I couldn’t blame her, but I didn’t have much of a choice; it was for both of our own goods.
The rest of breakfast was uneventful by the previous days’ standards. We were soon done with our food and with the dishes done, we then got cleaned up and dressed. From there, it was just a matter of getting Sven harnessed up and all of us being out the door. However, when I looked outside the window, it looked much cloudier than it had earlier; more likely than not, it was going to rain. Turning back towards where I thought Wilma was, I said, “Wilma, I think it might rain today. I know you brought along a jacket, but did you bring along an umbrella?”
“No.” Wilma replied. She soon appeared from the bathroom, looking a lot fresher than she did earlier that morning.
“Ugh. OK then, you can use mine for today. I’ll get myself a new one at the nearby department store.”
“Are you sure? I can get by without one.”
“No, I insist. Besides, it’s not raining right now.”
“Alright.” With that, Wilma took Sven’s lease from me while I got the umbrella from the closet. I then handed the umbrella to her, and she gave me back the lease. We then headed out the door, with me hoping that the rain would hold off until I got to the Mystic’s Emporium.
It probably wasn’t more than 1-2 minutes until we got to Orin’s bus stop. As I expected, he was already there, and he waved at us as we approached. “Hey Arthur! Wilma! Good to see you two again!” he called out.
“Yeah, it’s awfully nice to see you as well, Orin.” I replied. “Did you get the boss’ OK for the job shadow?”
“Yes I did. She can come with me to work for today, if only for a few hours.”
“Sounds good.” I then turned to Wilma and said, “Well, I guess this is where we will part ways for much of the day. I’ll see you this evening.”
“You too.” Wilma said. From there I left her at the bus station, and I headed off with Sven to the Howl House. After dropping him off, I went straight into the Mystic’s Emporium, where I got into the shop just before it started to rain. It was only a light rain, but it was still rain.
The work day was fairly dull by any standard, though we did get a fair number of customers. The only thing that was a bit out of place occurred a little after lunch, when Derek showed up unexpectedly with a few boxes. “Excuse me, but I got an order that belongs to you.” He said as he walked up to Bryan. Unsurprisingly, he looked to me, as if to say, Can you please get him out of here? I took the cue, and I persuaded him to return to Balder’s Books, but after we stepped outside, he motioned me into the bookstore. A bit reluctantly, I followed his lead.
The bookstore, by all means, had not changed all that much. It was just the way I hard remembered it years before, though there was now that stale, uncomfortable feel that seemed to resonate within the walls I wasn’t used to. But as it would only be for a few minutes – Derek always wanted to get down to business, regardless of what it was – I tried not to let it bother me.
Derek looked around to make sure no one else was around, and then he said, “I see that Bryan is still irritated by my presence.”
“I think that goes for just about everyone here in Whitesage, Derek.” I replied. “So why did you drag me here? I still have work to do.”
“I know. It’s just that… I’m growing increasingly uncomfortable about things, Arthur. And I mean the big things. Stuff that I shouldn’t be worried about, but I am.”
“Like what?”
“Oh, it’s all over the place. I mean, can’t you feel it? A foreboding energy worming its way throughout this place and indeed throughout the world?”
“No, I don’t. Eh, have you been smoking something? You sound more paranoid then you usually do.”
“I wish.” Derek replied, walking back to his cash register. “But that’s not what I’m talking about. What I’m talking about is in regards to a dream I had. I dreamt that Emperor Nut-Job got an extension to his dictatorship, and that in the coming years, disasters both from the hands of humanity and the hands of the divine would permeate throughout the world until the planet blew itself up from the stress. That is what I’ve been paranoid about.”
“So why are you telling this to me?”
“For the obvious reason that you are one of the few people here in Whitesage that is willing to see beyond my exterior. Albeit reluctantly, of course.”
“Yes. But you know, it you have a problem with the issue, why don’t you do something about it? In as long as it’s in good taste.” Derek halfway nodded, and then I made my way to the door, but then stopped. Maybe that was a bit too abstract of a description. I should probably clear some things up. I thought. From there, I turned around and said, “Please don’t do anything dumb, Derek.”
“I’ll try not to.” Derek replied. “But then again, the decisions I make are totally my own, and their consequences are inconceivable until they are fully revealed.”
“What you mean by that?”
“I’m kind of surprised that you’d ask that, Arthur, knowing what we’ve both been through. It means that a decision can’t be made good or bad until the end results are totaled and judged. In both of our cases, we had to run away from bad situations, and they proved to be good decisions on our parts, as they cleaned the slate and gave us a new base to work off of.”
I understood what he was talking about, and I felt a little guilty for bringing the subject up to him. But as I was acknowledging my brief lapse into mindlessness, I thought, Hmm, he had a good point. Maybe he can shed some light on Wilma’s situation. I don’t there should be too much of a problem as long as I don’t use Wilma directly. So I then said, “Hey Derek, before I head back to work, I would like some insight on something.”
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” Derek replied.
“Thanks. Now, I heard that within our region, a girl in her late teens, ended up running away from home because everything about her life was falling apart…”
“Can you better define ‘everything’ for me?”
“I mean through family relationships, through school relationships, through schoolwork, and school athletics. The whole ball of wax, per se. Would it be in the best interest for her to do that?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. I probably would do so, to be honest with you. I mean, it can’t be any worse than sucking it up, being labeled a failure, descending into misery, and ultimately killing yourself. People have to do what they feel like is needed, and if that girl finds happiness, then it’s all good in the end.”
“Yeah, that’s makes sense.” After a short break, I said, “Thanks for clearing that up for me, Derek. I’ll be heading back to work now.”
“OK. Take care.” Derek said, and with that I left the bookstore and returned to the Mystic’s Emporium.
The rest of my day for that day was pretty usual after that. Once I was done for the day, I went off to get myself an umbrella. Thankfully by that time the rain wasn’t falling as hard as it had been, so I didn’t get too wet in the process. With my new umbrella in tow, I walked over to the Whitesage Co-op to pick up some food.
Once inside, I was greeted by the oldest of all of the managers, a man who simply called himself the Lost Sense, though his real name was Larry. He was one of the old-timers of Whitesage, having lived through virtually everything that had happened throughout the long history of the place. But unlike so many of his generation, he was tolerant towards those not affiliated with the Neo-Pagan faiths. “How are you doing?” he said as I walked into the store.
“Not bad.” I replied. “Sorry if I’m coming in at a non-usual time, Larry. But I kind of need the foodstuffs.”
“No problem, Arthur. You have my backing.”
With that, I grabbed a bag and began loading it up with food, which included cereal, milk, orange juice, soups, a pair of ready-made goulash meals, and a kit for vegetarian dressing. I thought that those two things would be the meals for the next couple of nights, and I would take Wilma out to eat for the final night. In all, I had gotten more food than I really needed, but knowing my circumstances there wasn’t much of a choice here.
After getting everything gathered up, I walked over to the cash register, where Larry was waiting. He was definitely surprised to see all of the food I had gathered. “Wow. I’ve never seen you buy this much food before.” He said as I began emptying out the bag. “Expecting company?”
“No, I already have it. I’m taking care of a teenage girl from outside of town.” I replied. “And let me tell you: it takes a lot of food to keep things going.”
“I see. So you are part of the program showing teenagers from outside Whitesage what it’s like here. Probably a good thing too: a lot of the polls involving Emperor Nut-Job and Khoker are so even that it’s becoming almost impossible to determine what’ll happen in Stupidia. If my instincts are correct, we may need an influx of new people to replace all of those who… well, you know.”
I was quite tinged about him saying that, perhaps out of respect for Wilma’s feelings. But he knew what he was talking about, and such an inconvenient truth couldn’t be ignored. However, I wanted to change the subject, so I said, “That aside, what else is going on around here?”
“Not much. I’m obviously looking forward to the Samhain festival, as evident by the decorations, but beyond that, it’s been pretty normal around these parts. You?”
“It’s all about the girl I’m taking care of for this week. She’s been going through various job shadows to see what working life is like here in Whitesage, and outside of that I’ve been showing her around here to display what the rest of Whitesage has to offer.”
“I see. What does she think of it all?”
“You know, I’ve never seriously asked her about it. I probably should.”
“Yes. Anyway, here’s the bill.” He then passed the paper to me, and I was shocked to see that I was to pay ¤101.253 for the whole thing; I had never paid for ¤100+ in groceries ever. But I knew that I couldn’t complain, and I began to shell out the money for my purchases. I was able to shell out enough to pay the bill, without having it put on the tab. With the groceries bagged up, I asked, “Hey Larry, would it be OK if the girl lodging at my place conducts a job shadow here?”
“Of course, Arthur. I’m always happy to show teenagers from outside here to see a place like this. Will you be bringing her here, or will she show up on her own?”
“No, I’ll bring Wilma around next morning; that’s the girl’s name, by the way.”
“OK, I’ll keep that in mind. Well, you probably want to get home to her, and I don’t think you want your food to get tepid. So, I’ll see you around.”
“You too, Larry.” And I was soon out the door, my umbrella opened up. It was a good thing too, since it was starting to rain kind of hard.
About ten minutes later, I had picked up Sven from the Howl House, and after another ten minutes I was back at home. I walked in to the house to see Wilma sacked out on the couch, so I said out loud, “Hi Wilma. I’ve got food.” She slowly got up, obviously a bit cross from having been woken. But she was soon setting up the table and helping put the groceries away.
We ate supper up pretty quickly, but during this time I noticed that Wilma’s expression was a bit hard to read, though it looked to be mostly confusion. I didn’t know what it was, but I was so hungry that I decided not to talk until the meal was over. After we were finished, Wilma returned to the couch, where she sat down, looking towards the window as if she had lost something close to her. Sven could see that she was troubled, and trotted out to see her. She definitely took notice of this and began petting and stroking his head, but she still looked rather forlorn. Seeing all of this compelled me to work faster with the dishes, so I could help her out.
Once I was done with the dishes, I walked over to Wilma and said, “Is everything OK?”
Wilma looked up at me and said, “Oh. Yes, everything’s fine. I guess.”
Not quite buying it, I then said, “Are you sure? You sound as if something is bothering you. Did something go wrong at the job shadow?”
“No. That went fine. It’s… it’s just that I’m really confused about the situation I’m in.” She replied, looking down at Sven as she said it.
I was understandably concerned, so I sat down next to her and said, “Well, just tell me what is confusing you, and maybe I can figure something out for you.”
Wilma looked back towards me, and then said, “I’m just wondering if everything I’ve done was worth it. Ever since I left behind my old life, I’ve been thinking whether or not it was the right choice. I’ve never given it much thought until now, and now that it has sunk in, I feel conflicted.”
“In other words, you are having second thoughts.”
“At this point, I’ve gotten to fifth thoughts about it all.”
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Well, it’s mostly in regards whether or not I should stay here. And neither one sounds like a good option. If I decide to stay here, more likely than not I’ll have to return to school, and I’ve already had enough awkward new school experiences. And especially after hearing about of the school setup from Orin, I don’t think I would be able to stomach it.”
“You wouldn’t be the first one to complain about the school setup, Wilma. Nearly every kid who has lived outside of Whitesage who then has to live here has complained about it more than anything else. In fact, it’s… eh, well, that’s something best left unsaid.”
Wilma just glared at me, and then said, “Well, that was helpful.”
“I’m sorry Wilma, but as I’ve said before, I really can’t sugarcoat stuff like this.” I replied.
“Yeah, I know. But even if the schooling wasn’t the issue, how am I going to make a living out here? I’m not really good at anything!”
“That’s not true. You are good with dogs; I mean, look at how well you and Sven get along! I even heard that you had befriended that Rottweiler back at the Howl House a few days ago!”
“I guess. But even then, I just don’t know if I can get used to a community like this. I don’t mean in a bad way, but it took me some time to establish friendships back at my old home. In a place like this, it could take me forever!”
“Not unless you make the effort. I’m sure you can find friends, no matter where you look. And besides, if it’s that’s such an issue, why not go back home?”
“I’ve thought about that, but why would I want to? Do I really want to go back home and be seen as a disgrace and a failure by my mother, my former friends, my former boyfriend, my teachers, and my coaches? If I do that, it would be about as sad a fate as anything out there in the world.”
“I doubt that would be true. Most people would be willing to help people out in such dire straits. I mean, overall we tend to help each other out when someone is down and out. If it isn’t our family and friends, there are plenty of others around that will do the job. Like me.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think you could help me out with something like this. I’ve got two possible paths to take, both of which suck. And I don’t know which one would work out best.”
I sat and looked out the window, recollecting the words Derek has told me earlier in the day. I totally understand what you are going through, Wilma. I thought as I looked out into the darkness. Sweet religion do I ever know what you have to think about. At least you don’t have to worry about a half-brother who torments you mercilessly, but I know that anything outside of death can be overcome. I’m living proof of it. Now I want you to be a part of it, and I know how it can be done. I then turned back to Wilma and said, “I can understand how you feel Wilma. This is just a usual part of life, and as long as you make happiness out of the choices you have, everything will be alright in the end.” After I finished, remembering the deal I had made with everyone in Heatherfield, I thought, As long as you return home. Everyone there misses you.
Wilma looked at me and said, “Well, that’s all good when saying it, but how can anyone put into practice? I must have gone over the pros and cons a hundred times, and about the only thing I can figure out is how to become a nervous wreck!”
“I wish you wouldn’t think so hard about this, Wilma.” I answered. “Sometimes the best answers, especially of this sort, are to take a step back and not think about it.”
“How is that supposed to help me? The problem will sit around unresolved if I do that!”
I was starting to get a little frustrated hearing this, and I said, “Listen, Wilma. We all have hard questions to answer, and when one method doesn’t work…” But then I stopped. It was both due to my general concern for her welfare, but also because I remembered something. It was in regards to the Whitesage Spiritual Therapy center, where Sharon Walls was one of the administrators. They have forms of aquatic therapy over there. I thought. Maybe that’s the thing that can uncork Wilma’s mental blockage. I then said, “Maybe there is a way I can help your issue out. Not directly, but I know someone who can.”
“You do?” Wilma asked.
“Yes. Orin’s wife, Sharon, is one of the administrators of a spiritual therapy center, and some of the therapies they offer there are aquatic in nature.”
“Really? What else do you know about this place?”
“I’m not sure that I’m the best person to answer those questions. Let’s wait until Sharon comes home, and you can ask her. From there maybe I can schedule some therapies for you tomorrow.”
Wilma seemed quite a bit happier to hear this, and nodded her head in acceptance of the idea. With that, I got up from the couch and got a drink of water. It would be a little while before Sharon would return home.
At about 9:15 PM, Wilma and I decided to go pay the Walls’ another visit. I figured that she would be well-established at that time to provide the answers Wilma was going to ask her, though I hoped that whatever questions she had were not that numerous.
As was before, Robert reached the door first when I knocked on it. “Oh hi Arthur. Is there something that you need?” he asked.
“Yes. Is your Mom around? A student from outside of town wishes to talk to her about the spiritual therapy center and the services provided.” I answered.
“I’ll see if I can get her.” And with that, Robert left to go get Sharon. Both of us were reluctant to step inside as we had not been given permission to do so, but it was still a bit damp outside, and while we had both brought umbrellas, we really didn’t want to use them.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long before Sharon showed up, a little tired but nonetheless wanting to talk about her business. “Hi Arthur. You said that you wanted to talk to me about therapies?” she said as she got to the open door.
“No, it’s not me. It’s the student that your husband took to that job shadow earlier today.” I replied. “I had told her about your place and she just wants to ask some questions about some of the therapies you offer.”
“I see. Oh well, I was hoping that you would schedule something. I guess I can’t have everything.” Sharon said, sounding disappointed.
“Actually, I was thinking about signing up for some therapies, once I know about them.” Wilma said. At this Sharon perked up a bit and said, “Well, that changes things quite a bit. Why don’t you two come inside? It might rain again. We can go to the dining area to talk about this.” So we stepped inside and we walked over to the kitchen/dining room, where we all took a seat.
“So, what therapies do you want to know about?” Sharon asked Wilma, once we had all gotten situated.
“Well, Arthur told me about your place and the services it provides. In particular, I’m interested in some of the aquatic therapies you have available.” Wilma answered.
“The Whitesage Spiritual Therapy center offers a number of aquatic therapy options, but before I go into them, I would like to know if you’ve been involved with aquatic therapies in the past.”
“This is actually the first time I’ve heard of them, so I don’t know what is available to me.”
“That’s fine. A lot of outsiders answer that way. A good place to start would be the use of a float tank.”
“What’s that?”
“In essence, it’s an enclosed tank that contains a little water mixed in with enough Epsom salts to allow people to float on its surface. A person simply climbs into the tank and floats on the surface of the salt-filled water. It’s primarily a means to allow people to de-stress, though it can also be used to boost both academic and athletic performances.”
“How long does such a floatation set last?”
“About an hour.”
“What are some other aquatic therapies you offer?”
“The other form of aquatic therapy we offer is called Watsu.”
“And what is that?”
“It’s a form of aquatic massage therapy in which a person is guided on the surface of the water by a trained practitioner. Much like with the float tank, it’s a means to de-stress.”
“I see. How long does this last?”
“Like with the float tank, it lasts about an hour.”
“Is it possible to me to sign up for both of these things?”
“Of course. As hard as it is to believe, there are openings for both forms of therapy tomorrow evening. Now, since you seem a bit young, I’ll need a release form signed by a guardian.” Sharon then turned to me and said, “Did she get permission to do this?”
“Yes, she did.” I said. I hoped that it would be OK with Susan, but at that moment, anything that could help Wilma feel better about her would be worth the time and the expense.
“Very well. Here is the paper; if you two could sign it, I can then get it processed and we can go from there.” She then produced a paper that had a bunch of disclaimers and the like, along with a pen. After thoroughly reading through the paper, I nodded my head in compliance and signed it. I then passed it on to Wilma, who then signed it. She then gave it back to Sharon, who looked at it and said, “Everything looks in order. Good! Come over at 7:00 PM and we can get you taken care of.”
“Sounds good, but are there any precautions I should take into account?” Wilma asked.
“Not much.” Sharon said. “Obviously you’ll need a swimsuit for both of these things, but I’m pretty sure you knew that. Also, don’t eat anything in the hour before the therapies, and don’t drink anything that has caffeine in it. Needless to say, alcohol and drugs are deeply frowned upon. Other than that, I’ll provide you instruction as needed. And I hope you don’t mind me being the administrator of your Watsu session.”
“No, I don’t mind at all.” Wilma responded. “Well, I guess we better get going. I’ll see you next evening.”
“OK. Have a good evening!”
“You too.” I said as we got up and left.
Back at my place, Wilma said, “I think I better get ready for bed.”
“Yeah, it’s getting kind of late. If you don’t mind, I once again have things to attend to back downstairs.” I said as I walked to my usual spot. “Call out if you need anything.”
Pretty soon I was back in my office. I once again called up Susan to see how things were going, and made a note to talk to her about the therapies. After the obligatory hellos, I asked how things were going in Heatherfield. “Eh, reasonably well, in spite of the obvious.” Susan answered. “I mean, I haven’t heard anything significant worth telling you, at least not off of the top of my head. What about you?”
“Not much. Though Wilma seemed a bit conflicted about her situation. I couldn’t tell if she was confused or homesick or what was going on in her head. Anyway, I hope you don’t mind me taking her to participate in some aquatic therapies tomorrow so that she feels better.”
“As long as you pay the bill, I don’t mind.”
“I was planning to pay the bill, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Also, just out of curiosity, what are the aquatic therapies?”
“In her case, it’ll be some time in a float tank and also a Watsu session.”
“Hmm. I remember going through a phone book and seeing advertisings for both of those things in Heatherfield. Maybe if it works for Wilma, I should give them a try. Religion knows I need ways to deal with the day, especially after what’s happened.”
“I understand what you are saying. Anyway, if that all worth talking about, I guess I better let you go.”
“OK, I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”
“Bye.” After hanging up, I turned on the computer and checked my E-Mail. This time it was only Taranee that had sent word my way, and it wasn’t what I wanted to hear…
Hi Arthur. Hopefully everything is going OK with you and Wilma.
I wish the same can be said over here, but it hasn’t. We all remain upset with ourselves with what has happened, but no more so than with Cornelia. She thinks that everything that has happened is her fault, and since the news broke, she’s spent much of her time in a depressed, weepy state. In fact, it’s gotten so bad that she was sent home from school today because she was disturbing her classmates and teachers. I plan talking to Cornelia’s parents tomorrow to see what I can do to help her out, but for right now the best I can do is to pray that she doesn’t do anything stupid in the next couple of days.
Beyond that, I don’t have too much else to say, so I leave it at that. If there’s anything you wish to ask me, please don’t hesitate to do so.
Sincerely, Taranee
To this, I wrote:
I got your message, Taranee. I’m sorry that Cornelia feels so bad. Perhaps you should go see her and give her this message…
Wilma is doing fine and will be returning home next weekend. In the meantime, don’t worry about what happened. It’s not your fault.
If there’s anything I can do to help out, please let me know. Other than that, there’s not much else to report, so I’ll just leave it there and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. And be sure to say hi to the other girls for me.
Sincerely, Arthur Addlestadt
After getting the message sent off, I turned off the computer and turned my attention towards getting ready for bed. It didn’t take long for me to get everything taken care of, and as before, I was sacked out before I knew it.
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