“I caught one,” Maddie said triumphantly, holding a jar up. It was filled with water, and inside was a small green newt with black spots on its belly. Her shorts and shoes were muddy and soaked from her effort.
“Splendid!” Juniper said. She was stirring a large pot on the stove. It wasn’t a cauldron, but she had promised that it’d do the trick. She was wearing a black dress, like any self-respecting witch, but she hadn’t been able to find a pointed hat that didn’t look like a cheap costume piece. Ever since she’d appointed herself the witch of Gauthier, Louisiana last month, she’d focused on refining her brand. “I’m boiling the ginseng and mandrake right now. Can you chop up the henbane?” She pointed to a small collection of orange flowers.
Maddie set the jar with the newt on the counter next to the other ingredient, setting it down gingerly so that the sloshing water wouldn’t disturb the newt inside. She picked up a knife and started cutting the henbane, each slice causing small tears to spread across the delicate petals.
“Pass me the hair of the dog,” Juniper said. Maddie handed her a Ziplock bag full of clippings she’d taken from her neighbor’s Pomeranian that morning. Juniper sprinkled the golden strands into the pot.
“Did you have any of your dad’s hair?” Juniper asked, holding out her hand.
“I got some from the drain after he showered,” Maddie handed her another Ziplock, this one filled with a tangled wet clump of black hair. Juniper pulled out the hair and shook some chunks of bar soap out before dropping it into the potion.
“Is this the first love potion you’ve made?” Maddie asked nervously. Her parents hadn’t spoken to each other in months, except when they were dropping her off at each other’s apartments. Juniper didn’t answer but kept stirring the pot clockwise counting to thirteen before changing to stirring counterclockwise.
“What kind of a witch would I be if I couldn’t make a love potion?” Juniper sounded a little defensive. As a fourteen-year-old witch, she had a lot of respect to maintain, and didn’t want her expertise questioned, especially by a girl two years younger than her.
Maddie looked over the bubbling pot. It smelled a little bit like ditchwater. “That doesn’t look like a love potion.”
“Such things are not always as they seem,” Juniper said, hoping that the phrase lent her a mystical air. Juniper had been trying to pepper her speech with a few old timey words, they sounded more witchy.
“Shouldn’t it be pink or flowery or something?”
“Worry not, I put flowers in it,” Juniper said.
“How long will it take? The wedding is in twenty-two days. My mom’s really going to marry Robert.”
“Oh, it’ll work right away, trust me. Well, not instantly, it’ll take a few hours to digest,” Juniper said. “A few sips of this will have your mom back in your dad’s arms in no time.”
“How will I get mom to drink it?” Maddie asked, looking at the olive-colored liquid. “It smells nasty.”
“That’s how you know the magic’s working,” Juniper said. “I’m sure you’ll find a way, maybe pour it in her coffee.”
“She doesn’t make her own coffee,” Maddie said.
“In her wine then. Where’d you put that jar? It’s almost hour for the eye of the newt,” Juniper said ominously. Maddie handed her the jar.
“No, I don’t need a whole newt, you need to take out its eye.” Juniper shoved it back.
Maddie looked at the small newt in the water. It was swimming up against the edge as if it wanted to escape.
“I thought that witches had jars of newt eyes,” Maddie said cautiously.
Juniper cracked a green egg into the cauldron. “I will one day, but I haven’t had time to catch enough newts.”
“Well, maybe you should take its eye out, after all, you’re the witch,” Maddie said. Juniper rolled her eyes and took the jar.
Juniper looked at the small salamander who was now sitting at the bottom of the jar. She reached her hand in and grabbed it. It was slick and slippery, but she reminded herself that witches can’t be bothered by anything that’s gross.
“How do you get the eye out?” Maddie said.
“With a needle, probably.” Juniper rummaged in a drawer with her free hand until she found one. She looked at the newt’s large yellow eyes for a moment and paused.
“Actually, I think the spell would work better if you did it,” Juniper held out the jar and needle to Maddie.
“With a needle? I don’t think I can do that,” Maddie said, looking at the newt. It was squirming in Juniper’s hand, its tiny arms desperately trying to find a way to escape.
“Magic has to be difficult sometimes, otherwise everyone would do it.” Juniper said, with what she hoped was a sage tone.
“Maybe the potion will work without the newt.”
“Don’t question the magic–that could throw everything off. We have to do exactly what it says, no substitutions,” Juniper said. She was only lying a little bit, the original recipe had called for moon’s blood which she decided wouldn’t change things too much. But that meant that everything else had to be perfect.
“Maybe we can find a dead newt and just take its eye.”
“It must be fresh. Besides, I don’t think we could find a dead newt just lying around before midnight.” Juniper said.
“Why does it have to be midnight?”
Juniper didn’t know, but she’d decided that the first rule of witchcraft was to never admit she didn’t know anything. “That’s when the moon’s magic works best. You don’t want a potion that only half works. That’d be,” the young witch faltered for a moment before confidently deciding, “a ‘tolerance’ potion.’”
“Well, okay,” Maddie took the squirming newt and the needle. Her hand trembled and she couldn’t keep it still. She took a breath. She would just put in the tip and pry it out. It was like popping a bubble, it’d be over instantly. The potion only needed the one eye. The newt would probably be fine with just one eye. Maybe she could give it a little eye patch and it could be a pirate newt. Maddie knew that was silly. She felt Juniper watching her intently.
“I don’t think I can do it while you’re watching,” Maddie said. She opened the door and walked outside, newt and needle in hand.
While she was gone, Juniper thought a little bit about the potion. She didn’t know much about Maddie’s parents or Robert and wondered if she shouldn’t be meddling in this. On the one hand, surely Maddie’s parents had once loved each other, so bringing that love back couldn’t do any harm. Unless it could. Some things were not meant to last forever. On the other hand, she didn’t know what was wrong with Robert, except that he wasn’t Maddie’s father. She thought about going outside and telling Maddie that the potion was already ruined, that the hour had passed.
Juniper continued stirring the pot. Newts didn’t make any sounds, so she couldn’t tell when Maddie had popped out its eye. It was a few minutes before Maddie came back in.
“The newt got away. It was too slippery,” Maddie said, taking a seat at the small table.
Juniper looked at the pot, still bubbling. She’d have to save the broth for some other spell. Maybe she could pitch a tolerance potion to someone.
“Maybe we can try again ere the next full moon,” Juniper said, but she knew that’d be too late.
“I don’t think I can do it,” Maddie said, looking at the needle she still held in her hand. She handed Juniper the needle, and Juniper set it on a cabinet next to a jar of mustard seeds.
“I think that’s very strong of you to admit,” Juniper said, sitting down next to Maddie. She knew she should provide more insightful comments; half of all witchcraft was just being a wise woman with common sense.
“I don’t feel strong,” Maddie said.
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes.
“Does she seem happy with him? With Robert?” Juniper asked.
“Yeah, she thinks he’s great for some reason.”
“You know, maybe it’s for the best. Sometimes love potion can have disastrous effects. It always seems like the wrong person takes it or someone falls in love with the wrong person.”
This seemed to comfort Maddie a little bit.
“Did you know from the start that I wouldn’t be able to do it?” Maddie said.
Juniper thought about all of the magical ingredients she’d used up, the chants she’d spent hours memorizing, the ache in her wrist from stirring the pot.
Juniper smiled at Maddie and said, “Well, I am a witch.”
